[Ellie]

I would talk to your doctor about how you have been feeling, and that you think you have depression. It's important to do this sooner, because sometimes when you look up symptoms and presume that you have something, you start to [unconsciously] create other symptoms in your mind. I'm not saying this is what you have done, but I'm saying it's possible if you leave it for longer thinking that you have depression.

It's hard telling someone face to face how you've been feeling, but I really think it will help you if you do. When I spoke to my doctor about my depression for the first time I wrote things down so that I didn't have to actually say anything. If you do this there are two options, the first would be to write things down and then you read it out to him - you'd be using the paper as a guide if you got nervous and couldn't think of what to say, or if you find that too difficult, write things down and then give them the paper to read themselves. Either way would work, and could be something to think about.

I'm glad that you're thinking of talking to your doctor though. That in itself is a positive step forward.