I want to ask the Dollars about something that has been on my mind lately. I am thinking that I may suffer from depression. It sounds dumb saying I think I suffer from depression but the reason is because someone close to me mentioned that I might due to the fact that I show a lot of the symptoms.

There are days that I do not wish to get out of bed to do the simple of tasks, there periods of weeks where I am not all to happy about where I am at in life. I try to hide it from friends that I feel "not ok" put on a smile and keep on my day.

My special friend showed me a link in her facebook where people were explaining how it is to feel depressed and I felt that most of them did express how I feel. I do not mean to project and anyone who knows me I am not a sentimentalist. I hate people being cheesy and soft for no reason.

Me, sitting here writing about this, is not for pity. Not to show wounds and relate but to express this oddity in my life in which I am not sure if there is a way to make it better or it is something in my persona that it just is.

This community of people seems to be large and I wonder if there are people who suffer from Depression in this site that know how to deal with it.

It takes a while to learn how to deal with it. And even when you do, it's still possible to fall back into that state or that "hole" as I call it. To me, depression never really goes away. I always picture it like I've built a wall inside of me that keeps the depression at bay. And sometimes that wall breaks and you have to rebuild it.
As far as handling it... Maybe these aren't for everyone but these tips could help:
Try not to be too hard on yourself for not getting out of bed that day. That only makes the feelings of worthlessness worse and you can start to dwell on what you fail at, etc.
At the same time, don't just let it completely take over either. Make goals for yourself. Goals that you actually feel you can achieve. That feeling of success helps.
If you have someone to talk to, talk to them. I have issues with hiding how I feel because I hate burdening them with my problems. But if you really trust them, then talk to them.
Surround yourself with people who make you happy. You may not tell these people about the depression, but if they make you laugh then that can be helpful too.
Find a way to get your feelings or thoughts out when your friend isn't available. I personally hate diaries, but I have tried blogs. I've tried this site now. Keeping them inside doesn't help at all and can lead you to feel even worse on a bad day.
Sleep helps. I mean, don't make sleeping all day a habit, but if you can try to get extra sleep.

Not everyone who is depressed is suicidal, or wants to kill themselves. But it is a common symptom. So I'm going to say this: Please talk to someone, anyone if you feel that way. Please remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Please just don't do anything when you're feeling extremely upset. There are a lot of people on here. They'll help. You'll probably get a lot of email addresses so you could contact them that way.

For example, I'm already posting mine now. Lol katxlove.dollars@gmail.com

I hope this helped a little.

As a person who is also very depressed. It does take a very long time to dealt with, most times you could end up faking happainess all in one. It takes a long time, but there will always be someone there to try to break down your walls and help you. I faked that i didnt have depression during a psyhical in the doctors. Office., please dont do that. Its hard to not be so harsh on yourself, however at least try.i get told i have a hard time expressing emotions besides anger and annoyance, i get too scared to get attached to people and have trust issues because i was raped as a child by my dad and i am verbalky and sometimes pshyical,y abused at home. Overall, make sure to get help.

Hi Mons, I graduated Psychology.. I read your post and I thought that there are things weighing on your mind now, I know that people who are suffering from depression tends to be passive and has very little motivation. my advice is try to open up to some of your friends or relatives or even someone who you really trust. you can vent to them about your worries, also this kind of community (the Dollars) which we can post anything can help you vent your emotions. Dont be shy to express feelings and thoughts even if it's a negative one. Expressing yourself and opening up to someone can help you lighten your grief. have a nice day!

the best help would be either a friend who can listen, or take a step back from life. Go hiking or camping or something.
But as most people can't do this, I recommend pet therapy. Go to a cat cafe or ask your friends to lend you their dog.

*disclaimer: not the best advice, but valid still

Thanks a lot for the replies. I'll take up on some of these advises. I think being more open to how I can feel would be a good start. To face things rather than hide away. It is pretty cool that there are people here who care to talk and are not afraid to write how they really feel.