October is National Depression & Mental Health Screening Month

Posted: October 9, 2022

October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, a time when clinicians and their communities come together to spread awareness and combat mental illness. By working together, we can all promote the importance of mental health screenings while reducing the stigma associated with mental health illnesses.

Screening Questions for Depression

The following are some of the most common symptoms of depression. If you or someone you love has been experiencing one or more of these nearly every day for at least two weeks, it’s a sign you or they may be suffering from depression:

Persistent sadness or anxiety
Feeling hopeless
Irritability
Loss of interest in hobbies
Decreased energy or fatigue
Becoming more and more isolated
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Difficulty sleeping
Loss of appetite
Thoughts of death or suicide

What Communities Are Doing

Hospitals, physician offices, churches, and community groups are conducting depression screenings. Starting conversations help people feel supported and free to ask for help.

What Can You Do?

If you or someone you love is suffering from depression, it’s important to ask the questions above and, if you can answer yes to many of them, it’s time to seek help. Find someone to help and develop a treatment plan. You’ll talk about your life and the struggles you have and create your plan to move through this tough time by spending time in nature, adding exercise and movement to your routine, discussing medication, or a combination of the these interventions.

If you are someone who has recovered from depression, it’s a wonderful idea to share your journey with others if you feel comfortable doing so. When people are struggling with their own darkness, knowing someone has walked through to the other side and is living once again in the light, can offer hope and encouragement.

If you or someone you love is interested in speaking with a trained therapist, please reach out to me at 850.450.7223 or make an appointment here https://believehopeinspire.securepatientarea.com/portal/ . Sometimes just a safe place to talk it out makes a big difference and get you moving again.

Find out more about depression on my Blog https://believehopeinspire.com/category/depression/.

Dianne Presley, LCSW

Owner/Founder Believe, Hope, Inspire Wellness Services LLC

850.450.7223

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