Depression test? Diagnosing a depression?
Depression is one of the most complex mental illnesses. It has many ways of showing itself, meaning it often is difficult to diagnose a depression. Also, the symptoms are very similar to other illnesses, like burnout. On the internet you will find a lot regarding the symptoms of depression, but does that mean that you are allowed to diagnose yourself with a depression? No, only a doctor or psychiatrist can diagnose a depression. What you can do, however, is check which symptoms are applicable to you, so that you can check the severity of the depression. This is something you can do at the hand of a depression test, for example.
Depression test? The symptoms of depression?
Read the symptoms of depression below:
- Somber mood
- Not being interested/not having fun
- Losing or gaining a lot of weight
- Frequent sleepy feeling
- Feeling agitated or weak
- Feelings of fatigue or lack of energy
- Extreme feelings of worthlessness
- Feelings of guilt
- Reduced thinking and focusing abilities
- Digestive complaints
- Changes in weight
- Vague complaints
Depression test? The stages of depression?
Depression contains different stages. In the first stage you will notice that you become somber and that you find it difficult to experience positive feelings. This is because depression first off focuses on the centers of the brain which produce positive feelings. In the following stage, your negative feelings are also turned off and you end up in some type of apathetic phase. You no longer feel anything. The mechanism behind depression has not also attacked and stopped the centers in the brain which are responsible for negative feelings.
Depression test? A treatment for depression?
It is useful to treat depression as early on as possible, because some depressions can cause lasting damage in the brain and can make it so that chances are larger that you experience another depression. A depression can be treated at the hand of psychotherapy. There also are alternatives, such as online therapy. 15 Minutes 4 Me developed an online self-help program, inspired by the cognitive behavioral therapy, which makes depression reduce with 77% on average after one month (according to research published in the Artsenkrant, 2011).
Depression test? Take the depression test!
Would you like to know to what extent your depression has progressed, or which symptoms are applicable to you? Then take the free depression test here!
