How bad is your depression?
Diagnosing depression is not always easy from primary care, and that is why it is important to refer to a specialist. The sooner this disorder begins to be treated, the more chances there will be for the person with depression to overcome it without having to drag certain collateral damage. And it is also important to know the severity of the depression, something that can be done with the Hamilton Depression Scale and that has to be done by a professional.
What is the Hamilton Depression Scale?
- Max Hamilton published this assessment instrument in the 1960s in order to better help people already diagnosed with depression. The Hamilton Depression Scale observes the changes produced in the different symptoms to establish the severity of the disorder, and thus be able to choose a treatment according to the current state of the person.
- Because not all depressions are the same and do not have the same intensity. A beginning depression does not require the same treatment as a chronic depression, for example. The Hamilton Depression Scale analyzes 22 different aspects such as anxiety, guilt or thoughts of suicide.
What does the Hamilton Depression Scale measure?
We are not going to give you the Hamilton Depression Scale test because it is something that a professional has to evaluate. In addition, the different questions that are asked are evaluated in different ways, since not all of them have the same weight when considering the severity of the depression. But we are going to present the main aspects that arise in this Hamilton Scale so that you stop to reflect for a moment on your emotional state.
- The mood, sadness or feeling of helplessness. If you have them very frequently or only from time to time.
- The feeling of guilt can be a symptom of depression if it is accompanied by other factors.
- Do you have suicidal thoughts?
- Difficulty expressing yourself, speaking or organizing ideas in your head can also be a sign of depression.
- Agitated or nervous gestures, do you have a tic?
- One of the most common companions of depression is anxiety, both psychological and somatic.
- Depression causes physical ailments such as muscle tension, gastrointestinal discomfort, headache or chronic fatigue, among others.
- Do you suffer from insomnia?
- Work suffers more or less depending on the degree of depression, since memory loss and lack of concentration increase with time and with medication.
- Changes in diet are frequent and both weight loss and weight gain can occur.
- How do you perceive your state of mind?
- The feeling of unreality, obsessive thoughts and the idea of inadequacy can give you an idea of how depressed you are.
If you think you may be suffering from depression, don’t let it go and see a professional as soon as possible.