Trauma Informed Oregon click here for more… Quoting…
“Trauma Informed Oregon is a statewide collaborative aimed at preventing and ameliorating the impact of adverse experiences on children, adults and families. We work in partnership to promote and sustain trauma informed policies and practices across physical, mental, and behavioral health systems and to disseminate promising strategies to support wellness and resilience.”
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While attending the Lincoln County Mental Health Advisory Committee (MHAC) meeting last week, I could not have been more pleased to receive a copy of the Newport HS Harbor Light Newsletter this last week, entitled “Depression, Anxiety and Mental Illness!” It was equally gratifying and encouraging to see Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) model on the agenda.
Following are quotes from Harbor Light by teachers and students… The newsletter is not yet accessible on a website, so it is my goal to provide a summary, including relevant reference links mentioned in the newsletter. This is an outstanding read and highly recommended!
Samantha Murphy, Advisor Intro…
“The elusive nature of anxiety and depression makes them easy conditions to question and difficult conditions to understand unless you’ve experienced them. They do exist, however. They are real and they are often debilitating.”
Ruby Quintero, Editor Intro…
“All levels of anxiety and depression are very real emotions that all people should be aware of as well as inherit a particular level of sensitivity to.”
Brooke Foiles,”The Weight of Depression.”
“I knew if I went to the doctor I would have to step on the one thing that had been drowning me in depression for so many months…a scale.”
Ruby Quintero, “Less than Good Enough.”
“That extra skin on your stomach, your neck, your legs, your arms, it’s perfect. You are the best you can be and that’s all that matters. Someone is going to come along and appreciate you for who you are and give you the world.”
Hallie Ezzell, “Statistics.”
According to the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness (NAMI): click here for more…
- “One in five children ages 13-18 have or will have a serious mental illness.”
- “50 percent of all lifetime cases of mental illnesses begin by the young age of 14.”
- “About 50 percent of students age 14 and older who struggle with a mental illness drop out of high school.”
- “70 percent of youth that are in state and local juvenile justice systems struggle with a mental illness.”
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): click here for more…
Between 2005 and 2011, children ages 3-17 were diagnosed with:
- “6.8 percent diagnosed with ADHD.”
- “3.5 percent with behaviorial or conduct issue.”
- “3 percent with anxiety.”
- “2.1 percent with depression.”
According to a 2010 report from Youth.gov, (click here for more)
- “49.5 percent of US adolescents met the criteria for a mental health condition.”
- “22.2 percent classified as as exhibiting severe impairment and/or distress.”
Ruben Krueger, “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: A Problem for All.”
“Yet, because depression is not as visible as a bone fracture or heart attack, diagnosis and treatment often remain neglected like a bridge rusting until collapse.”
Anonymous, “Undiagnosed.”
“I guess the message I want to send to parents (teachers, mentors): if your child comes to you for help, please don’t write it off. Try your best so that they can try theirs.”
Sophie Goodwin-Rice, “Freezing Water.”
Above everything else, though, I know that anxiety is real. It isn’t a cry for attention, or just a few choppy waves as you’re sailing through life. It is unexplainable, unpredicatable and undeniable. It’s struggling to keep your head above the freezing water, and always waiting for the wind to calm down again.”
Anonymous, “I Can’t Breath.”
“When I was eight years old, I was raped by my 13-year old brother. Ever since, I haven’t been able to be in the same room alone with a guy. Let alone a guy I didn’t know.”
River Rundell, “Codependency: When You’re Not Helping.”
“One sign you may have a codependent relationship in the works is if your parents or other guardians were in a dysfunctional relationship.”
Luke McCarthy, “Coexisting Conditions: Juggling Burdens.”
“Depression and anxiety, for example, coexist very often. About 85% of people with major depression also have significant anxiety.”
Macy Dexter, “A Look At Teen Suicide.”
“Depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, as well as other mental illnesses (such as anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders) are all found to correlate with suicide across the globe.”
Darius Seah, “Selective Mutism: Living Without a Voice.”
“Selective Mutism, a complex anxiety disorder, typically begins in early childhood. Symptoms include a consistent failure to speaking in a specific social situations, such as presenting in class or at a family gathering.”
Levi Kay, “Adversity Defines You.”
“In total, I spent twelve months on crutches, during the course of my junior year. I had two more surgeries and faced constant serious complications in recovery. As a result of all of this, I became increasingly discouraged and depressed.”
Courtney Saccomano, “When Depression Becomes a Crisis.”
“With depression it can feel like you’re all alone in your head, even though you are surrounded by so many people.”
“People will believe physical pain more than mental. In sharing their story, the Harbor Light hopes to enlighten those who also struggle with these issues and let them know that getting help is nothing to be ashamed of.”
-Ruby Quintero
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For those who suffer from mental health challenges, especially kids, it is not easy to be comfortable with the idea, “It’s okay to not be okay.” As a survivor of childhood and young adult traumatic and toxic home circumstances, it took me six decades as an adult to find a path of healing. What is clear from my own experience and research in these later years is that awareness is the first step in finding a path to recovery and peace of mind. The very best news is to see the policy of “Trauma Informed Schools” become a reality. It is the conversation that starts with children, parents, teachers, and mentors that will end the stigma and break the cycle of never ending pain caused by the silence and silencing of those who suffer from mental illness.
I strongly recommend that parents, teachers, and mentors everywhere take notice of what Oregon State’s and Lincoln County’s Newport High School is doing with mental health outreach by getting a copy of the April 2016, Harbor Light News Magazine, “It’s Okay to not be Okay…” Awareness and education of mental health circumstances and treatment must start early in the life of a child, at home and in school. Don’t let your child take the emotional pain and baggage of depression, anxiety, and mental illness into adulthood.
I extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the teachers and students of Newport High School and the Harbor Light News Magazine for stepping up! You are all heroes for the cause to end mental health illness stigma!
Steve Sparks, Author, Reconciliation: A Son’s Story and My Journey of Healing in Life After Trauma Part 1&2… click the highlighted text for my author page to order books and other stuff…
