News & Press

By Robert Lathers, LMSW / The Right Door for Hope, Recovery and Wellness

Posted to www.sentinel-standard.com Sep 12, 2017 at 1:47 AM

 

“Prevention Magazine” reports in its September edition that the top three health issues that people search for online are diabetes, depression and anxiety, in that order. So, that tells us that depression is a common issue for lots of people.

“Prevention Magazine” reports in its September edition that the top three health issues that people search for online are diabetes, depression and anxiety, in that order. So, that tells us that depression is a common issue for lots of people.

It is perfectly normal to have bad days, to sometimes feel down, to occasionally have trouble sleeping or to sleep too much, to feel tired or temporarily drained of energy. It is also normal to occasionally have a poor appetite (although this is pretty rare for me) or to overeat (okay, I can relate more to that), or to have trouble staying concentrated on things.

It is not normal to regularly feel bad about ourselves, or to move or speak so slowly that other people notice and are concerned about us. It is also not normal to feel that we would be better off dead or to think about hurting ourselves in some way. These are all signs of possible serious depression.

What we know is that people who are seriously depressed, which is usually defined by having serious symptoms for at least two weeks, are highly vulnerable to attempting suicide. About 30 percent of people who are seriously depressed actually attempt suicide, with about 40,000 people a year completing suicide each year in the United States. This is over 100 people each day. So, this is a really big deal.

Each suicide or suicide attempt affects almost every person that the suicide victim knows. An estimated 500,000 people a year are secondary suicide victims in our country.

The good news is that depression is treatable with counseling and anti-depressants. One usually does not work without the other. Your physician or health care provider are amazing resources to diagnose and treat or to refer you to a qualified depression treatment provider. Many healthcare professionals are now turning to the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9) to assist in diagnosing depression. You will likely experience this at your primary care provider’s office if they are concerned that you may have depression.

The PHQ-9 is not a screening tool for depression, but it can be used to make a tentative diagnosis of depression. You can find this self-assessment tool at https://patient.info/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9. Please take this self-scoring test. If you score more than 10 points, talk to your health care provider to address your situation or call The Right Door for Hope, Recovery and Wellness for a confidential face-to-face screening. We are your local, public community mental health center. All residents are eligible for a free depression screening.

— Robert Lathers, LMSW, is the CEO of The Right Door for Hope, Recovery and Wellness, formerly Ionia County Community Mental Health. His email address is rlathers@rightdoor.org. He welcomes your comments and questions. If you have a mental health emergency, call 911 or our 24-hour crisis line at 1-888-527-1790. Visit The Right Door online at www.rightdoor.org and find us on Facebook. The Right Door in Ionia is now open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.