Hi I just wanted you to know you are not alone. I'm 28 years old, I've been depressed on and off for the past 5 years and for the last 6 months it has gotten really bad. I rarely leave the house. I have no motivation to do anything or go anywhere. I too have laid in bed for days crying and was unable to get out of this "funk". I guess I feel that I have no where to go, no one to be with, and nothing to do. I've been stuck in my apartmentment for so long that when there actually is a reason to leave, I can't seem to pull myself together and do it. The more you lay around the house house, the harder it is to motivate yourself to get out. My advise to you is to find someone who is very supportive and find a place to go. Perhaps just sit in a park and talk or do something that you enjoy. Once you break the cycle, you may find it gets a little easier. I know that the hardest part is to get to that point, but if you can..... even just to do something simple like take a walk....you may find that it helps enough (even if just for a little while) to change the way you feel right now, and to break the cycle. You said you lay in bed and watch TV. Watch something that makes you laugh or feel upbeat, and grab that chance to feel good enough to leave the house. I know it's not always easy...But sometimes it may help.

Welcome to the site, Aimhigh. So sorry to learn of how you're feeling. To begin, I would suggest two things. The first is to take the free online test, print out the results and take it to your doctor. "What if" thinking is calamitous thinking and it might be helpful to discuss this with your doctor as well as your reaction to it. The second is that with the normal aging process, the organs that secrete various hormones begin to slow down and may have an effect on how you're feeling. This is worth exploring with your doctor too, and he may want to do some blood work to check this out. Congratulations on wanting to quit smoking. As for your not quitting the first time, keep reading the information in the Stop Smoking Center. Few people succeed the first time. Failure only happens when a person stops trying. It's great that you're working from home and not having to battle traffic and rush hour woes. The downside to working from home is that it can provide a built-in 'excuse' for slacking off on our self-care and hygiene. Others do notice, even if they don't verbalize it. Beware of isolation and negative thinking. It's an enemy. I hope you're feeling a little better today. Hang in there.

Hi: I've not posted here before but got the link from the "Quit Smoking Support Group" website. I am not trying to quit smoking....but I was depressed before that..this just only adds to it because I failed my first attempt to stop. I'm not sure if I should be at this site or not. I don't know if I have "major" depression. I don't have anxiety attacks...I do get scared at times though and my heart races. It's when I think "what if I STAY in this state of mind?" I feel VERY good for sometimes weeks on end. Then I (yet again) get where I am now. I just don't seem "to care" about anything. I will go days at a time (I'm ashamed to say) without getting dressed, fixing my hair, brushing my teeth, etc. I even have many times when I am out of food, but I just can't make myself get dressed to go to the store...so I order a pizza. I am getting SO tired of pizza!! I was taking Zoloft, but I stop taking it when I "feel good". I started taking it again 3 days ago. I just can't seem to "make" myself do anything OR WANT to do anything. I'm behind on my housework and many things I need to do.....then I get even MORE depressed about that. I can spend 2 or 3 days in bed just watching TV and then hate myself for "giving in" to this. I don't know WHY I do that. I then feel lazy (which I know I'm not) and then that adds to the depression. I have a home-based business I've had now for over 11 years. I am ONLY "happy" (for lack of a better word) when I am working. I don't have any problem with that....or when I am with my kids or grandkids. I am 59, live alone, work at home because I am "disabled" (I hate that word...because I AM 'able' because I work), and have 5 grandchildren from age 24 years to 10 months. None of them have any idea about my depression....I would be too ashamed to tell them. Plus, what could they do anyway? I'm sorry for writing such a long post, but I thought I should explain things on my first visit here to see if I SHOULD be here.....if I am "depressed enough" to be here. I sure hope someone can give me a hint as to how in the WORLD to "snap out of this".....which I already know a person can't just do. It would be like "OH....now why didn't I think of THAT???" Thanks for any advice you can give me. I'm getting tired of