The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE OAKVILLE BEAVER By Irene Gentle SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER If the thought of just getting up is getting you down, you may be among the one in four Canadians who suffer from some form .of depression. If you're female, the figures are even darker. It is generally believed that women are twice as likely as men to be hit by a depression large enough to need medical attention at some point in their lives. The jury is out, though, on whether that speaks to a greater prevalence in women, or just a greater willingness to report their feelings. Either way, depression comes at a cost, and not to just to the people who suffer from it Instead, society as a whole pays. Consider this: A full 5% of the Canadian workforce is thought to be depressed, costing a whopping $300 million in lost work and claims annu­ ally. Health care costs related to depression are estimated at $4 billion a year. For still others, depression carries the ultimate cost -- a full two thirds of all suicides are committed by depressed people. Still, the news isn't all bad. In fact the best news of all is that depression is eminently treatable -- all you real­ ly have to do is go for help. "It's something that is very treat­ able," said Penny Lewick, a public health nurse in the Halton Regional Health Department's, Mental Health Promotion Program. "But if you have a mild depression and it goes untreated, it can become moderate and then severe." In other words, feeling down is a slippery slope and the idea is to do something before feeling blue turns to black. "You get into a downward spiral and you don't even want to get help," said Lewick. Still, help is out there and a trip to your family doctor can be all it takes to get the ball rolling. Your doctor will be able to rule out any physical causes for your symptoms and in some cases will offer counseling. If not, all general practitioners can refer you to someone, either a psycholo­ gist, psychiatrist or social worker, who will. If money is a factor, many employee assistance programs cover counseling costs. Psychiatry fees are covered by OHIP and many Halton area counselors have sliding fee scales, said Lewick. Sadly, despite all the information available on depression, too many people still feel guilty about feeling badly. "I think we all still have this idea that someone who is depressed is weak and should just snap out of it," said Lewick. "I think there's still a stigma." Generally, symptoms of depres­ sion include sadness, irritability, a loss of interest in things that used to bring pleasure and changes in weight, appetite or sleep patterns. They also include an inability to con­ centrate or make decisions, fatigue, restlessness, decreased activity levels and thoughts of suicide or death. Anyone experiencing three or four of these symptoms for more than two weeks should seek help. "It starts interfering with your everyday life. You may find you can't do work and you're crying a lot," explained Leanne Conick of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Depression can be caused by any number of things. "It has been broken down to spe­ cific distressing life events, chemical reasons and psychological thoughts," said Conick. "Often the best treat­ ment is a combination of medication and therapy." There are also different kinds of depression. Most commonly they are dysthimia, or low-grade depression, bi-polar or manic depression, and uni-polar depression. Keeping a journal to track moods "Depression is one of the most help." There are some things you can do and feelings can also help. Still, the treatable things but people often For more information, call the yourself to try and shake yourself out most crucial thing is to not try and do don't seek help because of the stig- Canadian Mental Health Association of your funk.. it alone. ma," said Conick. "Seek professional at 905-693-4270. Encourage your child to read a newspaper we owe our children the greatest education we can give them. And encouraging them to read a newspaper is an important pan of that education. Open a door of entertainment, wonder and knowledge for your children by encouraging them to begin a practice they will enjoy lor the rest of their lives. The Oakville Beaver It n il s ta r ts w ith new spaper. FLYER DELIVERY | Summer Added Value Package W n r c T D r o r r T A D r Xsk[ albou* ]LourA # 1 D I S T R I B U T O R o f flyers to O akville h o m es a n d a p a r tm e n ts SUMMER SPECIAL! 1 0 ,0 0 0 flye rs p r in te d & m d is tr ib u te d 7 y * T i / ea. To book your flyer call: JO H N M OODIE a t T h e O a k v i l l e B e a v e r 8 4 5 - 3 8 2 4 e x t . 2 3 5 P a g e r : 1 - 8 8 8 - 5 8 0 - 8 9 4 2 ■ ' m m o S m ■ ■ F o r as little as $ 9 5 down O .A . C. vr - -Tsit ; Friday Saturday Monday Aug. 12th Aug. 13th Aug. 14th Aug. 16th 9 a m - 9 p m 9 a m - 6 p m 9 a m - 6 p m 9 a m - 9 p m Its quick and easy! Just three simple steps: Pick your payment. I t 's so e a s y ! J u s t c h o o s e t h e p l a n r i g h t f o r y o u . Pick your car. A h u g e s e le c t io n o f n e w a n d u s e d v e h ic le s . # C2. Drive it home! C o u l d n 't b e s im p le r ! • Easy Financing! All credit applications will be accepted and processed! • Bring in your trade and ownership, it could be w orth m ore than you think! • *No phone calls and no dealers allowed! $95.00 down plus applicable fees O A.C. Y o u c a n t a f f o r d t o m i s s t h e V e h ic le A c q u i s i t i o n S ale* o n A u g u s t 1 2 thT 3 lh, 1 4 th a n d 1 6 th o n l y a t Oakville Dodge Chrysler Jeep L ^r* ■ £P • „ ^ 6/ i . Q.E.W . Speers Road Oakville > Nuodge H £ - t-J CO 1tSZ 8 (905) 845-4211 w w w .oakvilledodge.com 0% financing4 8 m o n th sP a y m e n t D u e : 4 5 d a ys Wednesday August 11, 1999 D ep ressio n tre a tm e n ts very su ccessfu l http://www.oakvilledodge.com Encourage your child to read a newspaper of flyers to Oakville homes and apartments SUMMER SPECIAL! *Ti/ ea. Friday Saturday Monday Its quick and easy! Just three simple steps: Pick your payment. Pick your car. # C2. Drive it home! • Easy Financing! All credit applications will be accepted and processed! • Bring in your trade and ownership, it could be worth more than you think! • L ^ (905) 845-4211 www.oakvilledodge.com 48 months