6 minute read

Emotional overload

overLoaD: Emotional

living With a mood disorder

– Haley Winterberg, Teacher Prep at Phoenix College ‘10

“In my life, I have been surrounded by mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. I just thought it was all a part of life. Several people in my family have mental illness. Also, two of my aunts were heavily using drugs throughout my childhood. I grew up in a very risky situation with domestic violence. Due to this my mother and I became homeless on a couple of occasions. All of this has had a big impact on the person I have become. Even though I had all of that dysfunction going on, I made school my top propriety and my safe place. Because school was one of the only good things I had, I got excellent grades. I skipped fourth and sixth grade. I was in Girl Scouts and cheerleading, and played soccer just to escape from my life at home. With me doing so good in school I never expected I could do something to change that. Before I was diagnosed as bipolar, I would notice that some days I could sleep all day long and other days I would stay up all night to clean my house spotless. However, I didn’t really see this as any sort of issue; I thought it was totally normal. About a year before being diagnosed things got worse. I started ditching school and doing drugs, and I got involved with gangs. I was in a downward spiral, but I thought it was all normal. One day in eighth grade, I kicked a substitute teacher. As a result, the school considered expelling me. This was my rock bottom. The thought of being kicked out of school made me suicidal and I told my mother this. Shortly after, I found myself at children’s hospital behavioral health unit. I was there a week, during which time I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and I thought that was it, that I was crazy and that was all I’d ever be. Once I was diagnosed, I lost several close friends because of the stigma around mental illness. People actually thought that there was no hope, so I began to think that to. It took about six months and then I realized that I wasn’t crazy. I realized that I have a mental illness and that I can get better. Even though bipolar disorder doesn’t have a cure, I found out that with the right treatment and coping skills, I could be just like everyone else. I’d just have to do some things a little bit differently. I began getting active in the community. I joined NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and through that organization I started public speaking. I now am a member of three youth groups: MY LIFE (Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment), Ground Zero and Arizona Youth Advisory Council. All of this has helped me get my voice out there and try to reduce the stigma about mental illness for other youth. I have found that there is hope, and now know that having a mental illness is no different than someone having diabetes except that mental illness affects the brain.” Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment (MY LIFE)

is made up of youth, ages of 13 to 23, who have experience with mental health, substance abuse and/or foster carerelated issues. The group gives youth an opportunity to use their experience, talents and voice to make positive changes in their lives, while helping others to do the same.

Recently, the members of MY LIFE came together with the Arizona Department of Health Services/Division of Behavioral Health Services and Casey Family Programs, as well as a multitude of community sponsors, performers, musicians and corporate organizations to carry out MY FEST – a youthrun music, art, entertainment and youth involvement festival. In total, the event played host to more than 1,200 attendees and 58 different exhibitors.

For more information on MY LIFE, visit MagellanOfAZ.com.

by the numbers:

each year, nearly 20,000 teens in arizona

attempt suicide. (Teen Lifeline of Arizona) symptoms of bipolar disorder include dramatic mood swings, from overly “high” to sad and hopeless, often with periods of normalcy in between.

(National Institute of Mental Health)

at least one in five children and adolescents has a mental health issue, difficulty or challenge. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

about 5.7 million american adults,

STRESS:YOUR BODY’S GIFT TO YOU

ELIZA COLLINS, ARCADIA ‘10

You have tryouts all this week, your research paper is due tomorrow, you have a math test Tuesday, and you’re fighting with your best friend-- the world seems like it’s crashing down. At some point during the year, even multiple points, this scenario will ring true. You are stressed beyond belief, but with a few simple stress management tips you can learn to transform that stress into a positive motivator to push you through the rough patch.

Look “stress” up in the dictionary and you will find it’s “a specific response by the body to a stimulus, such as fear or pain, which disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism.” However, to any normal human it can be defined in one word: awful. Your body releases adrenaline which can cause rapid breathing, high blood pressure, upset stomach, and in serious cases, a temporary mental paralysis, such as loss of thought, confusion or a panic attack.

With so many difficult symptoms, you may ask how stress can possibly help. The truth is stress is a good thing in a misleading package. Stress is your body’s response to a certain upcoming event; it’s your way of preparing yourself to take on whatever comes your way. If you can learn to control it, stress can actually help you get through the event with ease.

Stress can be caused by the unknown. For example, not knowing what will be on your math test Friday causes you to freak out and study the wrong material, or in some cases not to study at all. However, if you ask for help, such as asking the teacher what exactly you should study, you can minimize the unknown therefore decreasing your stress. If you do your research on whatever event is coming your way, you’ll be prepared and will be able to accomplish more.

Being aware of your thought process is another great tool for managing stress. Don’t think negatively because these thoughts will psych you out and increase your chances of failure. For example, if before tryouts you think “what if I trip and fall?” at the actual tryout you’ll be a lot more likely to trip.

The last and probably most important trick in managing your stress is to take care of yourself. Hunger, fatigue, and idleness can all increase your stress level. Make sure to eat right, get plenty of sleep, and exercise daily in order to stay focused to accomplish your goals.

Stress is something that will be around for the rest of your life, you might as well learn to compromise. Managing your stress will not only decrease it, it will allow you to use the focus and energy to propel you through the upcoming storm. If you have trouble managing your stress, and notice stomachache or headaches, drowsiness, sour moods, panic attacks, eating issues, or feel the need to turn to alcohol and drugs, please call Banner Behavioral Hotline 602-254-Help or Teen Lifeline 602-248-TEEN for help.

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