So something has been bothering me for sometime. I know friends and family that have gone through depression so I'm no stranger to it but I always thought that it was something I never thought I would go through. Lately I just haven't been feeling myself and I just thought it was a passing funk. Staying up late doing nothing, waking up in the middle of the day with little to know motivation. Again, I just thought i was being lazy and didn't think too much about it. What kind of struck me was my roommate asked me if I was depressed and my answer was that I had no idea. Since then that feeling has gotten worse and I cant tell if its me feeling it or my head telling me that I'm depressed just because the idea of that possibility was put there. I dont think I know what its like to be depressed and when I explain it with my type of thought process just feels like I'm filling the mold of what I perceive as depression, a kind of pseudo-depression if you will.

Bottom line is I'm not sure what to think anymore. There's a ton of people to claim that they have depression but are just attention seekers and I dont want to fall in that category but at the same time I've never outright told anyone that this is how I think and see my current situation.
Any thoughts/advice?

>>1 I've been dealing with the almost exact same issues for a while. I feared being branded as an attention seeker as well, so like you I hadn't opened up to anyone. I put up a happy pretense but I kept getting worse and eventually my mind was affixed to a dark and scary mindset. My friends and family who were initially completely oblivious now started to see the cracks in my happy act and started to ask me whether I'm okay or not, I didn't want them to worry and I knew that I couldn't keep going like this, so I went to a doctor who then referred me to a psychologist. One of the biggest factors in my choice to seek medical help is the fact the without your explicit consent everything is confidential, so it was up to me to or not to tell my friends and family. However I wish I had the good sense to go get help earlier since my issues has had an adverse effect on my life, work and relationships.

It seems to me that you are seeking help and not seeking attention. And from my experience, I'd strongly advise you to go to a psychologist or a doctor for help and it's up to you if you want to tell anyone.

The stereotype of depression=attention seekers is very false. There may be a few people like that out there, but they are in the vast majority. Getting labeled as an attention seeker is common, but they are not. Depression is a real problem that needs addressing, despite what people may say. If you are considering the idea that you might have depression, do something about it, find a therapist. It is very likely it is actual depression, and even if it isn't your therapist will be able to help you find out what it is and how to fix it. I worried about being an attention seeker as well when I first realized I had depression. I came to realize people who would make that label are uneducated and cruel. Don't go advertising around that you have depression, because whether or not it's your intention, people will label you an attention seeker, you can and should tell a few trusted individuals, as well get some professional help. Doctors can recommend great therapists. Hope this helps!