DEPRESSION

Patients who are depressed may show their depression in many different ways. While a large number of patients do feel unhappy, miserable, weepy and in severe cases suicidal, some patients will not present with these symptoms and therefore may not recognise that they are depressed. Such patients often complain of insomnia, inability to concentrate, or irritability.

When making a diagnosis of depression, it is important to ensure that there is no underlying medical condition which may be responsible for the patient's unhappiness. Some prescribed drugs can give rise to feelings of depression and a number of women going through the menopause find that they experience severe depressive symptoms which are correctable with Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Many patients complaining of depression are offered antidepressant medication by their General Practitioners. However, there are those patients who do not wish to take tablets for their problems, or find that the medication given them does not help them.

For patients who are looking for alternative forms of treatment for their depression psychotherapy and hypnotherapy have proved very helpful in alleviating their symptoms.



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