·c
u
.F .... �
"I can't control my anger and I blow
my top at the slight provocation."
"I don't kno why, but I am always
nervou The le little things frighten
me." "I can't understand it but I am
ctually mad at my If." "If I do not
have my medicine (or drugs) I feel so 10
it ould almo take a steam shovel to
lift me up. I -don't feel normal unle I
am on I high."
t ex ctly do the peop e ha e in
common? They are each ffenng from
depre ion. They are in an emotional
tate of dejection and doe . They feel
a nse of despair, discouragement and
hopele ne . Some of them ffer from
dne and pessimism that creep
on them unexpectedly and linger
on and on no matter what they do about
it. Depre lens vary from person to
person but nearly e ery d p d person
feel various degree of orthle
anxiety, failure to obtain pleasure in
normal activitie , fatigue, early morning
eeple e and even thoughts of i­
cide.
t are me c u of depre . on?
Depre . on may be caused by an UJV
expected and troubl me event in your
life, the unexpected occurence of a
problem ell enormou bills or a court
ppr ciat
COY ra
appearance or a forthcoming argument
with your pou , a dreary day that
reminds you of an unpleasant past event,
anticipation of a hard week at work
after a relaxing weekend, hoHday which
come and go ithout receipt of a card
from a loved one, "maternity blues"
shortly after a baby is' born, dden
di . ipation of excitement after an e -
citing event has p d or a lengthy
period of lonelin
Everyone ffer from some of th
mild forms of depre ion hich leave
after a brief period and hich can be
traced to a specific event. Victims may
complain that others do not appreciate
them or even become hy erica1 at the
slightest provocation.
Whenever the depre . on i out of pro­
portion to the event that cau d it, the
victim has neurotic depression. Uncon­
trollable crying or deep lasting feelings
of guilt ·cau d by poor school grad or
rejection by a girlfriend or boyfriend are
example of this form of depression.
80 e er, depre ion may be more vere
a when the victim lose touch with
reality and is unable to communicate
normally. Such a person may bee me
acutely paranoid and experience deep
orry and insomnia. There may even be
hallucinations and fear of the non-
p
JUNE 13 - 19, 19
e . ent, This ! kno n psychotic
depr ion ·and . quite severe. Each
year 20,000 suicides are reported in the
United States and, it is estimated, that
another 40,000 suicid are unreported.
any of them may be traced to depres­
ion,
Ho can depr ions be avoided?
Confront the reality of your life by ac­
cepting your failure as normal and
n r letting failure deter you. Establish
your ; wor out a plan, anticipate
some hurdle, ya have alternati
vailable, am from your failures and
al Iya ha the t to keep trying in
ite of .etbac .
Ho do you tre depr ion? For
ordinary blu or mild gloom it out
with I sympathetic friend or guidance
counselor. The depre . on i likely to go
a ay after brief in ightful disc ions
with professionals ho are trained in
diagnosing, understanding and treating
depre ion.
The solution to moderate or serious
depre ion is.a bit more involved. Treat­
ment i dependent upon the type, depth
and duration of the depression. A com­
petent phy ician will. first provide a
phy . cal examination to determine if
metabolic, physi ological or endocrine
disturbance may b contributing to or
THE CITIZE
PAGE FIVE
aggravating the dep ion. Phy Oct
often prescribe medicatio once the
depre ion . diagno d. The patient
should never e any medication until
the phy . ian exp· all effects, po . tive
and negative. If you don't know, !
Psychiatric and psychological cou l­
ing is usually the next order of busin
eurotic depre ion (the moder te kind)
is usually dealth with by a form of
psychotherapy (treatment dministered
by a psychiatri , clinical psychologist,
p ychiatric social or er or som other
form of behavior modification). Psy­
chotic depre . es (the vere kind)
are usually hospitalized and treated
with medication, electro oc therapy,
or additional psychotherapy. edicat­
ion may be needed in order to calm the
victim and m e him receptive to oth r
kinds of needed treatment.
Remember, mo depr on cor-
rectabl with mild insightful cou ling
with trusted friend. Almo everyone
has been depressed at some time. The
important thing to do I to determine
if, indeed, you are suffering fr m de­
pression, discover th cause or cau
diagno the type of depr . on and see
the appropriate cure. Then, get on with
your life.
Says cartoon 'struck a nerve·)�
Editor:
Coo e up t over Citizen Weekly
cartoon. ayor Cooke pledge to clean
up all garbage in the City including the
Citizen ew paper. ow Mayor let u
start where the garbage really is and
that is in City Hall. .
We have a lot of 100 .trash running
around in City Hall smoking, drinking
coffee and talking out of their neck on
taxpayer' money. We have slum land­
lords in the city of Benton Harbor
renting out slum house. othing i being
done about this type of trash in the city.
We have city-owned property in the
downtown Main Street' area, that is
supposed to be rented out and no rent
has been collected ithin the past 6 or 7
years. This i the type of garbage we have
to eliminate in thi City in order for it
to function.
The cartoon in the Citizen ewspaper
must have struck a nerve or the ayor
would not have gotten up t. Of cour ,
the Mayor is entitled to hi opinion
but, so is the Citizen ew paper.
So ayor, let us get down to where
the garbage really starts and clean it up
or shut up.
Georg ysinger
Editor my point of ,I e the Citizen as an
Too often don't take time to y irilportant educational tool for the people
Thank-you. I ju ant to thank you for of Benton Harbor. y thank to you and
the article on the Re dine Center and to your staff.
eomplsnent you on the general excel- Sister Paulita W�ter
nee of the Citizen publication. From
Edi or: Why is it that we no longer em to
It is ddening and disheartening ° take pride in our 0 n race ' achieve-
to behold hat "Blac America has ment? I was visiting a friend � few
finally com to. In the short period. weeks ago and this person's entire
1960-1984 we have 10 contact with tape library consisted of cuts by white
the most important factor nece ry group. This I not to say that all of
. in any society, identification with the music (white rock) is bad (in fact
self." some of it is exceptionally good stuff),
If would e remiss to y that con- but how can a Black person be so out
ditions have not improved for Blacks of touch with hi own people's music?
since the sixtie , but one mo onder The race pride monies of the sixties
hav the victori been worth the price? and seventies ha eemingly grown to a
When I 100 at the multitude of h It.
profes ional people striving so de - This i d in the en that the
perately to be mdividual ( or invisible) reversal can be devastating.
it ic ens me. I h ve no qualms with Evidence of this is the rash of "curl
intergration or individuality but I kit" , (which is merely a re-run of the
firmly believe that before any of the "proce "), complexion brightners, are
end can be arrived at that we a a Black we once again becoming ashamed of our-
race must fir t of all acknowledge our Ives? and the Black male college stu-
own regardle of taties or cia . dents obse ion with white women. The
I u e the word "cla " 1 0 Iy above is vice ver a since many white girl
uch a there tends to be a bre take pride in "making the grade with a
ela tructure; pade".
"the well to do", and the fair to mid- Please don't mi con true what I am
dting, the poor, nd the very poor. saying here, for I am in no way a raci t. It
Contrary to the p achments of rtin, would truly b wonderful if we could all
nd alcolm we have eliminated our- come together and form that Rainbow
, Iv from ch other rather than Coalition Je Jack n is talking about.
fu d together as a functioning unit. But what I am saying i that it is detri­
The 'degr " fraction want nothing mental and dangerou for a race of peo­
to do ith the manual laborers, who pIe who have fought so long to e tablish
in turn want nothing to do with the pride here there was none to carele ly
migrant or menial. shuc aside. What i happening to u now
re e u d to c1ig James Baldwin, cannot be blamed on the hite race. Thi
Richard Wright, Be le Smith and the is a monster we are creating our Ives.
Temptations e have now itched Augustus B. R. Dukes
on to "Hello t (Good Gold), Ste n
King, Boy Georg , ad Adam One.
I ___,
• I
