Things You'll Need:
- Medical evaluation
- Physical examination
- Laboratory tests
- Mental health assessments
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Step 1
Determine if you have any of the common signs of depression. Some of the common symptoms for depression include persistently sad, feeling down, irritable, lack of energy, social withdrawal, feelings of hopelessness and guilt and difficulty concentrating and staying focused. You should contact a doctor as soon as possible, if you are experiencing these symptoms for an extended period of time. Only a trained medical professional can diagnosis you and give you the proper help that you need.
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Step 2
Schedule an appointment with your medical doctor. Your doctor can give you a medical evaluation and physical examination, verify your current health status and rule out any diseases or illnesses. He can also provide you with helpful information about depression and refer you to a qualified mental health professional.
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Step 3
Go to your scheduled appointment and meet with your doctor. Complete all of the required medical examinations and tests. Your doctor may take a sample of your blood and urine to send to the laboratory for additional testing procedures.
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Step 4
Discuss your test results with the doctor and locate a mental health professional. In order to begin the treatment process for depression, you must meet with a mental health professional, such as a licensed psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or therapist. Your doctor can provide you with the contact information for a local mental health professional.
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Step 5
Meet with a mental health professional to discuss your depression. The doctor may ask you a series of questions about your symptoms, current health status, medications you’re currently taking, questions about your personal life (home, school and work) and lifestyle behavior. Your doctor may also have you complete a questionnaire and additional mental health assessments in order to help her make an appropriate diagnosis.
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Step 6
Discuss treatment options with your doctor. Your doctor recommends an appropriate treatment option (or a combination of treatment options) based on the severity of your depression, your current health and mental status, age and any other important contributing factors. There are different types of treatment options such as drug therapy "antidepressants" (Tricyclic drugs, MAOIs, SSRIs) interpersonal, cognitive or psychodynamic therapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), Depression Light Therapy, herbal treatment (such as Hyperforin), alternative treatments (meditation, yoga, vitamins, aromatherapy and diet factors) and self-help treatments.
