Thread: depressed or anxious...???

yellowpiXi3,
As others have pointed out, it's a fairly common thing to feel some frustration about your life from time to time. But it's also fairly common (about 25% of women) to become depressed enough at some point in your life to need professional help. The conventional red flags depend on:
a) how long you've been feeling down (depressed every day for at least two weeks? OR, feeling blue most days for at least two months?)
b) whether you have other mood-related problems--at least 3 or 4 of them-- (lost interest in the things you used to enjoy, irritability, significant change in appetite or weight, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, trouble making decisions, slowed or agitated to the point that others notice, difficulty concentrating, excessive feelings of guilt or unworthiness, hopelessness, or thinking about death or ending your life).
And finally,
c) whether feeling depressed has an effect on your social, occupational, or other everyday functioning.

So if each of those red flags is more or less in place (duration, distress, and impact on your daily functioning), then look for some help.

Definitely see a professional if you have recurring thoughts about hurting yourself.
WC suggested what sounds like a great book; in addition, if you think you're depressed, I'd suggest a book entitled "Feeling Good" by David Burns, a noted psychiatrist and therapist. His book is representative of the exercises many mental health professionals ask their therapy clients to engage in. These and other self-help books can be a cost-effective starting point before investing in a trial of therapy.