The short explanation
Feeling low or sad now and then is part of life. When low mood, loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, tearfulness, tiredness and feeling that everything is a burden carry on most days for two weeks or more, doctors consider depression. What you describe for several months is worth taking seriously and discussing with a doctor. Depression is a common health condition, not a weakness or a lack of willpower. It is treatable with talking therapy, practical changes, and sometimes medicine, and many women feel noticeably better with the right support.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- In the forties, perimenopause can bring mood changes, poor sleep and irritability, and thyroid problems or anaemia can add to tiredness. A doctor may suggest blood tests to check for these.
- Life events such as caring for ageing parents, children's exams, money worries or a strained marriage often sit behind low mood. Saying what is happening at home helps the doctor understand.
- If you are drinking more, eating much less or much more, or sleeping very differently, mention it.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This answer cannot diagnose depression or say how severe it is. That needs a conversation with a doctor or mental-health professional who can ask about your symptoms, history and safety.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Do my symptoms sound like depression, and how severe?
- Could perimenopause, thyroid or anaemia be part of this?
- Can I see a counsellor, and is it available at a government hospital?
- What are the options if therapy alone is not enough?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department if you have thoughts of ending your life, have harmed yourself, or feel you cannot keep yourself safe right now.
Get help the same day
- Get help the same day if you have started thinking life is not worth living, even if you have no plan.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a few days if the low mood is stopping you from cooking, working or looking after yourself. You can also call Tele-MANAS on 14416, the free national mental-health helpline, which answers in many Indian languages.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Book a routine appointment with a general physician or psychiatrist to talk about how you have been feeling.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Depression MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Depression in adults NHS
- Depressive disorder (depression) World Health Organization
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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