I'm a psychotherapist, and NO, I'm not trying to chase off business! I am, however, interested in you getting better.

I speculate that growing trend in "atypical depression," or untreatable depression, lies partly in untreated health problems. And, in particular, malnutrition. Did you know that one study showed that 80% of Americans suffer from malnutrition? Hard to believe? The new field of Metabolic Typing has shed tremendous light on this subject, and you may have heard it referred to as "Syndrome X."

There are times when it's not this simple. You may be convinced you have a medical problem, but all tests come back negative. In that case, your best bet is to treat depression and become your own information sleuth and/or seek a second opinion. Modern medicine continues to make tremendous leaps forward, but it is not perfect.

Also be aware that you may simply have depression and are struggling with acceptance. Many people wrestle with fact that there is no concrete test, like a blood test, that you can get to verify if depression is, with certainty, culprit. That's very understandable, but don't allow it to get in way of receiving proper help. You and those you love do not need to suffer needlessly.

Another complex situation involves when you may need to be treated for both a medical condition and a depression condition. Even then, a doctor should first treat your medical condition and monitor depression to see if it subsides with treatment you're receiving. The doctor can always recommend an antidepressant and psychotherapy as needed. The only exception to this rule is if you have severe depression and are in danger of suicide. Then you may require immediate hospitalization for purpose of emotion stabilization.

All my best in your recovery efforts!