Talk To Your Doctor About Depression

Some people dealing with depression might not even let their doctor know about it and that means they may not be getting the treatment they need.

The surprising finding behind this new survey is just how many people are reluctant to talk with their family doctor about their depression and the reasons behind it. This survey screened more than 1,000 adults for depression like symptoms. It also asked them about their beliefs about treatment and any barriers to treatment they thought might be in place.

According to the researchers involved in this study, nearly half of the adults surveyed had some misgivings about talking with their primary care provider about any symptoms of depression they might be having. Surprisingly, those "showing" signs of depression were also more likely than most to not want to talk with their doctor about it.

Those getting surveyed had a few main concerns. Many thought that this wasn't something their doctor dealt with, when in fact your primary car provider is trained to deal with depression screening and treatment and is the best choice for an initial conversation about how you are feeling. They also felt that there was a possibility an employer might see the diagnosis of depression on their medical chart. Government privacy laws ensure that your chart, especially when it comes to mental health issues, is only seen by those you give permission and definitely not by your employer, even if they pay for your medical insurance. But the top concern was that they would get prescribed an antidepressant. Although, like all medications, antidepressants do have side effects, they have also proven to be very effective in treating depression. On top of this, if you don't want to be placed on medication, just talk with your doctor about your concerns and you both can decide an avenue of treatment that you, as the patient, feel very comfortable with.

The bottom line is to go ahead and talk with your doctor about any depression symptoms so they can both get it out into the open where you can talk about it and together seek treatment that can help you get back to a normal life.