If the common symptoms are noticed that appear to be clinical depression, it is very important to seek the advice of a medical professional as soon as possible. This is a type of condition that is known as being progressive, and it has a big possibility of becoming extremely severe when it is left untreated. Generally a family physician will advise that the individual with this condition make an appointment with a professional psychiatrist. From this point there are a series of interviews and written tests that may be performed so that the psychiatrist has the ability to make an adequate determination if the individual does in fact have clinical depression, or if it is a regular case of feeling down. In cases that clinical depression is determined to be severe and at manic stages, the individual may need hospitalization.