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Coping With Depression

There are a number of diagnoses for depression. Each one is diagnosed and treated differently. No matter the type, only a medical doctor can professionally diagnose and treat depression.

"Major" depression is among the more severe types. Since more symptoms appear, it is generally fairly easy to diagnose. Often some traumatic occurrence in someone's life will trigger a major depressive episode. It can also be due to a number of situations that occur over time and negatively affect him or her. A lot of people go through a major depression once in a lifetime and it never repeats.

Dysthymic disorder is another depression type altogether. Those who suffer from it show different, less visible symptoms. They generally feel depressed everyday for a long time. The symptoms are low energy, low self-esteem, change in appetite, and recurring sadness. These patients usually respond well to medication, combined with counseling. Any person suffering from dysthymic depression should always stay on top of the symptoms. It often comes back at unexpected times.

Some depressions are hard to categorize. Medical doctors only should diagnose and suggest treatment for any depression. "Reactive depression", or adjustment disorder, can be difficult to diagnose. The patient is usually having problems adjusting to life changes and is having severe side effects due to some type of stress. Doctors are often hesitant to prescribe medication for this depression, preferring to recommend counseling or other talk therapy.

The main thing to remember about depression is the importance of seeking help from a qualified doctor. The patient should see someone able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment. There are some people who experience minor symptoms for years, not realizing that they are depressed until they are in crisis. Today there are a myriad of medications for treating even minor depressive disorders. Anyone feeling at all depressed should be aware that help is available and they need not suffer alone.
 

Written by Nicky Parks, the webmaster for Un-Depression. For more articles on Depression visit: http://www.undepression.com/articles