How do I find a doctor to prescribe antidepressants?

I am depressed and I wish to seek help for it. However, I have no idea where to start. How do I find such a doctor? What kind of doctor would I go to? Can a psychiatrist prescribe these kinds of things? Can a psychologist? Can a therapist? Is there somewhere online I can find a list of these kinds of doctors in my area?|||Most primary physicians (and that can be a person with an MD or DO) are familiar with the basic symptoms of depression and the options for prescriptions. In fact, antidepressants are one of the most frequently prescribed classes of drugs. Certainly a psychiatrist is going to be able to prescribe and he or she has the added advantage of expertise with diagnosis and treatment. Some psychiatrists do psychotherapy while others would refer to a psychologist or other therapist. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners can prescribe antidepressants in many states. Psychologists can prescribe medication in very few states (New Mexico, Louisiana). Antidepressants are very likely to help your depression, but you really should consider the addition of psychological therapy because it increases the probability of success but most importantly decreases the probability of relapse after improvement. You can find a list of mental health practitioners usually by calling your insurance to see who is on their "panel" or network. Your primary doctor might also have someone he or she trusts. Usually the state association has a list of practitioners. It helps to get the recommendation for a doctor from someone you trust. In my opinion, you should only receive therapy from a licensed and credentialed therapist because they have passed exams and met criteria for practice and additionally they have insurance in the unlikely case that they cause harm or do something that causes harm. There are multiple proven therapies for depression ranging from cognitive therapy to interpersonal therapy and the pharmacological options range from older tricyclic antidepressants like Elavil to newer SNRI medications like Cymbalta. In my opinion, most have about equal effectiveness but they differ in terms of duration to onset of action (2 to 8 weeks) and side effects. Usually side effects are mild, but these can range from dry mouth and constipation all the way up to agitation and racing thoughts or actual allergic reactions. If you get side effects, then your doctor will change the medication.|||You can ask your regular adult doctor OR I suggest visiting a psychiatrist (they are MDs who can prescribe antidepressants and you talk to them about your feelings. Dont go to a psychologist because they cant prescribe meds)

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