Depressive illnesses, even the most severe cases, are highly treatable disorders. As with many illnesses, the earlier that treatment can begin, the more effective it is and the greater the likelihood that a recurrence of the depression can be prevented.

What medical conditions cause the same symptoms as    depression?

The first step to getting appropriate treatment is to visit a doctor. Certain medications, and some medical conditions such as viruses or a thyroid disorder, can cause the same symptoms as depression. In addition, it is important to rule out depression that is associated with another mental illness called bipolar disorder.

A doctor can rule out these possibilities by conducting a physical examination, interview, and/or lab tests, depending on the medical condition. If a medical condition and bipolar disorder can be ruled out, the physician should conduct a psychological evaluation or refer the person to a mental health professional.

The doctor or mental health professional will conduct a complete diagnostic evaluation. He or she should get a complete history of symptoms, including when they started, how long they have lasted, their severity, whether they have occurred before, and if so, how they were treated.

He or she should also ask if there is a family history of depression. In addition, he or she should ask if the person is using alcohol or drugs, and whether the person is thinking about death or suicide.

Once diagnosed, a person with depression can be treated with a number of methods. The most common treatment methods are medication and psychotherapy.

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Depression is just plain awful!  If you take medication for depression and feel your not getting better here are some depression tips to consider that your doctor might not know about.

There are many causes of depression.  Hopefully your doctor has tested you for thyroid disorders like hypothyroidism (low thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (high thyroid, graves disease), hormone changes like menopause and adrenal problems.

Prolonged stress, nutritional deficiencies, and imbalances of brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine also cause depression.  Have you been checked for any of these?

If you suffer from depression and are not getting good results from any medication you are taking here are a few guidelines to help you.

• Blood work to rule out thyroid disorder
• B vitamin supplement
• Stress management
• Urine test for brain chemical levels
• Exercise of some sort is a must, walking, etc. force yourself get out and move.  Exercise releases the feel good chemicals and can really do wonders to help.

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