Depression Patient Information

Depression is a common illness in clinics across the country. It is often under recognized and under treated, and it can lead to complications if not treated appropriately. Patient information is essential in this disease as educated patients can quickly recognize their symptoms and seek medical attention. Depression can affect every aspect of a patient's life, so here is some information to help you recognize mood disorders and find appropriate treatment.

Diagnosing Depression

Depression is a clinical diagnosis, meaning that there are no special tests to find it. Depression is defined as having five or more symptoms (shown below) for at least two weeks. One of the symptoms must be low mood or lack of enjoyment with activities the patient used to enjoy.

Sleep disturbance (either too much or too little)

Lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities

Guilt

Lack of Energy

Decreased Ability to Concentrate

Appetite problems (either eating too much or too little)

Psychomotor Disturbance (feel like you're moving in slow motion)

Suicidal Thoughts or Intentions

Treating Depression

Treatment for depression varies depending on the severity. For depression without suicidal thoughts, the patient is given medication. The most common class of medication is SSRI's (stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor). These include brand names like Paxil, Prozac, and Celexa. Other meds, e.g. Effexor, can also be used. These medications typically take 4-6 weeks to reach full effect. In addition, counseling can be very helpful for many patients.

Depression can also be paired with other psychiatric illnesses including substance abuse and schizophrenia. In those cases, treating the other psychiatric disease helps with depression. The most common form of depression is unipolar meaning that patients only have low mood. Bipolar depression is different and involves both low and high moods. It is treated with different medications and therapy.

Complications of Depression

The most feared complication is suicide. If you have depression, your physician will ask you about suicide every time you see them. Suicidal thoughts and a plan to commit suicide are an indication for the patient to be hospitalized. Be honest with your physician about suicidal thoughts, as the consequences can obviously be large.

Many patients with depression will also try to self medicate themselves with either drugs or alcohol. This has the unfortunate effect of making the depression worse in the long run. Inform your doctor if this becomes a problem so that you can get appropriate treatment.

Patient Expectations with Depression

Unlike a sinus infection or bronchitis, depression is often a long term problem that patients learn to manage throughout their lives. It is common for depression to come and go, and many patients take daily medication for years. Expect these these highs and lows, and learn your personal warning signs for you depression. Learning your own illness will allow you to notify your doctor of changes and get treatment much faster.