could i be depressed or is life just this hard?

[JillyArmeen]

starting to wonder if i might be depressed, tired all the time snappy and impatient with ds cant be bothered to do much-my house is a tip an takes ages to get up and out the house, or is this just my personality? im not the person i want to be but wonder if this is partly because ive not got the life i want, ive got a good job that i like but im a single mum and its just not easy juggling work housework and parenting its all such a struggle sometimes and i end up feeling guilty that im not doing any of it to a high enough standard. i do feel happy sometimes am i expecting too much from life to want more than odd fleeting moments? i had depression when pregnant to the point i thought of killing myself but never got help an it got better, this is nothing as bad as that. scared to go to gp incase i get addicted to pills

Hi OP. Life is hard a lot of the time and being a single parent is really difficult but incredibly rewarding. I find it helps not to put too much pressure on myself. Domestic chores are not that importand no one needs to be perfect. You really can't get addicted to pills either. I'm guessing you're talking about anti depressants? They have a place and they're incredibly helpful and they're NOT addictive. They can however be uncomfortable to come off but if you do it properly you don't suffer too much, but that's a way off if an option at all. You could be depressed or you could just be like the rest of us, just a human being with ups and downs. Do you have anyone to speak to? GP's can be really useful to speak to about these things. Please don't be embarrassed or anxious about it, it's their job.

Just a quick note on the run. Anti Depressants are not addictive. It takes a while to wean off them because they free up more serotonin in your body and in response your body makes a bit less and has to re-adjust again.

I think it is easy to get into a dark place, I do and during these times I feel incredibly low, disappointed at my life, my failings etc. I don't think it's depression but perhaps low self esteem which makes me very harsh on myself when things don't go to plan which then leads me to feel down. I am trying to help myself by practising mindfulness, gratitude, meditation, positive affirmations and NLP! Lol, I have read a lot of self help books! On the whole my dark moments are less in length and intensity and am learning to believe that "I'm me and that's just fine".

I think you need to go and see your GP and be very honest about how you feeling. If they offered you an antidepressant to take don't be afraid to try it. It may help take the edge off your symptoms and help you think more rationally about things going on in your life. They are not additive.