This blog was written by Fairfield County Opioid Hub Researcher (Americorps VISTA Member) Joshua Freedman.

On behalf of the AmeriCorps VISTA program and the Fairfield County ADAMH Board, I attended Ohio’s 2019 Recovery Conference in Columbus on October 14 and 15. I served as both a volunteer on behalf of the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities and also had plenty of time to experience the conference as an attendee as well.
 
In my role as a volunteer, I registered attendees and moderated four breakout sessions across the two days. That Monday, I moderated a panel on how to be an “Effective Board Member” in which the executive director and chair of the ADAMH equivalent in Richland County very clearly went over the function and best practices for county behavioral authorities. Later that day, I assisted Cindy Koumoutzis, founder of the family support organization OhioCAN, deliver her presentation on “Harm Reduction Strategies for Loved Ones Impacted by Substance Use.”  
 
On Tuesday, I supported Vice President of Consumer Affairs for Recovery and Resiliency Julie Hardle from the health services company Optum. She explained the utility of recovery-based Peer Supporters for those suffering from issues of substance abuse. To close the conference, I aided two trainers from the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) with a presentation of state-assisted services to help those struggling to find work.
 
The last session I moderated really hit home the purpose of this conference. This wasn’t some formal, professional, nor academic conference; this was a celebration for those who have struggled with substance abuse disorder and have begun the long and winding road of recovery. This was a tribute to the hard work and pain of handling addiction and a collective ‘pat on the back’ for those willing to try and get their lives back on track, and what’s fundamentally more American than that?
 
The slogan of the conference was “Recovery Is Beautiful” and that theme radiated throughout the conference center. Volunteers, staff, and attendees all wore brightly colored T-shirts, and the halls between sessions were often filled to the brim with chatty and satisfied attendees. During the at-large events in the conference ballroom, door prizes were passed out like candy at a Fourth of July parade. Someone even won a new TV!
 
With all the color and festivity, keynote speaker and United States Senator Rob Portman almost seemed out of place — almost, because he came to the stage wearing a conference T-shirt and was presented with a gift of a quilt stitched together from prior conference T-shirts, one as neon as the next.
 
Though I will probably not be in attendance next year as my year of service ends in August of 2020, I will be sure to let the next VISTA at the ADAMH Board in on this neat little secret. The VISTA program for those unaware, is a national service program to help alleviate poverty and strengthen communities across the nation. You can learn about it more by following this link.

This blog was written by Fairfield County ADAMH Board Program Coordinator Patricia Waits, M.Ed., LPC, LICDC-CS.
 
It is easy to get confused by all of the jargon thrown around with regard to improving one’s life, especially if one is getting better from an illness such as substance abuse or another mental health problem (or both). We cannot all agree on what a relapse is, let alone what recovery is. However, this is what it means to me. Take this only as a personal opinion based upon my experiences, both professionally for the past 35 years and personally: Recovery is simply being able to live your life the way you are at your best.
    
The systems each define their expectations of what recovery should look like. For the court, it may be never repeating earlier performances for the judge or probation officer. It is not doing the same thing again and expecting different results. The 12-step folks say, “Whenever I use, I break out in handcuffs.” Stop breaking out in handcuffs and you will be showing signs of recovery. (It is also a nice way to stay out of jail at Christmastime.)
 
The child protective services system or juvenile and family court may see recovery from the eyes of your children. Are you awake? Do you play with them? Can you laugh with them? Do you know how to handle it when they are sick or when someone is picking on them in school? If you don’t know what to do, do you have folks you can call and ask? Do you have a support system that allows you to just call and complain because the kids are on your last nerve today? Loving your children is not so much about what you “feel” as what you actually do.
    
I work in the substance abuse and mental health field, so I look at recovery from the point of view of the person who knows that he or she has an illness. Recovery means trying and trying again. Sometimes it means you fall down and you get back up. Not everyone has to go down the same path in life with their addiction, and so not everyone has to experience recovery the same way. The main thing, I believe, is to just keep searching and trying to get better. If you hate one treatment method, try another.
 
In terms of my own life, I ask myself:
 
“Am I living my life the way I want it to be?”
 
“Am I laughing, loving, learning, and moving on?”
 
“Do my relationships with others benefit them and myself?”
 
“Do I believe that I have a purpose on the planet, and is there a being greater than I that I can consult regularly in order to stay consistent with my values and behaviors?”
    
“Can I be honest today?”
 
“Do I face my fears, instead of running from them?”
 
“Am I selfish and self-serving or do I recognize that I am only one of a million beings who need things on a daily basis?”
 
“Do I appreciate all the gifts I have been given, including the very breaths I take?”
 
“Do I honor and respect others around me?”
 
“Do I ask for help when I need it?”
 
“Do I give help when I am asked for it?”
 
Finally, I ask myself each morning, “What can I do to be of service?” This willingness to see myself as a part of the whole seems to be essential to my own recovery. Again, there are many options and opportunities out there if you go and explore them. Recovery is worth it.

This blog was written by Fairfield County ADAMH Board Program Coordinator Patricia Waits, M.Ed., LPC, LICDC-CS.
​
Many studies over the past decade have found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. In a research study involving nearly 300 adults, mostly college students who were seeking mental health counselling at a university, results indicated that gratitude writing can be beneficial not just for healthy, well-adjusted individuals but also for those who struggle with mental health concerns. In fact, it seems practicing gratitude on top of receiving psychological counseling carries greater benefits than counseling alone, even when that gratitude practice is brief.
 
Most of the studies published on this topic support an association between gratitude and an individual's well-being. Other studies have looked at how gratitude can improve relationships. For example, a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partners felt not only more positive toward the other persons but also more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationships.
 
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In some ways, gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. While the holiday of Thanksgiving emphasizes the gift of gratitude, it is important to practice some elements of gratitude every day. 
 
The 12-step recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous considers the development of daily gratitude essential for emotional and spiritual growth. “I have come to believe that hard times are not just meaningless suffering and that something good might turn up at any moment. That’s a big change for someone who used to come to in the morning feeling sentenced to another day of life. When I wake up today, there are lots of possibilities. I can hardly wait to see what’s going to happen next.” (Anonymous)
 
Gratitude can impact emotions by helping people to feel better, more relaxed, less envious, and more resilient. It increases our ability to be social, kinder, and more compassionate and to develop deeper relationships. It affects our personalities — increasing self-esteem making us more optimistic, more spiritual, less self-centered, and less materialistic. It improves sleep, increases energy, and helps us live longer, and we are ill less often. As if that is not enough in the way of benefits, it can help us at work; we can become better managers by improving our networking and decision-making skills and increase our productivity and goal achievement.
 
A five-minute-a-week gratitude journal is a great place to start. The actual gratitude produced during those five minutes is small, but the emotions of gratitude felt during those five minutes are enough to trigger a grateful mood. It takes several months of continuous practice for the largest benefits to appear. This is for two reasons: cultivating gratitude is a skill, and it becomes a personality trait. “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” (Zig Ziglar)

This blog was written by Fairfield County ADAMH Board Program Coordinator Patricia Waits, M.Ed., LPC, LICDC-CS.

​I had heard about laughter clubs on an episode of 60 Minutes many years ago. It featured a small group of people, standing around in a circle, laughing hard. They were not laughing at one another, or laughing at a joke; they were actually practicing what is called laughter yoga. Started by Dr. Madan Kataria the movement was brought to the United States as World Laughter Tour in 1998 by Steve Wilson, a psychologist. I had always found laughter to help with my chronic depression so I attended the training with Steve Wilson to see what it was all about.
 
Laughter clubs are held in workplaces, health clubs, retirement communities, nursing homes, and schools. There are thousands of laughter clubs around the world, and more than 4,000 Certified Laughter Leaders. Laughter club is a unique exercise routine that combines group laughter exercises with yoga breathing, and the physical and psychological benefits include lowered blood pressure, increased immune systems, reduced stress and anxiety, and many more.
 
“Most folks are too stressed, too hurried, too glum, or just don’t understand laughter enough to take time for it,” says Wilson, “which is too bad, because laughter is so beneficial that everyone needs to make their daily quota. People only laugh for about three seconds when they hear a joke so, if you are waiting for jokes to make your quota, you will need about 300 new jokes every day, which is impossible. Fortunately, there are other good options for generating mirthful laugher.”
 
People in laughter clubs use a systematic method of chuckles, chortles, giggling, and
guffawing to reduce stress, prevent hardening of the attitudes, and contribute to world peace. The laughter routine, designed to make anyone feel better, works without using jokes or comedy to stimulate the laughter. There can be many sensitive issues around humor, such as people not getting jokes or being offended by them, so we skip jokes altogether. We laugh with each other, never at each other. At first the laughter exercise routines can seem a bit contrived, but soon peals of genuine happiness-and-health-boosting laughter ring out and roll on.
 
One of the features in laughter club that I especially like and have made a part of my routine is “Good Hearted Living.” Mondays are for compliments, giving and receiving them. Tuesdays are for flexibility, trying something different, breaking routine. Wednesdays are for gratitude, making lists of all the things going well in life and speaking them out loud. Thursdays are for random acts of kindness — don’t ask if you can help; ask what you can do. Fridays are for forgiveness, letting go of anger and resentments. Weekends are for chocolate and rest, recreation, and relaxation, enjoying the sweetness of life.
 
If you want to know more about laughter clubs, you can call 800.NOW.LAFF or visit www.worldlaughtertour.com. The motto for the World Laughter Tour is my favorite, “Think globally, laugh locally.”

This blog was written by Fairfield County ADAMH Board Program Coordinator Patricia Waits, M.Ed., LPC, LICDC-CS.

I do a lot of talking to people in our community about the impact of drug addiction, specifically opiate addiction. One comment that I sometimes overhear is something to the effect of “Why should we waste money trying to bring back addicts who have overdosed if they are just going to do it again?” There are many answers to that question but most importantly because the human being who overdoses is still a human being. The addict is someone’s brother, son, aunt, cousin, neighbor, or co-worker.
 
Naloxone is the drug administered when an individual has overdosed from opiates, and it can prevent death. This is one of several harm reduction strategies that are being used throughout the United States today in order to address the opiate epidemic. The defining idea of harm reduction is the focus on preventing harm, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself, or the focus on people who continue to use drugs. Harm reduction accepts that many people who use drugs are unable or unwilling to stop using them at any given time. Access to good treatment is important for people with drug problems, but many people are unable or unwilling to get treatment.
 
Other examples of harm reduction programming are those that offer safe and clean needles in order to reduce and prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C. Drug checking (also known as pill testing or adulterant screening) is another strategy that allows people who use drugs to identify the substance they intend on taking to help prevent harms associated with unknowingly consuming a substance adulterated with a dangerous contaminant like fentanyl.
 
It is important to recognize that drug use is a complex, multifaceted problem, or as we like to call it, “A Big Hairy Audacious Problem.” There are many behaviors that fall into this category from severe abuse to total abstinence, and it is important to acknowledge that some ways of using drugs are clearly safer than others.
 
Harm reduction measures are those that do not attempt to minimize or ignore the real and tragic harm and danger associated with licit and illicit drug use but rather acknowledges that needless deaths and additional health complications can be minimized. These strategies are most often employed with the knowledge that if we can keep people alive; treat them with respect, kindness, and compassion; and offer them alternatives, they have the best chances of recovering of their own free wills. 
 
It is hard to sell this concept to many people. There is a mistaken belief that we can force people to stop using drugs. This is followed by the idea that if we cannot force them to stop using drugs, then we should lock them up and throw away the key. This, of course, implies that people who are locked up have no access to drugs and that, somehow, we can as a community afford to lose our younger population to jails and prisons.
 
Personally, I am an advocate for using a pretty wide range of strategies to address any problem, especially one as complicated as drug abuse. I would hate to see us limit the types of ideas we use to help and reduce the impact of this opiate epidemic.

​This blog was written by Fairfield County ADAMH Board Program Coordinator Patricia Waits, M.Ed., LPC, LICDC-CS.
 
Hello, Ohio. Fall is here and winter is almost upon us. Many people love this time of year: those who ski and ice skate, those who enjoy the cold, those who don’t necessarily become sad and depressed as the days grow shorter, the nights longer, and the sun takes a vacation to Florida — in other words, those who do not suffer with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
    
Symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses. People experiencing seasonal affective disorder report symptoms, such as:

• “I am depressed most of the day, nearly every day.”
• “I just can’t get into the activities I usually enjoy.”
• “My energy level sucks.”
• “I am having trouble sleeping — I wake up at 3 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep” or “I feel like sleeping all the time.”
• “I just feel like a slug.”
• “I am really grouchy and irritable.”
• “I just can’t read or concentrate at all.”
• “I hate myself when I am like this.”
• “I feel so worthless.”
• “I think people would be better off without me.”
• “I keep wanting to kill myself.”
• “I gain 15 pounds in the winter.”

 
While it is perfectly normal to experience some of these feelings, especially if you live in the part of the country where there is a lot of rain or snow and not much sunlight, it is always a good idea to consult your doctor if the symptoms increase or you feel worse. This is especially important if you are having suicidal thoughts. There are medications that your doctor can prescribe that may help. Also, avoid the use of alcohol and other drugs because these can make seasonal affective disorder worse.
 
The specific cause of the disorder is not really known. Some factors that seem to come into play include our biological clocks and the reduced level of sunlight. Serotonin levels can drop and this brain chemical is a neurotransmitter that affects mood. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in our serotonin levels, triggering depression. The change in season can also disrupt our bodies level of melatonin, which plays a role in our sleep patterns and our mood.
    
SAD is more common in women than men. It occurs more frequently in younger adults than in older adults. Factors that increase risk include family history, having major depression or bipolar disorder, or living far from the equator. SAD is more common among those of us who live far north or south of the equator. This may be due to the decreased sunlight. Recognize a theme? Sunlight is a pretty big deal.  Some people benefit from using a specialized light during the fall and winter to help ward off the disorder.
    
The most important thing is to get help for SAD so that it does not get worse and lead to other or additional problems, such as social withdrawal; school or work problems; substance abuse; other mental health disorders, such as anxiety or eating disorders; and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Treatment can prevent complications, especially if SAD is diagnosed and treated before the symptoms get bad.

​This blog was written by Fairfield County ADAMH Board Public Relations Coordinator Latina Duffy.
 
On Sept. 1, 2010, Kelly M. Rindfleisch, deputy chief of staff to then Milwaukee county executive Scott Walker, said, “No one cares about crazy people,” and so starts No One Cares About Crazy People, My Family and the Heartbreak of Mental Illness in America throughout which Ron Powers takes readers on a journey that is not only very personal but also informational. Powers begins with a brief introduction to his family’s struggles with mental health. In alternating chapters, he bravely shares the tragic story of his sons who suffer from schizophrenia and schizo-affective disorder. Both Kevin and Dean turned to illegal drugs to seemingly self-medicate before they knew their diagnoses. Afterward, they battled anosognosia, which is “the false conviction with a person that nothing is wrong with his mind,” making treatment, including legal medicines, unnecessary in the boys’ opinions. Sadly, Kevin, the younger brother, committed suicide, and Dean attempted it.
 
In the remaining chapters of his book, Powers expertly weaves science for laypersons, the history and politics of mental health, and the business of mental health disorders in the United States. As someone whose own family has fought with mental health issues, I learned so much more about the heroes and villains of the past — regardless of political affiliation or intentions — as well as the current players, whether individuals or entities, such as the pharmaceutical industry.
 
How Powers packs all of the stories and information into a 331-page book that is quickly read, I do not know other than he is a consummate author who writes from experience and, most importantly, the heart. What I do know is that I feel blessed for having chosen a book solely based upon a title and a cover photo that spoke to me and my own story.

​This blog was written by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fairfield County Executive Director Jolyn Pugh.
 
Mentoring changes lives. We see that every day at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fairfield County (BBBS). Our mission is to provide children facing adversity with mentoring programs that change their lives for the better, forever. Our “Littles” perform better in school, are more confident in their social skills, have better family relationships, and create plans for their futures.
 
On October 1, Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies nationwide rebranded. We launched a new logo, new color, and new message. We are excited about the possibilities rebranding can provide our community. We need to raise awareness that our mission is vital and urgent. We need to provide more services to youth in our community to help avoid risky life choices later. Prevention is key with children. Together we can strengthen our community one child at a time. Now is our time to recruit more volunteers because we do not create potential, we DEFEND it.
 
At BBBS, we are making an impact. Little Brother Jayce was being bullied at school, his grades dropped, and he started to withdraw and refused to go to school. His mother knew he needed extra support and signed him up for a Big Brother. Along came Bill … he had heard about BBBS for years but was not sure he was the right person for the job of Big Brother. He sat with a BBBS staff member at a lunch and started to ask questions about the program and what was required. He met other Big Brothers and asked them about their experiences. Bill agreed to volunteer. Once Bill became a Big Brother, we knew Jayce was the one for him. At BBBS we match “Bigs” with Littles based on their personalities and interests. This allows for a long and enduring relationship. Big Brother Bill and Little Brother Jayce have hit it off and are doing amazing things in our community. Little Brother Jayce’s self confidence has improved, he loves attending school again, and he ran for a class officer this year! We get to hear amazing stories like this every day. We need more people like Bill to ask questions and learn about our programs because there are many more kids like Jayce waiting today.
 
With the financial assistance from the ADAMH Board, our agency provided one-on-one mentoring to more than 130 children in our community this year, but the need is still great. We currently have 63 Ready to Match youth waiting for a Big Brother or Big Sister of which 45 of those children are boys. The need for male volunteers is urgent. Each day a child waits is one more day of lost opportunity. This fall, our agency added a new school-based mentoring program through a partnership with the Pickerington Alternative School. We currently operate programs in all Lancaster City and Berne Union schools. By offering both community- and school-based mentoring, prospective Bigs can choose the opportunity that best fits their schedules. Serving more children requires additional funding and that is where you can help. The average cost of supporting one Big/Little match each year is $1,200. With your yes vote, ADAMH can provide prevention services, like youth mentoring. BBBS’s youth mentoring program is life-changing for the Little, the Little’s family, and the Big. We are asking for your support for Issue 6 because mentors are needed now more than ever.
 
For more information and to volunteer, visit www.bbbs-fairfieldoh.org.

This blog was written by Mid-Ohio Pscyhological Services, Inc., Clinician I Cassidy Keller, MA, NCC, LPC.

​Is addiction a choice or is addiction a disease? As the opioid epidemic continues to rise, this topic has become more and more controversial. In all honesty, both sides are correct in some ways. Now you may be thinking, how could both sides be right when they have opposing views? Great question. Let’s take a moment and look at each side of the debate and then you can decide where you stand.
           
First, let’s look at the argument that addiction is a choice. There is research supporting the idea that addiction is considered a behavior; therefore, it is something that we choose to do. The choice theory poses that if a person chooses to take an opioid (i.e. Percocet, heroin, oxycodone, etc.), then with enough motivation a person can choose not to consume opioids. Simple, right? Unfortunately, it is not that simple.
 
Yes, it is true that a person may choose to initially orally ingest, snort, or inject opioids. And yes, it is also true that a person may be motivated to abstain from opioids for a day. But if this were purely a choice, why would people continue to use despite knowing that they could lose their jobs, families, and even their lives? Addiction often does start out as an initial choice of behavior but that does not mean that the choice doesn’t develop into something more, which brings me to the next argument, addiction is a disease.
 
Dr. Kevin McCauley once described addiction to be a “disease of choice.” I like this definition because the impacts that addiction has on someone impact their abilities to make choices. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, addiction is defined as a “chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking use, despite harmful consequences.” Over the years, research has shown that there are neurological impacts of addiction and these can be seen through scans of the brain. Don’t believe me? Here is an image that shows some of the ways our brains can be impacted by consuming a substance over time.
 
Now you have heard both sides of the argument. Is addiction a choice? Is addiction a disease? Is addiction a little bit of both? Honestly, this will probably continue to be debated over the years despite the neurological evidence classifying addiction as a disease. But one thing that is not up for debate is that addiction is a serious issue going on in Ohio. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2016 over 100 people in the United States died daily from opioid related overdoses; 8 of those deaths occur daily in Ohio.
 
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, do not wait to become a part of that statistic. Reach out to family, friends, and the Fairfield County ADAMH Board Network of Care Agencies to find local resources that can help you and/or a loved one today: www.fairfieldadamh.org/service-providers.html.

This blog was written by Quanita McRoberts, a keynote speaker at the 2018 Fairfield County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Conference.

When the pressures are too much

Isolated and not validated

Hope feels distant and

Happiness is only a memory

That's the Weight of the Clouds

Attempting to grow stronger daily when I tell no one of the internal battle occurring

And the foundation of trauma, depression, and anxiety's friendship is to manipulate my imagination running wild in the fields of self-doubt

Convincing me that neither my recovery or my accomplishments are enough

I can be perfectly fine one minute and triggered with PTSD Flashbacks the next

Or moments of sorrow occur when I begin to long for deep meaningful apologies

Drowning in rivers of silence and shame instead of reaching out

And the pressure of it all makes you want to go fetal

That's the Weight of the Clouds

But not today or tomorrow trauma I've dealt with you directly face to face and in case you need a reminder

I give you breath when I over analyze everything

So I'm here to tell you I still choose freedom

I am capable of having a healthy long term relationships

I have forgiven

I am forgiven

Forgiveness is something I do for myself and my journey

The weight of it all has to disappear

No more flashbacks

These moments when you resurface are opportunities for forgiveness and healing

And to deny healing

Only Grants opportunity for suffering

So I will remain open to the freedom I deserve

And if you can relate, remember this:

The bravest thing one can do, is to choose self-love and perseverance despite what they've been
through

Hate is easy

Anger is easy

Jealousy is easy

But to choose yourself over the weight of the clouds time

and time again shows strength and examination of self-worth

You are virtuous

Your laugh is what love sounds like

Your smile is what love looks like

Your embrace is what love feels like

You define our worth for yourself & others

Don't feel guilty

Release the chains of trauma

​and fly above the clouds