If you find yourself in a persistent sad mood, feeling hopeless, losing interest in things you used to love, or experiencing a sleeping disorder, you should suspect depression.

Wednesday, October 10, 2001

If you find yourself in a persistent sad mood, feeling hopeless, losing interest in things you used to love, or experiencing a sleeping disorder, you should suspect depression.

It is a disease, one that is curable with proper medication and professional advice. Freeborn County Mental Health Center will offer free screening and consultation for depression on Thursday, Oct. 11. The center believes the Sept. 11 national tragedy made Americans more vulnerable to the disease, and encourages more people to have the screening.

&uot;It came without awareness,&uot; said an Albert Lea woman who was diagnosed as typical depression case seven years ago..

She felt some black heavy clouds were overwhelming her, she said. &uot;I was tired of everything and isolated myself from family and friends, and it required quite a lot of efforts to do any activity.&uot;

One day she burst into tears in her office and was taken to a hospital where she found out she had the disease. She thinks she even may have committed suicide if she had not taken the treatment.

&uot;Nobody would want to be labeled as having a mental problem, but depression is not controllable. Appropriate professional help is necessary,&uot; she said.

During the free screening service on Thursday, the Mental Health Center will particularly pay attention to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon provide a wide possibility to spread depression among people, program manager Richard Fisher said.

&uot;Some people will discover that their initial grief is continuing and even worsening,&uot; he said. &uot;Uncontrollable grief, anger, or despair may become clinical depression.&uot;

According to Fisher, PTSD often first appears one month after an initial trauma. The center already is experiencing a slight increase of patients.

17 to 20 million Americans each year develop some form of depression. But less than 40 percent of them are accurately diagnosed and receive treatment.

Treatment can consist of antidepressant medication, psychotherapy, and electro-convulsive therapy. 60 percent of patients improve within several months, according to the center. The treatment also includes facilitating a supportive environment for the patients among family, coworkers, and friends.

The screening provides a free anonymous test, educational presentation, and consultation with a clinician to talk about symptoms. Spanish interpretation is available.

The schedule for the screening is: Spanish 10 a.m. to noon, and English 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The place is the second floor of Freeborn County Department of Human Services at 203 West Clark St., Albert Lea.