10A
LIFESTYLES / The Charlotte Post
Thursday, May 22, 1997
Around Charlotte
News of note
•The Bethlehem Center Head
Start Program is accepting appli
cations for the 1997-98 school
year. Parents are urged to regis
ter their preschool children bom
between Oct. 17, 1994 and Oct.
19, 1996 as soon as possible.
Older children will receive prior
ity.
The program accepts children
of families whose incomes fall
below poverty level. Spaces are
also open for children with spe
cial needs from families of all
income levels. For more informa
tion, call 376-9401 or 371-7420.
•Blood screening at
Community Health Services,
1401 East 7th St. For more infor
mation, call 375-0172.
Saturday
•Then Pregnancy Prevention
Hip Hop finals 11 a.m.,
Greenville Community Center,
1330 Spring St. The contest is
designed to increase awareness
of the importance of preventing
teen pregnancy, HTV/AIDS and
sexually transmitted disease.
Contestants are teen residents of
the eight Charlotte neighbor
hoods with the highest teen preg-
nanty rates. For more informa
tion, call 332-6721.
•Confidential HIV/AIDS test
ing each Saturday at Community
Health Services, 1401 East 7th
St., 10 a.m. For appointments,
caU 375-0172.
•Afncan Attire Disco Dance,
Elks Home, 3312 Hickaseegee
Road, 8 p.m. Sponsored by
Pisgah L^ge 266, Pisgah
Temple 228 and Isabella F.
Hyder Tfemple 1279. Tickets are
$8. For more information, call
597-0235.
Sunday
•Brisbane Academy open
house, 3-5 p.m. Event open for
prospective students and
employees. For more informa
tion, call 598-5208. Brisbane
Academy is located at 5901
Statesville Road.
Tuesday
•Alliance for the Mentally Ill,
Metrolina Chapter meeting, 6:45
p.m. St. John’s Baptist Church,
300 Hawthorne Lane.
•Republican Women’s Club
meeting, noon at YWCA, 3420
Park Road. Roimdtable discus
sion on Young and Younger
Republicans. Buffet, $10.
Upcoming events
•May 29 - “Empower to the
Sistahs,” 6:45 p.m., the
Bethlehem Center, 2705
Baltimore Ave. Includes work
shops on domestic violence, confi
dence, beauty and the affects of
violence. For more information,
336-4275 or 336-6650. Free.
Due the holiday,
the deadline for
Around Charlotte
is 5 p.m. Friday
HEALTHY BODY/ HEALTHY MIND
Warning signs of depression often visible
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Aprella
Bridges,
R.N.
Depression is a continual feel
ing of sadness, despondency or
hopelessness with accompanying
.sjanptoms. Major depression
occurs in about 1 in 10
Americans. It affects both sexes,
but is more common in women. It
can be difficult to treat, but there
is continued improvement in
effectiveness of treatment.
Frequent signs and symptoms
include:
•loss of interest in life; bore
dom.
•listlessness and fatigue,
•insomnia; excessive or dis
turbed sleep.
•social isolation.
•appetite loss or overeating,
•loss of sex drive.
•constipation.
•difficulty making decisions;
concentration difficulty,
•unexplained crying bouts,
•diminished self-esteem,
•intense guilt feelings over
minor or imaginary misdeeds,
•thoughts of death or suicide,
•irritability.
•various pains, such as
headache or chest pain, without
evidence of disease.
A truly depressive Alness has no
single obvious cause. Some bio
logical factors can play a part.
e.g., physical illness, hormonal
disorders, certain drugs. Social
and psychological factors may
play a part along with inherited
disorders such as manic depres
sion which tends to run in fami
lies. Depression may relate to the
number of disturbing events in a
persons life.
Risk for depression are as fol
lows:
•unexpressed anger or other
emotion.
•compulsive, rigid, perfectionist
or highly dependent personali
ties.
•family history of depression,
•alcoholism.
•failure in occupation, mar
riage or other interpersonal rela
tionships.
•death or loss of a loved one.
•loss of something important
(job, home, investments).
•job change or move to a new
area.
•surgery, such as mastectomy,
•major illness or disability-
•passing from one life stage to
another, such as menopause or
retirement.
•use of some drugs,
•withdrawal from mood-alter
ing drugs, such as narcotics,
amphetamines or caffeine.
•some diseases, including dia
betes, cancer of the pancreas and
hormonal abnormalities.
Preventative measures that
maybe helpful include the main
tenance of good conununication
with family and close firiends.
raise children with love and rea
sonable expectations in school
and home, and anticipate and
prepare for major life changes
where possible.
Recovery may be spontaneous
in some cases of depression, but
professional help can shorten the
duration and help you learn to
cope in the future. Recurrence is
common. 'The recovery rate is
high, despite one’s pessimism
while depressed.
Suicide is a possible complica
tion of depression. Some of its
warning signs include: withdraw
al from family and friends.
Neglect of a personal appearance.
Mention of wanting “to end it aU”
or being “a burden to others.”
Evidence of a suicide plan (e.g.
buying or cleaning a gun).
Sudden cheerfulness after pro
longed despondency. Other com
plications are hallucinations or
psychotic behavior and manic
behavior which is characterized
inappropriate overactivity and
comic or irresponsible behavior.
Psychotherapy or counseling
along with drug treatment
appears to obtain the best results
for treating depression. Many dif
ferent types of psychotherapy are
available ranging from simple
problem-solving type behavioral
therapy to psychoanalysis. ,
Hospitalization or inpatient at
special treatment to centers
maybe required for severe
depression. Support groups may
also be utilized. Social agencies to
Survey finds price key issue
By Jennifer Brooks
Nationai Newspaper
Publishers Association
WASHINGTON - When it
comes to reforming health care in
the United States, Americans
who purchase their own health
care said affordability - not access
or quality - was the most impor
tant issue to them, and that price
controls on medical procedures
was their favored means of ensur
ing affordability, according to a
March survey conducted by the
Alliance for Affordable Health
Care.
The survey, which took the
opinions of 510 Americans who
pay for their own health care,
found that 56 percent of those
surveyed chose “making health
insurance more affordable” as the
most important issue to be con
sidered in making national
health reforms. Just under one-
third of the respondents (31 per
cent) said the most important
issue was “making sure everyone
has health insurance,” while 11
percent said the most important
issue was “maintaining the qual
ity of health care in the United
States.”
In the same survey, the respon
dents were asked to rank mea
sures that would make health
care more affordable to them.
“Instituting price controls on
medical procedures” was a lop
sided favorite at 42 percent
Another 21 percent of respon
dents favored “allowing individu
als to join together to form insur
ance pools,” while a quarter of the
respondents were split between
"reforming malpractice” (13 per
cent) and “expanding the
deductibility of health insurance
for tax purposes” (12 percent).
“Expanding Medical Savings
Accounts for more people” was
listed by 4 percent of those sur
veyed.
Other findings of the survey:
• Respondents were nearly
evenly split on their opinion as to
whether President Clinton and
the Republicans in Congress will
be able to come together on an
agreement to save Medicare.
Forty-two percent were opti
mistic the two could work togeth
er to save Medicare, while 50 per
cent were doubtful.
• Asked whether they believed
the government should create a
federal program that “guarantees
a certain level of health care for
children - even if a new payroll or
higher income tax will be neces
sary to pay for the program,” 46
percent of those surveyed indicat
ed they favored creation of such a
program (39 percent said they
believed such a program should
“definitely” be created.) Thirty-
nine percent opposed such a pro
gram - with 30 percent saying
they believe the government
should “definitely not” create
such a program.
• The survey also asked respon
dents their overall opinion of
health maintenance organiza
tions. Results indicated that 19
percent thought HMOs were
"good" or “excellenL” while 25
percent felt HMOs were “aver
age,” and 41 percent felt HMOs
were “fair” or “poor.”
• In spite of calls for federal
health care mandates and addi
tional restrictions on how HMOs
deliver care, respondents narrow
ly rejected the idea that HMOs
need more regulation at the fed
eral level. ’Thirty-nine percent
favored more regulation, versus
42 percent who were opposed.
• 'Thirty-eight percent of those
responding were familiar with
the concept of medical savings
accounts; 62 percent were not
familiar with the concept
The Alliance for Affordable
Health Care’s survey polled 510
men and women between March
13-25.
SUBSCRIBE
TO
If you have any questions
or concerns. Please
contact us at 376-0496.
Or we can be reached by
fax at 342-2160.
“We are dedicated to
serving you and our
community. ”
contact for help include the
National Mental Health
Association (800) 969-6642,
National Foundation for Mental
Illness (800) 239-1263 or
National Depressive and Manic
Depressive Association (800) 826-
3632. CaU your local suicide pre
vention hot line if you feel suici
dal at 358-2800.
Antidepressant drugs may be
used for some persons with pro
longed or moderately severe
depression. Lithium may be pre
scribed as well as sedatives
which may be used temporarily
for insomnia.
No restrictions on activity is
necessary. Maintain daily activi
ties and interest even if you don’t
feel like it. Attend social func
tions, concerts, athletic events,
plays and movies. Keep in touch
with friends and loved ones.
Engage in regular, strenuous
exercise as recommended by your
doctor. This helps reUeve depres
sion.
Always eat a normal, weU-bal-
anced diet even if you have no
appetite. Vitamin and mineral
supplements may be necessary.
As a Maxicare/Medicaid Member choices abound!
Now, you have an option to long waits and never seeing the
same doctor twice.
WITH MAXICARE, YOU GET:
• Your own private doctor,
« One hour (or less) service with scheduled appointments,
• Access to our complete network of specialists.
• Medical Advice line available to you 24 hours-a-day!
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