Current Events > How are mental illnesses like anxiety and depression diagnosed?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Because so many people these days claim they have those and really I dont think a therapist giving you a questionaire to check if you have it is enough.

Maybe some of these millennial need to suck it up
---

Ironically depression removes the will to seek help and on days where the will is there, anxiety takes the miniscule amount of courage required.
For me getting another chronic shit disease that requires much attention helped me eventually mention it to a nurse.
Hasn't helped at all though.

I'm assuming for most mental illnesses that if a person identifies with a certain number of collective symptoms then a medical expert can make the call.

Some, including types of depression, are scientifically measurable by way of chemical balance levels in the brain.

I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist back when it was more severe. I remember doing both a mental and physical evaluation
---

ArchiePeck posted...

I'm assuming for most mental illnesses that if a person identifies with a certain number of collective symptoms then a medical expert can make the call.

Some, including types of depression, are scientifically measurable by way of chemical balance levels in the brain.

The DSM has certain criteria that allows disorders to be diagnosed. For example symptoms of major depressive disorder would be things like; low mood, inability to to feel pleasure, hopelessness, guilt, irratibility, difficulty concentrating, suicidal thoughts, hyper/hyposomnia etc.

For depression, yes, depletion of serotonin levels is observable though it's unknown why (in the sense of which came first, the chicken or the egg kind of situation)

Usually by licensed professionals
---