Champions of Radical Change with Connections Wellness Group

CHAMPIONS Of RadicalCHANGE

by Steve Gamel

We’ve all had that family member or friend who struggled with mental health problems growing up. We were always there for them to offer support, but we couldn’t help but notice other people looking at them differently. They categorized them as weird, shamed them for asking for help, showed a lack of patience, and perhaps even told them to “just get over it.”

The team at Connections Wellness Group knows there is a stigma surrounding mental health, from depression and anxiety to thoughts of suicide, etc. — and it’s preventing more children and adults from getting the help they need.

“Mental health impacts people of all ages, whether they be 6 years old or 70 years old,” said Amber Gould, the Chair for the Champions of Radical Change Committee. “With school starting and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to be able to help everyone in the community at any stage in their life.”

She added, “We want to make it easier for people to ask for help and 100% know it is okay to do so.”

No one does that better than Connections Wellness Group. While they consistently deliver a full wellness model for their patients, their bread and butter is being champions for radical change when it comes to kicking the stigma on mental health. Dr. Syed Nizami, a child and adolescent psychologist and the medical director for the PHP and IOP programs, said the first key is getting to individuals at an earlier age. We live in a comparison culture, and children as young as 4 and 5 years old face everything from bullying to simply not fitting in and difficulties at home.

As they get older, eating disorders, social media, school, and other issues make managing their issues more challenging.

Connections Wellness has services that assist patients as young as 3 years old. Connections also offers 4-hour programs per day for teens and adults in a packaged approach: Process groups, psycho-educational groups, experiential groups, psychiatric evaluations, nursing evaluations, and medication education. Their therapies include cognitivebehavioral, solution-focused, dialectical behavior, motivational interviewing, cognitive processing, rational emotive behavior, SMART recovery, and many other services depending on the need.

“I was seeing adults and looking into their history to find that a lot of their issues started when they were children,” Nizami said. “Those issues were never addressed, and you wonder, ‘Why didn’t they get help sooner?’ If we can work with someone sooner, we can change the trajectory of their life.”

Tiffany Godwin, the team’s dietician, also stressed the importance of nutrition.

“There are people I talk to who only eat once a day because that’s all they can handle,” Godwin said. “They are dealing with body image issues and eating disorders. You don’t have to be scared to come to talk to us about those things.”

Gould agreed.

“I had family, friends, and even myself who grew up dealing with various issues, and it’s interesting how you’re automatically thrown into situations where you’re told to just get over it,” Gould said. “That’s not something you just get over. It’s something you must keep working on and get help for. We want to help as many people as we can.”

Your Uniqueness IS NEVER A Weakness

by Diane M. Ciarloni

photos of Haleigh by Sheldon Smith and photo of Haleigh with Christian Liberty School cheerleader courtesy of the Hurst Family

Haleigh Ryan Hurst, a 17-year-old senior at Liberty Christian School in Denton, is familiar with challenges. She lives in a small town between Denton and Decatur. Actually, it’s a very small town. But its geographical limitations do nothing to restrict Haleigh’s dreams, which are big. Actually, they are VERY big.

Haleigh is beautiful, talented, smart, “I was different, and kids don’t know how crowned the winner of multiple beauty to deal with different,” says Haleigh. “But I pageants, and out-going with a full circle was really different! I was 5’10” in the sixth of friends. Life sounds idyllic for her, but grade and wore a size 10 sneaker in the that wasn’t always the case. fourth grade. My hair was curly, and I was She was bullied and taunted in school about her teeth that “bucked” over her unbelievably clumsy. And don’t forget the speech impediment.” bottom lip. Braces pulled them back into Haleigh hated her differences. She perfect alignment, but that did nothing was called names, made fun of and, for her severe speech sometimes, things impediment. She could not master the She was called even became physical, such as the instances pronunciation of the letter “r” and, on top of names, made fun when she was shoved into lockers. She that, she suffered a lisp of and, sometimes, couldn’t help but that made her speech sound something like things even became wonder why God made her so different the babble of a physical... and allowed her to pre-schooler. feel so worthless.

Kids are often cruel. It’s not always pre-meditated, but that doesn’t change the pain and the humiliation. The unpleasantness was overwhelming at times. But something inside Haleigh continued dreaming.

Haleigh’s parents bought 90 acres of land along with some horses. This would make most kids think they’d been transported to heaven, but Haleigh and her older brother....well....they just weren’t interested in the horse world. Instead, Haleigh, the tall, clumsy kid with the lisp, had turned her head toward beauty pageants. How? Why?

“I don’t know,” sighs Sara, Haleigh’s mother. “I hate to say this, but I think she may have watched Tots and Tiaras on television. I refer to that as a “bling” pageant, and we weren’t going to allow that. I thought if I let her be in one pageant, it would be enough, and she’d move on to something else. I was wrong.”

Haleigh began competing in what are called “natural” pageants, no make-up allowed until 13. A judge spoke with her after one pageant and said the only thing he found “wrong” with her was her inability to communicate easily because of her speech problem. She told her mom and dad that she wanted to fix it.

The speech therapist they visited told them it would require two years to correct Haleigh’s speech patterns. Haleigh did it in six months. Today, there is no trace of that problem.

Life moved on for Haleigh. Dance and cheerleading became two more passions, eventually becoming captain of her cheering team. Volunteering at Christian charities was another. She also added working with children to the list, along with writing. She’s never forgotten the harsh, hurtful words thrown at her during the days of bullying. There were no books, then or now, that gave her hope, so she sat down and wrote and published her own, titled Shine Your Light. Don’t tell Haleigh “words will never hurt you” because she knows they do hurt – badly. That’s why she decided to use words for good and for healing.

Haleigh is a member of seven clubs at school, is president of her class, and makes straight A’s. She doesn’t date a great deal because, really, there just isn’t time. She believes strongly that pageants, which she began at the age of nine, helped make her a stronger, better, more confident person. The competitions have even deepened her faith in God, teaching her to wait for his timing as to whether or

“Do not give someone power over your life,” she says. “Stand up! Use your voice to impact those around you! Use your words to spread encouragement. Your differences should never be a weakness.”

not she won. Sometimes, she left without a crown.

Haleigh’s most recent pageant accomplishment is the Miss High School America Pageant, a national event she qualified for by winning her state title. She competed against girls from every state and territory in the United States.

Her pageant success allows Haleigh to engage in public speaking at schools and various organizations. In turn, it provides her a pulpit for spreading her antibullying message.

“Do not give someone power over your life,” she says. “Stand up! Use your voice to impact those around you! Use your words to spread encouragement. Your differences should never be a weakness.”

8tips on HOW TO CHOOSE a local Primary Care doctor by Steve Gamel

Finding the right primary care doctor can be extremely overwhelming, especially if you haven’t found the right one or have moved and don’t know where to begin. But there’s no denying that you need one. This is the one doctor who is supposed to know you the best. They should know your medical history inside and out as well as your lifestyle, personality, and where to send you if they can’t help. If you’re with them long enough, you will develop an uncanny level of trust.

Basically, choosing the right primary care doctor is the most important health decision you could ever make. So if you’re in the market for one, where do you start? How do you narrow your search? Start with these 10 tips: But a referral is a great place to start and

Ask for referrals

Perhaps there is no better stamp of approval than a referral from a friend, family member, coworker, or even another healthcare professional. Anyone who has from wait times to the quality of the office staff and the doctor’s bedside manner. This doesn’t guarantee that you and that primary care doctor will be a good match.

been a patient can fill you in on everything will help you proceed with confidence.

Look at where their office is

You could get five or six quality referrals from friends and family, but make sure they are all close to where you live or work. People tend to visit their primary care doctor more than any other medical professional, so if possible, seek out convenient options.

Check which insurance they accept

Just like no two doctors are the same, not every doctor’s office is structured the same in terms of what types of insurance they take. Obviously, you will pay less out of pocket with an in-network doctor, so do your research or even call the office and ask the front desk. This will help you avoid any surprises.

Look at hospital affiliations

To piggyback off the previous tip, it’s important to know which hospitals the doctor uses. While the doctor accepts your insurance, the hospital may not.

You may also not feel comfortable at that particular hospital should the need arise. Knowing this will help narrow down your search.

Conduct online research

In today’s age of social media, you don’t have to rely solely on friends and family to point you in the right direction. Search reviews on Yelp and Facebook or on the doctor’s website to see what other patients have to say. You can also see if the doctor has written anything that’s been published or if they have a professional bio online.

Pay the doctor a visit

If you’ve checked off every box above, now is a great time to drop in or schedule

a meet and greet with the doctor and his or her nurses. This will give you the chance to see with your own eyes how the facility is operated, how long you have to wait, how busy the doctor typically is, and if your personalties match. Compatibility is huge; your local primary doctor and his or her staff should put you at ease when in their presence.

Research accessibility

Many doctor’s offices nowadays are going beyond the typical 9-5 shift to provide evening and weekend appointments. This may be a deciding factor for you if you work long hours and can only get in during odd hours.

Working as a team

Rather than dictate a set of instructions with every visit, your primary care doctor should want you to be just as much a part of the treatment program as they are. They should encourage questions, listen more than they talk, and when they do speak, do so in language that you can understand.

What did we leave off? Do you have any tips for your fellow neighbor when it comes to choosing a quality primary care doctor? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you.