Benefits of Giving Back

We are highlighting a speech from member and volunteer, Sharon Denton, on why she gives. Sharon and her husband were recently asked to speak on “Why We Give” at the Juneau Community Foundation’s fundraising dinner. Sharon offered her story, one that relates to the giving of time:

Recently my husband told me that when he was young, a teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he replied, “a philanthropist.” I thought I’m sure I didn’t know the meaning of that work when I was young. When I was asked to give this speech, I looked up philanthropy, and found that it’s a Greek word when translated means “love of mankind.” It’s an idea, event, or action that usually involves sacrifice as opposed to being done for a profit motive. It frequently involves giving money or time to change a societal problem.

 

Eleven years ago I began a bipolar journey that resulted in being severely depressed and unable to do anything. The only thing that would bring me from the deepest depths was to take a walk with a friend who did all the talking or do something helpful for family or friends. I distinctly remember the time I helped a friend wrap moose meat. My addled brain could not remember the simple steps of folding the butcher paper. So she gave me the job of writing MB, moose burger, on each package. When I walked home, my mind began to lift a little, and I eventually came out of that depression.

Research shows that giving your time to others results in the release of “feel good” hormones. Other benefits are lowering your blood pressure, giving you a purpose, and living longer.

 

I am forever grateful to NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) and the support it provides to people and families affected by mental illness. I’m now able to give back through my time and my donations, and in the process I’m made stronger mentally.

Interested in giving your time to NAMI Juneau? Learn about volunteer opportunities here.

Mental Illness Awareness Week 2017

Each year, National Mental Illness Awareness Week is recognized during the first full week of October. You can help kick off the week by joining us at the Hasty Half Marathon/Extra Tough 5K & 1 Mile on Sunday, October 1st. Or you can close the week with a new four-hour seminar for family and friends on October 7th. Both events help raise awareness and provide an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing mental illness.

Did you know that 1 in 5 youth and adults in the United States experience mental health challenges in a given year? People experiencing symptoms for the first time can be scared, angry, confused. Identifying what is going on and intervening during the early stages of mental illness can make a world of difference in a person’s life.

During National Mental Illness Awareness Week, we want to share ways to let people know they are not alone if they should happen to find their world suddenly turning sideways.

How can you help?

1. Tell your story. If you have a story about living with mental health issues, work on it and share it on a blog, an online forum or a letter to the editor. You may not be ready to share it publicly, but perhaps you’re willing to share with a friend or family member.
2. Educate yourself. Increase your understanding of what mental illness is and feels like. The National Institute of Mental Health, NAMI, and Teen Mental Health are great resources.
3. Spread the word. This can be done in conjunction with telling your story. Or, it can be sharing posts or re-posts on the social media platform of your choice. Be sure to use the hashtags #miaw and #IAmStigmaFree. Want to do more? Host a movie night or book club with a mental health theme.
4. Get involved. In Juneau, for example, NAMI Juneau’s annual Extra Tough 5K/1 mile walk is partnering with the Hasty Half Marathon on October 1st. Learn more here
5. Become a member of NAMI or donate to an organization of your choice that is making a difference in the lives of those living with mental illness.

For those who of us living with mental health challenges, Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) may be like any other week. Perhaps you’re doing well in managing your illness, or perhaps you’re struggling with unwanted symptoms or medication side effects. If you or someone you know is struggling, there are things you can do to help yourself, a friend, or loved one.

Make a list of things you can do to help yourself feel better, or try some of these suggestions:

1. Check in with your mental health provider.
2. Talk to a friend or a loved one.
3. Take a walk.
4. Take a long hot bath.
5. Write a list of the things you are grateful for, right now.
6. Volunteer.
7. Practice mindfulness for a set time.
8. Read a good book.
9. Watch an inspiring movie.
10. Visit the animal shelter and play with a puppy or kitten.

This list will be personal and should include things you can do right now and come back to again and again.

NAMI has great resources to get involved during this time. The NAMI site says, “If you or someone you know may need a mental health assessment, anonymous online tools are available. For National Depression Screening Day on Oct. 5, you can get a free mental health screening at HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org.”

The important thing is to take care of yourself and to support your friends and loved ones, not just during Mental Illness Awareness Week, but all year round.

Peace,

Alonzo Rumfelt

Outreach Coordinator, NAMI Juneau

New School Year

A new school year is just around the corner. For many, this is an exciting time marked by back-to-school shopping and anticipation for the first day. But for some kids, the transition is difficult and going back to school can feel worrisome, even overwhelming.

This may be especially true for children and youth with behavioral and learning disorders or emerging mental health needs. Navigating a new class, new peers, and a new routine may trigger additional anxiety.

Take it from me. I had to find ways to deal with the struggles which took place both at home and in my own head while being expected to learn and adapt to a new classroom each year. Most of my coping strategies were neither acceptable nor tolerated at school.

I was often seen as the problem child who for my deviance was made to stand with my nose in a circle on the chalkboard or to sit in a corner with my desk facing a blank wall. Even though these measures calmed me in the moment, they didn’t get to the underlying root. I still had to deal with my overactive mind, so I continued to “act out” and frustrate teachers and other adults in my life. In high school, this escalated and my “disruptive behavior” led to detention and in-school suspensions.

Schools vary in how well they are equipped to support students who have special needs and few have a comprehensive approach to mental health and education. However, we have come a long way since my school years and I like to think I would be given more support as a student today. Most mental health professionals would agree that addressing a child’s behavioral and mental health needs early on leads to better outcomes emotionally, socially and academically. I completely agree.

In the spirit of the upcoming school year, here are a few resources for both families and educators related to school-aged children and mental health:

Association for Children’s Mental Health: Navigating Problems at School

Center for Parent Information & Resources: The Short-and-Sweet IEP Overview

Lives in the Balance: Collaborative & Proactive Solutions

Child-Mind Institute

NAMI: Learning to Help Your Child and Your Family

Have a great year!

Alonzo

NAMICon 2017

During the annual NAMI Convention in July, I attended a helpful session called Brilliantly Battling Burnout. The presenters each discussed a different aspect of why burnout happens, how to tell if you’re experiencing burnout, and what you can do about it.

Burnout can happen for many reasons, but the main reason is doing more than you have the energy (physical, emotional, financial) to do. Overreaching. This is easy to do in the world of caring professions. Much to do and few to do it. Danielle Knudson, one of the presenters, said, “We look at burnout as a response to chronic interpersonal stress.” Burnout doesn’t make you a bad caregiver or a bad provider. Burnout is simply stress. We all have stress and it can be worked through.

Burnout can make us physically sick. There are different dimensions, with the presenters focusing on exhaustion, cynicism, inefficacy. A list of the symptoms was provided, including irritability, cynicism, depression and low job satisfaction. It is a type of overlap of compassion fatigue and secondary post-traumatic stress. Eventually, all of this can lead to a disconnect and withdrawal if not treated.

One can probably figure out if they are burned out just by paying attention to the body, but the presenters had screening tools: the Zarit Burden Inventory for caregivers; and the Maslach Burnout Inventory for providers. These were distributed, filled out and self-graded with instructions from the presenters. Assessments help grade stress and burnout because how stress presents itself may vary from person to person. The score gave a pretty clear indication of whether a person is experiencing burnout and how severe it is.

Having compassion for yourself is key to keeping burnout at bay. An important part of prevention and treatment is self-care. Studies have shown that Cognitive Behavior Therapy and mindfulness have also been shown to be effective for compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary post-traumatic stress.

Finally, among other things, a type of meditation was put forth to assist a person in burnout. It was called Metta. It is the practice of giving away loving kindness or compassion, beginning with the self. If you would like to learn more, an audio recording of this workshop is available at the NAMI Juneau office.

 

All the best,

Alonzo