You will be asked about your health and how it is affecting you mentally and physically. Try to be as open and honest as you can be with your answers.
Describe your symptoms and how they're affecting you. Any discussion you have with your GP will be confidential. If you have thoughts or urges to harm yourself or others your GP would speak to your family and friends. Free call Samaritans Read our cookies policy to find out more about cookies and how we use them.
You should also talk to your GP if you: have symptoms of depression that aren't improving find your mood affects your work, other interests, and relationships with your family and friends have thoughts of suicide or self-harm Talking to your GP about depression When you're depressed it can be difficult to imagine that treatment can actually help.
Read more about treating clinical depression. Page last reviewed: 10 December Next review due: 10 December Diagnosis - Clinical depression. It's particularly important to speak to a GP if you: have symptoms of depression that are not improving find your mood affects your work, other interests, and relationships with your family and friends have thoughts of suicide or self-harm Sometimes, when you're depressed it can be difficult to imagine that treatment can actually help.
Symptoms must last at least two weeks and must represent a change in your previous level of functioning for a diagnosis of depression. Also, medical conditions e.
Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults 6. And one in six people Depression can occur at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mids. Women are more likely than men to experience depression. Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. The death of a loved one, loss of a job or the ending of a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure.
It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. But being sad is not the same as having depression. The grieving process is natural and unique to each individual and shares some of the same features of depression.
Both grief and depression may involve intense sadness and withdrawal from usual activities. They are also different in important ways:. Grief and depression can co-exist For some people, the death of a loved one, losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression. When grief and depression co-occur, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression.
Distinguishing between grief and depression is important and can assist people in getting the help, support or treatment they need. Depression can affect anyone—even a person who appears to live in relatively ideal circumstances.
Depression is among the most treatable of mental disorders. Almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms. Before a diagnosis or treatment, a health professional should conduct a thorough diagnostic evaluation, including an interview and a physical examination. In some cases, a blood test might be done to make sure the depression is not due to a medical condition like a thyroid problem or a vitamin deficiency reversing the medical cause would alleviate the depression-like symptoms.
The evaluation will identify specific symptoms and explore medical and family histories as well as cultural and environmental factors with the goal of arriving at a diagnosis and planning a course of action. They are not habit-forming. Generally antidepressant medications have no stimulating effect on people not experiencing depression. Antidepressants may produce some improvement within the first week or two of use yet full benefits may not be seen for two to three months.
If a patient feels little or no improvement after several weeks, his or her psychiatrist can alter the dose of the medication or add or substitute another antidepressant. In some situations other psychotropic medications may be helpful. It is important to let your doctor know if a medication does not work or if you experience side effects.
Psychiatrists usually recommend that patients continue to take medication for six or more months after the symptoms have improved. Longer-term maintenance treatment may be suggested to decrease the risk of future episodes for certain people at high risk. Cognitive behavioral therapy CBT has been found to be effective in treating depression. CBT is a form of therapy focused on the problem solving in the present.
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