I wanted to ask if maybe you guys know what kind of disorders could cause depressive episodes. I was diagnosed with depression about half a year ago but I have had similar episodes in the past, and I have quite a few quirks that I have always assumed came from the episode itself, but do you think it’s possible that these quirks maybe are a symptom of something bigger and that the depression is just a side effect ? 

I really don’t practice that much introspection so I don’t know all of them, but I can tell you a couple examples. I often have anxiety attacks, which I assumed stemmed from depression, and I always feel like I need to get into small spaces to calm down (e.g. under my desk, inside a bathroom stall, inside a closet). I also feel my emotions physically, as in I have a physical reaction to accompany the feelings (I get cold when I’m anxious, my chest often feels empty, my throat closes up when I’m upset), loud sounds trigger me into anxiety attacks, meeting new people or new places seems scary if I’m having a bad day, I have sensory issues related to metal sounds and textures and I’m also really triggered by violent stuff. 

Do you think all these things are just side effects from depression? I asked my therapist if maybe I could be on the ASD or maybe have ADHD or be Hypersensitive, but he said I don’t seem to be. I will ask him again because I haven’t found much information that relates these symptoms to depression, but I still wanted to ask you guys because maybe they really are a shared experience between depressed people and I’m just overthinking this.