Of course, the best way to answer question, “Do I have depression?” is to schedule one session with a mental health professional who is skilled in diagnosing depression. Short of that, a good depression checklist can suggest how many of the symptoms of depression you may currently be experiencing.
Having said that, it is true that there are a few common markers for depression. For example, if a person often wakes up hours before the alarm and cannot get back to sleep, then the answer the question, “Do I have depression?” is probably, “Yes.” It’s always a risky step to draw conclusions on the basis of one symptom, but the inability to stay asleep at night is often accompanied by other symptoms of depression.