Diagnosis and Testing of Depression
Unfortunately, for so many of the children and adults suffering from clinical depression, there is no actual mental health test that a doctor can give them to see if they are suffering from this debilitating disease. The best way to diagnose depression is to understand it and recognize it. Approximately half of the people who are dealing with depression never get diagnosed for it, or receive treatment for their illness. This can be very dangerous for them because with the people battling depression, more than 10% of them commit suicide because they simply see no other option.
If you think that you have symptoms of depression then the best course of action is to see a doctor. The first reason is to rule out any medical conditions, or medicines that you are taking that may be causing the symptoms that you are feeling. The second reason is so your doctor can look at various factors, symptoms, and features in your behavior to tell for sure whether you have clinical depression. The physician may ask about whether or not you have had these symptoms before, how long you have had them, whether or not there is a family history of depression, as well as personal questions such as whether there is drug or alcohol abuse involved.
Once your doctor rules out any physical causes, he may recommend that you see a psychologist or psychiatrist for a more detailed evaluation. It is rare that your primary care doctor will issue medications himself, as that is usually the job of the psychiatrist. Since depression often manifests itself in various ways you have to be very clear about your symptoms and how they make you feel. Even if all you feel is anger or irritability, or you find yourself sleeping long hours during the middle of the day, it is important that you clearly define what is happening to you to make sure that all the right steps are taken to get you treatment.
To effectively diagnose depression, doctors look for persistently sad, anxious, or empty moods along with the loss of pleasure in your everyday usual activities. Those must be present to be diagnosed, but along with those they look for other symptoms such as hopelessness, helplessness, guilt, fatigue, loss of memory, concentration problems, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite or weight, physical symptoms that do not have a medical cause, and thoughts of suicide. Usually if you have five or more of the completed list of symptoms as well persistent sadness and loss of enjoyment, the most likely you are clinically depressed.
The symptoms that are most prominent and should be looked at closely are the ones that significantly change your personality and your everyday habits. These symptoms may be recurrent, chronic, or only happen once in your lifetime, but you must have the patients at least daily for at least two weeks to be considered clinically depressed. If this sounds like you or you know someone who is going through this experience, then seeking help is the best way to treat the diagnosis.