Lately I am sad and even cry a lot. Do I have clinical depression and need pills?

There are many things to consider before deciding you need medication for depression. First of all, everybody is depressed from time to time. Simple reasons such as not getting enough sun in the winter can cause depression in many otherwise well adjusted people. Before rushing off for the pill bottle try a few things.

Try exercising even if you are model thin and feel physically healthy. Activity is good. Try getting out in the sun for fifteen minutes each day. Then there's that boring advice to eat a balanced diet and drink copious amounts of water each day. There is a theory that if you smile - using the muscles in your face that are required to move your lips into a smiling position - can make you feel happier. Try that.

Examine your life situation for reasons to be depressed. If a loved one has passed away, allow yourself to be depressed for a reasonable length of time. Financial problems and even moving to a new home can contribute to short term depression.

If, after examining all possible reasons you still feel extreme sadness or have any suicidal thoughts, don't consider yourself weak or a bad person because you need to take anti-depressants. No one is responsible for the chemical imbalance that can occur in their body. It's no different than a diabetic taking insulin. Whatever you try (under the doctor's supervision) might take a while to become effective. If you don't feel it's helping you, tell the doctor immediately and request something else. Always remember, the doctor is the medical expert but YOU are the expert on how your own body feels.

Everyone feels sad for various reasons at different times in their life. If a loved one passes, it would be abnormal not to grieve for example. But if you are deeply sad day after day without knowing the reason, you may have clinical depression.

There are some things you can try on your own such as exercise, improved diet, getting enough sunshine during the winter, or trying a new activity. If it hasn't improved your mood within a few months you should seek out treatment.

Counseling may be the answer. But you may also need medication. You may not need it forever, but don't consider yourself weak if you do. The common theory is that a chemical imbalance in the brain is the cause or one of the causes for clinical depression. It's a physical condition and should not be a cause of embarrassment.
Talk to your primary doctor. She can probably give you a dosage of an antidepressant. But if you need a larger dosage, you may need to see a psychiatrist.

Some symptoms of clinical depression are:

* sadness without an apparent cause
* wanting to be alone most of the time
* not enjoying the activities you once enjoyed
* suicidal thoughts
* a general feeling of life being pointless
* hopelessness

If these feelings persist for more than a month, you would be wise to see a doctor.

All antidepressants are not dangerous. Its a complicated decision to decide what will work for you. Its fine to try to monitor your own health care but without a medical background you cannot hope to understand the complicated workings of all the different meds. Put the decision in the hands of a doctor you trust. She will monitor your reaction and you may have to try several before finding the one that helps you. It will not start to help for a few weeks or so, expect it to take a little time. One effective remedy is Wellbutrin or one of the less expensive generic equivalents. It seems to have helped many people without adverse side effects.