Q: What is clinical depression?



A: Clinical depression is characterized by a constant depressed mood, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, and a lack of interest in activities. Other symptoms of clinical depression can include weight gain, insomnia, and thoughts of death and suicide. It is difficult for people that have never experienced clinical depression to understand exactly how horrible a condition it is.

Q: What causes clinical depression?

A: There are several different causes of clinical depression. Clinical depression can be caused by physical conditions, such neurochemical imbalances in the brain, which can be hereditary. It can also be caused by life experiences, such as a traumatizing event in childhood or the loss of a job or loved one. A common misconception is that clinical depression refers only to depression caused by neurochemical imbalances in the brain, or that antidepressants can only treat this kind of depression. In reality, antidepressants are capable of eliminating all kinds of depression.

Q: What treatments exist for clinical depression?

A: The most common form of treatment is through antidepressant medication, such as SSRI and SNRI drugs. These drugs can carry severe side effects and withdrawal symptoms, and may be overkill for cases of minor depression. If your depression is caused by life experiences, such as financial difficulties or the death of a loved one, it may be better to receive talk therapy or cognitive behavior therapy rather than risk taking antidepressant medications. If the cause of your depression is physical, then not much aside from medicine will help you.

Q: Who can I go to to get help with my depression?

A: Most people would go to their doctor (general practitioner) first, however this is not always the best decision. If you go to your doctor, you are likely to be given antidepressant medication with little consultation, and many general practitioners are untrained in the nuances of antidepressant medication. As a result, you may experience side effects and withdrawal symptoms due to your doctor either giving you too much medication when you begin taking antidepressants or not tapering your dosage of antidepressants correctly when you stop taking antidepressants. If the cause of your clinical depression is neurochemical or hereditary in nature, you may be served well by going to your doctor first. However, if your depression is minor or is related to life events, you may instead choose to seek out psychological counseling, either in group therapy or in one-on-one sessions. This may be a better choice for some people who are afraid to take antidepressant medication due to the risk of side effects. Even if you do decide to take antidepressant medication, consider going to a psychiatrist instead of a general practitioner, as they are better prepared to handle clinical depression. Unfortunately, you may not have insurance, or your insurance may not cover psychiatric care. In this event, a psychiatrist may be too expensive for you. As an alternative, you may choose to consult a psychiatric nurse working with a psychiatrist. It should cost about the same amount to visit a psychiatric nurse as it would to visit a general practitioner, and they are generally more knowledgeable about psychiatric care than many doctors.