Woman’s Voice: The Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is a diverse group of dedicated community members united around the goal of reducing substance use in Lenawee County. LSAPC members work collaboratively to engage and educate the community in order to promote a healthy Lenawee.
Kathy Williams: This is Kathy Williams. And with me on tonight’s program is Madeline DeMarco, and she’s with Lenawee Community Mental Health along with the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition.
Madeline DeMarco: Perfect.
Kathy Williams: And we’re going to talk about, you know, special things that kind of happen a little bit stronger over the holidays with our mental health. Last year and a half’s been hard, a lot more people have had, you know, more issues than usual. And yet, there is an uptick of problems during the holidays. Madeline, let’s just talk about how we can see differences in ourselves and in others that will show us that there may be some depression issues going on. So, what kind of signs should we look for?
Madeline DeMarco: Yeah. Well, first of all, thank you for having me, Kathy, I’m happy to be here. Like you mentioned, the holiday season is kind of known for being this joyful time for many of us, but like you were saying, especially during the past year and a half, it’s been tough. Many of us have lost folks and without our normal support systems, we’ve been seeing an increase in mental health, increase in rates of suicide and depression, things like that, and that’s especially true for those of us recovering from a substance use disorder. And so we’re really here to talk about this and the importance of mental health and remind folks that help is available, you’re not alone in these feelings, and to help raise awareness of some of the signs and symptoms that you can look out for in your friends and family, and even in yourself so that you know how to help offer the support that folks need. So like you were asking, some of the signs of depression that we can look out for are things like irritability; difficulty sleeping, or maybe sleeping more than usual – so, changes in your normal sleep patterns; feelings of hopelessness, kind of those holiday blues, if you will, just kind of feeling down, not yourself; as well as difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions: really looking out for things that are out of the ordinary for yourself or for your loved ones.
Kathy Williams: And self-talk becomes so important to be able to say: “Wait a minute, this is not how I usually function. What is going on?” and then being able to understand that there is so much help out there. And so, stopping that hesitancy to ask for help, I think is a big thing for a lot of people, especially like you said, if they’re already dealing with a substance abuse issue. Where do we channel that? Where do we direct people?
Madeline DeMarco: So, there’s a ton of resources nationally, and even here in Lenawee County. And so a good first place to reach out to is Lenawee Community Mental Health Authority. We have our normal, you know, kind of 8:30 to 5:00 business hours, but we also have a crisis line that’s available 24/7 – so, every day, all day. And you can reach that number by calling (800) 664-5005. And there’s also a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. So if you, or someone that you know, is having suicidal thoughts, you can call this number to get connected with someone that can offer some supports. And that number is (800) 273-TALK, also 1-(800) 273-8255.
Kathy Williams: Well so, you know, some things that we can do for ourselves or to help our family members and friends with the courses to make some physical, emotional, and mental health, a priority in our own lives. And what are some great ideas to help us tip the scales maybe?
Madeline DeMarco: Yeah, so there’s some really great things that you can do just in your own everyday life to make sure that you’re setting yourself up to be as healthy as you can be, just like we do with our physical health, and a lot of these things are similar. So, you know, eating healthy, making sure that you’re getting healthy foods and not just eating Christmas cookies at this time of year.
Kathy Williams: Yep.
Madeline DeMarco: Making sure that you’re getting enough sleep; making sure that you’re taking the time to relax and do things you enjoy. This can be a hard time of year because there’s so many things going on. So many holiday parties and gatherings and events, and we feel like we want to do all of them, but it’s really okay to say “no” and take a break because always being on the go can be tough if we don’t make time to listen to our bodies and take care of ourselves,
Kathy Williams: Take that down time. It’s precious.
Madeline DeMarco: Yes, as well as those breaks from social media and the news. We know that those things aren’t always great for our mental health as well. So instead of maybe, you know, opening up Facebook or Instagram, try calling a friend that you haven’t talked to in a long time, really connecting with those loved ones.
Kathy Williams: There you go, those are some great ideas. Madeline, we just want to remind people again that they can connect with the Facebook page.
Madeline DeMarco: Correct. Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition has a Facebook page. You can reach us at LenaweeVsAddiction or on our website, which is www.DrugPreventionLenawee.com. And we’ll be featuring some holiday mental health tips throughout the month of December. So you can learn more there.
Kathy Williams: Thanks so much, Madeline.
Madeline DeMarco: Thank you for having me.
Woman’s Voice: Thank you for listening. This information has been provided by the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Supported by funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration. New messages air on the first and third Monday of each month at 6:15 p.m. You can listen to this program as a podcast under the audio tab on WLEN.com and listen and gather more information at DrugPreventionLenawee.com.
