She says she can't even remember a time she didn't feel at least one symptom of the illness, such as irritability, worthlessness, or intense sadness. The B-side of this bad record is that, at any given time, many if not most people with serious depression may be suffering in silence because their doctors are treating them improperly or incompletely. Fueling this problem is a disconnect between doctors and patients, according to the survey.
Most doctors are under the impression that patients are being adequately treated.
Both a patient and a patient advocate, Lewis is executive director of the association that commissioned the survey. A proper diagnosis, she says, is the first step toward effective treatment. You and your doctor have to come up with a treatment plan that is going to work. And that may involve trying more than one medication or more than one doctor, she notes. Oftentimes, patients feel their depression is not completely under control due to side effects of their medication.