Depression Quiz

Mar 5, 2012 by Katie Lawson

Depression Quiz

Do you have depression?  Here is an exercise.  Answer Yes, No or Sometimes to each question below.

_______ Feeling down, depressed or hopeless?

_______ Feeling bad about yourself, or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down?

_______ Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way?

_______ Little interest or pleasure from doing things?

________  Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed?  Or the opposite – being so fidgety or restless that you are moving around more than usual?

________  Trouble concentrating on things, such as watching TV or reading the newspaper?

________  Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or sleeping too much?

________  Feeling tired or having little energy?

________  Poor appetite or over-eating?

If  you have answered Yes or Sometimes to any of the first 4 questions (the ones in bold-face), consider going to your health practitioner for help.

If you have answered Yes or Sometimes to any of the questions, be on the lookout for ways to bring your mood up out of the doldrums.

Here is one idea for you.
Depression Dissolver:   Practice Ho’oponopono

Practice what??  A therapist in Hawaii, Dr. Hew Len, cured a whole ward of criminally insane patients, through a simple technique called ho’oponopono. He did this by taking responsibility himself for their problems, and repeating a statement while picturing the patient.

“Father, I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank You. I love You.”

Sounded really weird to me when I first heard it.  But after trying it myself for a few weeks, I found that it worked for me.  The book by Joe Vitale, Zero Limits, explains Dr. Len’s experiences in a delightful way.  The website is http://www.zerolimits.info/.

You can use this phrase yourself for your mood of depression.

I think it works best when you picture the problem as already resolved, while you repeat the phrase.  See it resolved by picturing yourself happy and carefree, perhaps dancing or walking on a sandy beach.
You can say a phrase of your own choosing.  The exact words are not as important as your
intention to come out of the mood.

So it could go like this:  You see yourself as happy and carefree.  You close your eyes and repeat for several minutes, “I’m sorry.  Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.”

Expect to feel happier, lighter.
How do you feel after repeating the phrase for several minutes?  If it has helped your mood, then add this technique of ho’oponopono to your repertoire of depression dissolvers.

Notes:
The Depression Quiz is paraphrased from the Mayo Clinic.   http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/MH00103_D.  You can go to this website for Mayo Clinic’s online Depression Self-Assessment and to get your own scores.

This article is informative but it cannot replace a doctor’s advice. If you think you might be depressed, please consult a specialist.