Clinical Depression Symptoms

The evaluation of clinical depression symptoms represents the only way to pass a diagnosis for this disease, and the psychiatrist spends a serious amount of time evaluating the patient’s condition. The course of treatment cannot be not taken lightly, particularly as the specialist has to rule out other possible mental illnesses like schizophrenia for example.

What makes clinical depression stand out?

Clinical depression or major depressive disorder brings about a noticeable change in the person’s behavior. If the ‘depressed’ episode lasts for more than two weeks, you have every reason to worry about it. Yet, lotsĀ  of patients get to the doctor without even suspecting depression.

  • You sleep more than 10 hours per day and still feel very tired.
  • You can’t sleep for more than four hours.
  • You feel the need to isolate yourself from family and friends.
  • Irritability becomes permanent.
  • You have stomach problems and feel incapable to cope with daily difficulties.
  • You have frequent thoughts about death, dying and committing suicide.

Each of the above could also be symptoms for other health problems. Which is why the clinician will recommend a whole set of medical tests to rule out other possible ailments. It is mood shifts and the patient’s attitude towards family and friends that usually points to depression. Patients lose perspective, they feel trapped and upset when others try to reach out to them.

How to deal with clinical depression symptoms

Medical treatment and psychotherapy are the fundamentals for the medical approach to clinical depression. Doctors usually prescribe drugs to improve mood and reduce the intensity of the symptoms, but on the long run, drug-therapy becomes problematic as it has so many side effects.

It is cognitive behavioral therapy that enables the depression suffer to live with the illness and cope with it. As part of therapy, the sufferer learns how to self-help and handle the various emotional challenges on his/her own, without developing a dependency on the psychotherapist.

Nevertheless, even if therapy is working great, make sure you don’t discontinue your medication without talking to the doctor first.

Drug and alcohol abuse

Many people diagnosed with clinical depression also have problems with drugs and alcohol. Sometimes depression comes first and people use drugs and alcohol to escape it or it’s the other way round and substance abuse leads to depression.

People who are taking anti-depressants should not abuse drugs or alcohol because they can aggravate side effects or they may render the medication ineffective. The risks for health are very high, as the combination anti-depression medication and alcohol could prove lethal sometimes.

Living with clinical depression symptoms

If left untreated, clinical depression can ruin a person’s life, turning one into a wreck. This illness is very serious, it can aggravate in time, and it proves debilitating without proper healthcare. Therefore, even if the patient in question is not capable to take action and seek help, family and friends ought to take him/her to see a specialist.

The earlier the treatment, the higher the recovery chances. Only through medication and therapy can one actually live with low intensity clinical depression symptoms.