How to Get the Right Diagnosis – When it’s More Than Depression

March 28, 2024

I don’t know about you but I’ve noticed that the word “depression” is thrown around pretty loosely these days. Every time someone goes through a rough patch or a bout of sadness, they often say they’re depressed. While this can certainly be the case, my experience has taught me that there may be a part of your life that’s contributing. Deciding whether or not that’s the case plays an important role in figuring out how to get the right diagnosis.

If you’ve struggled with mental health and finding solutions that work, taking a deeper look could be exactly what you need to feel better. Let’s elaborate below.

Depression is Different from Sadness

Depression no doubt includes sadness. But it goes deeper than that. Being clinically depressed affects how you sleep, your appetite, how you think, interact with others and so much more. Depression is a very serious medical condition that I strongly suggest everyone get help for.

However, there are also a ton of life circumstances that can contribute to sadness and ongoing sadness. Therefore it may not be a chemical imbalance or clinical depression in your case. Take a minute and think about the areas in your life…

Your relationships
Your job
Your financials
Your home
Your hobbies or lack thereof
Your body and physical health
A tragic life event

If you honestly evaluate these areas of your life and find that you’re unhappy with them – it may be a matter of self-discipline and making changes. I know – it’s not easy. But rather than ignoring these circumstances or hopping on medication in hopes that it makes it all better, it’s better to be honest with your current situation so you can actually get the right diagnosis, if there is one at all.

depression may not be the right diagnosis

One of my very favorite views on depression comes from this 42 second video from Jim Carrey which includes the quote below.

“The difference between depression and sadness is that sadness is just from happenstance. Whatever happened or didn’t happen for you, or grief or whatever it is. Depression is your body saying ‘fuck you, I don’t want to be this character anymore. I don’t want to hold up this avatar that you created. And the world is too much for me,”

Depression is Different From Other Diagnosis

If you think that your symptoms are more than sadness, the next step may be to look into other mental health conditions. I recommend consulting with a mental health professional, and by mental health professional I don’t mean your primary care physician or someone like me on the internet.

A psychiatrist studies the many mental health disorders for a reason. And though I don’t believe that they are the sole solution to your problems, I do think they can educate you on getting the right diagnosis and help narrow things down quicker.

I personally am very grateful to the professionals who have helped me along the way. But I’ve also realized that they are not all created equal. Some have even made me lose a little bit of faith in the medical profession, but you can’t do it alone. My suggestion when looking for someone in the mental health field is, when it doubt, don’t. Move on when it doesn’t feel right. There’s no time or energy to waste. Avoid anyone that doesn’t seem to have your best interest at heart.

Any good medical professional should have an open mind about health and an ever-changing field. We know more about all medical conditions as of 2024 and we continue to learn over time. If you find any professional that has the attitude of, “I went to school and now I know everything”, then that’s a major red flag to look elsewhere.

Getting The Right Diagnosis – Conditions that Mimic that of Depression

Some of the conditions that can have symptoms of depression are listed below. The following may show signs of depression causing a misdiagnosis…

Pretty wild, huh? Trust me, this list is far from complete. Try not to go down a Google rabbit hole like me, this can become a waste of energy. But if you suffer from depression symptoms and have been unsuccessful in treating them, this may be a clue that there’s something more going on.

Putting Yourself First

When figuring out how to get the right diagnosis, I think the most important part is remembering to put yourself first. If you battle with symptoms or a medical diagnosis of depression, don’t be afraid to learn. I’ve spent entirely too many years being misdiagnosed with depression, I’d hate for you to waste another minute living a mediocre life, simply because you didn’t find the root of the problem.

What do you think? Is there more going on inside that beautiful brain of yours?

Remember friends, just as the great Ice Cube once said… Chickity Check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.

By the Time I'm 30