DEPRESSION SCREENINGS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY

Janet Knoderer had symptoms of depression. She had no energy, felt hopeless and helpless, couldn't function for her family, couldn't concentrate.

Yet it wasn't until she began planning suicide that she realized she needed help. She told her husband, and together they went to seek treatment for her.

Now director of the Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association of Southeast Missouri, Knoderer still suffers from depression, an illness that affects 17 million Americans, but like a diabetic would control that disease with insulin, she controls her symptoms of depression with medication.

During this, Depression Awareness Month, Knoderer offers herself as an example of how those with depression often put off seeking treatment and are stigmatized, but also how much better life can be with treatment.

Many new medications have been approved in the last five years that don't have the negative side effects of early depression medication, said Claire Lafoon, director of education at the Community Counseling Center.

Studies have shown the success rate for treatment is 65 percent to 80 percent.

"Most people who are treated for depression can lead normal lives," Lafoon said.

First, people must be diagnosed. That means learning to recognize the symptoms of depression.

The Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association says symptoms are difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much; appetite disturbance; profound lack of energy; lack of enjoyment or pleasure; self-criticism; hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness; inability to make decisions; neglecting personal grooming; anxiety; guilt feelings and low self-esteem; difficulty concentrating or remembering; and suicidal thoughts.

"Depression is a serious public health problems and a leading risk factor for suicide," Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher said in a release for National Depression Screening Day, Tuesday. "Fortunately there are a number of options available for treating depression, but we must do a better job of reaching people who need help."

Locally free depression screenings will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Generations Family Resource Center at Southeast Hospital.

Also, to educate the public about depression, the Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association of Southeast Missouri will put on seminars for civic and social groups.

The main core of the seminar put on by DMDA, which includes the video "The Five Most Common Questions about Chronic Depression," focuses on dispelling the untruths surrounding depression.

Such untruths include "once crazy, always crazy," "it's a weakness," "if you pray hard enough, it will go away," Knoderer said.

The truth is depression is an illness, Knoderer said.

Clinical depression is a biochemical disease of the brain, said Dr. Ian M. Smith, emeritus professor from the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Depression often requires treatment. Smith said, "You don't will yourself out of depression."

Yet those suffering from depression are often told to do just that, Knoderer said.

"People would tell me, 'Pull yourself together. Your family needs you.' I would be aching inside because you just can't do it," Knoderer said.

Someone once told her to pull herself up by the bootstraps, "but I didn't have any bootstraps," she said.

Knoderer waited six months after symptoms began appearing before she sought treatment, a time frame that's not unusual for those suffering depression.

"I should have done it after two weeks," she said, "but I didn't know what was causing them.:

Many times depressives will attribute their symptoms to other things, Lafoon said.

"They think, 'I can't be depressed because I don't have anything to be depressed about,' " Lafoon said.

They don't realize depression is an illness, not a state of mind, she said.

"If symptoms are interfering with your life, your job, your family, your relationship, then it's time to get help," Lafoon said, "and anytime you have suicidal thoughts, get treatment right away."

Depression is easy to treat, "if you began early," Knoderer said.

It's sad that many people suffer unnecessarily because they don't know what is causing the symptoms or that treatment is available.

"Education is so important," Knoderer said. "People don't want help because of past untruths regarding mental illness."

Education is important not just to get depressives into treatment but also to educate the public.

"We do everything possible to get back in the mainstream, yet we still face discrimination" Knoderer said.

The Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association of Southeast Missouri sponsors a monthly support group.

"Support groups beat the 'It's just me' barrier," Knoderer said. "You learn there are others just like you. You see depression as an illness, not just a weakness."

A support group can also help family members. "It helps bridge the no man's land that defies understanding," she said.

She said her own children had some resentment about their mother's illness. A therapist helped them see that it was a sickness, not anything intentional on her part or something the children had done.

"Those are the things we can explain to people who come in," Knoderer said.

For information on the Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association of Southeast Missouri, which offers a support group and will do seminars on depression for social and civic groups, call 339-0111 of (573) 733-4151.

For information on the depression screening at Southeast Hospital, call 651-5825.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of depression

Prolonged sadness or unexplained crying spells

Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much

Appetite disturbance

Profound lack of energy

Inability to take pleasure in former interests, social withdrawal.

Self-criticism

Hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness

Inability to make decisions

Neglecting personal grooming

Anxiety

Guilt feelings and low self-esteem

Difficulty concentrating or remembering

Unexplained aches and pains

Excessive consumption of alcohol or use of chemical substances

Recurring thoughts of death or suicide

Source: National Depressive and Manic-Depressives Association