FULL LIST: National Depression Screening Day Is Today
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Thursday is National Depression Screening Day, a free opportunity for people to be checked for a mental health issue that millions struggle with.
Shaiheed Days, 28, has struggled with depression since he was a little boy.
"Sadness, you feel stuck. You feel unrelatable. You feel yucky," said Days.
He was taken from his drug-addicted mother, separated from siblings and put in an abusive foster home.
But now he's finally found healthy ways to cope. Days is active with support groups, friends and traveling.
He's also helping others in his job at the Department of Behavioral Health.
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But experts say not enough people are getting the message of hope and healing that people can learn to live with depression and thrive.
"I think there's still some stigma attached to talking about mental health struggles, so some folks think they have to just take it and live with it, and that help and hope couldn't possibly be available, and if it is, it's not something that I can ask for because people might find out," said Dana Careless, a counselor with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability.
Careless says the depressions screenings are private and anonymous and important for people struggling--now with the added pressure that comes from social media.
"People are posting pictures on social media that are airbrushed and photoshopped and filtered and they might be thinking, God, my life looks nothing like that. What if they saw me in my pajamas for the 6th day in a row?" said Careless.
In Philadelphia, the following locations are holding depression screenings Thursday, October 5:
Temple Health System - Temple University Episcopal Campus, 100 E Lehigh Avenue, Fox Conference Room, Philadelphia PA 19125 - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
La Colombe Coffee Roasters - Patio at 100 South Independence Mall (on the corner of 6th and Market Streets), Philadelphia, PA 19106 - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Citizens Acting Together Can Help (CATCH) - 2221 Broad Street, Starbucks, Philadelphia, PA 19145 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
JFK Behavioral Health - 1801 Diamond Street, Church of the Advocates Philadelphia, PA 19121 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Jefferson Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Program (NARP) - 1200 Catherine Avenue, Hawthorne Park, Philadelphia, PA 19147 - 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
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Northeast Community Center - 4670 Roosevelt Boulevard, Chick-fil-A Northeast Tower, Philadelphia PA, 19124 - 10:00 am to 1:00 pm ,
Elwyn - 201 S. 40th Street, Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104 - 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
theVillage - 6517 Chester Avenue, outside of the Preheim Center, Philadelphia, PA 19142 - 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
COMHAR Behavioral Health - 260 W. Lehigh Avenue, Rite Aid Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA 19133 - 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Jefferson Station - Next to Tiffany's Bakery on Market Street between 10th and 12th Streets (enter at 12th and Market Streets), Philadelphia, PA 19107 - 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Belmont Behavioral Health - Aria Jefferson-Health lobby area, 4900 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19124 - 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
People Acting to Help (PATH) - 8220 Castor Avenue, 4th Floor, PATH Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 19152 - 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Silver Springs Martin Luther School - 7208 Germantown Avenue, Silver Springs Community-Based Programs, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
SPIN Inc. - 10980 Norcom Road, SPIN Community and Fitness, Philadelphia, PA 19154 - 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Delaware's Mental Health Association is hosting several days of free depression screenings. All dates are Thursday, October 5 unless otherwise noted. More information on Delaware screenings can be found at http://bit.ly/2xfxWC5
Career Team - 964 Justison St., Wilmington, DE 19801 - 8:00 am to 11:30 am
Mobile Crisis Intervention Services - 700 Main Street, Ellendale, DE 19941 - 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Easter Seals - 22317 duPont Highway, Georgetown, DE 19947 - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Ministry of Caring Hope House I (Friday 10/13) - 1103 W. 8th St., Wilmington, DE 19806 - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Mobile Crisis Unit - 1901 N Dupont Hwy, New Castle, DE 19720 - 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
AIDS Delaware - 100 West 10th Street, Suite 315, Wilmington, DE 19801 - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
La Red Health Center - 21444 Carmean Way, Georgetown, DE 19947 - 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Joseph Patrick Fabber Memorial Foundation - 401 N. Bedford St., Georgetown, DE 19947 - 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Beautiful Gate Outreach - 604 Walnut Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 - 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Neighborhood House INC. - 1218 B Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Brandywine Community Church - 2200 Market St., Wilmington, DE 19802 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Christiana Care - Wimington - 501 West 14th St., Wilmington, DE 19801 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
SODAT - Delaware INC. - 625 N. Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
A.C.E. Peer Resource Center - 20707 Dupont Blvd., Georgetown, DE 19947 - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Partners in Health & Wellbeing - 16394 Samuel Paynter Blvd. #202, Milton, DE 19968 - 10:00 am to 11:00 am and 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Delaware Technical Community College - 21179 College Dr., Georgetown, DE 19947 - 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Partners in Health & Wellbeing - 260 Chapman Rd., Suite 100-B, Newark, DE 19702 - 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Easter Seals- 61 Corporate Circle, New Castle, DE 19720 - 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Goldey Beacom College - 4701 Limestone Road (Thompson Lounge), Wilmington, DE 19808 - 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
North Wilmington Library - (Saturday 10/7) - 3400 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE 19802 - 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
A.C.E. Peer Resource Center (Tuesday 10/10) - 547 N. Bradford Street, Seaford, DE 19973 - 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Newark Senior Center (Wednesday 10/11) - 200 White Chapel Drive, Newark, 19713 - 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Ministry of Caring House of Joseph (Thursday 10/12) - 1328 W. 3rd St., Wilmington, DE 19805 - 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
A state-by-state list for National Depression Screening Day can be found, HERE.
Can't get to a location for National Depression Screening Day? You can take a screening anonymously, HERE.
Several communities in our area are holding free depression screenings on Thursday, October 5, 2017. Some have additional screening days and times as well. You can find out more, HERE.
