Hey,
Im sorry to here that things are rough. But i understand completely on many levels. I too am a sucker for relating symptoms to weird and wonderful conditions (and a few times, ive been right, 2yrs ahead of my doctors lol).
I've not had time to read through all of this thread as i have to dash in a few minutes however what other members have been saying is both true and useful.
I have manic depression/bipolar so i have been there, done it and ticked the boxes several times over, to the extent that i spent a period of time in hospital as a suicide risk.
A lot of people try to ignore what they are feeling because they do not want to carry the label of depression, and the thought of going into therapy or being given medication seems ridiculous to them. But that isn't the case.
You know you better than anyone else, trust your instincts, if you (and not your mother) feel that there is something wrong, something missing in your life maybe, then do something about it!
Talk to your doctor. Just because you feel this way does not necessarily mean you are clinically depressed. However if that is the case, there are many ways to deal with it, and they dont all involve medication and people in white coats with sofas to lay on.
If you voice your concerns about medication and therapy, they can give you more options. Some including dietary changes, holistic therapies, and so on.
As far as therapy goes, its a huge label, it covers a lot of different aspects and there are 100s of kinds of therapies. Not only this but every counsellor is different. For some people it takes several to find one that they feel they can make progress with. Each person has a different take, different methods of practise and different ideas of approaching problems.
Some people respond to the most common idea of therapy, that being CBT, or in laymans terms, talking. Others respond to more practical methods such as art therapy.
Either way, my advice would be to give it a go. What harm is there in trying. Usually, people forget why they ever had concerns about addressing the problems through that means in the first place.
Im sorry this post cant be of more use, but im very low on time.
After my last episode of severe depression i started a local depression support group, we have about a dozen members, so i can provide you with a lot more information over the next few days.
I should be back on after my meeting tomorrow at around 2/3pm if you would like to talk.
Until then; Chin Up!