By Radha Dhir The world today is a difficult, complicated place. The Covid-19 pandemic has consumed our lives. From newspapers and TV channels to social media, we are constantly surrounded by it. The virus has caused devastation, both in the economy and in life. All of our minds are disturbed, anxious and troubled.

It is important to take into account that all this negative thinking has an impact on our bodies as well. The cells in our bodies react to everything that our mind is saying. Negativity can bring down our immune systems. So, it is vital to take care of our body, mind, and well being now more than ever.

How do we ensure self-care in these times? Even in uncertain moments, there are things we can do to ensure that we continue to be mentally and physically fit.

Here are four pillars of self-care tips you need right now.

Exercise

Sleep Of the four pillars, the most undervalued and underrated, yet most important is sleep. I cant stress more on how critical sleep is. Lack of sleep leads to obesity. Sleep deprived individuals have a bigger appetite and tend to eat more. Your body needs a minimum of 6 8 hours of sleep a day. When you get quality sleep, you will wake up refreshed and energetic and will not only be eager to exercise, but also, the impact of that exercise will be more effective.

Sleeplessness also leads to increased stress levels. If you dont sleep enough at night, your body boosts its levels of stress hormones. The brain chemicals connected with deep sleep are the same ones that tell the body to stop the production of stress hormones. As a result, when you dont sleep well, your body keeps pumping out those hormones. The next day, you will feel more stressed, and the following night you find it harder to fall asleep, and so on.

A seasoned banker, Radha Dhir has spent 25 years in the industry, and has also served as the first woman MD in Deutsche Bank.

Food is the most-abused anxiety drug. Eat healthy without being obsessed with clean eating. And remember the Gut Microbiome. Numerous studies in the past decade have demonstrated links between gut health and the immune system and mental health. Nutrition, diet, and gut health are closely linked.

Avoiding processed foods, high-fat foods, and foods high in refined sugars is extremely important to maintain a healthy microbiome. There are a number of foods that you can eat to contribute beneficially to your overall health. Remember the G-BOMBS - Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms and Seeds - the 6 most healthy foods to include in your daily diet.

Destress A very important element of coping with stress is talking about it. Talk to your family, your loved ones, and your friends. Reach out to your magic people your tribe. These are your connections, and the more positive your relationships are, the better you will be able to face lifes challenges. The support you get from your connections can add meaning and purpose to your life. One study showed that lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than smoking, alcohol, high blood pressure, and lack of exercise. Most importantly, stay calm. Take deep breaths. Allow your mind to rest. Be in the moment. Instead of focusing on the events or circumstances that are making you feel sad, angry, anxious, or depressed, start focusing your mind on the positives and blessings in your life. The key to de-stressing is recognising how we respond to the downs that happen in our lives.

Remember, you have the power change the way you are feeling. Life is 10 per cent of what happens around you and 90 per cent of how you react to it.

Be in charge of how you feel. Choose positivity, optimism, hope, and happiness.

- A seasoned banker, Radha Dhir has spent 25 years in the industry, and has also served as the first woman MD in Deutsche Bank. She has been blogging about fitness, health, nutrition and well-being since 2018. She recently made her YouTube debut on the ZipTalks channel where she interviews successful professionals on their fitness and health philosophy. She also posts regular fitness videos on Instagram @Ziptofitness.

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Making healthy lifestyle changes in terms of diet, exercise and managing stress, in addition to other factors, can go a long way in helping the immune system get the boost it requires.

On International Immunology Day, Chennai-based clinical nutritionist, lactation consultant and diabetes educator - Ramya Ramachandran - shares five tips that can give your life a healthy spin.

Ginger, garlic, star anise, omega-3 fats, flax seeds are some foods that have antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. These can be included in your meals daily. Its also important to focus on micronutrients which have a major impact on health.

To add the required amount of micronutrients to any diet, one can look at home fortification as an alternative. In this method, a commercially available product is conveniently utilised on a daily basis to prevent nutrition deficiencies. Power mixes of rice and flour avaiable in the market is one such example of food fortification, which increases the micronutrient value of home-cooked meals.

A minimum of 7-8 hours of regular sleep is a must to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, and help the bodys T-Cells (also known as immune cells) to kill the pathogens. A night of good sleep also helps in burning calories.

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Self-care is more important now than ever. Build your pandemic routine around these four pillars - Economic Times

Daniela Nardini has 20 women in her house, each of them more vibrant and full of life than the next.

Full of attitude and of resilient character, they have a commanding presence. A bit like Daniela herself for, despite the actress going through a tough few years, she has come out the other side emboldened and stronger.

Now, her new friends could be about to set her on a different path as a painter. Because the 20 women surrounding Daniela in the Glasgow home she shares with her teenage daughter arent breaking coronavirus restrictions, they are creations by Danielas own hand, an inspired and artistic flow of emotion that has served the former This Life star well in lockdown. So impressive are the paintings, a gallery owner has taken eight of them.

Ive always painted a bit, but with lockdown I thought I would commit to it, said Daniela, who played Anna Forbes in the memorable 90s drama series. It became something I did every day.

I have them lined up at the moment and I asked myself last night, why am I painting all of these women? And I think its come out of having breast cancer and from the way you look at yourself after a mastectomy. Painting these colourful, vibrant, strong women which is not the way Ive been seeing myself, Ive been feeling a bit beaten, beaten up was maybe my imagination wanting me to paint these images.

I was talking to someone who is also in recovery from cancer and we discussed how the mental aspect of it takes time, dealing with people asking about it and an onslaught of commiserations.

I was thinking about that and looking at these images, this riot of colour, and I thought, my goodness, that was all me.

Having turned 50 two years ago Daniela was called in for a mammogram. A couple of months passed without hearing the results, so when the call did come, she almost didnt bother going in for the follow-up.

I thought if there had been something, I would have been called in earlier. I was busy, and didnt think it would be anything, but I went in just to check.

It was then they told me it didnt look very good. It had already gone into one lymph node and if I hadnt gone back in when I did then you dont know how much it might have spread through the lymphatic system. So I urge women to get these checks, as it can be quite rapid, or at least thats what they told me.

It was a huge shock to be told I had breast cancer, and it was another shock to learn I needed to have a mastectomy. All these decisions that have to be made come at you, like whether or not to have reconstruction at the same time as the surgery.

I was in shock. After all of it is done, you can get over the physical side, but mentally, well, you are just a bit off. Now I look at it and think I was very lucky. After the treatment Ive had nothing no other symptoms and Im in the clear.

Daniela would have no disagreement with the old saying that bad luck comes in threes, because the breast cancer diagnosis was the third trauma she suffered in as many years.

First was the death of her father, Aldo, one of the ice cream impresarios of Largs that made the Ayrshire seaside town a must-visit attraction for decades. Then she and her husband, Ivan, a chef with whom she has 13-year-old Claudia, divorced.

The trauma and turmoil led Daniela to seek a professional ear.

I did talk to someone, because so much happened at one time and I was finding it difficult to process it all my dad dying, my marriage ending and, as I was shuffling my way through that, being diagnosed with breast cancer. It was another blow. I decided I should talk to someone and isolate them a bit, because they were all so lumped together.

Now Daniela is embarking on her own journey into counselling. She says its always been something that interested her, so she completed an HNC during lockdown and is now studying for a diploma.

The essay writing her first since she was 17 has come as a shock to the system, but a university lecturer friend has been offering advice.

Over the last five years or so, a lot of stuff has been hard and difficult. Coming through the other side of it, I think, well, what could I do to use that in a positive way? I want to be of service or help people in some way, Daniela continued.

My daughter said to me last week, Mum, you cant have three jobs you cant be a painter, an actress and a counsellor. You need to give one up. I suppose its quite ambitious and maybe she is right, but Id like to find a way of doing all three. Acting is such a sporadic job, so maybe I can do them all.

Her first love might be more sporadic these days, but Daniela says she will never walk away from acting.

Itll definitely be something I always want to do, but Im not as ambitious as I once was, she admitted. I suppose I want to do material that really interests me, rather than just taking on anything.

I had a job offer the other week but decided I didnt want to do it because it wasnt quite right. Ive been lucky, Ive had a lot of choice in my career, but I feel theres other areas I want to look into in my life now acting will always be a part of what I do in some way, though.

It was with a gasp that Daniela realised her first TV job, as a nurse in Take The High Road, was in 1990 Is that 30 years ago? Oh my God, Im ancient! and in the years since she has had a wealth of interesting roles both on screen and stage.

There was her role as ruthless estate agent Meredith McIlvanney in BBC4s New Town, the mini-series Gunpowder, Treason & Plot, drama Waterloo Road, David McVicars production of Camille in London and Daniela recently made a short film, Duck Daze, which is on BBCs iPlayer.

But she will always be remembered for her performance as law graduate Anna Forbes, a character said to have influenced Phoebe Waller-Bridges Fleabag, in This Life, which came at the peak of mid-90s Cool Britannia.

The first series was shown again on BBC4 this year, in tribute to its producer Tony Garnett, who died in January, introducing the series to a new generation. A lot of people were asking for the rest of the series to be shown and I was saying the same thing, because I was thinking of the repeat fees, Daniela laughed. Ive had so many favourite roles, although the obvious one is This Life. It was great fun and we were all so young and enjoying ourselves when we made it, plus it was a really interesting part.

But theres been so many interesting roles, so I cant pick just one. Ive been really lucky with the choices Ive had in my career.

And with painting and counselling new additions to her CV, Danielas future is looking brighter than ever.

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INTERVIEW: Actress Daniela Nardini on turning to art therapy after she suffered cancer, family loss and divorce - The Sunday Post

Being mentally strong is not as easy as you might think, but it takes a lot of time.

Only with daily practice, you can build mental strength and create a strong and realistic hope.

Mentally strong people do not do things that make them feel like they are wasting time or undermining their power in front of other people.

So here are some of the habits that people with mentally strong personalities adopt.

The balance between emotion and logic

Mentally strong people understand that their emotions can affect their thinking. But in order to make the best decisions, they try their best to maintain a balance between logic and emotion.

Adopt a constructive attitude

From justification or excuses to complaints to other people, everyone has, but there are mentally strong people who do not like to waste their time in non-constructive activities.

Ability to adapt to change

Mentally strong people know that change in circumstances is not satisfactory but they focus their attention and energy on adopting rather than resisting it.

Facing fear

Although mentally strong people do not have to overcome fear because they do not have to prove anything to others, they are not afraid to face the fear that comes their way.

Learning from mistakes

Such people do not hide or justify their mistakes, but they learn from them so that they do not happen again.

Rejoicing in the success of others

Mentally strong people believe in cooperation rather than competition with those around them. They dont feel jealous or negative about other peoples achievements, but they appreciate it wholeheartedly.

Focus on improving your skills

Such people are not anxious to show off their abilities, but they try to improve themselves as much as possible.

Understanding lifes difficulties as opportunities

Often lifes difficulties make some people bitter and frustrated, but mentally strong individuals actually see opportunities as opportunities to move forward that can further enhance their personality.

Happy in all circumstances

Mentally strong people are happy in their situation whether they succeed or fail.

Tolerance

Such people look at their goals from the perspective of a marathon rather than a short race, and they are willing to take the trouble to do so for a while in order to succeed on a long-term basis.

Recovering from failures

Mentally strong people do not see failure as the end of the journey, but they take their failed efforts as an opportunity to gain knowledge, which increases their chances of success in the future.

Realistic thinking

Such people see a ray of light even in the dark and think of the bright aspects, but they do not allow their optimism to deviate from the realities of life.

Accept responsibility for your decisions

Mentally strong people do not need to be self-centred or self-deprecating but take full responsibility for their actions.

Expression of gratitude

Instead of asking for more all the time, such people admit that they have more than they need and for that, they are grateful to the Almighty.

Trying to solve problems

Mentally strong people try their best to find a solution instead of drowning in a wave of problems.

Mending weaknesses

Most people try hard to hide their flaws and weaknesses, but a mentally strong person spends his energy on removing them instead of wasting them on hiding them.

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Adopt these Habits to build Mental Strength - BOL News

You've heard it a million times before if you want to run faster, you need to run more.

In a culture that promotes a no excuses attitude towards working out, pushing yourself beyond your limits is often celebrated as a sign of discipline, agility and physical strength.

As we fixate on improving our performance and reaching new goals, we rarely consider the future losses of our present gains.

An unhealthy endurance athlete may seem like the ultimate paradox, but its a lot more common than you may think. RED-S is a syndrome that affects countless sports fanatics many of whom dont even know it exists.

RED-S refers to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, and it is exactly what it sounds like. Previously called the Female Athlete Triad, it is characterised by low energy availability due to a caloric deficit.

The condition, which was termed in 2014 by the International Olympic Committee, can affect both males and females, including elite and non-elite athletes. It can lead to irreparable damage, impairing almost every system of the body if left untreated.

With little known about RED-S in the general medical and athletic community, it often goes overlooked. It prevails under the radar, only drawing attention after a drastic injury or mental collapse.

'It is still a relatively new condition,' explains Sports and Eating disorder specialist dietitian, Renee McGregor. 'It is a clinical condition within a sporting community, so only practitioners trained in both clinical and sports science/medicine will have a full understanding.'

However, as the evidence of its dangers mount, more people are speaking out to raise awareness about the syndrome.

One of these voices belongs to Great Britain runner Pippa Woolven, who suffered from the debilitating condition for over five years. Determined now to help others through her mentorship programme, she shares her own experience with RED-S with Runners World.

RED-S manifests in a variety of physical and psychological symptoms, which unfortunately, often go unnoticed. Creeping up in the form of benign colds and general fatigue, its unlikely to sound any alarm bells at first.

'It was worryingly easy to dismiss the initial warning signs, since they were all relatively subtle in isolation,' Woolven says.

These seemingly minor symptoms are in fact indicative of the body slowly breaking down. 'Biological processes become depressed,' McGregor explains. 'When there is not enough energy in the system, digestion slows, resulting in bloating, discomfort and IBS symptoms.'

Stubborn sniffles and chronic coughs are another side effect of this deficit.

'The immune system also becomes impacted, which puts the individual at a higher risk of infections and illness.'

A key symptom of RED-S in female runners is hypothalamic amenorrhea, or the absence of menstruation. While regular periods are a sign of good health, they can also be a major hindrance for many female athletes. Their disappearance is often a welcome relief from monthly cramps, headaches and mood swings all of which impact training and racing.

'It seemed more convenient not to have them,' Woolven reveals. 'I didn't have to worry about being on my period during competitions or buying tampons anymore.'

This acceptance of amenorrhea speaks to an uncomfortable truth about RED-S.

Its early symptoms can perversely enhance performance at least, in the short-term. Excessive training and restrictive eating leads to lower body weight, which can result in faster times. The detriment of these behaviours is obscured by their immediate benefits more PBs, more medals and more acclaim.

'In my mind, I was just doing what it took to reach my potential in sport. I thought the odd illness, body image issue and low iron levels were just part of the challenge,' Woolven says.

The danger of RED-S lies not in its symptoms, but in our failure to recognise them as symptoms.

RED-S is not an invisible illness that wreaks havoc on our internal organs as we ignorantly carry on with our lives. It waves at us in a bunting of red flags, but we remain colourblind to its warnings. In a society warped by messages like No pain, no gain and Eat less, move more, its easy to view physical hardship as fundamental to making progress.

Our ability to detect health problems can, ironically, be corrupted by our determination to reach our fitness goals.

With athletes often unable to identify the issue objectively, its crucial that their support team develops an understanding of RED-S.

Unfortunately, the initial pros of the condition are often applauded by coaches, whose concerns are typically rooted in achieving visible results. Many doctors also have little knowledge of the condition, which further delays diagnosis. Despite displaying all the symptoms, it took years for Woolven to discover she had RED-S.

'Id had countless blood tests, seen multiple doctors and endocrinologists and not once was RED-S or the Female Athlete Triad suggested.'

Woolven emphasises the importance of discussing menstruation more openly in the athletic community. A loss of periods, which is a major indicator of RED-S, is often normalised in female runners and can therefore go unnoticed.

'Every doctor who looked at my body weight and food consumption reassured me: no period - no problem,' Woolven reveals.

The female body requires a certain amount of energy to make sure reproductive hormones regulate and produce a monthly period. Hormones such as oestrogen are also crucial for bone health, cardiovascular health and cognitive health.

'During amenorrhoea, when these hormones are reduced and often non-existent, individuals put their health and performance at risk,' explains McGregor.

Exhausted from her futile chase of a concrete diagnosis, Woolven finally decided to take matters into her own hands. She came across a series of articles and blogs on RED-S, and was shocked to discover how accurately they detailed her own symptoms.

Despite the relief of finding an answer after years of confusion, Woolven felt frustrated by the vagueness of the condition. 'At first, I couldnt believe that the simplicity of the RED-S description could possibly explain the complicated nature of my problem.'

As she delved further into her research, Woolven was confronted by a painful realisation her body had been undernourished for years.

'It became apparent I had quite simply spent years in an energy deficit that was far from replenished during the "reset" I thought was behind me,' she admits.

This prolonged energy deficit is far from benign. The long-term consequences of RED-S include, but are not limited to, decreased bone density, cardiovascular issues, gastrointestinal disturbances and decreased immunity. Armed with this new information, Woolven embarked on a plan to salvage her deteriorating health.

With RED-S often taking years to be diagnosed, there is no fast lane to recovery. As many of its physical symptoms grow from a deeply entrenched mindset, effective treatment requires a focus on ones mental health. Initially, Woolven attempted to loosen her rigid attitude towards nutrition and training on her own. Despite her good intentions, the process was a lot harder than she had expected.

'I seemed to be stuck in an agonising middle ground; motivated enough to start the process but continually falling short, time and time again,' she says.

After 'a series of half-hearted efforts and frustrating partial comebacks', Woolven took a crucial step in her recovery seeking professional guidance. With the help of a psychotherapist, she dug deeper into her disordered eating patterns and established a plan to combat these unhealthy behaviours.

Woolven also began to take time away from running, to pursue other hobbies and invest time in close relationships. To her surprise, varying her interests only benefited her training. She quickly realised that she did not have to neglect all other aspects of her life to reach her athletic goals.

'Ironically, I performed at my worst when I was overly focused on sport,' she explains.

Woolven's experience inspired her to establish Athletes in Balance, a mentorship programme which supports people battling with similar issues. Having struggled to receive a RED-S diagnosis and to implement an effective treatment plan, she now wants to assist those who may be presenting symptoms.

'My goal as a mentor is to be the person who shows up, looks at the bigger picture and then helps someone apply their strength as an athlete to overcoming challenges related to RED-S,' she says.

While she recognises that it is not a replacement for medical intervention, Woolven believes that her mentorship can be a valuable resource for those grappling with RED-S. With her extensive experience of the condition, she aims to a provide the holistic support that may be missing from standard clinical treatment.

'Sometimes science doesnt hold all the answers to the change in mindset an athlete may need to go through,' she explains.

By sharing her story, Woolven hopes to help others identify the warning signs of RED-S, implement effective strategies, and of course, emphasise the importance of balance in every athletes life.

If you think you may be suffering from RED-S and need someone to talk to, Woolven can be contacted here.

What to do if you lose your period from running

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RED-S: The condition all runners need to know about - Runner's World (UK)

The past few months havent been easy, by any means, for anybody. Millions are unemployed and/or infected with the novel coronavirus, nearly200,000 people have died, and it seems the current state of everything has taken a toll on the population. Politico reported that 30.9 percent of those surveyed by the CDC said they had symptoms of anxiety or depression while another 13.3 percent said they turned to substance use to cope with pandemic stress.

This isnt even taking into account those who are already dealing with disorders that make them predisposed to low points. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 18 percent of the adult population suffers from an anxiety disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health says 7.1 percent of U.S. adults have depression.

For those like Meagan Weldon, who was diagnosed with depression and anxiety in early 2017, the pandemic has brought more tension. It has affected my anxiety and depression because you cant go anywhere with friends. You cant go out to eat or go shopping whenever youre feeling down just to get out of the house, Weldon says. That was really tough. Weldon also discussed concern for her photography business, Meagan Weldon Photography, and her struggle to make money amid the economic fallout.

Weldon mentioned that her six-year relationship ended about a month agomeaning she had to tack breakup onto her list of worries. At first, I didnt know what to do; how to cope with things. I basically just laid in bed for a week and a half and binge-watched my favorite Netflix shows. For that week and a half, I allowed myself to feel every single feeling, Weldon says.Normally you would go out with your girlfriends and get a drink in a bar, just go hang out and go out to eat and vent and talk about things, but you cant really do that during a pandemic.

But after that week and a half, Weldon says she came around and found her way forward. I realized I dont want to be with somebody that doesnt want to be with me, and I just decided, I have to pick myself up. I have to move on with my life and figure out what comes next for me.

Interestingly enough, Weldon feelsher experience learning about her anxiety and depression over the past few years prepared her to move on from her heartbreak. Ive had to focus on myself and get really in touch with my feelings, she said. Im not afraid of my emotions, and Im not afraid to feel sad.

As for mental health, Weldon recommends trying to focus on the positives in life, as well as being open with your doctors if youre on medication and reaching out to a therapist if you havent already. Everybody that loves you and cares about you is there to help you, so if youre going through anxiety and depression, its just so important to reach out to somebody.

Weldon also made sure to emphasize the importance of destigmatizing disorders like anxiety and depression. She says when she was diagnosed with anxiety in early 2017, along with a form of OCD called trichotillomania, she realized she'dbeen wrestling with anxiety her whole life. I had always been a perfectionist in school. If I got a bad grade, I would freak out and have a panic attack, Weldon says. I didnt know what that was growing up because its such a taboo subject that people dont talk about it.

Although things feel almost impossible to handle at the moment, Weldon has advice nonetheless. You cant always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you react to the situation and how you move forward from it, she says. The first step to change a situation you dont like is to change your attitude about it and try to find positives, no matter how difficult that might be.

She adds: I always reiterate to people that its OK to have anxiety and its OK to have depression, but its not OK to ignore it and hope that the problems go away.

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Mental health during the pandemic: advice on processing a breakup in isolation - St. Louis Magazine

Atono Tskr Kense Kohima | August 23

While Nagaland reels under the daily detection of COVID-19 cases, there has also been a surge in the recovery cases. As on August 23, the recovery rate in the State was 62.2%, giving hope that the virus can be contained and with proper precautions, even cured.

In the first part of the series, The Morung Express spoke to some individuals who have successfully outlived Coronavirus infection. They included Advisor for Horticulture and Border Affairs, Mhathung Yanthan, John, a 65-year old sportsperson (name changed) and 17 year old Naro (name changed) from Kohima.

Continuing the conversation, these survivors shared their experiences and words of advice on how to deal with the virus and support the people affected by it.

Stigmatisation scarierthan being infected It was not easy for my family in this journey, particularly for my Mom who underwent mental and emotional stress said Naro with four members in the family who were tested positive but are all COVID-19 free now. Her mother tested negative.

Citing instances of the stigma and discrimination where people had the tendency to avoid them, she said the prejudice and stigma was scarier than being tested positive with COVID-19 which according to her is adding more woes in the lives of those who are tested positive.

I would say they are not matured enough to understand. Maturity does not come with age, it comes with our thinking ability and that shows how we are Naro stated matter-of-factly.

Yanthan, who declared his status publicly in social media said I made it a point to declare my status publicly so that those who have come in contact with me get themselves tested he however, rued that people tend to feel ashamed about to make known of their status due to the prevailing mental attitude of the people.

Stigmatising is happening and we need to revisit our SOPs viewed Yanthan, relating some instances when he was tested positive. All these fears and wrong notions should be dispelled from the minds of the people he asserted.

In times like this, the true nature and colour of the society emerged. It is our attitude which will carry us during this pandemic period pointed out John who also added that this invisible virus doesnt care about anyones status and that anybody in ones family or friends can be infected.

To this, he appealed dont point fingers at him/her or stigmatise a COVID-19 person but show sympathy and compassion as you might be the very next potential victim of this virus.

Psychological support required Rather than the physical pain or discomfort, I feel people like us are suffering more emotionally and mentally observed Naro.

Concurring to this, John said the virus is doing more damage, stress and strain on the psychological health of those infected with the virus and emphasised on the need for counselling, if not, even a short chat and talk which he said can be of a huge relief to the patients.

God willing, he said, he wants to help the people affected with the virus by reaching out to them through telephonic conversation to given moral support and encouragement.

Words of advice Sharing some tips and advices as ones who have been there, Yanthan said the virus is here to stay so we need to build our immune system, eat well, sleep well, rest well and most importantly follow the protocols.

Although three of them were tested positive, he said We were least bothered because we dont have any symptoms and we were pretty sure that we will be fine. He also added that early detection can help to a great extent.

Take precaution and care, be positive, then we will overcome the virus was his message to the people.

Being a survivor, I can say, everything is going to be fine. Have a positive attitude towards life. Dont stigmatise. Pray to God and take good care of your health said Naro.

For John, following the safety protocols by maintaining personal hygiene, social distancing and understanding the virus scientifically with a little bit of compassion and sympathy will greatly contribute in fighting this pandemic.

This is the last of a two-part series.

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Coronavirus survivors in Nagaland recount road to recovery-II - Morung Express

As he sat in the dirt after a young horse tossed him off while schooling in March of 2018 staring at an exposed portion of white bone, veterinarian Kevin Keane, DVM, knew he was in a bad situation.

I was doing very elementary exercises, and basically he let out a little bit of a buck, and I more or less stepped off of him, but when I did, my leg was at an angle, said Keane. This is apparently a common injury in people who are stepping off a ladder. It was really an innocent maneuver on the horses part.

What happened was, both my tibia and fibula splintered, and they came out the bottom of my leg, he continued. I was in an outdoor arena, where it had rained the day before, and so there was a significant amount of water and dirt around, presumably some horse manure also. I had what they call an open fracture, where the bones are projected out of the leg. The negative aspect of being a vet is the minute I saw my tibia sticking out I thought, Well, this is real, real bad.

Keane, 65, runs a practice specializing in equine sports medicine in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where his clients include eventers, steeplechasers, jumpers and dressage horses. Orthopedics and lameness are a central part of his work.

Sohe understood exactly how dangerous open fractures can be because of their high risk for infection when they happen around water. Or dirt. Or horse manure. The tibia, particularly the lower part of the bone, is notorious for poor healing in humans because of its decreased blood supply. Keanes fracture was just above his ankle, and his ankle joint was also exposed.

Keane directed those at the farm to call for an ambulance and get him to a trauma center. He picked up a call from coach, veterinary client and close friend PhillipDutton, whod heard about the young horse that had been found without a rider.

This isnt the worst thing, he told Dutton. Im looking at my tibia, but I didnt hit my head.

At the hospital, surgeons flushed out the fractures and put Keane in traction, but his leg was too swollen for surgery at first. Ten days later, he learned surgery would be complicated, so he flew from Aiken, South Carolina, where the accident happened, to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where top trauma surgeon Dr. James Krieg performed the operation.

Months later the pain persisted.

I wasnt doing particularly well for about four months, Keane said. I didnt look well. [Krieg] kept saying, Something isnt right. Of course, I couldnt walk. I was actually unable to walk normally for almost a year.

Keanes vitals were checked daily to detect any possible infection, and they remained normal, so he returned to work, observing his cases while perched on a stool or hobbling around on crutches. Then, a few months after the operation, his leg adopted a slight curvature that no one could explain. Krieg suggested another surgery, and this time, he took tissue biopsies of the area around Keanes tibia.

He came in a little bit like this Dr. House that we have on television and pronounces a brilliant diagnosis. He announced the name of the bacteria, which is an enterococcus, recalled Keane. Enterococcus actually grows in horse manure. Basically, they realized my leg had been infected for four months, but my body never registered any sign of infection with fever or bloodwork. If he hadnt done that biopsy they never would have known. He said, Now you realize most people that have what you have wouldve gone to the ER in the middle of the night for intractable pain.

I had been in quite a lot of pain from the bone being infected, but I thought it was because of the fracture and was more or less what I had to endure healing up, Keane continued.

Now that theyd identified the problem, they could treat it with a strong combination of antibiotics. But if the drugs failed, Krieg told Keane theyd likely have to amputate. For months Keane gave himself intravenous antibiotics every day at the same time.

The treatment was a success, and Keane believes his attitude was as important an aspect of his recovery as any other. Krieg agreed.

He told me that as doctors, we pretty much put the pieces back in order, but it really is up to the patients and their mental attitude and their tendency to keep trying to get over the injury, said Keane. Thats pretty much what I did.

It was nearly a year before Keane got back in the saddle. The many hours spent on crutches had left him with a loss of sensation in both feet, and Keane worked up gradually from short jogs to longer flatwork to crossrails. Eager to return to competition, he asked Dutton if he could enter a horse trial and just take the cross-country slow. Dutton cautioned him that jumping was going to be harder than he thought.

Naturally, Dutton was right. For several months, Keane had to look down at his feet before a jump to verify the position of the stirrup because he couldnt feel it.

I wanted it so badly that I basically did not have any fear, Keane said. What I would do is Id be cautious riding a horse by myself. When I rode Id make sure 1) I had a cell phone on me and 2) that there was someone in proximity to me so that if I happened to fall off due to weakness in my legs Id have a chance of getting some help.

Keane, who competed at the Rolex Kentucky CCI5*-L in 2014 with Fernhill Flutter, started competing again in January 2019, when he finished fifth at novice with HH Ontario, a now 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse.

Now, Keane is back to his usual schedulewhich is a busy one. In addition to his veterinary practice, he competes Sportsfield Candy, his 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse whom hes campaigned at advanced, and HH Ontario,whosbeen cleaning up at preliminary, winning at Sporting Days (South Carolina) and the Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials this year. Keane sneaks rides in between cases and said that if hes awake, hes working or hes riding. There isnt room for much else.

He hopes to continue riding at the advanced level as long as he physically can and wants to do a long-format four-star later this fall if the pandemic allows. Keane has also enjoyed the process of training Ontario and looks forward to bringing more young prospects through the ranks. As he approaches his 66th birthday, Keanes vision of an eventual retirement from eventing is far off and probably involves show jumping.

I have no plans of slowing down whatsoever, he said.

Do you know a horse or rider who returned to the competition ring after what should have been a life-threatening or career-ending injury or illness? Email Kimberly at kloushin@coth.com with their story.

Original post:
The Chronicle of the Horse - The Chronicle of the Horse

Angeline Dukes, a graduate student in neuroscience, didnt intend to organize an entire movement.

But she did have a question. She had noticed other Twitter movements highlighting Black scientists in fields like birding, astronomy, and physics. She wondered: Wheres neuroscience?

So in early July, Dukes, who is Black, tweeted: Sooo when are we doing a #BlackInNeuro week?

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Within days, a group of nearly two dozen neuroscientists banded together to found Black In Neuro. Like many such groups, it started out as a kind of Twitter club. Its first act: a weeklong virtual showcase of the field and a series of events on neuroscience research, racism, and mental health.

They pulled in sponsors to pay their speakers, including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Stanford University. And theyre not stopping there: Now the group is making a list of Black neuroscientists, 300 and growing, for others to connect with as mentors or invite to present their research. Theyre hoping to eventually set up more formalized mentorships and travel awards.

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The goal: to develop a community for Black scientists who often feel alone or overlooked. Dukes has been there herself. She isnt always confident enough to lift up and showcase her own accomplishments. She still covers her computer and kitchen table with sticky notes of advice and encouragement shes heard along the way from mentors and colleagues, You can do this! and Make your voice heard!

Dukes said that her mentors and colleagues encouragement and support empowered her and now she wants to empower others.

Its important to know that we dont have to be pushed out of the field. We can keep going and we can find mentors and we can have this community, and we do belong here, Dukes told STAT.

Dukes, whos currently a student in the department of neurobiology and behavior at the University of California, Irvine, said it was wonderful to find a community of people who had not only succeeded, but overcome the same struggles shed experienced. She wanted to found the movement in part because of her own struggles as a Black scientist especially as she felt the mental health impact of the killings of unarmed Black people like Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd earlier this year.

In the summer of 2016, when the headlines focused on the police killings of Black men like Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Freddie Gray and 12-year-old Tamir Rice, no one in her lab at Vanderbilt University seemed affected by it, except her. Dukes was overwhelmed, empathizing with the family members of the victims seeking justice, and it affected her work in the lab.

I was so scared for myself and for my boyfriend and for my family and I didnt care about the science I wasnt paying attention, she said. Back then I felt like I was just an undergrad. Who am I to say anything or demand that you pay attention to this?

Earlier this year, Dukes demanded that her labmates pay attention. She spoke to her Ph.D. mentor, Christie Fowler, who is white, and they postponed an upcoming exam so she had time to focus on her mental health. Her mentors attitude helped her realize the power of support and how a broader community could offer more people the same attitude.

I did feel supported, and I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Ive had professors and people in positions of power who were willing to try and fight for some kind of change to be made, she said.

In June, when her husband, who is also Black, was stopped without explanation by her own campus police officers, she was shaken. And though her mentor was supportive, and even rallied other faculty members to email university leadership, Dukes wanted to find a community of people who completely understood her experience. So she built it.

A part of me wanted Black In Neuro because I wanted something positive and I really needed a community that would understand without me having to explain why it was so upsetting, Dukes said.

I really needed a community that would understand without me having to explain why it was so upsetting.

Angeline Dukes, a graduate student in neuroscience who helped found #BlackInNeuro

Although Dukes describes herself as a small person who does like little things that maybe might make a change in a small sphere of influence, the people around her made it clear shes a natural fit to lead the group.

Dukes has experience organizing events shes the de facto party planner for the lab and even remembers everyones birthdays.

Shes also shown herself to be a powerful speaker about topics like racism in science. Dukes and two other neuroscientists at UC Irvine organized and led an anti-racism discussion this spring to teach others how to be a better mentor and ally to Black scientists, ultimately creating a better environment for Black colleagues. It was so successful that Nii Addy, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University who acts as an accessory mentor to Dukes, said the Society of Neuroscience highlighted it as a resource for the neuroscience community as a whole in July.

Just to be able to have an idea and to be able to run with it and implement it. Thats pretty remarkable, Addy said. Her leadership skills have been impressive to me, and her vision as well.

Dukes ability to turn an idea like Black In Neuro Week into a reality by organizing a group of scientists, finding sponsors, and scheduling speakers and events in a matter of three weeks speaks to more than just her leadership skills it demonstrates her perseverance, a quality that Fowler, Dukes Ph.D. mentor at UC Irvine, who is also an associate professor of neurobiology and behavior, emphasized.

When shes faced with challenges, she just pushes through and does amazingly well, she said.

Case in point: When a last-minute emergency kept Fowler from presenting at a conference in New Orleans in March, she asked Dukes to fill in and present research that was not her own.

Dukes, who was the only Black person in the room, was shaking.

I was absolutely terrified, she said. I guess [it was] just the imposter syndrome and feeling like I wasnt sure if Im qualified to talk about this

But Fowler said her colleagues in the audience thought she knocked it out of the park. Dukes was even offered a job by another researcher at the conference.

Several faculty in her department at UC Irvine recognize her as a force of nature. And they encourage it.

Fowler and another faculty member gave Dukes a painting of a black bird to recognize the important work she was doing as an advocate for Black scientists. She keeps it above her desk as a reminder to keep speaking up a more artistic version of the sticky notes on her kitchen table at home.

It just felt really nice to feel like they recognize the work that Im doing, said Dukes. And so this was just another form of validation for me that I am being heard and that my thoughts are being valued.

Black In Neuro also helped Dukes see herself as others do at least a little bit.

It makes me feel more secure that I do have a place here and I can make a positive impact in science, she said.

Dukes and her 21 co-organizers are still deciding whats next for Black In Neuro.

For now, they are focused on nurturing the community they created. They are gearing up to hold monthly socials, actively developing a list of Black neuroscientists, and profiling individual researchers. Other Black neuroscientists in the field think the increased exposure of Black students to successful neuroscientists like them will go a long way.

So those same folks can now say, OK, well, this theres this person here, this person here, this person here, that I can connect with, that looks like me, that I can relate to. Thats gonna go a long way, so that people arent dealing with imposter syndrome in isolation, Addy, Dukes Yale mentor, said.

Dukes was taken aback by the strength of the community she made. She teared up as she recalled a video meeting for Black women, late in the movements weeklong event in July, when she realized how similar her experiences were to everyone there.

Its so easy to feel like youre the only one and no one understands. And to just know there are people out there who get it, like 100%, they get it, and to not have to explain that, and just see how important that is for so many people. It really means a lot, she said.

It clearly did for the participants, too. Yasmin Hurd, the director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai and one of Dukes science idols, also attended. She, too, was moved by everyones experiences she even turned on her video camera despite her new haircut. But even more so, she was impressed with Dukes. Hurd said she had a way of making everyone feel special for who they are and the research they did.

Its this warm environment [where] people felt safe. And there were just a lot of emotions. And it brought out the raw emotions in me that a lot of these ladies are going through the same things that I went through, and that we havent really moved the dial enough, said Hurd.

Dukes wants to keep moving that dial, both with Black in Neuro and on her own. She participates in a biannual Saturday science event at her local church, where she teaches children, many of them Black, about things like what neurons do she said the students are always a bit freaked out that she works with mice.

At the end of it, I had at least one of them that was like, I think I can be a scientist! and I was like, Yes! Yes you can! Thats exactly what you can do, she said.

She wants to keep showing others that there is a place for them in research, if they want it. She intends to seek a professorship at a historically black college and university so that she can help other Black women see that a career in science, and specifically research, is an option.

I feel very certain that this is the career path for me, that this is what Im supposed to be doing, especially with all of the Black in Neuro stuff, I feel like this is really how I can make a difference, she said.

Elizabeth Cooney contributed to this report.

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Read the original:
The scientist behind #BlackInNeuro is building the hashtag into a community - STAT

We all have read the news of a collapsed bridge or a crumbled flyover. It is not rocket science to understand the reasons behind such accidents. More often than not, it is because of the low quality of construction. Sometimes, it may also be due to the overload of traffic. Somewhere, some rules have been compromised. Either during the construction of the bridge or at the time of usage.

I bring your attention to one more bridge which exists in the human mind. The one which connects a person from his/her current reality to the cherished dreams. The ability to walk through this bridge until the dream milestone is also coined as success.

Well, in most of the cases people spend their entire life navigating on this path. Regret happens when the goal is visible on the way, but people run out of necessary fuel to advance further. All this happens for the same reasons, which made the concrete over bridge collapse. Either the strength of this mental bridge is not appropriate, or it has become exhausted because of overuse!

Let me illustrate the six pillars of this invisible mind bridge, which can not only give it strength but also make it sustainable for a long duration. These are

1. Belief

The first pillar of this unseen bridge is an unquestionable self-belief. A large majority of people do not start their journey only because they lack belief. It is must to be self-confident and aware of the universal powers bestowed on to us.

If this pillar crumbles, there is not much of a scope for the reconstruction of the bridge. It would be wise for a person to step on this journey of dreams with a rock-strong belief!

2. Resilience

The road to success is never smooth. If you can overcome obstacles on the way, you are really worthy of your goals! Traffic jams, potholes, blocks, abrupt turns, rough weathers are part and parcel of this journey. A traveller has to be prepared to face such eventualities and cross over those. Sometimes one might be required to pause a bit or take a bye lane, come what may, but the engine should not stop. Keep moving with your focus glued in the right direction. When this pillar bends, the journey becomes unpleasant. So much so that, one gets tempted to surrender. Acceptance is the key to resilience. Be ready to face challenges, and the problems will never deter you.

3. Intuitiveness

It is said that logic can take you from a to b, but imagination can take you places.

The road less travelled is the one which leads to a never before milestone. To give strength to this pillar, it is mandatory to work on a powerful dream. When the destination is intuitively inspired, it creates abundant energy. For a person, withholding such a motivating goal, obstacles become insignificant, and the travel time becomes joyful.

Practising regular meditation and living a mindful lifestyle are the key sources of intuitiveness. A person who observes these virtues gets to experience peace and pleasure in synchronicity!

4. Decisions and choices

The unfolding of life as future is nothing but the fallout of the choices made by us in our present.

No one can ever be sure of the right decision in any given situation. However, a person driven by values and governed by the instinct of taking calculated risks can always rely on his/her choices. Decision making is an art. Learn it when you are a kid, and the stakes are not high. It is the responsibility of parent and society to inculcate this ability in children.

This pillar is the centre stone of the powerful mind bridge. Wrong choices can lead to misleading directions. The journey of a thousand miles can convert into that of ten thousand miles if decisions go haywire!

5. Giving Attitude

Our life begins with the lessons on acquiring. We strive for getting knowledge, wealth, property, richness, relations etc. In the zest to accumulate so much of all these, we miss out on the real joys.

Renounce, as much as possible, the attitude of getting and nurture the ability of givingthe joy of giving feeds a persons self-esteem and also delivers a sense of self-actualization.

When this pillar is compromised, the journey at the end of the bridge becomes stressful and challenging. Many people sitting on piles of wealth can be seen depressed only because this pillar has not been appropriately curated!

6. Eat & Exercise well

This pillar is the most fragile out of all. The primary fuel for human beings is the food that we eat. When age is in the favourable compartment, youth ignore these aspects grossly. For most of us, the realization to eat well and do proper body maintenance come a bit too late.

Once a very senior doctor said this: Start taking care of your health when it is in the right shape. Otherwise, you may have to do so as per the prescription of a physician!

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Read more:
Six pillars of the invisible bridge - The Times of India Blog

Jeff Burkhead, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center

Note: September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide should call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 or (785) 841-2345.

As soon as they received the text message, they knew. And in that moment, everything changed. Forever.

I want you all to know I love you. Its my time to leave. Thank you so much for being such a supportive and loving family. Im sorry I have to do this. I have been planning this for a while and the time is here. I hid it well but I have been depressed for so long I dont even know when it first began. Just know theres nothing you could have done and this is my choice. As much as I love you I cannot be on this earth anymore. Theres something wrong in my head and I cannot bear it anymore. I love you. Thank you for all the laughs and good times we have all had together. You are the most amazing people and the best family anyone could ever have. Im so sorry to do this.

April and Richard Ramos

For April and Richard Ramos, Dec. 2, 2018, was a parents worst nightmare. Thats the day their second oldest child, Adam Miguel Juan Ramos, killed himself. He was 24.

Thats a day we will never forget, Richard said. Its so vivid in my mind, finding him.

Adam was alone when he died. His parents found him in the basement of his house.

Ive never cried so much in my life, Richard said. But thats OK, Adam deserves every teardrop.

The day before Adam died, he and his father watched Adams younger brother, Anthony, wrestle at a tournament in Kansas City.

We had a great day watching Anthony compete and cheering him on, Richard said. Adam was so supportive of his younger brother, true brotherly love.

Adams younger sister, Allison, was the last person in the immediate family to see Adam. They went together to a University of Kansas basketball game on a Saturday night. Adam died the following day.

I remember that night so well because he seemed so happy, Allison said. I made him take a selfie with me, which is now the last picture we have of him, so I am forever grateful I took that picture.

That smile was always on his face; he hid behind it really well, said Abigail, Adams older sister.

Behind his ever-present smile, though, Adam was hurting on the inside. He tried to kill himself by driving off the road when he was a freshman in college, though his family didnt know it was a suicide attempt at the time. His mom, April, who works in the mental health field, convinced Adam to see a therapist. He went a couple of times, but then stopped going, saying he didnt think therapy was for him.

Allison Ramos

I struggle with blaming myself, especially being in mental health, April said. The guilt has been really hard. My family has been great, reminding me that it wasnt anyones fault. They said he kept it from all of us.

After Adam died, Richard received a phone call from a high school classmate whose brother had died by suicide.

One thing he said that stuck with me was to imagine the pain they must have been in to want to end their lives, April said. Thats what has gotten us through it, that hes no longer in pain. I wish we could have helped him deal with that pain. But it helps to think that hes no longer in pain.

On what would have been Adams 25th birthday, Feb. 4, 2019, the Ramos family gathered with friends to celebrate Adams life.

Adam deserves to be remembered, Richard said. He brought us so much happiness in his short 24 years. We need to keep talking about him.

Talking about suicide can make people uncomfortable, but its important to talk about, to bring the subject out into the open.

This has to be talked about, Richard said. I know suicide happens way too often and I want to help change that.

Growing up in Charles Town, W. Va., Carter Gaskins family didnt talk about their feelings. His father was the strong, silent type.

My father was a big guy and he was the type of person who thought men didnt cry, Gaskins said. So I kept my feelings hidden. I think more of the black community holds this topic of anxiety and depression inside. We are taught to be strong and not to be emotional. Unfortunately, in the black community, we have to run faster to get ahead, so we don't have time to feel emotion. We just must keep running to be successful.

Carter Gaskins

Gaskins was a skinny, quiet kid growing up. From first grade through the 11th grade, he was bullied. Pushed off his bike. Punched in the chest. Called names. He didnt tell anybody about what was going on. He put on a good front, but when he was by himself, he would cry.

I would think, why am I not good enough? he said. Why cant I be a normal kid?

In his senior year of high school, Gaskins chose a different path. He started hanging out with people who were on the streets. They were his protection. He started sticking up for himself.

Thats when I got into things I shouldnt have, He said. Street life, fighting, hanging out all night, going to clubs and parties.

But he wasnt happy.

Depression hits you in different ways, Gaskins said. I was angry, frustrated, didnt care about nothing.

When his father, this big, strong guy who seemed invincible, became sick and started having his own mental health issues, Gaskins sunk deeper into depression. His father, because of his physical problems, ended up going on dialysis.

Seeing my father on dialysis, helpless, hopeless, I started having a nervous breakdown, shaking, crying, Gaskins said. In March 2009, I had my first panic attack and Ill never forget it.

Three months later, Gaskins father died after suffering a stroke during dialysis.

The depression was still there, Gaskins said. I used to ride motorcycles. I would sometimes ride at a high speed and think about killing myself. I had no fear.

One year after the death of his father, Gaskins met Shanice, the person who would become his wife. About a year later, they were expecting a child. The child passed away shortly after birth.

Thats when everything went black for me, Gaskins said. Everything was numb. It was like there was a huge cloud sitting over me. There were a lot of times I would be in the car holding a gun and just wanted to end it. I really didnt care about anything.

Gaskins and his wife separated and she moved to Lawrence, while he stayed behind in West Virginia. He ended up joining her here in Lawrence. The move changed his life.

It took my wife to get me out of that place. I put her through hell, but shes such a strong woman, Gaskins said. I had to deal with all of my pain and my frustration and face those things head-on.

And he discovered a new passion.

Thats the reason I got into photography, he said. There are a lot of people who deal with anxiety and depression and suicidal thoughts and they think no one cares about them. I take it upon myself, that its my job to show them how beautiful they are with my camera. You never know what someone is going through. I went through it, and I understand it.

When she was 13, Sierra Two Bulls contemplated killing herself.

It was really more self-harm; I cut myself, she said. What I really wanted was for the problems to go away, but not necessarily my life. I never attempted after that, but that became part of my journey. It was my familys addiction problems that really made me want to kill myself when I was 13.

Sierra Two Bulls

Two Bulls, an alumna of Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Kansas, is an Oglala Lakota from the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. She grew up around her culture and traditions, but the poverty, addiction and despair are also a reality for her and her tribe.

As a Native person, we have ongoing intergenerational trauma caused by European colonization, the genocide, the boarding schools, and the forced removal from our land, Two Bulls said. Theres a saying, I have attended more wakes and funerals than graduations and other celebrations. That speaks to my reality. Suicide rates among American Indians/Alaska Natives are historically higher than those of the total U.S. population. We have that ongoing trauma.

Two Bulls experienced trauma in other ways as well. She is a sexual assault and domestic violence survivor.

Even though I come from a long line of resilient people, we still have ongoing trauma, she said. I have seen the effects of that.

In 2015, when Two Bulls was in graduate school at the University of Kansas, one of her best friends killed himself. Motivated by the loss of her friend and to earn her masters degree in Social Welfare, Two Bulls applied to do her practicum at Headquarters Counseling Center. Shes been a volunteer counselor ever since.

Its been a long journey, she said. Trauma and resilience have played a huge factor in my life. Thats what brought me to Headquarters and why Ive stayed.

Chris Maxwell has been working in the field of suicide prevention since 2013. His personal experience with suicide goes back further.

I had my own experiences between high school and college with a couple of suicide attempts myself and then went through my own recovery process, Maxwell said.

Chris Maxwell

Maxwell, who is director of public relations and media for the American Association of Suicidology in Washington, D.C., began working in the area of suicide prevention when he went through training to become a counselor for Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence, which is now Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ.

Now, looking back, I would say it absolutely influenced me to get into this line of work, Maxwell said. Through the Headquarters training, it became clear that this was something that was not only helpful for others but was helpful for me in processing and coping and connecting with others who had experienced similar things.

Maxwell found that opening up about his experiences was helpful when he was going through his own struggles.

Being more open and sharing how things are going and asking for help when I needed it was really big, Maxwell said. Its really hard to reach out and ask for help, and suicide is a hard topic to talk about. It can make you feel like youre a burden to those around you. But I found out I wasnt a burden; people really did want to know what was going on with me.

Maxwell said it is important for people to check in with each other, especially now during a pandemic.

With COVID-19, that isolation factor is huge, Maxwell said. We know that people are being impacted, we know that people are feeling worried. People are suffering in silence and not feeling like they have any way of dealing with their emotions. We need to be checking in on our loved ones all the time.

Amy Hammer is a member of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy team at the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. She experienced bullying and suicidal ideation when she came out as gay in high school. After taking a psychology class, she knew she wanted to help people who were struggling with mental health.

In college, she volunteered at Headquarters and learned a lot about talking to people who were considering suicide. She has been a DBT therapist for almost 20 years now; for the past five years, focusing on transgender individuals and how to help them. The transgender population is at a higher risk for suicide; though research shows that trans people are less suicidal when their families are supportive.

I love DBT because its a respectful treatment for people who have suffered from traumatic, invalidating experiences and environments, Hammer said. DBT has shown in many studies over the past 20 years to be really helpful for people who are struggling with intense emotions, suicidal ideation and self-harm. Ive watched countless people get much better, stop wanting to die, and build lives worth living.

Like cancer, most people know or know of someone who has died by suicide.

Almost everyone is touched by suicide, in some way, said Allan Bunch, vice president of communication and development for Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ. I challenge anybody to meet someone who has never been impacted by suicide.

For many years and still in some circles, suicide isnt talked about. Adding to the stigma and shame.

Suicide is OK to talk about, Bunch said. When were talking about suicide were not talking about anything that anyone should be ashamed of. Someone died because they were in pain and they sought to end their pain. Most people who are considering suicide actually dont want to die; its just the only way they can see ending their deeply intense emotional pain.

Like every other business and organization has had to do during the pandemic, Headquarters Counseling Center has adapted and adjusted. But its counselors remain as dedicated as ever.

Were all focused on day-to-day living and staying safe while we experience a global pandemic, and our volunteers are not an exception to that, said Jared Auten, training coordinator for Headquarters. Theyre certainly having their capacity stretched and challenged. So were conscious of trying to keep them supported. Weve been so grateful for our volunteers.

Typically, Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ has about 55 active volunteers at any given time. A standard shift is four hours; the overnight shift is eight hours. The number of calls per shift varies. Headquarters is part of a national network of more than 160 crisis centers that answer calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Our volunteers are regular people in the community who have an interest or a passion for suicide prevention, Auten said. The volunteer opportunity attracts people who have some connection to suicide.

Jared Auten and Rachel Schmidt

For Auten, it was his father.

My main motivation for getting involved with Headquarters was the death of my dad in 2006 by suicide, Auten said.

Auten was 13 at the time of his fathers death.

I wasnt initially told that he had killed himself; I was told a day or two later, Auten said. When I was told that my dad had died, I knew that he had killed himself, but no one was saying it. I didnt think it was a hunting accident, which is how it was presented to me. Every family, every community is impacted by suicide. But those stories arent always told. The other reality is as a society we really arent comfortable talking about suicide.

Talking about suicide isnt easy but its necessary, Auten said.

Mental health issues, like suicide and depression and anxiety, are not talked about among men. The attitude is that asking for help is not masculine and that its a sign of weakness, Auten said. We as men have to acknowledge there are aspects of masculinity that get in the way of us doing things that promote health and wellness.

When someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts, its important to have open and honest conversations about access to services as well as access to firearms and other lethal means, and to encourage family members to work collaboratively with the person who is at risk.

When someone died by suicide, its easy for others, particularly family members, to blame themselves.

Even when someone displays warning signs and ultimately dies by suicide, its no ones fault, Auten said. But that blame is definitely something that suicide loss survivors experience. You start questioning, what could I have done? Could this have been prevented? A lot of survivors go through the mental gymnastics of trying to make sense of it. Its important to be reminded that its no ones fault.

When Matt Jackson started as a counselor at Headquarters Counseling Center, he encountered something he had never experienced before.

Its a safe place, Jackson said. Its the first safe place Ive ever known.

Matt Jackson

Like other suicide counselors, Jackson has his own history with the issue.

I have a history of depression, a history of anxiety, Jackson said. At one point in my life, I actually got to the point where I had gone and bought a knife. I think I was maybe 18. I had given away possessions; there were certainly warning signs.

Dealing with being gay and growing up in the South as well as working through childhood trauma that he had to unpack over time, Jackson has healed and grown. As a counselor, he has shared from his own experiences when its appropriate and he thinks it will be helpful, but, mostly, he listens.

We provide a mirror of self-reflection that allows people to open, Jackson said. Its all anonymous. We do everything to protect the callers anonymity and our own anonymity. So its a forum, almost like a confessional. My role, as I see it as a volunteer counselor, is to be an assistant. Im assisting people, Im here to hear you. That person, whether they realize it or not, by calling, by reaching out, theyve already made a step toward surviving, toward life.

In 2019, Bill Harkness, a longtime board member of NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) Kansas and board president, died by suicide.

It was a shock to everybody who knew him but a reminder that suicide can affect anybody, said Bill Wood of NAMI Douglas County.

After Harkness death, Gov. Laura Kelly issued a statement: Im deeply saddened to hear of Erics passing. He was a tireless advocate for the Kansas mental health community. He touched many lives with his unbridled passion for helping people who deal with mental illness every day access the help and support they need.

Eric inspired us during Mental Health Advocacy Day at the Capitol and other activities as part of his unwavering commitment to educate and increase awareness about mental illness.

Wood remembers his own personal experience with suicide, which occurred years ago.

It would be pretty unusual if somebody hadnt at least thought about it sometime in their life, Wood said When I was younger and not getting along with my wife very well, I was driving down the road one day and thinking about which telephone post am I going to hit. Fortunately, a little voice said, youre listening to a lie here; you can work this out. So, Im still alive.

Rachel Wolfe, an urgent care therapist for Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, has talked with many clients whose lives have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While working with clients over the past several months, I have noticed a topic that frequently comes up in session routine, Wolfe said. In crisis therapy and individual outpatient therapy alike, we often support clients in developing healthy, supportive routines which are shown to positively impact one's mental health.

The pandemic has dramatically changed those routines.

Throughout the pandemic, people have had their lives, and specifically their routines, flipped upside down without any notice, Wolfe said. Clients have told me that they feel like their mental health, physical health, and lives as a whole are out of their control; and this is often where suicidal thoughts come in. Whether they live or die becomes one of the only things they feel they can control.

Although the pandemic has posed our clients with many unforeseen challenges, I also am hopeful that it has shown them that they are resilient, resourceful, and well-equipped to overcome life's inevitable challenges, Wolfe said.

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Suicide prevention awareness: Stories of hope and resiliency | LMH Health | Lawrence, KS - LMH Health