Depression: Diagnosis and Treatment

When diagnosing depression, generalized anxiety disorder, or social anxiety disorder, your doctor may:

• Perform a complete physical examination
  
• Run some tests to see if you have other underlying medical conditions that might be causing your symptoms
  
• Ask how you are feeling
  
• Ask you to complete a questionnaire to help determine if your memory or any speech or thought patterns have been affected by your condition
  

Depending on the outcome of these evaluations, your doctor may select a treatment that may include one or a combination of the following treatments: medications, talk therapy, or other treatments.

When working with your doctor, it is important to tell him or her about any symptoms you are experiencing. For example, are you low on energy? Do you have trouble concentrating? Also tell your doctor about how you are feeling emotionally and if you are not motivated to do the things you once looked forward to doing. This will help him or her determine the best treatment for your condition and track your progress. After all, the goal is to reduce or virtually eliminate your symptoms and get back to your life again.

Medications

Several types of antidepressant medications are used to treat depression. Some of these are also used to treat generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder, including the following. Make sure to ask your doctor which is right for you.

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
  
• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
  
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil CR™*, Prozacreg;*, Lexaproreg;*, and Zoloftreg;*
  
• Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as Effexor® XR (venlafaxine HCl). Effexor XR is known as an SNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and is believed to help treat depression and the associated symptoms of anxiety by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain - serotonin and norepinephrine. These two chemicals are thought to play a key role in depression. Correcting the imbalance of these two chemicals may help relieve depression symptoms - which can be the first step toward getting your life back. Click here to learn more about the benefits of Effexor XR. Talk Therapy Talk therapy (psychotherapy) helps you work toward changing the way you view the world around you and how you react to it. The addition of counseling or talk therapy to your medication may help you to interact with others again. Talking with a psychiatrist or another qualified health professional can help you explore your relationships, feelings, and experiences in a meaningful way. This kind of therapy could be helpful in learning more about depression and how to cope with events in the future. The following are three possible types of psychotherapy used for depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder: