Being depressed is difficult. And understanding what a doctor means when discussing depression symptoms can confuse you and make things even harder to understand. If you aren’t sure what your doctor means, the information is harder to process. This makes it more difficult to ask the right questions, which is important to treat depression.
If your doctor has diagnosed you with a depression disorder such as major depressive disorder, the terms they use may confuse you or you may not really be familiar with what they mean. In order to better communicate with your mental health professionals, you need to be familiar with the language they use. Here is more about how depression is diagnosed and some terms and language you should know so you get the help you need.
Sometimes people confuse sadness and grief with depression. While they might seem the same, they’re not. For example, you might lose a long-term job, suffer the loss of a loved one, or experience a broken heart. These events may make you feel as if you have severe or major depression, when in actuality, they are happenings that cause temporary depressed mood. We’ve all heard someone say something like, “I’m so depressed that I lost my job.” Or, “My boyfriend left me, and I feel depressed.” While these things that happen make us sad, this is not the same as clinical depression.
And while a major disaster or event can cause PTSD and depression, some mistake feelings of sadness for actual clinical depression. There are many differences. And it’s not as though people set out to lie about their feelings because depression, sadness, and grief have similarities, a mental health assessment is the only way to provide an accurate diagnosis and tell which is which.
You may notice that characteristics of sadness and depression have similar attributes such as isolation or chronic and severe irritability to things they used to like. Yet, they have major differences. For example, the American Psychiatric Association mentions that with grief, a person doesn’t lose their self-esteem or sense of worth. Both show depression, not sadness.
In fact, with major depressive disorder (MDD), we often combine the feelings of extreme sadness with a lack of self-worth or even self-loathing.
The National Institutes of Health writes that Major Depressive Disorder “causes severe depression symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.” These depression symptoms must be present for at least two weeks in order to be diagnosed with depression.
You might wonder why your doctor has so many questions. This is so they determine if what you have is depression. As mentioned, sadness and depression are two different diagnoses. Yet, grief does sometimes cause depression, so the doctor needs to find out what is going on. And this is crucial because, while the symptoms of depression may be similar to grief, grief and depression have different treatment methods.
How a health care provider helps find answers is often with a specific depression diagnosis tool. There are different ones, but a common one is the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 This tool pinpoints 17 elements of depression in relation to your symptoms, behavior, and mood.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, there are certain questions they ask you that include variations of the following:
The doctor will then look at and rate your answers for each of, the 17 elements. For example, a score of zero means no depression symptoms related to that question. Let’s say that the doctor asked you if you have problems with work or with working, and you answer that you do not. That would be a zero rating. The scores increase with the severity of the answer.
The doctor or health care provider then adds up your score. First for each item, then a total. Using the HAM-D17 depression severity rating scale, they will be better able to make a recommendation whether they suggest treatment. The rating is:
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One thing to know about depression is that treatment options can be complex. The way you treat mild or moderate depression will be different from major depressive disorder. The focus should also be able to not only treat the issue but to lower your score on the HAM-D17 depression severity rating scale. This is not as simple as taking a pill or having a meeting where you discuss what is wrong. Instead, there is more the mental health professional will need to discuss.
For example, here are a few key points your doctor will want to know more about.
That is a sample; each doctor may differ in what they ask and what kind of information they deem relevant. In fact, there is a deeper insight into those samples. According to Psychiatry Online, for a complete psychiatric assessment of depressive disorders, the following is needed:
As you can see, the information is similar, yet more in-depth.
Your doctor will make a suggestion on whether to consider inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment. Your doctor chooses an initial treatment plan, which may include medication and/or counseling in treating depression.
They take a variety of considerations when choosing your treatment plan. For example, the doctor will most likely ask you if you prefer outpatient treatment. This means you stay home and have day treatment in a facility instead of being in a 24/7 hospital or other facility settings. However, this may also not be up to your choice. Severe form of depression may need more attention in an inpatient setting while mild clinical depression can be treated through an outpatient program. They will also consider prior treatment methods, if any. For instance, if you have tried outpatient treatment in the past and it did not help, you might consider inpatient treatment.
Other things taken into consideration include whether there are co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Environmental, psychological, and biological factors get considered too.
Therapy is one of the most important types of mental health treatment methods for a depression diagnosis. One method is cognitive behavioral therapy. Group, family, and couples therapy are other types that help those with depression including equine therapy and sound therapy. And some use methods like holistic healing and brain stimulation therapy to help. But keep in mind that you get out of therapy what you put into it. If you’re not comfortable opening up to someone about your problems, then it may be harder to help you heal through talk therapy alone.
Last, there are medications that help treat depression. There is no set cure-all for this disorder, and sometimes it is hard to find the right medication or combination of medications for major depression. This may discourage you but hang in there. Some doctors use what they call the GeneSight Psychotropic test. This is for those who have difficulty with medication for depression, and it provides genetic insight that helps choose what is best.
Some people do best with a combination of different therapies, while others may do well with just counseling or medication. It all depends on the person.
The most crucial thing after being diagnosed with depression is to get the help you need. Whether you feel more comfortable with outpatient counseling, take the proper medications, or feel that an inpatient environment is more beneficial — addressing the problem is the first step in healing.
At Transformations, we have a varied treatment program for those diagnosed with depression. Our counselors and staff provide compassionate care and a healing atmosphere. If you need help with your depression, reach out to us so we can help you get started on your new journey.
