Depression, either situational or clinical, is a diagnosable condition. There are a few simple steps to the diagnosis. The first is to decide why you think you are depressed. Do you no longer enjoy your hobbies? Do you find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, or to leave the house? Other symptoms include being tired all of the time, loss of appetite, crying for no reason and an inability to focus.
If these symptoms are present, then the next step is to take the Beck Depression Inventory. This simple exam is a series of statements that you rate from a scale of 1-5. It gives you a final score that then rates you from no depression to severe clinical depression. While this test is not perfect and should not be the sole element used in diagnosis, it can lead to one.
With symptoms in mind, and Beck Depression Inventory score in hand, the next step is to go to your primary care physician. Ask to talk with him or her and tell them of your BDI score as well as any other symptoms. They will most likely recommend a therapist as well as a psychiatrist. Depending on your score and symptoms, they might also prescribe some medication. The doctor will be able to classify your depression, however, to see if it is situational or clinical. If it is situational, the doctor will most likely only recommend a therapist for you to see. You may not yet need any medication to treat your condition.
