Depression Diagnosis
Depression is a mental disorder that manifests itself through symptoms like depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. In a severe case of depression, the individual suffering from depression may resort to committing suicide. These problems can become chronic or recurrent and lead to substantial impairments in an individual’s ability to take care of his or her everyday responsibilities.
There are two kinds of depression: The sad kind, called major depression, or dysthymia; and manic-depression or bipolar illness, when feeling low and depressed alternates with being wild and reckless.
The first thing you should do if you suspect that you may be depressed is visit your family doctor for a thorough checkup. It is preferable to visit your family doctor as he will be aware of your previous medical conditions and medical history. If you are unable to or maybe embarrassed to visit your family doctor, any other general physician will serve the same purpose. There should never be any embarrassment or apprehension when coping with depression.
An individual should be absolutely sure by before taking any kind of medication and self medicating since some other medical conditions can cause depression symptoms, such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, female hormonal changes and thyroid conditions.
The doctor you visit, family doctor or any other physician, will begin the diagnostic process by asking you a series of questions and those could be :
What are the signs you’ve been experiencing?
How long has it been since you’ve had these symptoms?
How do these signs impact your regular responsibilities?
Have you felt like this before?
Have you been treated for this illness before?
If so, what treatments were you given and which worked best?
Do any of your relatives have depression?
If yes, were they treated for depression and which treatments worked best for them?
Do you use drugs or drink alcohol?
Have you thought about death or suicide?
There is no current laboratory test that can be used to diagnose depression. Depression is diagnosed based on your reported symptoms, signs that your doctor observes during the interview, your medical history and your family’s medical history. Depression occurs in persons of all genders, ages, and backgrounds.
The family needs to extend their love and affection and most importantly their support. It is very essential that the family be supportive of the individual suffering from depression through this difficult time.
Some Facts :
Depression is common, affecting about 121 million people worldwide.
Depression is amongst the top causes of disability worldwide.
Depression can be reliably diagnosed and treated in primary stages.
Less than 25 % of those affected by Depression have access to effective treatments.
Family plays an important role in the treatment of depression. In conclusion, depression like most illnesses can be cured, only if it is detected in time and is treated.
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