Consumer Advisory Council Newsletter

Fix Stamp Here

P.O. Box 1927 Louisville, KY 40201-1927

Eight Dimensions of Wellness A Holistic Guide to Whole-Person Wellness

By Wellspring’s Consumer Advisory Council The Consumer Advisory Council members celebrate Wellness Week by sharing their thoughts on what the eight dimensions of wellness mean to them.

For more information on the eight dimensions go to www.samhsa.gov

OCCUPATIONAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

EMOTIONAL SOCIAL Consumer Advisory Council Mission: To be a strong voice for Wellspring consumers who want to take an active role in advancing the Wellspring mission and shaping the programs and services that support their recovery.

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

PHYSICAL FINANCIAL INTELLECTUAL

Left to Right: Danielle Brown, Jan Massey, Nick Grubesic, Ben Jaggers, Lenny Lyles, Karen Russ. Not pictured: Anita Dorsey.

Thank you to all of Wellspring’s Consumer Advisory Council members for their dedication and efforts towards achieving Wellspring’s mission.

SPIRITUAL

The Consumer Advisory Council is a six member team that meets monthly to discuss consumer concerns and initiatives and make recommendations. All members are either current or past consumers of Wellspring’s programs/housing.

Danielle Intellectual Wellness

Jan Physical Wellness

Jan Social Wellness

It is important in my life to continue to develop, expand myself, and my knowledge and skills. It is important for me to stay busy with hobbies and activities. Doing nothing can make me go mad. The act of doing nothing leads to living in one’s head and the symptoms of an illness get worse. For me, the best way to deal with my symptoms, is to stay busy.

I enjoy painting. I did not always paint. One day I woke up and decided that I would be an artist. That is how easy it can be to pick up a hobby. It became a part of me. It was not perfect at first but it became easier and I got better as I stuck with it. If you want to be a photographer, buy a camera and start taking pictures. To write a book, just start to write. Start with chapter one and in a couple of months, you’ll be writing chapter 20. The desire to do something is the most important step.

Don’t let fear that it will be bad or wrong stop you.

Just begin something and work on it. Developing yourself can make you feel happier and have a greater feeling of self-sufficiency.

How Long Do You Expect to Live?

Dying is not a topic that most of us want to think about, but as I get older, it’s on my mind a lot more.

I recently read in “Psychiatric Rehabilitation Best Practices” that the average person with a psychiatric disability dies 25 years earlier than the general population. After some quick calculations, I was surprised…If I lived to be 85 (and I’m 60 now), I should have 25 years left. If I am like the average person with a psychiatric disability and die 25 years early…that leaves 0 more years…?!!!! I used to get angry and say, “They need to do something about this!” I finally realized that, “I need to do something about this, as well!” This is not just an advocacy issue, it’s a personal one too. Many of the reasons for our poor health issues are preventable. If I had cancer, I wouldn’t sit around and “hope” for a cure - I’d do everything in my power to increase the quantity and quality of my life. I have quit smoking and am trying to improve my diet and exercise regimen. I’ve heard people say, “It’s not how many years in your life, it’s how much life in your years.” For me, I’d like more of both!

LET’S DO WHAT WE CAN TO “BEAT THE ODDS!”

When is the last time you enjoyed a social event, or laughed out loud? I hope it was recently. There was a time in my life that was very dark and I used to feel jealous of people that could laugh out loud. At that time, social events were work for me. I couldn’t just relax and enjoy myself. The times I did were because of alcohol. I thought there was something lacking within me that made me different from everyone else. It wasn’t until I sobered up and began taking some risks socially, that I realized two things: First, I AM different than everyone else, but I can only connect with others when I focus on the things we have in common.

That meant that I had to genuinely listen to others in order to find a connection. Second, getting to know people and feel comfortable with others takes practice. If I stay to myself because socializing is uncomfortable, I will never feel more relaxed. Things I said sounded “weird” to me because I wasn’t used to saying them. Getting out with other people opened doors for me that I thought would never open. I love to laugh and I can laugh out loud now, easily. I’m so glad that I took the risk to get out with others and expand my world. If you HAVEN’T laughed out loud recently, I highly recommend it!

Ben

Lenny Environmental Wellness

Nick

Occupational Wellness What it’s like working and having a disability: For me, my job is rewarding. It was challenging when I first started. It took me several months to get to where I was comfortable.

When you start a job, my advice is to not give up. If you’re struggling, talk with the managers. There may be times when the stress is overwhelming but, if your disability is under control, then challenge yourself to work through the pain.

Work is a healthy pastime and can be enjoyable if you’ve found the right job.

Recycling helps keep the environment clean, saves production costs, and provides new materials for our needs. Things like plastic, paper, tin, and glass that are thrown out, waste money and litter our streets, yards, and roadways.

If you are not already recycling, call the city for information to get set-up to do so. There are some recycling centers in town that will exchange items for cash, a good incentive to recycle.

So, if you see such things - recycle. Do yourself and the city a favor and clean up.

Financial Wellness

Ben Spiritual Wellness WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY? Many people struggle with this word. Many people have different views and beliefs. Spirituality to me, means to be accepted or loved by a higher power.

I’m in a fellowship that is based on spirituality. It’s a fellowship where everyone has different backgrounds and beliefs.

I believe that there is no one single “right or wrong” concept of someone’s belief system; as long as it works for you and makes you happy, I believe you are blessed and you have found a key that will unlock many doors.

If you’re struggling with your spirituality, try to find what makes you happy. If that doesn’t work, talk to someone you trust.

Spirituality has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

Karen

Emotional Wellness It’s OK to not always be OK-Ten signs that you might be depressed: 1.

Feeling unusually irritable/angry/anxious 2.

Feeling sad/”empty”/low energy 3.

Staying alone/crying more than usual 4.

Substance abuse 5.

Poor hygiene 6.

Feeling hopeless/helpless/worthless 7.

Noticeable changes in sleeping or eating habits 8.

Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy 9.

Feeling you “can’t face another day” 10.

Talking (or thinking) about suicide

Living within my means is very important to me. That is why I have a budget. I only spend a certain amount per week and this helps out a lot. Being financially responsible is important to me. Finances are important. I live on a paycheck from the government and I only get paid once a month, so it’s important to make my money stretch.

For help in an emotional crisis, call the Hope Now Line: (502) 589-4313 or 1-800-221-0446 Call for yourself...

Call for a friend.