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eLearning Series: Mental Illness
Explain Mental Illnesses To Me
Diagnose
Depression and the Next Step
Depression is a mental illness that can cause
several problems with your functioning of every day life. If
you think that you have depression, there are several ways
to diagnose it, as well as figure out how to not let it destroy
what you are doing in your life.
The first thing that you need to do if you think that you
have depression is to get a diagnosis by a doctor. You can
see a physician or a counselor about your problem with depression.
Through this, they can decide if it is depression, or if you
are being affected by a different imbalance in your body. They
are required to conduct an examination, interview and take
certain lab tests.
Some of the things which should be recorded in relation to
the depression factors include the history of the symptoms
that you have, how long they have lasted and how severe the
problems are. If you are using drugs or alcohol, it is important
to let the physician know. Part of the measurement in severity
includes thoughts of suicide or death. Another way in which
they will decide if you are depressed is in relation to your
family history. Depression is often considered a genetic disorder.
If there have been signs of depression in your family, then
you are more likely to become depressed. If these family members
have received medication or help, this can also be helpful
in deciding the right treatment for you.
From here, if it has been found that you are depressed, there
are several ways in which you can receive the proper
treatment and help. Depending on the type of depression that it has been
found that you have, you can be given a certain type of anti-depressant
medication. This will help you get from being depressed to
being able to function every day. Sometimes, it will take time
to find the right treatment in order to help find the right
chemical balance. Usually, anti-depressant medications take
three to four weeks to become effective. If you decide to take
anti-depressant medication, you should be aware of the side
effects that it will have. By doing this, you can plan accordingly
so that you know when to begin taking the medication.
Another step in treating your depression is to get therapy
from a counselor or psychotherapist. There are several who
focus on treating depression specifically and are able to find
the level in which you are thinking and help you change this
mindset. Therapists are there to not only help you change this
mindset, but also to help you learn different tools in order
to function on a daily basis. Counselors range from being holistic
healers to following a more traditional role. You can easily
find a person that will suit your needs the best.
If you have a more severe case of depression and can’t find
an anti-depressant to work, than you can always receive electroconvulsive
therapy, also known as ECT. This process includes giving a
muscle relaxant. You are then given anesthesia in order to
take some of the pain out of the procedure. Electrodes are
then placed in different areas around the brain. Electrodes
are sent to these specific places. As a result, there is a
seizure in the brain causing a way for the nerves in the brain
to rebalance. If you decide to use ECT, you will have to do
this three times a week, until the depression that you are
experiencing lessens significantly.
For those that are looking for a different type of treatment
for depression, there are several herbal remedies that can
also be used. One of these is St. John’s Wort. This has received
several studies and has been found mostly effective as an alternative
method to anti-depressant medications. This type of herbal
remedy, as well as others, is available for your consideration.
These alternatives should also be given to you by your physician
after examination.
No matter what type of depression you are dealing with, it
causes a problem in daily functioning in your life. Depression
is a genetic imbalance located in the nerves of your brain.
Being diagnosed with depression is the first step to recovery.
After this, there are several methods that you can use in order
to begin functioning at a different thought level. By treating
your depression, you will find that you can once again enjoy
your daily life and accomplish your goals. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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