from touchstone mental health
Kind Words Volume 8 Issue 3 FALL 2008
Seasonal Changes By Mary Penick, Development Director
Seasonal Changes
1
Pilot Program Launched
2
Staff Presentations
2
Creativity In Focus
3
It’s easy to find beauty in the changing seasons. Amazing colors as the leaves turn. Blankets of freshly fallen snow. And the sights and sounds of migrating birds as they make their way south. Yet with this beauty comes other, less desirable, changes that impact the health and well-being of many Minnesotans; especially during the fall and winter months.
Consumers’ Wish List
3
Increased Stress
Adult Foster Care Homes
4
Fall brings several changes. School resumes, afterschool sports and other extra-curricular activities are in full swing, and holiday planning begins. Busy schedules, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, and a decrease in physical (outdoor) activities are common.
Inside this issue
Creating A Healing Environment 4 Open House
4
Donors 2008
5
Photography Club
5
What’s New
5
I Want To Inspire
5
Mission And Vision
6
Recovery Starts With Hope
6
As winter settles in, slippery commutes to work and holiday gatherings, further decreases in physical activity, and holiday vacations can contribute to increased stress. Individuals with limited social supports often feel an increased sense of isolation and loneliness during this time, leading to what some refer to as the “holiday blues”.
Decreased Day Length Each day, Minnesota enjoys more than 15 hours of daylight throughout the month of July. By December, the sun will rise and set each day in under 9 hours. It has been widely accepted that reductions in the amount of daylight contributes to conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and further work is being done to study the impact decreased sunlight has on physical health. In Readings in Humanistic Psychiatry: An Emerging Model of Mental Illness, Kevin Turnquist, M.D., writes,
2 8 2 9 u n iv e r s i t y av e n u e s e suite 400 minneapolis mn 55414-3230
“Our emotions can be influenced by rhythms and cycles that we are only dimly aware of.
The biological tendency towards inactivity as winter sets in or to become more energetic with the sunny days of spring can go awry. Many people become depressed in the fall, as day lengths shorten. The increased incidence of mania in the springtime is a well recognized phenomenon.” http://www.kevinturnquist.org/emergingmodel.php
Essentially, it is thought that a person’s internal clock changes as the seasons change. In the fall and winter months, this can result in changes in physical and mental health as bodies adjust to the decrease in sunlight. While many people experience physical and emotional changes, fall and winter months are especially difficult for individuals living with serious mental illness. Stress, feelings of anxiety and other mental health symptoms may be heightened. Medication and mental health coping skills become crucial as routines change. Still, beauty can be found in the changing seasons. As members of our Photography Club found, winter is a great time to capture images of wintering eagles and swans. And throughout Touchstone Mental Health’s programs, persons with mental illness learn and practice coping and other skills needed to manage mental health symptoms. Touchstone’s model of building community supports provides opportunities for people to come together; reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness. Physical activities like yoga, walking clubs and other events; and the use of integrative (healing) services also help to reduce stress. While seasonal changes can be challenging, the seasons can also be a time of beauty and joy.