Is it depression? A physical illness? Both? 1/12/02

Q.Many of the symptoms of depression - fatigue, sleep disturbances, weight change - mimic those of other illnesses. That can make diagnosing depression difficult. Is it really depression? Is it something else? Is that something else related to the depression?

A.Clinical depression is a complex, debilitating disorder that affects more than 17 million adults in the United States each year. Unfortunately, nearly two-thirds fail to recognize their illness and get treatment. If you have signs of depression, Mayo physicians recommend seeing a physician (a psychiatrist is also a physician) for a medical evaluation. "Having a mental health assessment is one component of diagnosing depression," says Joyce A. Tinsley, M.D., a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. "The other is seeing a physician for an evaluation of your physical health, to determine if there may be any underlying medical cause for your symptoms." Symptoms of depression Brief periods of feeling blue are normal. However, when such feelings persist for more than 2 weeks - and the mood impairs your ability to function at work or socially - you may be suffering from depression. Clinical depression is not to be confused with simply feeling sad or having a pessimistic attitude. An event or change in your life may leave you feeling depressed, but often such a reaction is short-lived. Some people view life with extreme pessimism, but that's their basic personality. It's when you can't "snap out of it" that you may have actual depression, which has a biological or psychological basis and which requires treatment by a health care professional.

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