Am I depressed?: The answer is best discovered through collaborative dialogue with a therapist instead of a symptom checklist
It’s reasonable for someone to want to know: Am I depressed? What are the symptoms of depression? Many people assume that a diagnosis of depression is clear and definitive. They imagine that a therapist simply knows what questions to ask and, then, gives a clear answer, much like a doctor would diagnose strep throat or a broken clavicle. Yes, there are specific diagnostic criteria for depression, but they’re somewhat vague and largely hang on the lived experience of a patient.
Because of this, there should be some caution in defining the symptoms of depression too narrowly. In practice, the question of “Am I depressed?” is defined much more by a collaborative dialogue with a therapist than a symptom checklist.