You’re Depressed and You Want Help Now
By the time your doctor gives you the official diagnosis of chronic depression, you are probably to the point of almost giving up on ever finding out why you just can’t seem to be happy like everybody else. You have gone to see several doctors and every one of them had you fill out more questionnaires than you care to think about. You have even been so desperate at times that you have considered trying, or have tried using drugs or alcohol to give you at least some sense of happiness and relief, even if only for a little while.
The truth is that you can’t ever remember a time when you felt like you completely fit in. As far back as you can remember you have always had the feeling of having a dark cloud following you around every where you went. This dark cloud has made everything seem dull and unsatisfying and eventually found its way between you and any chance you could have had to live a normal life. Even though you didn’t actually know you had anything medically wrong with you, this nagging feeling never seemed quite right, and you never stopped imagining what life would be like if you could only be happy like everybody else.
Doctors are hesitant to give an absolute diagnosis to any person with symptoms of a mental illness because sometimes it is very difficult to be absolutely sure what type of disorder the patient is suffering from. A lot of mental disorders share the same symptoms, and there are times when a person can have more than one disorder. For example a person can suffer from depression and anxiety at the same time, each needing to be addressed in a very specific way. Using the wrong medications or combinations of medications can mean the difference between seeing a significant improvement or a having a possibly fatal outcome.
It take can some time and very close monitoring of the person and their symptoms to really get a good feeling for what direction their treatment should go in. Very often there will be some setbacks that look and feel like the situation is getting worse instead of better before the right combination of medications and therapy is achieved. For the person suffering from depression any amount of time it takes to see results can seem like torture. As it is people usually do not seek professional help for this condition until they are at their lowest point and are barely, if at all, able to function in everyday life.
The good news is that the speed in which proper diagnosis and improvement takes place, is primarily dependent, on the patient’s cooperation with their doctor and their commitment to their treatment. Depression is highly manageable with a great amount of success when properly diagnosed and treated. It may some time and dedication to finding what works for you but losing that dark cloud will make it worth every second.