depression

The official word from the doctor is that I have not been depressed long enough to be depressed, since you need to be depressed for at least six weeks in order to really be depressed, and I have been depressed only for four weeks.

Apparently I can't do anything right, not even get depressed. How depressing.

In all seriousness, she said that depression is a possibility, given my family history, and since I've gone through these cycles before -- although everyone has mood swings and blue periods from time to time. But the clinical definition requires that the blue period last a minimum six weeks before it counts, so there would no meds. Also, since I'm getting 200 mcg daily of Synthroid, hypothyroidism (or even my lack of a thyroid) is unlikely to be a culprit.

That, as I told her, was fine, since I really don't want a pharmacological solution unless one proves necessary. If I can amend my problem through exercise, diet or lifestyle changes, I'd prefer to do that. So her suggestion was to get more exercise and make sure I do a few things that interest me, including seizing opportunities to spend time with other adults and exercise my mind.

That's all good. I need to lose the weight I've gained the last four weeks, and the weight I've gained the last several years as well. So more exercise and better eating habits would help. I'm now accepting suggestions for alternate lifestyles that I should consider.

Oh, and she suggested I find a mental health counselor on my insurance plan, to see if there are any emotional difficulties underlying the nondepression depression. So now I'm off to find a psycho therapist, probably ax-wielding, and find out in two more weeks if I'm actually, officially depressed.

It's a depressing outlook.