I got a another letter addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Helen Lin. Where is this deadbeat husband of mine?! He's not contributing to the housework! He's not helping me with my homework!

In an effort of relieve boredom, I subjected myself to a depression screening at the Psychological Services and Research Center (PSRC) on the UH campus. I had to sort of fake my way through the interview with the clinician, which was a pretty interesting experience. I definitely have to do more spontaneous, maniacal things like this!

On a more serious note, October is National Depression Awareness Month. Many clinics do free screenings this month, so if you've noticed any symptoms of depression in yourself or in your loved ones, I encourage you to pay a visit to find out more. At my screening, I filled out a short questionnaire (assessing to what degree I experienced signs of depression), watched a short 15-minute video (depicting various depression patients), and then, I had a talk with the clinician.

She noted that I, uh, didn't really seem to be exhibiting any signs of depression, based on my questionnaire.

I explained to her that I hadn't been depressed since I decided on my major. I told her about the rather long periods of time where I'd been very depressed and anxious. To be totally truthful, this screening had very little purpose other than allowing me to admit I was, on occasion, a sufferer of depression. I don't think I've ever actually admitted it to anyone, even to myself. I didn't really have any questions to ask the poor clinician, since I've read tons of things on depression and have written an essay as well.

One nice thing that did come from all this is that I got to talk to someone who actually majored in psychology, and therefore, I have a bit more knowledge on what I can expect if I decide to take that route. I also found out that there are research opportunities available to students, and that is something I'm really interested in working on. All in all, I had a pretty good experience. Everyone should go!

Must have 5 to reach Hash Brown Goal: (two)

Helen