ehealthyland.com

There is no specific test to diagnose depression. Diagnosing depression includes completing a complete family, medical, and mental health history. This also includes a history of alcohol and drug use. It is very important to be as accurate as possible in describing a history of alcohol and drug use. Your health care provider will also evaluate your symptoms and order medical tests to rule-out other causes of symptoms or determine coexisting conditions. A referral is generally made to a mental health professional for further evaluation. A mental health care professional will determine the type and severity of depression you have and work with you to develop the most appropriate and effective treatment plan for you.

Although there are no specific manic depression test to diagnose this depression illness, you doctor will want to perform a physical examination and blood tests to rule out any other possible causes for your symptoms, as well as ask you questions about your present condition. Your health care provider will also want to discuss your family history and possibly do a mental health assessment.

Manic Depression Test:An in depth mental assessment will test how you function on an emotional level. In addition to this, your ability to think, reason, and remember will also be tested. During this time, your appearance, mood, behavior, thinking, reasoning, memory, ability to express yourself, and ability to maintain personal relationships will be evaluated as well.

Detecting it early:The sooner manic depression test is done, diagnosed and treated, the better your chances of successfully controlling and managing your illness. Early diagnosis and treatment helps to reduce the risk of complications, such as alcohol and drug abuse or suicide.Approximately ten percent to fifteen percent of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder will commit suicide. Up to sixty percent of those with bipolar disorder develop drug and alcohol abuse problems, which hinders successful treatment of manic depression.

Diagnosis:Manic depression can mirror other disorders, such as schizophrenia or major depression, which make it difficult to diagnose. Because many general practitioners may not be very well studied on bipolar disorder, it is important to consult with a mental health care professional who has expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar or schizophrenia disorders. It is very important to seek medical help as soon as possible for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Most people who are depressed do not seek psychiatric help and must rely on their family doctor. Unfortunately, it is often difficult for a primary care doctor to recognize the problem if the patient does not bring it up directly.

Patients themselves may be unable to sense or admit their own depression. In one study, although 21% of patients who visited their family doctors were depressed, only 1% described their problem as depression.

Depression can also be confused with other medical illnesses. Weight loss and fatigue, for example, accompany many conditions, some serious, but they can also occur with depression.

To be diagnosed with major depression, you must meet the symptom criteria spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This manual is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is used by mental health providers to diagnose mental conditions and by insurance companies to reimburse for treatment.

To be diagnosed with major depression, you must have five or more of the following symptoms over a two-week period. At least one of the symptoms must be either a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure. Symptoms can be based on your own feelings or may be based on the observations of someone else.

The guidelines for diagnosis of major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder are found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM IV). In addition to an interview, several clinical inventories or scales may be used to assess a patient’s mental status and determine the presence of depressive symptoms. Among these tests are: the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Child Depression Inventory (CDI), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Zung Self-Rating Scale for Depression. These tests may be administered in an outpatient or hospital setting by a general practitioner, social worker, psychiatrist, or psychologist.