Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders. How to become a depression psychiatrist involves developing a set of specific attributes. The key to becoming a depression psychiatrist involves correctly diagnosing it, identifying and understanding the factors that led to the depressive episode and treating depressive symptoms and the underlying personality structure.

A person suffering from depression has a combination of following signs and symptoms.

1. Having a low, sad and negative feeling most of the time.

2. Feeling tired, exhausted and fatigued even when doing little work or resting.

3. Loss of interest and enjoyment in everything.

4. Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness.

5. Withdrawing and distancing from friends, colleagues and family.

6. Disturbance in sleep, sleeping too little or too much.

7. Disturbance in appetite, eating too little or too much.

8. Suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

9. Decreased attention, concentration and memory.

10. The above symptoms can vary in intensity and duration from one person to another.

A depressive episode can be categorized as recurrent, mild, moderate or severe depending upon the intensity, frequency and duration of symptoms. It is important to talk in detail with the client and family members to assess the severity of depression or suicidal risk. In some cases where such information is not easily available, self-report and projective psychological tests may be used to assess the person’s condition.

How to become a depression psychiatrist includes the skill to be familiar with various psychological and medical causes that may predispose towards, precipitate and perpetuate depression.

Depression is caused by following factors:

1. Being misunderstood and not supported sufficiently by close ones.

2. Having a low self-esteem.

3. Suppressed anger which makes the person feel guilty.

4. Faulty thinking patterns where person thinks negatively about themselves, others and the future.

5. Hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances.

6. Certain medical conditions such as head injury, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, hepatitis and Parkinson’s disease may cause symptoms resembling depression.

7. Stressful life events including physical illness, death of a close one, separation or discord in a relationship, loss of job or inability to realize a goal.

8. Addiction to psychoactive substances such as alcohol and amphetamines.

How to become a depression psychiatrist also requires gaining adeptness in various methods of treatment. There is no standard single treatment for depression. Each client needs to be evaluated carefully and based on that a treatment plan should be devised. The major goal of treatment is to reduce symptoms, uplift mood, enhance quality of life and prevent the possibility of relapse.

The treatment of depression involves the following:

1. Counseling the family and friends regarding the person’s condition.

2. Understanding, encouraging and supporting the client’s perspective.

3. Rationally reconstructing and challenging faulty thinking patterns.

4. Working through the suppressed and pent up rage.

5. Coming to terms with emotional loss.

6. Identifying and enhancing the positive attributes of the self.

7. Developing close and holding relationships.

8. Certain medications especially antidepressants can be given in the acute phase.