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If you had a broken leg, would you not go to the doctor?

Mental health is just as important as physical health, says Karen Liberman, executive director of the Mood Disorder Association of Ontario. That's why if you suspect you suffer from depression, it's important to seek help.

Even if you're not clinically depressed your doctor will take you through a series of questions to determine a proper diagnosis.

The Process:

*First, they will ask how long you've been experiencing the feelings or symptoms. If the symptoms have not persisted beyond two weeks, over a long period of time, then you haven't passed that threshold where you could get a diagnosis of depression.

*Questions to expect: 'Are you eating or sleeping too much or too little?'; 'Have you lost interest in normal activities?'; 'Are you feeling suicidal, hopeless or helpless?'.

Doctors will also take into consideration the severity of the symptoms, the length of time and the degree to which the symptoms have been a part of your day-to-day life.

*Know if you experience these symptoms, you could be clinically depressed, it's not just 'in your head'. If you are clinically depressed, there is an actual change in your brain chemistry, or the neurotransmitter function in the brain.

*Visit www.checkupfromtheneckup.ca - a private and confidential website asks a series of questions to help you determine if you need to see a doctor about depression. Keep in mind, this is not a diagnosis, just a guide.

SOURCE: Karen Liberman