Depression Fact Sheet

Depression Fact Sheet Please feel free to alter and use this fact sheet to spread awareness of depression, its causes and symptoms, and what can be done. What is Depression? Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely pull themselves together and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression. Who is at risk for depression? People who have a family member with depression People who have experienced a stressful or traumatic life event People who lack the social support of a spouse, friends and extended family People who abuse drugs or alcohol People who have chronic medical illnesses or persistent pain Symptoms of Depression Not everyone who is depressed experiences every symptom of depression. Some people experience a few symptoms, some many. Severity of symptoms varies with individuals and also varies over time. Persistent sad, anxious or empty mood Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex Decreased energy, fatigue, being slowed down Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions Insomnia, early morning awakening, or oversleeping Lack of appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts Restlessness, irritability Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain Symptoms of Depression in Children Persistent sadness Withdrawal from family, friends, and activities that were once enjoyed Increased irritability or agitation Changes in eating and sleeping habits (e.g. significant weight loss or gain, insomnia, excessive sleep) Frequent physical complaints, such as headaches and stomachaches Lack of enthusiasm or motivation Decreased energy level and chronic fatigue Play that involves excessive aggression toward self or others, or that involves persistently sad themes Indecision, lack of concentration or forgetfulness Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt Recurring thoughts of death or suicide (Continued on page 11) Page 7

Oklahoma Mental Health Counselors Association www.okmhca.org Division of the Oklahoma Counselor s Association (OCA) Depression Fact Sheet, Cont d. If You Think You Have Depression Remember, your depression is not your fault and it can be effectively treated Seek treatment. Don t let misconceptions about emotional illness or the discouragement of your depression stop you. Either on your own, or by asking a friend or family member, contact your family doctor, community mental health center, or local medical or psychiatric hospital for help. In the weeks until treatment becomes effective, you can take some simple steps to help you deal with life on a day to day basis: break large tasks into small steps; set easily managed priorities; participate in light exercise and relatively undemanding social activities, such as attending a movie or visiting a friend. Simply being with others can be helpful. What you can do if you are depressed Call the National Foundation for Depressive Illness, Inc., 1 800 248 4344, for up to date information on Depression and Manic Depression, for nationwide referral lists of university medical centers and physicians who specialize in the treatment of Depressive Illness, and for patient support groups. Screening Instructions: Mental Health Awareness Month Discuss this information and your symptoms with your physician. Contact the Department of Psychiatry at your nearest university medical school to determine if they have or can recommend a mood/ affective disorder clinic. If not, ask for their referrals to physicians in the community who specialize in the treatment of Depressive Illness. If you, or someone you know, has been diagnosed with Depressive Illness and treatment has not been effective within three months, get a second consultation, preferably from a physician who specializes in the treatment of this illness. The need for Mental Health Service is rapidly increasing in this country. In particular, there are acute pressures over the tremendous Stress and Depression that have resulted from the economic crisis in this country. Also there continues to be a major concern over the Veterans unmet Mental Health needs, as well as over the Depression that can co occur with Diabetes. The following is a suggested procedure for screening a group of community members for Depression or any other emotional need. Screening should occur before official mental health testing. Participation is always, of course, optional. (1) The counselors introduce themselves to the people to be screened and explain briefly about the purpose of the screening; (2) The counselors or their assistants will hand a screening test to the individuals; (3) The screening test is collected and the counselor should look for problems and make referrals; (4) Finally, the counselor will then review in private the concerns with each individual who took the test and explain one of the following: a. There is some indication from this Screening Test that the person needs to be more thoroughly evaluated for emotional problems; they should then be referred to a mental health counselor or another resource b. If you see severe problems, hospitalization may be necessary. If it is found that someone is in need of help, please refer them to the appropriate resources. On page 12 you will find a Mental Health Resource List. Please feel free to add to it and use these resources in your own community. Page 8

Mental Health Awareness Month: May 2009 This is a screen that looks at specific problem areas that may occur in your life. If you are planning on seeing a counselor or therapist, please consider filling out this screen and taking it with you to your first appointment. Page 9 During the past year: Never Sometimes 1. Have you experienced serious depression (felt sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest, change of appetite or sleep pattern, difficulty going about your daily activities)? 2. Have you spent a lot of time thinking about drinking alcohol and/or using other drugs? 3. Have you experienced a traumatic event and since had repeated nightmares/ dreams or anxiety which either interfered or continues to interfere with you leading a normal life? 4. Have you experienced thoughts of harming yourself? 5. Have you ever been hit, slapped, kicked, emotionally or sexually hurt, or threatened by someone? 6. Have you drunk alcohol and/or used other drugs more than you intended? 7. Do you experience periods of time when you thinking speeds up and you have trouble keeping up with your thoughts? 8. Have you experienced problems caused by drinking alcohol and/or using other drugs, and you kept using? 9. Have you needed to drink more alcohol and/or use more drugs to get the same effect you used to get with less? 10. Have you attempted suicide? 11. Have you had periods of time where you felt that you could not trust family or friends? 12. Have you been prescribed medication for any psychological or emotional problem? 13. Have you drunk alcohol and/or used other drugs to change the way you feel? 14. Have you experienced hallucinations (heard or seen things others do not hear or see)? 15. Have you tried to stop drinking alcohol and/or using other drugs, but couldn t? 16. Have you been irritable for several days and shouted at people outside your family or had verbal or physical fights? 17. Have you had spells where you have skipping, racing, or pounding of your heart, shortness of breath, and fear that you were dying? 18. Have you ever had a period of time when you felt full of energy or up and engaged in activities that you ignored the risks (i.e. spending sprees, reckless driving, sexual indiscretions)? Do not consider times when you were using alcohol/drugs. 19. Have you, on more than one occasion, had spells or attacks when you suddenly felt anxious, frightened, uncomfortable or uneasy? Often Nearly Always

Looking for Warning Signs: A Quick Depression Screening You can also use this 16 question screen on this page and continued on page 8. Please feel free to change it to meet your consumers needs. A majority of 2 s and 3 s indicates a need for services, and may even indicate a need for hospitalization. A majority of 1 s might indicate the need for watchfulness on the client s part, depending upon a variety of factors present or not present in their lives. During the past seven days. 1. Falling Asleep: 0 I never take longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep. 1 I take at least 30 minutes to fall asleep, less than half the time. 2 I take at least 30 minutes to fall asleep, more than half the time. 3 I take more than 60 minutes to fall asleep, more than half the time. 2. Sleep During the Night: 0 I do not wake up at night. 1 I have a restless, light sleep with a few brief awakenings each night. 2 I wake up at least once a night, but I go back to sleep easily. 3 I awaken more than once a night and stay awake for 20 minutes or more, more than half the time. 3. Waking Up Too Early: 0 Most of the time, I awaken no more than 30 minutes before I need to get up. 1 More than half the time, I awaken more than 30 minutes before I need to get up. 2 I almost always awaken at least one hour or so before I need to, but I go back to sleep eventually. 3 I awaken at least one hour before I need to, and can t go back to sleep. 4. Sleeping Too Much: 0 I sleep no longer than 7 8 hours/night, without napping during the day. 1 I sleep no longer than 10 hours in a 24 hour period including naps. 2 I sleep no longer than 12 hours in a 24 hour period including naps. 3 I sleep longer than 12 hours in a 24 hour period including naps. 5. Feeling Sad: 0 I do not feel sad. 1 I feel sad less than half the time. 2 I feel sad more than half the time. 3 I feel sad nearly all of the time. Please complete either 6 or 7 (not both) 6. Decreased appetite: 0 There is no change in my usual appetite. 1 I eat somewhat less often or lesser amounts of food than usual. 2 I eat much less than usual and only with personal effort. 3 I rarely eat within a 24 hour period, and only with extreme personal effort or when others persuade me to eat. OR 7. Increased Appetite: 0 There is no change from my usual appetite. 1 I feel a need to eat more frequently than usual. 2 I regularly eat more often and/or greater amounts of food than usual. 3 I feel driven to overeat both at mealtime and between meals.

Please complete either 8 or 9 (not both) 8. Decreased Weight (Within the Last Two Weeks): OR 9. Increased Weight (Within the Last Two Weeks): 0 I have not had a change in my weight. 0 I have not had a change in my weight. 1 I feel as if I have had a slight weight loss. 1 I feel as if I have had a slight weight gain. 2 I have lost 2 pounds or more. 2 I have gained 2 pounds or more. 3 I have lost 5 pounds or more 3 I have gained 5 pounds or more. 10. Concentration/Decision Making: 0 There is no change in my usual capacity to concentrate or make decisions. 1 I occasionally feel indecisive or find that my attention wanders. 2 Most of the time, I struggle to focus my attention or to make decisions. 3 I cannot concentrate well enough to read or cannot make even minor decisions. 11. View of Myself: 0 I see myself as equally worthwhile and deserving as other people. 1 I am more self blaming than usual. 2 I largely believe that I cause problems for others. 3 I think almost constantly about major and minor defects in myself. 12. Thoughts of Death or Suicide: 0 I do not think of suicide or death. 1 I feel that life is empty or wonder if it s worth living. 2 I think of suicide or death several times a week for several minutes. 3 I think of suicide or death several times a day in some detail, or I have made specific plans for suicide or have actually tried to take my life. 13. General Interest: 0 There is no change from usual in how interested I am in other people or activities. 1 I notice that I am less interested in people or activities. 2 I find I have interest in only one or two of my formerly pursued activities. 3 I have virtually no interest in formerly pursued activities. 14. Energy Level 0 There is no change in my usual level of energy. 1 I get tired more easily than usual. 2 I have to make a big effort to start or finish my usual daily activities (for example, shopping, homework, cooking, or going to work). 3 I really cannot carry out most of my usual daily activities because I just don t have the energy. 15. Feeling Slowed Down: 0 I think, speak, and move at my usual rate of speed.. 1 I find that my thinking is slowed down or my voice sounds dull or flat. 2 It takes me several seconds to respond to most questions and I m sure my thinking is slowed. 3 I am often unable to respond to questions without extreme effort. 16. Feeling Restless: 0 I do not feel restless. 1 I m often fidgety, wringing my hands, or need to shift how I am sitting. 2 I have impulses to move about and am quite restless. 3 At times, I am unable to stay seated and need to pace around.