Articles Written by those who Work at Gratiot County Community Mental Health
Overcoming Traumatic Events
Heather Bell, Customer Services Representative
As we go through life some experiences give us growth, enlightenment, and push us
beyond what we think we can achieve. However, dire events can occur that have a
traumatic impact on our lives and how we function in our day to day living and the
relationships that we build with others.
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Self-Injurious Behavior: Learning New Ways to Cope
Heather Bell, Customer Services Representative
Many of us deal with overpowering stressors and issues in our lives that require
us to take a deep breath and step away from the situation to refocus. The process
of feeling “in control” may involve self-injurious behaviors as a way to cope with
overwhelming emotional situations; negative or numb emotions, as well as sadness.
Self-injury provides a way to experience some sense of feeling, and an avenue to
relieve stress or pressure.
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Mental Health Emergency Services
By Brandan Snook, Crisis Worker
What is an emergency? We can all agree that a tornado tearing through a populated
area is an emergency. An indiscriminate shooter running through a packed school
building qualifies. But would we find the same kind of consensus about a “mental
health emergency”? For instance, is someone making statements about wanting to die
an emergency? What if that person is holding a sharp knife? Or how about your friend
whose spouse left them a month ago and who hasn’t left the house or spoken to anyone
since; are they having a mental health emergency? Even if we can agree on a definition,
what resources are available to help?
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Mental Health and War
Submitted By Gratiot County Mental Health
As we celebrated our nation’s independence this past month, it is importance to
remember the sacrifices that have been made for our freedom. Since the dawn of our
county, brave citizens, first in the militia and then in the military have put their
lives on the line to secure and protect what most people now take for granted. To
these individuals we owe endless gratitude. Soldiers risk more than just their physical
health in the protection of our country; war has a severe impact on their mental
health as well and it is common for veterans to return from duty needing mental
health assistance.
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Infant Mental Health Program
by Molly A. Minnick, LMSW, IMH-E® (Level III) Infant Mental Health Specialist
The intriguing field of Infant Mental Health focuses on the optimal development
of infants and toddlers within the context of loving and stable relationships with
their caregivers. Central to all infant mental health programs is the notion that
children benefit from a primary relationship that is nurturing, protective and supportive.
Gratiot County Community Mental Health has a long-standing history of providing
strategies for support of the infant ~ parent relationship.
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Suicide: Where’s the Public Reaction?
By: Michael Hetzman, Clinical Director
Perhaps there is no act among the animal kingdom that is so singularly human than
the intentional and voluntary action of taking one’s own life. And, there is probably
no other human behavior that has invoked such a wide range of societal reaction
across time and within different cultures. Depending on where and when an individual
might have lived, reactions include indifference, acceptance, expectation, prosecution
and punishment. Although written about for approximately 4,000 years, it wasn’t
until 1642 that the word, “suicide”, was coined.
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Pine Avenue Place Clubhouse Welcomes Members
By: Kevin Fitzgibbon
In 1948, a small group of people who recently had been discharged from a New York
state psychiatric hospital united to create a group known as "We Are Not Alone (WANA)."
Initially started as a self-help organization, WANA later evolved into the Fountain
House Clubhouse, a highly successful and innovative community based program to assist
people with mental illness to reclaim the lives and aspirations they had lost during
the time of their illness.
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Community Inclusion for People with Disabilities.
By: Susan Poindexter
Every person has hopes and dreams. People with developmental disabilities are no
different. The month of March has been designated as National Developmental Disabilities
Awareness Month to help educate the community about how people with developmental
disabilities such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism can
be vital members of our communities, improving the quality of life for all of us.
Historically, people with developmental disabilities, as well as people from other
diverse groups, have not felt fully included in their community. Through the hard
work of local and state advocacy initiatives, people with developmental disabilities
are becoming included members of the community. There are measures we can take to
further assist inclusion efforts and help recognize the contributions, abilities,
and diversity people with a disability bring to the community
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Eating Disorders Can Be Treated
By: Catherine Hilley
The media places a great deal of emphasis on their ideal of how society should look
and dress which frequently influences inappropriate eating and weight loss behaviors,
especially in young girls and women. Many celebrities experience eating disorders
resulting from pressure to maintain an unrealistic appearance. Research indicates
that 98% of models are thinner than the average American woman; perhaps that is
why 86% of American women are unhappy with their appearance. Individuals who favorably
view the body shapes portrayed and at the same time have a negative image of their
body size are more likely to develop an eating disorder such as Anorexia Nervosa,
Bulimia Nervosa or Binge eating.
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Child and Adolescent Mental Health Problems: What
are the Warning Signs?
Gratiot County Mental Health
Mental health is important because it includes how we think, feel, and act as we
face life’s situations. It is how we look at ourselves, our lives and the people
in our lives. It is how we evaluate options and make choices. Like our physical
health, our mental health is important at every stage of life. Many people experience
mental health problems at some time during their lives. Like adults, children and
adolescents can have mental health problems that interfere with the way they think,
feel, and act. These problems are real, painful and can be severe.
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Recovery Month
Gratiot County Community Mental Health
Many Americans suffer from the reality of an addiction every day. From the outside,
addiction is not always evident in any given individual. Substance abuse is one
of the most severe health and social problems facing our country. In fact, according
to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, one in every
eight Americans has a significant problem with drugs or alcohol.
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Ringing In a Smoke Free New Year
Gratiot County Community Mental Health
As you ring in the New Year, you will be joining millions of others across the country
in making some resolutions. Many of these commitments focus on living a healthier
lifestyle – going to the gym more often, sticking to a better diet, etc. As more
studies surface detailing the negative effects of tobacco smoke, consider kicking
the habit this year.
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The Economy and Its Effects on Mental Health
By Heather Bell
These are challenging economic times for Michigan as well as the rest of the country.
Low and moderate income workers are seeing wages decline or stagnate. While the
costs of basic necessities continue to rise, unemployment rates are higher than
ever, families are losing homes, and food and gas prices are dramatically increasing.
Economic hardship has a profound effect on households and research shows that, on
average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to make
ends meet.
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Gratiot County CMH Participates in Pink Shirt Day to Bring Awareness to Bullying
On October 20, 2010 the employees of Gratiot County Community Mental Health wore
pink to advocate against bullying and enhance awareness of this fast growing trend.
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Bullying:
Heather Bell
With the new school year underway many students are filled with excitement about
making new friends and seeing old ones. For some who are affected by bullies, school
can be a very stressful environment that can limit a child’s ability to learn and
socialize. Bullying doesn’t only happen in school, but also on the school bus, at
a park or playground, at home, or in “cyberspace”.
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Take Positive Actions With Mental Illness Awareness
Gratiot County Community Mental Health
What kind of actions can we take to make our community more inclusive and welcoming
to all kinds of people, including people with mental illness? It’s not as if people
with mental illness are strangers. One in five people can expect to have a diagnosable
mental illness in any given year.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month 2008
By: Heather Bell, Customer Services Representative
Ms. Smith is a wife, mother, local church member, and a successful businesswoman.
She is recognized for her many contributions at work and can be called upon by a
friend or the school PTA to help out in a moments notice. Ms. Smith seems to have
it all; money, family, success, and great achievements, but Ms. Smith has a secret.
She suffers from a mental illness and with the right medication, counseling, and
support group she is able to live out her dreams and her life the way she wants
without being dictated by her illness.
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Parenting
Gratiot County Community Mental Health
We’ve all seen it – a child throwing a fit or kicking and screaming while their
families are out shopping. Most parents have seen their own child behave the same
way from time to time. Yet, it’s common for people to react to this kind of behavior
by blaming the parent. Being a parent isn’t easy, and all parents are bound to make
some mistakes. Different parents use different parenting techniques. Some parents
try to negotiate. Others use “time-out.” Sadly, some parents become so frustrated
and embarrassed by their child’s behavior that they resort to slapping, shaking
or yelling at the child. Some seem to do nothing. However, believing that a child’s
behavior problem is always the result of bad parenting is like believing poor grades
are always the result of an ineffective teacher. Even the best teachers have students
who get poor grades, and even the best parents can have a child with a behavior
problem. The fact is that a behavior problem can be a sign of mental and emotional
problems.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month 2009
By: Heather Bell, Customer Service Representative
To increase awareness and the importance of mental health, the month of May has
been declared Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Illness is an Equal Opportunity
Illness which does not discriminate by age, sex, race or creed. You can be rich,
poor, undereducated, or hold a college degree. Those who may be affected by mental
illnesses are our neighbors, co-workers, family, and friends. Some basic facts about
mental illness include:
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Grief and Loss
By Victor Guajardo
Grief has been defined as, “Keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or
loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret.” It is a person’s emotional and psychological
response to a loss. Losses can range from loss of employment, pets, status, a sense
of safety, order, or possessions, to the loss of loved ones. Our response to loss
is varied and researchers have found that people may not experience grief in an
orderly and predictable series of stages. Emotions may be stronger or deeper than
usual or mixed in ways they have never experienced before. Society now considers
the wide variety of responses that are influenced by personality, family, culture,
and spiritual and religious beliefs and practices as part of influencing grief.
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HOLIDAY BLUES
By: Michael Hetzman
It’s difficult to find a precise reference as to who first identified the correlation
between the onset of the winter holiday season and an increase of depressive symptoms.
However, it has occurred for many years and with enough intensity for almost everyone
to be familiar with the term, “holiday blues”.
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