October 5, 2017, might be the day that changes your future. Each year during Mental Illness Awareness Week, National Depression Screening Day is held as an education and screening event to bring awareness of the signs of depression and other mental health issues. By raising public awareness of behavioral and mental health issues, we can reduce the stigma and change lives.

Individuals suffering from depression often lack the motivation to get out of bed and can lose interest in the activities they once enjoyed. Since depression causes individuals to feel as if they are carrying a burden no one else can comprehend, those suffering from the disorder will isolate themselves from loved ones and trusted friends.

Facts About Depression

• Depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44.
• Depression affects more than 15 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.
• Only about half of Americans diagnosed with major depression in a given year receive treatment for it and one-fifth receive treatment aligned with current practice guidelines.
• Up to 80% of those who receive treatment for depression show an improvement in symptoms, usually within four to six weeks, of beginning treatment.
• About 20% of young people will experience depression in their teen years and 10% to 15% of teens will have symptoms of depression at any given time.
• About 30% of tends with depression develop problems with substance abuse.
• Depression in youth can lead to problems at school, running away, low self-esteem, eating disorders, self-injury or disinterest in career or educational opportunities.
• On average, 64% of youths with major depression don’t receive mental health treatment. This varies by state from 42% in New Hampshire to 77% in Arkansas.
• The lifetime rate of depression is 8% in men and 12% in women, but the difference may be due to fewer men seeking help for depression.
• Men are more likely to seek treatment for the physical symptoms of depression than the typical symptoms associated with the disorder.
• Men die by suicide 3.5x more often than women.
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 35, although middle-aged men have the highest risk of death by suicide.
• Veterans have a rate of suicide 50% higher than the rate among other civilians with similar demographic characteristics.
• About 50% of veterans who need mental health services seek it out, but only a little more than half of those veterans receive adequate care.

Let The Meadows Help You Recover from Depression

Make no mistake about it depression is a serious illness. However, with professional help, it can be successfully managed. Even the most severe and complicated cases of depression are treatable, and with the proper care, individuals can enjoy a life free from the illness.

At The Meadows treatment center in Arizona, our competent and compassionate clinicians and therapists specialize in treating not only the symptoms of depression but also the underlying causes. We help patients heal and find freedom from debilitating depression, and learn the skills necessary to build and re-build fulfilling relationships.

As a TRICARE Provider, The Meadows is honored to provide behavioral health and substance abuse inpatient services, with an emphasis on trauma, PTSD, and addictive disease disorders, to active duty military members, retirees, and dependents.

Studies indicate that military personnel respond best to a group of their peers and often are not comfortable in group therapy with civilians. The Meadows recognizes this special need and has elected to accommodate it by incorporating a “Military Only” group where the protectors of our freedom are able to be more comfortable as they begin healing.