I’m a 25yo male, i’ve been diagnosed with depression with suicidal thoughts more than one year ago and i’m still struggling with it, i’ve started receiving medical treatment since may 2016 now, during this period i’ve been prescribed with Dosulepin, Escitalopram, Fluvoxamine, and Sertraline respectively for one month for each but none of them affected me in a good way. And finalyi’ve been on Fluoxetine for 7 months now and still no any improvement at all. I’ve recently came across an article stating that depression can be caused by some hormonal deficiency so i’ve made a list of most related hormones to the problem and got blood tested for them and the results were as following:
TSH:2.23 uIU/ml. (Biological Reference: 0.3 – 4.8)
Testosterone Free: 17.0 pg/ml. (Biological Reference: 8.3 – 40.1)
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH): 2.6 mIU/ml. (Biological Reference: 1.5 – 12.4)
Luteinizing Hormone (LH): 7.1 mIU/ml. (Biological Reference: Adult: 1.7-8.6)
Prolactin: 14.0 ng/ml. (Biological Reference: 4 – 15.2)
Estradiol (E2): 5 pg/ml. (Biological Reference: 7.6 – 43)
Progesterone: 0.4 ng/ml. (Biological ReferenceAdult: 0.2 1.4)
Testosterone-Total: 4.62 ng/ml. (Biological Reference: Adult : 2.4 – 8.3)
Cortisol-am: 19.25 ug/dL. (Biological Reference: 6 – 19.4)
Cortisol-pm: 21.21 ug/dL. (Biological Reference: 2.3 – 11.9)
Parathyroid Hormone (PTH): 55.2pg/ml. (Biological Reference: 15 – 65)
I’ve stopped seeing any doctors and i’m about to give up trying tbh and i don’t have the power to go find a new good doctor and start the whole journey again with him/her..
Do you think that my tests results indicate a physical problem that can be the cause of the whole depression problem? and what would you recommend me to do next?
A. I would highly recommend counseling. You are assuming that depression is a biological or hormonal problem, but there are other theories. Not living a meaningful life, making the wrong choices, substance abuse, trauma, poor parenting, are potential causes or contributors. The fact that multiple theories exist suggests that the exact cause of depression remains elusive.
Research shows that depression is highly responsive to talk therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been particularly effective in treating depression. It targets thinking errors which are often associated with depression.
It would be premature for you to stop seeking help when you have yet to try the first-line treatment for depression. Your next step should be to find a psychotherapist who treats depression. In the United States, many individuals begin their search for a good therapist by reading reviews on the Internet, contacting their insurance company or by asking their primary care physician for a referral. You should choose a therapist who has a proven track record in helping patients overcome depression. I recommend calling and interviewing at least five therapists. Ask them questions about how they’ve helped other people and how they would specifically help you. The therapist with whom you feel the most comfortable and with whom you have the strongest connection will likely be your best choice.
I would also encourage you to read about depression. Some of my favorite books about the topic are written by Abraham Maslow, Viktor Frankl and David Burns.
Medication might help you to overcome depression, but it rarely works on its own. You should add counseling to your treatment regime. Perhaps the two would help to relieve your suffering. Thanks for your question. Good luck.
Dr. Kristina Randle
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