Do you feel unhappy most of the time?

Do you often feel helpless?

Do you feel that your life is empty?

Have you dropped many of your activities and interests?

Have you gained or lost a significant amount of weight in the last month?

Do you have trouble sleeping, or wake up early in the morning for no reason?

Do you sometimes have crying spells?

Do you feel tired most every day?

Do you have trouble sleeping or concentrating?

Do you feel worthless or guilty?

Do you feel either very nervous or very slowed down?

Do you have recurrent thoughts of death or suicide?

All of these can be symptoms of depression. Thoughts, plans, or attempts of suicide indicate a very serious problem which requires immediate professional help.

Seeking psychiatric treatment or counseling for yourself or a loved one is often one of the most difficult decisions that one could ever make. Most people struggle for weeks or months wanting to make sure that what they are doing is the right thing to do, and the best for themselves, their family, or their loved one. Above all, they want to avoid the cold, isolated, non-caring environment once depicted as typical of psychiatric hospitals. And they want to see the patient get better, not worse, as a result of their treatment.

Perhaps four questions are central to the decision to seek psychiatric help or counseling. These four questions are: 1) Has the problem been getting worse over time? 2) Is it likely that the problem will get better by itself ? 3) Does the problem interfere with the person’s ability to handle their everyday life and responsibilitirs? 4) Is anyone in danger of being hurt either physically or emotionally if the problem continues? The answers to these questions should help guide you in making a decision. If the answer to number 4 is "yes", then you should seek help immediately.

Call Levi Psychiatric Services at

501-622-3350 or 501-624-1281

For more information about the services and programs provided by Levi Hospital call (501)624-1281 Or e-mail us at bholsomback@levihospital.com.

Copyright 1999