{"id":1313735,"date":"2019-08-19T09:30:39","date_gmt":"2019-08-19T15:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=984542"},"modified":"2019-08-20T08:23:22","modified_gmt":"2019-08-20T14:23:22","slug":"striking-a-conversation-mental-health-for-all-ages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/striking-a-conversation-mental-health-for-all-ages\/","title":{"rendered":"Striking a Conversation: Mental Health For All Ages"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of its annual Longevity Project<\/a>, the Post Independent is embarking on an enterprise series titled \u201cStriking a Conversation: Mental Health for All Ages.\u201d<\/p>\n

The goal is to not just look at problems affecting our communities, but discuss possible solutions. <\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s Longevity Project examined issues associated with the aging demographic in Garfield County<\/a>, life expectancy rates and how to stay active and productive after retirement.<\/p>\n

This year, the project is diving<\/a> into the broader issue of mental health across the age spectrum as a cornerstone of living a long, productive life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout conversations in the past year, mental health keeps coming up as an issue,\u201d Post Independent Publisher Jerry Raehal said. \u201cFrom rising suicid<\/a>e rates<\/a> to homelessness<\/a>, to how we treat each other at work and at home, mental health is a topic that is often overlooked as stigmatized.\u201d<\/p>\n

An increase in the number of suicides in Garfield County has been a growing concern for many years; even more so in the past year as the upward trend continues.<\/p>\n

Garfield County public health officials were alarmed last summer when there was a sudden spike of six suicide deaths in July alone.<\/p>\n

According to Mason Hohstadt, who chairs the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Garfield County, by the conclusion of 2018 the county coroner\u2019s office had investigated 19 suicide deaths.<\/p>\n

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Suicide Crisis and Mental Health Help Resources<\/h3>\n

Hope Center crisis line<\/a>: 970-925-5858<\/p>\n

Mind Springs crisis line<\/a>: 844-493-8255<\/p>\n

Aspenstrong.org<\/a>: mental health services<\/p>\n

Mantherapy.org<\/a>: For men only<\/p>\n

Colorado Crisis Services<\/a>: 844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255<\/p>\n

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline<\/a>: 800-273-8255<\/p>\n

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2019 Longevity Project Events<\/h2>\n

Part of the Longevity project is a series of micro-events starting August 20 that will culminate on Sept. 17 with our main event featuring speaker and humorist Frank King, who also goes by the name, \u201cthe mental health comedian.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Frank King<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

FREE micro-events<\/strong>
August 20 \u2013 Issues Facing Young Children<\/a>
August 27 \u2013 Topic TBD
September 3 \u2013 Topic TBD
September 10 \u2013 Topic TBD
Location: Glenwood Library upstairs breakout room.
Time: 5:30PM to 7:00PM.<\/p>\n

Main event<\/strong>
September 17, doors open at 5PM
Local panel speakers at 6PM
Keynote speaker, Frank King at 7PM
Buy tickets for the main event here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

About Frank King <\/strong>
Frank King, aka The Mental Health Comedian, is a Suicide Prevention and Post-vention Public Speaker and Trainer who turned a lifelong battle with depression into a keynote worth spreading. After writing for the Tonight Show for 20-plus years and performing corporate comedy, Frank\u2019s attention\u2026His mission is to end the stigma surrounding mental health by sharing his insights with anyone and everyone who will listen in an effort to \u201cstart the conversation.\u201d Frank has thought about killing himself more times than he can count. Like many of us, depression and suicide run in his family. He addresses his own trials and tribulations using a tool people from all walks of life can relate to, humor. With his TED Talk A Matter of Life or Death\u201d he openly addresses topics considered taboo in today\u2019s society.<\/p>\n

All ticket sales to King\u2019s event will be donated to nonprofits focused on mental health or abuse issues in Garfield County.<\/p>\n

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2019 Longevity Project Stories<\/h2>\n
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\"longevity-post-independent\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Longevity Part I: Breaking down early childhood bullying<\/h3>\n

During the course of her 20-year career as an educator, Audrey Hazleton has had plenty of difficult phone calls with parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just as hard to get a phone call that your child has hurt someone as it is that your child has been hurt,\u201d said Hazleton, the Glenwood Springs Elementary School principal. \u201cIn fact, it might be even harder to get the call that your child hurt somebody.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really hard to hear that your child hasn\u2019t been kind to another child. It goes really deep.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the elementary school level, professionals like Hazleton find themselves explaining to parents the difference between a child acting \u201cmean\u201d and one who is participating in full-fledged bullying.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s really important in parent education is helping parents understand the difference, so that we can help parents help their kids,\u201d Hazleton said.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Mental health professionals speak to adverse effects of too much screen time<\/h3>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Mental health care professionals cannot stress enough the importance of limiting the amount of time children spend staring at electronic device screens.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has a profound impact,\u201d Mountain Family Health Centers marriage and family therapist and addiction counselor Oyen Hoffman said. \u201cThere is a whole part of their brain that will not develop if they have too much screen time.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Hoffman, the creative part of a child\u2019s brain suffers dramatically from too much time spent on tablets, watching TV and playing video games. Specifically, in young children between the ages of 3 and 12, too much screen time can equate to a child\u2019s inability to self soothe, problem solve and deal with boredom.<\/p>\n

Continue reading here.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Videos<\/h2>\n

Suicide Rates in Garfield County<\/h4>\n

Since 2015 in Garfield County, 58 people died by suicide, according to Garfield County Public Health. Additionally, 27 percent of those 58 people suffered from anxiety, 47 percent were diagnosed with depression, and half told someone they were considering suicide.<\/p>\n

Seeking professional help<\/h4>\n

Mountain Family Health\u2019s Oyen Hoffman explains how behavioral help professionals can assist in a moment of crisis, and what that first session looks like.<\/p>\n

Teens: A clear head is a cool head<\/h4>\n

Roaring Fork School District prevention specialist Sonja Linman talks about substance abuse among teens and building a culture focused on wellness instead of drinking.<\/p>\n

Anxiety and Depression in Children<\/h4>\n

Oyen Hoffman of Mountain Family Health Centers talks about the symptoms of anxiety and depression in children.<\/p>\n

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Read More: 2018 Longevity Project Stories<\/h2>\n
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via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As part of its annual Longevity Project, the Post Independent is embarking on an enterprise series titled \u201cStriking a Conversation: Mental Health for All Ages.\u201d The goal is to not just look at problems affecting our communities, but discuss possible solutions.  Last year\u2019s Longevity Project examined issues associated with the aging demographic in Garfield County, life expectancy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1313735","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-26 05:29:43","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1313735"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313735\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1313743,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313735\/revisions\/1313743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1313735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1313735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1313735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}