Thursday, March 28, 2024

How To Ask A Doctor About Depression

What Are The Causes For Anxiety

Ask a doctor: Proven depression treatment

Both hereditary and environmental factors determine the way in which our body reacts.

  • Genetic And Hereditary Just like we inherit certain physical and behavioral traits from our parents, anxiety and panic are also can be inherited.
  • Temperament Persons having a specific type of temperament are bound to react in a particular way.
  • Stress This factor is known to bring out the worst in some people. It is also associated with depression and anxiety in people.
  • Learning From A Previous Bad Experience Instils fear in the mind of the person. When faced with a similar episode in future, the person experiences anxiety and panic.
  • Related to Thoughts About a Situation When a person has been constantly warned about some bad situation, it instils fear towards that particular situation.
  • Amygdala A component of our brain is responsible for recognizing frightful conditions.
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    Can I Get Antidepressants Over The Counter

    No Food And Drug Administration -approved antidepressants are available over the counter antidepressants need to be prescribed by a medical professional.

    Antidepressants affect people differently, so in order to find what works best for you, its important to discuss your depression symptoms, medical conditions, and any medications youre currently taking with your doctor.

    See Your Primary Care Doctor

    If you suspect you may have depression, your first visit should be to your family doctor or primary care physician for a thorough checkup. While most doctors do screen for depression, it’s best to tell your doctor your concerns about your mood. Your doctor is there to help you, so don’t hold back.

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    Consider Age And Maturity If Youre Explaining To Children

    It may not be necessary to explain depression to young children, Rosmarin says. They may not be aware of changes in your mood or behavior. Older children and teens, on the other hand, may have questions.

    How much explaining is appropriate will probably depend on how mature your child is. If you are co-parenting, your partner may be the best person to explain that youre having a hard time. If you are the sole parent, its okay to say, I want to be there for you more than I am able to right now. Its not because of you.

    The important message to convey is that your struggles are not your childs fault.

    Its important to keep your expectations in check, Rosmarin says. Not everyone has to understand depression. Think about what its going to be like if they dont.

    He suggests these strategies for coping when mutual understanding doesnt happen right away:

    • Know who your allies are.
    • Create new allies if you need more support.
    • Reach out to someone who has been through it before.

    If understanding and support are in short supply from those closest to you, consider exploring resources in your faith community or in a support group.

    You Feel Exhausted And Find It Hard To Get Out Of Bed In The Morning

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    Depression may start off seemingly as innocuous, as a few bouts of fatigue. This isnt simply being tired as most people normally are just as they wake up, but a feeling that you are physically unable to get up. People may start having trouble waking up and staying alert in the morning. They may remain sleepy and exhausted throughout the rest of the day.

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    What Your Physician Looks For

    Your primary care physician can evaluate your physical health to help you understand your symptoms. Theres no lab test to diagnose depression, but physical exams and blood tests can help your doctor better understand whats causing your symptoms.

    Your doctor will likely want to do several tests to rules out other causes of depressive feelings, such as:

    • Hormonal changes
    • Thyroid conditions
    • Vitamin and mineral deficiencies

    To treat your depression, your doctor may prescribe you medications to help or refer you to a licensed mental health professional, like a therapist, for more in-depth evaluation and treatment.

    Things To Keep In Mind When Talking To Your Doctor About Mental Health

    Remind yourself of the following:

    • You are the client, they are the doctor. Its their job to listen to you.
    • They will have had many other people ask about mental health, too.
    • Everyone feels sad or worried now and then. Even doctors. Dont assume they havent had mental health challenges of their own.
    • Unlike friends and family, they are not invested in your decisions. So you dont have to feel guilty telling them about what you are going through.
    • They are bound by a code of ethics and confidentiality to protect your privacy.

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    Special Concerns For Teens

    Maybe youre developing later or earlier than your friends and want to know whats going on. There might be times you feel more depressed or angry than you used to. New sexual feelings and behaviors can be confusing, too. Topics you never had to think about before, such as sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, may suddenly be on your radar.

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    Start A Walking Program

    How to Talk to Your Doctor About Depression

    Walking just 30 minutes a day can significantly reduce your risk for major chronic diseases, including anxiety and depression. Read these tips to get started.

    Use the following ideas to start your own walking program.

    • Wear the pedometer for a few days and see how many steps you average.
    • Set a daily goal and work up to it. A good goal is to increase your average daily steps gradually so that you get used to the increased distance. Recommendations vary on how fast to increase steps. Anywhere from 500-2,000 steps a week is reasonable.
    • Record your daily steps in a log or notebook.

    There are many ways to increase your daily steps:

    • Choose a more distant parking place
    • Take the stairs
    • Walk over to a friends dorm room or a colleagues office instead of using the phone or e-mail
    • Walk with a friend each day

    Find ways to walk even during the winter months or other inclement weather.

    • Walking in the malls
    • Local school track or fitness center
    • 3-5min walk breaks during study time/work/etc

    If you experience pain or discomfort, check with your primary care provider.

    Remember, it takes about six months to lock-in a new behavior. Think of your walking program as a permanent change in your behavior. If you maintain your walking program for a minimum of six months, you are much more likely to maintain this change long-term.

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    Stay In Touch With Your Doctor

    Mental health medications arenât like antibiotics or some other medications, where the doctor tells you to take the medication for a certain period of time, then everything is fine and you never discuss the problem again.

    You should stay in touch with your doctor and let them know how your symptoms are doing and if youre experiencing side effects.

    Your doctor may want to adjust the dosage of your medication or switch you to something different based on your results and side effects.

    Need To Be A Consistent Advocate

    The physician is a good first responder for the concerns that include those affecting the mental health and must be both able and willing to handle this challenge. However, in an unfortunate event that she or he doesnt act upon the concerns, do not give up.

    You should be patient with the health care providers. Every case is different, and this does take enough time to reach the impactful individualized treatment plans.

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    Talking To A Doctor About Depression

    A doctor should provide you with a listening ear. After learning about your symptoms, they may reach a diagnosis of depression or another mental health condition.

    Often, they will recommend seeing a therapist that can help you build resilience and work through depression. Sometimes, they may refer you to another specialist called a psychiatrist who may prescribe medication to work in tandem with your therapy.

    Resiliency is our natural trajectory, Craig Sawchuk, a psychologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota told The New York Times in 2020. It doesnt mean were unscathed or that we bounce back to exactly where we were. But we can get to a better place than were at right at the moment.In line with this thinking, a recent study found that many patients not only recover after their mental health symptoms are treated, but can continue to excel and thrive in life afterward.

    Just because you are experiencing depression does not mean that life will not get better. As with most health problems, depression is treatable, and a good first step is speaking with a healthcare provider.

    You’re Eating More Than Usual

    Diagnose: Questions To Diagnose Depression

    Depression leaves you withdrawn and checked out, which can manifest as a loss of appetite.

    “If your brain is preoccupied with negative thoughts, you may forget to eat or lose interest in cooking or preparing meals,” said Yvonne Thomas, PhD, Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in depression and self-esteem.

    Sometimes depression has the opposite effect, driving you to overeat. “The mix of emotions that tend to accompany depressionsadness, pessimism about the future, and low self-esteemcan compel you to try to soothe your feelings with food binges,” said Thomas.

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    Themes That Emerged In Semistructured Interviews

    Several themes emerged from careful review of the transcripts. We describe 4 major themes selected for their clinical importance. The themes relate to the patients perception of the relationship with their physician.

    My Doctor Just Picked It Up

    In several of the transcripts patients express a belief that their physicians are able to pick up on depression without the patient being explicit about their emotions. For example, Mrs K says that her doctor understands how she feels:

    Because she seems to pick up on some things that I dont tell her, and shell bring it up right now. Now you didnt tell me this, lets get down to this. Whats going on? Thats the way she is, so I know something is wrong, yes.

    This response suggests that the physician has an almost intuitive capability to recognize when something is wrong with a patient, which could reflect the ability of some physicians to recognize nonverbal cues, as is illustrated in the following excerpt from another woman:

    I had one doctor tell me, when I walked into the room, he said, Young lady whats your problem? And um, I was trying to tell him how I was trying to tell him how I was struggling. He said, Youre depressed. Yes, he just said, You look depressed to me.

    Im a Good Patient

    He thinks Im a good patient, he thinks Im doing good. Besides, other people come in there have more pains and that more than I do.

    Another patient, Mrs R, said:

    They Just Check Out Your Heart and Things

    What A Mental Health Professional Looks For

    Your mental health professional can diagnose you by evaluating your symptoms on specific criteria in the DSM-5, including whether:

    • Youve experienced significant life changes recently
    • Youve had anxiety and worry for at least six months
    • Youve had trouble control your worries
    • Your anxiety involves at least three of the most common symptoms of anxiety
    • Your symptoms cause significant impairment in your everyday life
    • Your symptoms are better explained by a different mental condition

    Your mental health professional will work with you to uncover the root of your anxiety, make a diagnosis whether its generalized anxiety disorder or another anxiety disorder and find the best treatment for your unique symptoms.

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    What If I Dont Know If I Have Anxiety Or Depression

    Its possible to have both. And anxiety can lead to depression. So dont get obsessed over which one it is if you really arent sure. Instead:

    • make a record of the thoughts you are having
    • and the physical symptoms you are noticing
    • then clearly explain the difference between what you were like before all this started, and now.

    Your doctor should be able to spot if its anxiety, depression, or both. And if they are confused too, what matters is that they can see your daily life is suffering, and can then give you a referral to a mental health professional.

    Finding The Right Resources To Answer Your Questions And Meet Your Complex Needs

    Depression is NOT Caused by a Chemical Imbalance | Ask a Psychiatrist | Dr Elliott

    Just as anxiety and depression tend to be worse when occurring together, treatment of these disorders is most effective when both conditions are addressed at the same time.1

    Hartgrove Behavioral Health System provides integrated care that treats these and other mental health issues simultaneously. As part of our comprehensive care, medical specialists and therapists work together to help bring healing and balance in our patients lives a feeling of being in charge of their inner self again.

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    Tip #: Recognize That Although You May Feel Uncomfortable You Are Sharing A Legitimate Medical Concern In Order To Get The Help You Need

    Too often, patients are afraid of bringing up their mental health concerns. Sadly, despite great progress in the field, mental illness is still a subject branded by shame, misunderstanding and stigma. If you associate your symptoms with weakness or character flaws, its no wonder you hesitate to discuss them. Thats why the very first conversation you need to have is with yourself. Depression is a serious illness, with specific medical strategies for managing it. Read more about countering stigma, including your own, here.

    Things To Tell Your Doctor

    This information will help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis of your condition.

    • Make a list of your symptoms and when they began. Note when your symptoms occur, how they affect your life, and when theyre better or worse.
    • Write down any major stresses in your life, as well as any traumas youve experienced, both past and present.
    • Write down all of your health conditions: mental and physical.
    • Make a list of all medications and supplements youre taking. Include how much you take and how often.

    List any other substances you use or consume, such as:

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    Do I Have To Tell My Doctor Im Not Okay

    If you are on a low budget here in the UK, and want to access free mental health support through the NHS? You do need to go through your GP to get a referral. Mental health services are by referral only.

    If for one reason or another you simply cant bring yourself to tell your GP you are struggling mentally and emotionally? There are other ways to find help. Please read our article on how to find free or low cost counselling for ideas.

    Anxiety Makes The Medication Decision Difficult

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    The very nature of anxiety disorders complicates any type of decision. When it comes to a complex issue like whether to take medication, anxiety can be almost paralyzing. Theres a great deal of uncertainty regarding anxiety medication, and uncertainty contributes to more anxiety.

    Simply listing the pros and cons of taking medication isnt so simple when interferes with every thought, feeling, and action. Worries, what-ifs, and worst-case scenarios disrupt the thought process. Anxiety can create caveats or yes-buts to any straightforward list of medication advantages, and it can do the same to the disadvantages.

    You can break out of the decision-making loop that anxiety has you trapped in by understanding what, exactly, is happening under the surface of all those medication worries and fears. Anxiety is all about judgment. It makes us evaluate almost everything we encounter around us and within us. Will medication be good? Bad? Helpful? Harmful? What if it doesnt help? What if it helps, but the side-effects are intolerable? What will people think? Am I weak for needing medication? Am I strong because Im doing something about anxiety?

    Everyone has their own unique concerns about anxiety medication. The common theme, though, is anxietys habit of making us judge everything we do or dont do or might or might not do.

    Also Check: How Do Doctors Know You Have Depression

    When Youre Worried About Depression In Your Child

    What should you do if you are concerned your child may be depressed? Again, this will depend on the age of your child and your relationship with your child. Below are some suggestions on how to bring up the subject of depression with preschool children, elementary school children, and high school aged children.

    What Your Gp Can Help You With

    If you speak to your GP about your mental health concerns, they can:

    ask questions about your feelings and thoughts that may help you better understand what you are going through and what support is available

    offer your medication if its appropriate and/or free talking therapies

    recommend simple lifestyle changes that can improve your mental health

    invite you back for another appointment in a few weeks time to see how youre doing. They may refer you to a specialist if they think that would be more helpful.

    Samaritans

    If you feel very worried about your mental health or are considering taking your own life, you should talk to someone. You can call your GP surgery and arrange to speak to someone immediately, or alternatively the Samaritans offer completely confidential emotional support 24 hours per day:

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    How Doctors Make A Diagnosis

    Doctors may make a diagnosis of depression based on the following:

    • Lab tests:Blood and thyroid tests can be used to help determine whether a medical condition is contributing to your symptoms. However, labs are not typically needed to diagnose depression.
    • Physical exams:Physical exams can help determine if depression may be caused by an underlying physical health problem.
    • Psychiatric evaluation:A medical professional can ask you questions about your thoughts, feelings, behaviors and symptoms.
    • DSM-5: Published by the American Psychiatric Association, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders features criteria for depression.

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