How to ask the doctor if i have a depression issue? Im kinda nervous and embarresed what do ya think?

Answer 1

I think the easiest way is to come right out and say it: I think I might be suffering from depression. Do my symptoms match up, and what are my treatment options?

Don't be embarassed. Depression is a disease. You would go into the doctor if you had malaria, or meningititis, or heart disease, wouldn't you? Of course. There's this horrible stigma surrounding depression, that it's the sufferers fault. Well, it isn't. You have a medical condition that can be treated. Don't think any harder than that.

Your doctor will understand. They have seen it before. They will ask you about your symptoms, if you are suicidal, etc. I remember the last time I got a physical I even had to fill out a questionaire to see if I might be depressed. (Silly me, I lied on that.)

Just call and make an appointment with your doctor. You don't have to tell the person making the appointment why you want to talk to the doctor, just say that it's personal and you'd rather not say. You just have to talk to the doctor, and probably a nurse. A helpful thing to do if you are embaressed to go to a depression symptoms quiz online, take it, and print out your results, so you have a handy dandy list of all your symptoms to hand to the doctor, no struggling to list them. you can find a good one at http://www.depressionhurts.com/selfassess/selfassess.jsp?reqNavId=2

Answer 2

I was having extreme outbursts most of my adult life. I always assumed it was just part of my personality. But I would also sit and cry for hours on end (for no apparent reason). I finally scheduled an appointment with my primary doctor for a "consultation". I was able to describe for him, my behaviors and was prescribed Paxil, an antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication. I have been on it for about 10 years now and feel great! I never realized how much of little joys I was missing.
I encourage everyone to speak with your medical doctor. If it is too hard to tell him what is happening, make a list and simply hand it to him.
You seem to think that this is something that you can control, it is NOT. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is NOT a personality fault.
Maybe you should also go to the local library and read about neurological disorders, simple things like a fall (for children) can also cause damage that will affect brain functioning.
Good Luck! I am sure you will do what is right for you.

Answer 3

There is nothng to be embarrassed about. If you are having periods of sadness,or experience fatigue for longer than two weeks; you could be depressed. You may also have lost interest in the regular things you you used to enjoy. Or you may have trouble concentrating. These are some of the symptoms one goes through when a depression is present.

Believe me, it is something that no longer has shame attached to it. More people then ever before are coming forward and seeking professional help. It could be controlled with meds, therapy or a combination of both.

If you feel blue or have some of the symptoms described above please speak with your doctor. You will feel much better and will be able to go back to your normal daily life with a much better outlook.

Good luck, and God bless.

Answer 4

you should not be nervous, doctors have heard it all, if you do and get put on medications, no one needs to know, totally up to you who you tell and don't tell.
I suffer from depression, lucky me it runs on my mothers side of the family and I am hoping that my kids don't suffer from it.
I had to be pushed into asking for help and I am so glad that I did that was 15 years ago!
I am currently in the middle of switching some medications from Prozac to Wellburtin. The Prozac was wonderful, but after a while I was unable to have any feelings I was just there good sometimes in a way, but you need feelings so I am switching. Go with what you Dr suggests and all will be fine. It will all work out, good for you for realizing that you may have an issue!

Answer 5

I worked with a guy that had this same issue and he asked me how to go about it, I told him that he should just be straight forward and ask the doc what he would deem as depression because there are lots of different things that it could be. I believe he will ask you about 10 questions that are yes or no and from there he will determine if you are depressed or if he might need to suggest you seeing a psychologist so that they can make an assessment of your thoughts. I was seeing one and told her that I was having bouts with depression and I talked to a nurse that could prescribe me something but everything she gave me didn't work. I have come to the conclusion that it is something a bit more complicated than what she originally determined but I quit going and haven't gone back. My advice to you is that you get up the nerve and talk to your doctor, depression is a hard thing to cope with and I still kick myself for not getting it treated alot sooner.

Answer 6

you shouldn't feel nervous or embarassed about your issue at all. its perfectly fine to admit you think you might have a problem. doctors are use to hearing that some of their patients suffer from some sort of depression, this can be a symptom of something larger or just the plain blues. doctors have heard worst, so depression should'nt even phase them. go to a family doctor or a doctor you trust and you will most likely feel more at ease. most doctors are great people who can put you at ease, they go to school for 10 years to do this! haha wells just mention how you been feeling such as, I've been very moody lately, or down lately, be very specific so if you really do have depression, they can treat you properly with the right medications. some examples would be I've been very moody and not myself, moody as in being irrational, snapping at people I normally enjoy, sad in the morning but happy later in the day. be as specific as possible. If you become nervous, mention it to the doctor, they will try to place you at ease.

good luck!

PS: if your still nervous, take a friend or a relative you trust and care about to the doctor's appointment. sometimes knowing that your not in it alone can help, support! haha get support to help you stay at ease.

Answer 7

very tricky area - first and foremost - whether it is a dr. - a phd, an md, psychiatrist, psychologist, or whatever - or just someone in your "inner circle"...this is an issue facing more people than is commonly known. so if this is the case - remember the most important thing anyone can tell you - you are not alone.
depression takes many forms - but the most detrimental effect is that it leaves too many people feeling as though they are somehow abnormal, strange, or weird. this is never the case.
the most important thing to remember is that you are human. and it is human nature to feel. just as you cannot have good without bad, light without dark, etc.....you cannot go through your entire existence and feel only joy without, once in a while, feeling "bummed out".
to have or to be able to find someone you can trust or rely on enough to tell how you feel is the second greatist gift you can possess.
do not hide from your fear, embrace it. do not run from it, it will only chase you. the more you run from / avoid your fears, the more power you give them over you.
the brave person is not one who does not know fear, the brave person knows fear - but does what he/she needs to do in spite of it.
the path to knowledge begins with the statement - "i dont know..."
in short - start with a family m.d. - and simply say - " i think i may have an issue/or a problem with depression, and i would like to learn more about it...can you help me, or can you tell me who can?"
i hope i have helped in some small way - if so, and i might be of more help - let me know - [e-mail]

Answer 8

When I told my doctor, I was nervous too. I am also 15. So he didn't believe me at first.

If you are really embarrassed to just tell him/her, try insinuating your problem in normal conversation. But you shouldn't be nervous. Doctors see this kind of stuff every day.

As for what they will probably do, first they will most likely try to figure out what kind of depression you have. Basically, an aptitude test. Then they will diagnose you and tell you some "Home Remedies" for trying to cure depression. If all else fails, they will put you on depression medicine. Which is not as bad as it sounds.

Answer 9

You've got nothing to be nervous or embarrassed about. Treating conditions & symptoms is your Dr.'s job. Let him know that your not sure if the troubles you're having are "depression" related or not, but that you are concerned about them. That will probably be the only cue he needs, and he'll start asking specific questions, and you just need to answer them as open and honestly as you can. My husband is a doctor, and he loves patients who can just let him know what's going on. He says the more honest they are the easier it makes his job, in the fact of making sure they are prescribed the right medications, given proper diagnoses, etc.. I have a brother who has had serious mental troubles for years; if it weren't for his trust in his Dr. his quality of life would be far less than it is now. Just remember, if you are suffering from depression, it's not your fault, and you can feel better. You just need to be able to have proper medication as well as the knowledge to treat it, and keep it managable. I wish you good luck!

Answer 10

Never be embarrassed to talk to any medical personnel especially a doctor about your health. I had a relative that use to work as an appointment scheduler and she use to tell me all the strange or unusual things people would call to either ask about or schedule an appointment for. There is nothing they havent heard. Your doctor is suppose to be there for you and there is no reason to address your concerns. On another note I get faint thinking about needles or having my blood drawn. My veins are small and everytime for my entire life they poke me several times before they find a vein to draw blood. I use to get embarrassed as I would get faint and start squirming until............ Until this one time I was at the main hospital and there just happened to be another woman next to me getting her blood drawn. She was totally freaking out, yelling to take it out and was really squirmy in her chair. She made me look like a great patient. Ever since then I still get squirmy and faint but I don't sit there worrying about what the phlebotomist is thinking about me. If you remember there is always someone have a worst situation than you and besides if you are still nervous to approach the topic, write it out and show it to you dr. Sometimes it's easier to start out a conversation or question by writing. Besides, haven't you ever wondered why so many people can forward a message by text or email but actually writing some of your own words takes time and effort. So I went off on my own tangent, I just want you to know, just relax and wish you well :)
I'd like to add to my answer if possible. I saw a few others answers that basically said to seek a higher power. I don't disagree with that. However, I have suffered from depression for the past 14years. I have a sense from my god but at the same time there are lots of people that say it's it in your head. There has been several medical reports showing that people's brains don't always function accurately and may be missing something. I have argued several times with different people that are healthy and claim to know that they know how I feel. Unless you have depression or a health ailments you can not answer the question. A person with depression is not functioning at normal level and it brings me to tears to think that you can answer if you don't understand. Medication only creates what natural levels in your brain you are missing. Medication does not make you overly happy, it only brings you to the norm. You still experience sad days, etc. I firmly believe in the lord and believe that people are still missing whatever it is and should be treated. I don't always agree with the medical field but I know that I am crazy off of medications. It's a constant battle with myself. I could care less if this person picks my answer but unless you have depression yourself, you have no idea how to answer. I apologize if you take offense.