Diagnosing Depression in Primary Care Good Or Bad?

Given I am one of those whose depression was missed in primary care until I was in my early 30’s. I feel pretty angry about the whole thing. I realize now I have had many MDE’s throughout my early and mid-adulthood, and maybe in my late teens.

I went to my GP numerous times with specific complaints…fatigue, disinterest in life, difficulty focusing, reading etc., not sleeping, constant worrying…three physicians missed my depression, probably because my exterior self does not always match my interior self…around others, especially authority figures I per up, am talkative and attentive. It was not until I was about 32 my new Dr finally saw how much I was struggling.

Also, doesn’t Chronic MDD sometimes begin with mild, short depressions, and with no treatment sometimes these mild short depressions turn into chronic MDD?
…aqua

The discussion about treatment and recognition of depressive disorders in primary care is always about “missing the target” Too low, too little, too late but with equal frequency the opposite: too much, too soon (SSRI’s for example). The target appears to be unclear and moving. I agree with Dr. Shock that a pragmatic stepped care approach with easy access to low level (self)care programs available at (pre) primary care level might be an option. If such programs had been available to ‘aqua’ (see comment above) at an early stage, you might have been able to take matters more in your own hands in stead of having to wait until a GP finally recognized your complaints as caused by a depression.

@Bart. I think the dimensional approach in which severity of complaints or illness are leading with anxiety and or depressed mood need to be studied in primary care. Another argument in favor of a strong primary care. Your suggestion of stepped care approach certainly benefits this initiative, thanks for the input, kind regards dr shock

Just have a look at the category ECT or type in ECT in the search box. There is some hands on experiences and video on my blog.
Hope this helps, take care Dr Shock

Given I am one of those whose depression was missed in primary care until I was in my early 30’s. I feel pretty angry about the whole thing. I realize now I have had many MDE’s throughout my early and mid-adulthood, and maybe in my late teens.

I went to my GP numerous times with specific complaints…fatigue, disinterest in life, difficulty focusing, reading etc., not sleeping, constant worrying…three physicians missed my depression, probably because my exterior self does not always match my interior self…around others, especially authority figures I per up, am talkative and attentive. It was not until I was about 32 my new Dr finally saw how much I was struggling.

Also, doesn’t Chronic MDD sometimes begin with mild, short depressions, and with no treatment sometimes these mild short depressions turn into chronic MDD?
…aqua

The discussion about treatment and recognition of depressive disorders in primary care is always about “missing the target” Too low, too little, too late but with equal frequency the opposite: too much, too soon (SSRI’s for example). The target appears to be unclear and moving. I agree with Dr. Shock that a pragmatic stepped care approach with easy access to low level (self)care programs available at (pre) primary care level might be an option. If such programs had been available to ‘aqua’ (see comment above) at an early stage, you might have been able to take matters more in your own hands in stead of having to wait until a GP finally recognized your complaints as caused by a depression.

@Bart. I think the dimensional approach in which severity of complaints or illness are leading with anxiety and or depressed mood need to be studied in primary care. Another argument in favor of a strong primary care. Your suggestion of stepped care approach certainly benefits this initiative, thanks for the input, kind regards dr shock

Just have a look at the category ECT or type in ECT in the search box. There is some hands on experiences and video on my blog.
Hope this helps, take care Dr Shock

Given I am one of those whose depression was missed in primary care until I was in my early 30’s. I feel pretty angry about the whole thing. I realize now I have had many MDE’s throughout my early and mid-adulthood, and maybe in my late teens.

I went to my GP numerous times with specific complaints…fatigue, disinterest in life, difficulty focusing, reading etc., not sleeping, constant worrying…three physicians missed my depression, probably because my exterior self does not always match my interior self…around others, especially authority figures I per up, am talkative and attentive. It was not until I was about 32 my new Dr finally saw how much I was struggling.

Also, doesn’t Chronic MDD sometimes begin with mild, short depressions, and with no treatment sometimes these mild short depressions turn into chronic MDD?
…aqua

The discussion about treatment and recognition of depressive disorders in primary care is always about “missing the target” Too low, too little, too late but with equal frequency the opposite: too much, too soon (SSRI’s for example). The target appears to be unclear and moving. I agree with Dr. Shock that a pragmatic stepped care approach with easy access to low level (self)care programs available at (pre) primary care level might be an option. If such programs had been available to ‘aqua’ (see comment above) at an early stage, you might have been able to take matters more in your own hands in stead of having to wait until a GP finally recognized your complaints as caused by a depression.

@Bart. I think the dimensional approach in which severity of complaints or illness are leading with anxiety and or depressed mood need to be studied in primary care. Another argument in favor of a strong primary care. Your suggestion of stepped care approach certainly benefits this initiative, thanks for the input, kind regards dr shock

Just have a look at the category ECT or type in ECT in the search box. There is some hands on experiences and video on my blog.
Hope this helps, take care Dr Shock

Given I am one of those whose depression was missed in primary care until I was in my early 30’s. I feel pretty angry about the whole thing. I realize now I have had many MDE’s throughout my early and mid-adulthood, and maybe in my late teens.

I went to my GP numerous times with specific complaints…fatigue, disinterest in life, difficulty focusing, reading etc., not sleeping, constant worrying…three physicians missed my depression, probably because my exterior self does not always match my interior self…around others, especially authority figures I per up, am talkative and attentive. It was not until I was about 32 my new Dr finally saw how much I was struggling.

Also, doesn’t Chronic MDD sometimes begin with mild, short depressions, and with no treatment sometimes these mild short depressions turn into chronic MDD?
…aqua

The discussion about treatment and recognition of depressive disorders in primary care is always about “missing the target” Too low, too little, too late but with equal frequency the opposite: too much, too soon (SSRI’s for example). The target appears to be unclear and moving. I agree with Dr. Shock that a pragmatic stepped care approach with easy access to low level (self)care programs available at (pre) primary care level might be an option. If such programs had been available to ‘aqua’ (see comment above) at an early stage, you might have been able to take matters more in your own hands in stead of having to wait until a GP finally recognized your complaints as caused by a depression.

@Bart. I think the dimensional approach in which severity of complaints or illness are leading with anxiety and or depressed mood need to be studied in primary care. Another argument in favor of a strong primary care. Your suggestion of stepped care approach certainly benefits this initiative, thanks for the input, kind regards dr shock

Just have a look at the category ECT or type in ECT in the search box. There is some hands on experiences and video on my blog.
Hope this helps, take care Dr Shock

Given I am one of those whose depression was missed in primary care until I was in my early 30’s. I feel pretty angry about the whole thing. I realize now I have had many MDE’s throughout my early and mid-adulthood, and maybe in my late teens.

I went to my GP numerous times with specific complaints…fatigue, disinterest in life, difficulty focusing, reading etc., not sleeping, constant worrying…three physicians missed my depression, probably because my exterior self does not always match my interior self…around others, especially authority figures I per up, am talkative and attentive. It was not until I was about 32 my new Dr finally saw how much I was struggling.

Also, doesn’t Chronic MDD sometimes begin with mild, short depressions, and with no treatment sometimes these mild short depressions turn into chronic MDD?
…aqua

The discussion about treatment and recognition of depressive disorders in primary care is always about “missing the target” Too low, too little, too late but with equal frequency the opposite: too much, too soon (SSRI’s for example). The target appears to be unclear and moving. I agree with Dr. Shock that a pragmatic stepped care approach with easy access to low level (self)care programs available at (pre) primary care level might be an option. If such programs had been available to ‘aqua’ (see comment above) at an early stage, you might have been able to take matters more in your own hands in stead of having to wait until a GP finally recognized your complaints as caused by a depression.

@Bart. I think the dimensional approach in which severity of complaints or illness are leading with anxiety and or depressed mood need to be studied in primary care. Another argument in favor of a strong primary care. Your suggestion of stepped care approach certainly benefits this initiative, thanks for the input, kind regards dr shock

Just have a look at the category ECT or type in ECT in the search box. There is some hands on experiences and video on my blog.
Hope this helps, take care Dr Shock

Given I am one of those whose depression was missed in primary care until I was in my early 30’s. I feel pretty angry about the whole thing. I realize now I have had many MDE’s throughout my early and mid-adulthood, and maybe in my late teens.

I went to my GP numerous times with specific complaints…fatigue, disinterest in life, difficulty focusing, reading etc., not sleeping, constant worrying…three physicians missed my depression, probably because my exterior self does not always match my interior self…around others, especially authority figures I per up, am talkative and attentive. It was not until I was about 32 my new Dr finally saw how much I was struggling.

Also, doesn’t Chronic MDD sometimes begin with mild, short depressions, and with no treatment sometimes these mild short depressions turn into chronic MDD?
…aqua

The discussion about treatment and recognition of depressive disorders in primary care is always about “missing the target” Too low, too little, too late but with equal frequency the opposite: too much, too soon (SSRI’s for example). The target appears to be unclear and moving. I agree with Dr. Shock that a pragmatic stepped care approach with easy access to low level (self)care programs available at (pre) primary care level might be an option. If such programs had been available to ‘aqua’ (see comment above) at an early stage, you might have been able to take matters more in your own hands in stead of having to wait until a GP finally recognized your complaints as caused by a depression.

@Bart. I think the dimensional approach in which severity of complaints or illness are leading with anxiety and or depressed mood need to be studied in primary care. Another argument in favor of a strong primary care. Your suggestion of stepped care approach certainly benefits this initiative, thanks for the input, kind regards dr shock

Just have a look at the category ECT or type in ECT in the search box. There is some hands on experiences and video on my blog.
Hope this helps, take care Dr Shock

Given I am one of those whose depression was missed in primary care until I was in my early 30’s. I feel pretty angry about the whole thing. I realize now I have had many MDE’s throughout my early and mid-adulthood, and maybe in my late teens.

I went to my GP numerous times with specific complaints…fatigue, disinterest in life, difficulty focusing, reading etc., not sleeping, constant worrying…three physicians missed my depression, probably because my exterior self does not always match my interior self…around others, especially authority figures I per up, am talkative and attentive. It was not until I was about 32 my new Dr finally saw how much I was struggling.

Also, doesn’t Chronic MDD sometimes begin with mild, short depressions, and with no treatment sometimes these mild short depressions turn into chronic MDD?
…aqua

The discussion about treatment and recognition of depressive disorders in primary care is always about “missing the target” Too low, too little, too late but with equal frequency the opposite: too much, too soon (SSRI’s for example). The target appears to be unclear and moving. I agree with Dr. Shock that a pragmatic stepped care approach with easy access to low level (self)care programs available at (pre) primary care level might be an option. If such programs had been available to ‘aqua’ (see comment above) at an early stage, you might have been able to take matters more in your own hands in stead of having to wait until a GP finally recognized your complaints as caused by a depression.

@Bart. I think the dimensional approach in which severity of complaints or illness are leading with anxiety and or depressed mood need to be studied in primary care. Another argument in favor of a strong primary care. Your suggestion of stepped care approach certainly benefits this initiative, thanks for the input, kind regards dr shock

Just have a look at the category ECT or type in ECT in the search box. There is some hands on experiences and video on my blog.
Hope this helps, take care Dr Shock