Certain medications as well as some medical conditions can cause symptoms of depression and it may be recommended the individual's physician rules out these possibilities through examination, interview, and lab tests. The therapist will also ask about alcohol and drug use, and if the individual has thoughts about death or suicide. The individual's evaluation will also include questions about whether other family members have had a depressive illness and if treated, what treatments they may have received and which were effective A diagnostic evaluation will include a mental status examination to determine if the individual's speech or thought patterns or memory have been affected, as often happens in the case of a depressive or manic-depressive illness. The choice of treatment for depression will depend on the outcome of the evaluation. There are a variety of antidepressant medications and psychotherapies that can be used to treat depressive disorders.
Some people do well with psychotherapy, some with antidepressants.
Depressive disorders can make individuals feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Such negative thoughts and feelings make some people feel like giving up. It is important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression and typically do not accurately reflect an individual's situation. Negative thinking fades as treatment begins to take effect. Break large tasks into small ones, set some priorities, and do what can be done, as it can be done.