parkplace's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sadness Never Returnes To Gladness Health Class- 3/17/03 This quick, simple self test will help distinguish between clinical depression and normal feelings of being "down in the dumps..." It's common to get "the blues" from time to time. Many people expieriance difficulties over job lay-offs, divorce, death of a loved one, or other major losses. Sadness is a normal part of life. But when sadness never returnes to gladness, it becomes what mental health authorities call the nation's leading psychological problem, clinical depression, also known as major depression. If you "check-off" more than two of the following questions, you may well be depressed. Consult your physical or mental health professional. 1) Much of the time, do you feel X Sad? _ Lethargic X Pessimistic? X Hopeless? X Worthless? X Helpless? 2) Much of the time, do you X Have difficulty making decisions? X Have trouble concentrating? X Have memory problems? 3) Lately, have you X Lost interest in things that used to give you pleasure? X Had problems at work or in school? X Had problems with family and/or friends? X Isolated yourself from others? Or wanted to? 4) Lately, have you X Felt low energy? X Felt restless and irritable? X Had trouble falling asleep, staying alseep, or getting up in the morning? X Lost your appetite? _ Been bothered by persistant headaches, stomach aches, back aches? Muscle or joint pains? 5) Lately, have you _ Been drinking alcohol more than you used to? _ Been taking more mood-altering drugs than you used to? _ Engaged in risky behavior- not wearing a seat belt? Crossing streets without looking? 6) Lately, have you been thinking about X Death? _ Hurting yourself? X Your funeral? X Killing yourself? TOTAL CHECKS: __19_ 1:43 a.m. - 04-07-03 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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