Can someone help me out?

I'm not really sure if I'm experiencing symptoms of depression or not and I'd really like some help figuring this out. I don't feel comfortable going to family or friends just yet.

As of recent, maybe in the past year or year and a half, I feel as though I've lost myself and who I used to be. I get sad and down and when I do, I stay this way for a week or more. This seems to come in waves and is sometimes catalyzed by something that happened...but not something I ever though should rationally make me feel this crappy for more than a day. This will happen every so often and then I'll have times of happiness again and I feel fine for awhile.

When this happens, I have a tendency to not really be interested in eating my normal amount and don't like to sleep. But when I do eventually fall asleep, I don't have much interest in getting up in the morning and don't feel like there's anything worth waking up for. When I'm alone, I'll be at my worst and feel the need to bawl...sometimes for a reason I can pinpoint, sometimes not. I find it hard to motivate myself to interact socially with my friends and have been accused of acting differently. I also used to be someone who was really tolerant of everyone and everything and am not finding myself getting frustrated or annoyed easily and have somewhat of a temper.

Depression and other mental disorders do run in my family too. This is what really makes me wonder if I should follow up and see a doctor or counselor.

HELLO FEELINGBLUE90 HOPE YOUR DOING BETTER NOW. yES YOU REALLY NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE UR DOC OR DO YOU HAVE A PDOC,COUNCELLOR OR OTHER. fROM WHAT UR EXPLAINING YOUR DEFINATELY "DEPRESSED". bUT YOU CAN GET HELP WITH TALKING about UR ISSUES AND ALSO SOME MEDICATION'S WILL WORK FOR THE DEPRESSION AND ALSO STABILIZE UR MOOD'S. iM HAVING THE SAME PROB'S AT THE MOMENT AND THE PDOC HAS PUT ME ON SEROQUEL WHICH IS A MOOD STABILIZER,IVE ONLY BEEN ON IF FOR 7DAY'S SO NOT FEELING THE FULLEFFECT AS YET. aNYWAY YOU REALLY NEED TO MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT OK. THIS IS UR FIRST STEP AND IT'S GREAT THAT U HAD THE COURAGE TO COME ON THIS FORUM. rEMEMBER WE ARE ALL HERE TO HELP EACH OTHER. i TRULY HOPE THING'S START TO GET BETTER FOR YOU?? yOU MAY NOT FEEL LIKE ANYTHING IS WORKING BUT JUST COMING HERE TO HAVE A GOOD VENT about ALL UR PROB;S MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE. lOOK AFTER "you" ONLY.

SINCERLY,

DAMAGED.......    VERY TIRED SO HIDING BEHIND MY GLASSES.............

 

Thank you everyone for your responses. It's comforting to be able to share my concerns and try to figure out what is wrong with other people that understand. I'll try to schedule an appointment with the counseling center at my college and see what they can help me with.