Harry's Depression in OoP

[kateydidnt2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 110890

I see it as a combination of PTSD and depression. Whoever said it has 
to be categorized as exactly one or the other? Emotions are not that 
simple.  Can't depression be a symptom of PTSD? 
Oddly enough this passage scared me most at the beginning of OotP
"So it went on for three whole days. Harry was alternately filled
with restless energy that made him unable to settle to anything, 
during which time he paced his
bedroom, furious at the whole lot of them for leaving him to stew in 
this mess; and with a
lethargy so complete that he could lie on his bed for an hour at a 
time, staring dazedly into
space, aching with dread at the thought of the Ministry 
hearing.....On the fourth night after Hedwig's departure Harry was 
lying in one of his apathetic phases, staring at the ceiling, his 
exhausted mind quite blank, when his uncle entered his 
bedroom. ....Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, clearly suspicious of this 
lack of argument,...Harry had no particular feeling about the 
Dursleys leaving. It made no difference to him whether they were in 
the house or not. He could not even summon the energy to get up and 
turn on his bedroom light. The room grew steadily darker around him 
as he lay listening to the night sounds through the window he kept 
open all the time, waiting for the blessed moment when Hedwig 
returned.... Harry lay there in a kind of stupor, thinking of 
nothing, suspended in misery."

The apathy accompanying the depression was scary. And while the 
apathy passed, it was only replaced by anger and accompanying the 
depression.

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "tonks_op" <tonks_op at y...> 
wrote:
> Depression in HP in OoP
> 
> I have been reading most of the post about the possibility of Harry 
> having depression in OoP.  I have not seen any post about what I am 
> about to say. I did not read them all so if someone has already 
said 
> this forgive me.
> 
> I was very amazed when I read OoP as to the way that JKR shows 
Harry 
> as suffering from PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is as 
> if JKR had talked to a mental health professional for information.. 
> because she did such a perfect job of it.
> 
> He clearly shows the signs.. I don't have a DSM here.. but he shows 
> survival guilt, wants to avoid talking about it (with Cho Chang), 
> hyper viligent, flashbacks (in the form of nightmare), and so on.  
> JKR shows Harry experiencing exactly like I would expect given what 
> he has been through.  I would be shocked if she hadn't shown these 
> signs, since any normal person, teen or otherwise, would have this 
> reaction.  Instead of asking anyone for help, Harry does what many 
> people do, he tries to cope with it on his own.
> 
> So what I am saying is that he is not suffering from Major 
> Depression, he has PTSD. (Acute Stress Disorder only last for about 
> 2 weeks. Since it is more that 2 weeks I would say that he has 
PTSD.)
> 
> Tonks_op