"I can't concentrate, or get motivated. I'm so tired, like everything is an effort."

    Are you depressed?  Take this twelve question test to find out.  As you fill out the questionnaire, read each item carefully and click the answer that best reflects how you have been feeling during the past few days. Make sure you choose one answer for each of the twelve items. If in doubt, make your best guess. Do not leave any questions unanswered.

(This test is not meant to replace a clinical assessment but to help you judge how you are doing. If you score as depressed
you may need to seek help.)

    Depression is the most commonly experienced emotional disorder. At any one time, around 5% of the population will be in a state of depression. Over a lifetime, up to 10% of all women will experience a depressive episode. For men, the rate is about half that.
Some of the symptoms are physical - fatigue or lack of energy, poor motivation, either lower or higher then your usual appetite, lower or higher then your own average sexual drive. Other indicators are mental or emotional like thinking negatively about whatever pops into your mind. You may notice you're more irritable then normal for you, frequently feeling sad, down, lethargic, tearful or weeping. For some, men especially, loosing your temper or getting angry may be an indicator of depression. In some women, excessive rumination can be a clue. All of us feel some of those symptoms at some of the time.
In some people, other symptoms are present. The list is not complete, but mentions some of the more common experiences.

    It's not wise to self-diagnose, but rather seek professional help if you suspect you may have depression. There are many combinations of treatments involving therapy and medications that can be extremely effective. Toughing it out may simply prolong your suffering. Whether you're unsure if you are dealing with depression, or you have already clarified the diagnosis, I'd like to offer you help and hope, practical suggestions and a caring empathic ear. It helps to feel cared about!