Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE  — As people fulfill their New Year’s resolutions by exercising regularly and eating healthily, they can sometimes forget that their mental health is just as important.

“In the effort to become the best that we can be and in our commitment to self, it is imperative to understand that physical health cannot be separated from whole-body health which includes good mental health,” said Janey Sorensen, Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center grant writer and contract manager.

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

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Human emotions are a necessary part of every person’s life, said Sorensen, and when emotions get out of control life can be more difficult.

The Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center in Montrose provides a number of peer support groups that can aid in one’s goal of “whole-body health.”

These peer support programs are offered free of charge and organized by trained nonprofessional lay people.

“These groups allow the sharing of experiences and hope while exploring workable solutions,” Sorensen said. “They offer support during difficult times, relief from pain, and connections with people who will listen in a nonjudgmental environment.”

The center offers six different peer support groups. They are: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Pet Loss Grief Support, Suicide Attempters Recovery Group, Emotions Anonymous, and Kinship Connection for Kids.

DBSA

Mood disorders such as depression affect millions of Americans, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. But the disorder also impacts the person’s family and friends.

Feelings of guilt, shame, isolation, sadness, exhaustion and fear, along with anger, frustration and resentment, are all natural feeling that result from the disorder.

Peer support groups help people understand that their emotions are common and provide a network of support.

DBSA sessions provide a place for the person and their family members to share, find information and talk about different drugs that can help, said Barbara Browner, a peer specialist at the center.

NAMI

About 6 percent of Americans, or 1 in 17 adults, suffer from serious mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

NAMI has more than 1,200 local affiliates spanning all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. All provide support, education, information, referral and advocacy.

The NAMI peer support groups meet in Montrose and Delta. There are three groups, one for consumers and their family, one for only consumers and one for only family members.

Browner said families sometimes don’t think they can talk openly around their loved one who has a mental illness, and sometimes that person can be offended by their family’s lack of understanding.

She said having the two separate classes allows both parties to talk openly.

Pet Loss Grief Support

“(For) a lot of people, (a pet) is their only connection,” Browner said.

The Pet Loss Grief Support groups provides a place for people to cry.

“It’s OK to cry for a friend, even if they have four legs,” she said.

Suicide Attempters Recovery Group

In the U.S., someone commits suicide every 17 minutes; in Colorado, 600 people commit suicide each year, according to Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center.

Historically, Montrose County’s suicide rate has been two times the national average. Colorado is ranked seventh in the nation for suicide deaths.

“It’s a prevention group,” Browner said. “Most people who attempt suicide will do it again.”

She said when someone has attempted suicide and sent to the hospital, afterward they feel as if there is no one to talk to. The recovery group provides a safe place and people with a common understanding.

Emotions Anonymous

Emotions Anonymous is a newer support group, Browner said. It is a 12-step program, similar to Alcohol Anonymous, where a person goes through steps to gain control of their emotions.

Kinship Connection for Kids

Kinship Connection is a support group for grandparents and other relatives who care for children.

According to the 2000 census, nearly 2.5 million grandparents in the U.S. are the primary caregivers responsible for more than 4.5 million children under age 18 — the children of their children, according to the U.S. Administration on Aging.

The group gives participants support, current parenting education and information, a safe place to share feelings and access to resources.

Mental illnesses, just like physical illnesses, can come at any age to any person regardless of their physical health, socioeconomic status, race or gender, Sorensen said.

“You can’t just get tough or pull yourself together to get over a mental illness any more than you can get tough to get over a heart condition or diabetes,” she said. “Yet many of us are guilty of believing just that.”

Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com.

share feelings and access to resources.

Mental illnesses, just like physical illnesses, can came at any age to any person regardless of their physical health, socioeconomic status, race or gender, Sorensen said.

“You can’t just get tough or pull yourself together to get over a mental illness any more than you can get tough to get over a heart condition or diabetes,” she said. “Yet many of us are guilty of believing just that.”

Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com

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