Floyd Providing Free Screenings on National Depression Screening Day

Floyd Behavioral Health Center will provide free depression screenings on October 7 in observance of National Depression Screening Day. Whether for cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes or depression, screenings are an easy way to gauge your current health status and to learn more about your concerns.

Screenings will be held at Georgia Highlands College, Floyd Campus
3175 Cedartown Hwy., SE, in the Walraven Building, room W324. Behavioral Health professionals will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are not necessary. Screenings can help to determine diagnoses such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Like screenings for other illnesses, depression screenings should be a routine part of healthcare. Clinical depression is a common, but often-overlooked medical illness affecting more than 19 million American adults each year. Sometimes people with depression mistakenly believe their symptoms are a “normal part of life,” and two-thirds of Americans with depression do not seek treatment.

Depression is more than a case of the blues, and individuals often are surprised by common symptoms of this illness:

• A persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood
• Sleeping too little, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much
• Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
• Restlessness or irritability
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Unfortunately, many people also do not understand that depression can complicate other medical conditions and should be considered a serious medical condition that can be treated effectively with medication, therapy or a combination of both. Screenings are often the first step in getting help.

If you are unable to attend the screening event and have a need for assessment or treatment, contact Toni Crutchfield, Floyd Behavioral Health Center’s community relations representative, at 706.509.3500. Free assessments may be scheduled at any time.