Vim & Vigor - Fall 2020 - GMC - 43

43

In the past
few weeks or
months, have you:

top search among people who are depressed.
("Stupid thoughts" is a
layperson's way to say
cognitive distortions, or
thinking patterns that
are destructive.) A mental health professional
can help you reframe
these thoughts.

B is for beware.
Everyone experiences
a stressful day at work
once in a while, and it's
natural to feel sad when
you lose a job or a relationship. But if you're
lethargic, sleeping too
much, feeling "empty" or
having a hard time facing
your days, depression
could be a factor.

Thinking back
to this time
last year, are there:

In the past
few weeks or
months, have you:

A might mean at risk.
Loss of pleasure and
interest in activities you
used to enjoy-including
sex-is a symptom of
depression. The good
news is, the majority of
people who seek treatment show improvement.

1

A. Experienced a highstress day at work
B. Not wanted to get out
of bed more than once
C. Felt sad because of a
job or relationship loss
D. None of the above

ExpertApproved
Mental
Health Apps

PHOTO CREDIT

A ton of apps out there
promise to help with
depression and anxiety,
but it's hard to separate
the good from the bad.
To help, the Anxiety and
Depression Association
of America has rated several mental health apps
on features such as ease
of use, effectiveness and
whether methods are
research-backed. Visit
adaa.org/finding-help/
mobile-apps.

2

A. Had a hard time focusing on work or school
B. Searched the internet for help stopping
thoughts you consider to be "stupid" or
destructive
C. Both
D. Neither

If you chose A, B or
C, depression could be
a culprit. Not only does
depression attack your
ability to focus, but it
also can feed damaging,
destructive thoughts.
Experts who study internet search terms have
found that "stopping
stupid thoughts" is a

3

A. Things you used to
enjoy that now seem
old or unenjoyable
B. Things you used to
enjoy that you still
regularly pursue
C. New things you enjoy
that you didn't used
to enjoy

Do you feel
persistently
sad, irritable or
fatigued and also:
4

A. Take medications
B. Live with a chronic
health condition, such
as cancer, diabetes or
heart disease
C. Remember sustaining
a head injury in
your preteen or
teenage years
D. None of the above

If A, B or C apply to
you, talk with your
doctor. Certain medications, such as steroids
or blood pressure
medications, can trigger
depressive symptoms.
Depression is more
likely to occur with
serious health conditions. And one study
showed that a head
injury between ages
11 and 15 was a strong
predictor of mental
illness later in life,
including depression.

Have you
ruled out
depression because:
5

A. No one in your
family has it
B. You're too young
C. There's no reason for
you to be depressed
D. None of the above

Think hard before
ruling out depression
if you circled A, B or C.
While family history
of depression does
increase risk, many
other factors-including
brain chemicals, trauma
and low self-esteem-
can cause depression.
Teenagers, by percentage, are actually
depressed at a higher
rate than adults
(13 percent versus
7.1 percent). And,
according to Mental
Health America, depression often occurs for
no apparent reason.

*

VIM & VIGOR FALL 2020
http://www.adaa.org/finding-help/mobile-apps
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2020 - GMC

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