c Do you feel helpless, hopeless, guilty, or
      worthless?

c Is it difficult to make decisions, concentrate, or
      remember?

c Have you lost interest or pleasure in everyday
      activities?  Have you dropped hobbies or activities?

c Have you lost your drive or energy?
      Do you seam to have "slowed down"?

c Do you have sleep problems  (insomnia,
      early-morning waking, oversleeping)?

c Do you have headaches, stomachaches, or
       backaches? Do you have chronic aches and
       pains in your joints and muscles?

       Note: Sometimes depressive disorders masquerade as
       chronic physical symptoms that don't respond to
       treatment.

c Are you restless or irritable?

c Do you want to alone most of the time?

c Are you drinking or smoking heavily or are you
      taking other drugs?

c Do you think a lot about death, or about
      suicide?     

c Listen for negative self-talk.  Try to replace your inner sabotaging voices (e.g., "I can't") with positive statements about your plans, activities, and accomplishments.

c Treat yourself well  and quiet your critical inner voice (i.e., forgive yourself for mistakes just as you would a friend).

c Include people in your life  who give you positive feedback and unconditional support.  Spend less time with those who criticize you or try to have you do things "their way".

c Put off making big life decisions.  Save major change until you can see options more clearly.

c Set priorities.  Eliminate the stress of trying to do too much and the frustration of having so much to do that you simply don't know where to start.

c Exercise at least 30 minutes  most days of the week.  It can give you an overall sense of well-being (i.e., by raising levels of "feel-good" brain chemicals).

c Eat foods that can help boost and balance  your brain chemicals: low-fat protein (e.g., fish, turkey, chicken breasts, beans, peanuts, tofu) and complex carbohydrates (e.g., fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods).
     Note: Simple carbohydrates (e.g., sugary, refined foods) raise levels of the brain chemical serotonin sharply, only to cause it to plunge steeply down again in sugar-sensitive people (just as blood sugar levels can do).  If you're depressed, overeating simple carbohydrates could make your depression worse.

c Consider taking the herb St. John's wort  the if your depression is mild to moderate.  It's available in health-food stores and drugstores -- but talk to your doctor before trying it.

Soiurces: Hypericum & Depression, by Harold Bloomfield, MD; Potatoes Not Prozac, by Kathleen DesMaisons, PhD

1. Changes in personality or mood
2. Withdrawal  from others or abnormal self-centeredness
3. Confused or delusional thinking;  strange or grandiose ideas
4. Persistent depression,  apathy, or extreme mood swings
5. Excessive anxiety,  worry, or fear
6. Changes in eating  or sleeping patterns
7. Difficulty in coping  with daily activities
8. Inappropriate emotions
9. Denial  of problems
10. Violent or suicidal  thoughts or actions
11. Anger or hostility  out of proportion to the situation
12. Hallucinations
13. Abuse of alcohol  and/or use of other drugs

Where to get help*

• Your physician 
• Your company's EAP  (employee assistance program) counselor
• Family service agencies 
• Community mental health centers 
• Private clinics   and facilities
• Hospital departments  of psychiatry or outpatient psychiatric clinics
• University or medical school-affiliated programs 
• Check the Yellow Pages  under Mental Health Services or Counseling
   

  *Talk to your health insurance provider to verify your insurance coverage and to see what types of treatment programs are covered by your plan