Life is More of a Rollercoaster than a Highway

I don’t know about you, but to me, it seems like life is either going 100 miles per hour or dragging along at 2 miles per hour. Before I started school, I had so much free time that I didn’t know what to do with it all. I had time for hobbies. I went to a watercolor class. I read lots of books. I wrote. I took my dogs to the dog park. I walked along the bike path. I got bored.

In the span of three weeks, I have gone from having extra hours in my day to needing extra hours in my day. I have found myself working from the moment I wake up until long after I should have gone to bed. I love learning, but I forgot how much time and hard work it requires. I am finding time management skills I never thought I had.

As I write this, I am struck by the thought that no matter how much or how little we have on our plates, it’s important to take “mental health breaks” from our day. It’s important to not get overwhelmed by our busy days or allow our mind to go numb on slow days. My mental health breaks have kept me on track and allowed me to step away from my stress for a moment long enough to breathe a sigh of relief and examine what I have accomplished.

--Brittany Schumann,
Suicide Prevention

Walk 4 Wellness

My coworkers and I are a little tired of the cold gloomy weather so we are only talking about summer now...specifically August.

Tentatively planned for Saturday August 22nd from 9am -1pm will be Mental Health America of Licking County's First Annual Walk 4 Wellness.

What is a Walk 4 Wellness you ask? Well, as of right now we are having a 2 mile walk and a 5k jog simultaneously (going different directions). Exercise is good for your physical and mental health, and so is having a dog! That is why Mental Health America is teaming with Angel Paws Animal Assisted Therapy Group to put this on. Angel Paws is a non profit organization in Newark that uses animal therapy in hospital and nursing home facilities. They also do a program called Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D. ©) that helps kids learn to read. To learn more about Angel Paws, go to http://www.angelpawstherapy.org/ Details are still in the works so be on the lookout for additional information.

Registration and payment options will be set up on our website. After payment and registration, you will receive an envelope in that mail to help collect sponsor donations if you choose. It’s $20 to register before August 15th and includes a free t-shirt. After August 15th it is $25 to register. Proceeds Benefit Mental Health America of Licking County and Angel Paws.

Bring Your Dog! We hope the Walk 4 Wellness makes you feel this happy:

--Anna Hagley

Leave the Decisions to the Rodents...?

Surprise, surprise, we have six more weeks of winter. Who had the idea of leaving the determination of the coldest season of the year up to a rodent? Especially one named Phil! This winter, we have had to dig ourselves out of the mounds of snow the clouds have dropped on us, much like a groundhog digs out of his burrow, and the abundance of post-holiday snow has not improved my mood.

My saving grace has been my camera and my new puppy. Rufus is an energetic mixed dog we got from a rescue group. Helping an animal in need did help brighten my mood. It made me feel so much better as I looked out at the dreary grey days outside to have a squirming puppy licking me and cuddling me as close as he could get. Helping those around you who are in need can help lighten your mood when you are feeling down, whether they are of the two-legged or four-legged variety.

In the winter, my house can get pretty dark. Our house is nestled at the bottom of a valley, which shortens the length of daylight I get even more than winter does. So I have to take my dogs outside to take pictures of them since the indoor lighting is poor. Getting outside requires layers upon layers of clothing, but as soon as I am outside taking photographs of my dogs running and jumping and playing in the snow, I find myself laughing. And by the time our play session is over and we come inside, I am ready for a nap.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression; it is also called the winter blues or winter depression. SAD occurs when a person suffers from depressive symptoms during the months of winter. Seasonal Affective Disorder is thought to be caused by a person’s reduced exposure to sunlight due to the shortened (and cold) days of winter. Cloud cover can increase the symptoms by reducing exposure to sunlight even more. Symptoms of SAD include eating too much or too little, sleeping too much or too little, feeling hopeless or helpless, and a decrease in energy level. There are treatment options available for SAD, which includes light therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and medications. For light therapy, a person is exposed to a bright light, usually coming from a device called a light box. If you would like more information on Seasonal Affective Disorder, please do not hesitate to call (740-522-1341) or email (prevention@mhalc.org) us here at MHALC. We would be happy to hear from you and help you!

The good news is that the bulk of winter is behind us and spring is on its way. At least I hope so. It’s Ohio, so it very well may snow in June. Who knows?

--Brittany Schumann
Suicide Prevention Coordinator