Anyone who suffers from anxiety or depression knows how difficult it can be to search for the root of these emotions. More often than not, people who have never experienced symptoms such as panic or low mood will end up in the office of their primary care physician (PCP) looking for help, only to be immediately referred to a mental health professional because the doctor suspects anxiety or depression. While in many cases this is the correct route to take, it is important for a physician to rule out any serious medical ailments that might be masquerading as a mental health issue.

There are many medical conditions that can produce mood disorders or anxiety/panic symptoms. Thyroid issues, for example, can actually cause panic attacks in some individuals - while the more serious thyroid imbalance goes for months or years undiagnosed. Symptoms of depression often accompany chronic pain or illness such as cancer or fibromyalgia. Though a patient might be in physical discomfort, they may assume it's related to their mood or hormones, failing to consider the connections between these components.

It is safe to assume that when a real medical problem exists, psychotherapy will not totally alleviate the symptoms until the root cause is treated. Sadly, those who haven't had a thorough medical exam to rule out physical conditions often go through years of psychiatric treatment and/or medication before discovering that the original issue was entirely medical, not to mention most likely treatable from the beginning.

In order to avoid this type of situation, communication between doctor and patient/patient's family must be strong and well-established. One should always consult with their primary care physician or a psychiatrist who is capable of performing medical exams before diving deeper into mental health treatments. Asking the doctor to perform a thorough medical exam to rule out any possible physical causes is the best way to ensure that one isn't dealing with a potentially dangerous condition. As anxiety can often conjure up feelings of worry, ruling out physical causation can actually be quite a relief for the patient.

One can usually obtain a thorough medical examination from a psychiatrist, as they are fully qualified medical doctors, and have been trained to rule out physical causation. A high quality psychiatrist will run tests on a patient prior to delving into psychiatric treatment, as it is important both for the patient and the doctor to know exactly what they are dealing with. This also gives them a starting place for therapy and some background to help them gain knowledge prior to prescribing medications. The more initial testing and research goes into the situation, the easier it is to treat the problem at hand.