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May 2022 News!
Greetings everyone,
Just this week, the mass public learned of and began mourning the death of country music legend Naomi Judd. Her family’s statement read in part, "Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness.” Further reports confirm the singer died by suicide at age 76. Truly, this disease spares no one and has no immunity against glamour, glitz, success, wealth, resources, and an influential professional network.
This stark reality is just another reminder of the prevalence of mental health issues across our world. When the spotlight shines on those in a position of fame and influence, it causes a different kind of reaction and response. In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, let this one family’s story carry the overarching message of grief and loss … as well as acceptance to some degree. Mental health is just that—health. Let’s treat it as such.
Enjoy the season ahead of us.
Reyne & Scott Roeder
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Month—officially. We believe we’re collectively working towards making every single month mental health month and progress is being made, but it’s both ongoing and requiring more support.
The organization Mental Health America has recognized May’s national dedication to mental health since 1949. Its grassroots initiative aims to “promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for those who need them; with recovery as the goal.”
This year, the MHA created a Mental Health Month Toolkit themed, "Back to Basics." Its goal is to provide foundational knowledge about mental health and related conditions. Essentially, it offers a bundle of resources including media materials, social media messaging, print collateral, and other outreach ideas individuals can use to further explore mental health support. Download your free kit via the button below. It’s both comprehensive and user friendly.
The Beautiful Mind Project
It all started with an idea to do something differently.
The Beautiful Mind Project based in St. Cloud was created as an option to provide urgent mental health care services to those in immediate need and/or crisis. The goal was to reduce the wait times and bureaucratic red tape that often accompanies the process in order to gain access to a counselor or psychiatrist.
The average wait in the U.S. for an appointment of that nature is 25 days.
Executive Director Marc Van Herr created The Beautiful Mind Project after his own struggles with bipolar disorder. When he was diagnosed with diabetes, he experienced the stark realization that mental health came with an overwhelming sense of stigma and shame. He sought out ways to challenge the status quo, focusing on his home community of Central Minnesota.
The next iteration of the organization comes in the form of Mindology Mental Wellness Center, slated to open in St. Cloud early in summer 2022. Mindology aims to be both accessible and proactive in expanding mental health care by combining traditional therapy with other lifestyle wellness techniques, including nutrition, massage, meditation, art and music therapy, and yoga.
Mindology is a uniquely modern approach to mental health care that combines talk therapy with physiological programs designed to help adolescents and adults manage and maintain mental health. Its care model represents a whole body approach entirely designed from the patient perspective in order to provide clients with a new, unique mental health experience.
It's mental health done differently.
Mindology Mental Wellness Center will be located in the Midtown Square Mall on Division Street in St. Cloud.
The Dangers of Perfection
Since the beginning of March, three high-profile college student-athletes have died by suicide across the U.S.
Within their respective sports, three young women portrayed dominance and success; Katie Meyer a goalkeeper on Stanford’s women’s soccer team; Sarah Shulze a cross country and track athlete for the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Lauren Bernett a softball player for James Madison University in Virginia. Off the field, apparent struggle and despair plagued all three women within their privates lives.
An article from NBC News shared further detail into the world of student athletes, stating:
Feeling like there is too much on their plates is not uncommon for student-athletes, who put an enormous amount of pressure on themselves to perform at the highest level, both in their sports and in their academics. It’s a trait that may have motivated them in their sport, they added, but it can lead to unrealistic expectations.
“Perfectionism can come out with a particular tenacity for student-athletes,” said Tommy Fritze, a sport and performance psychologist at the health and counseling center at the University of Denver, whose role is devoted to student-athletes and the athletic department. “The demands are high, and then if you’re trying to meet those demands perfectly, or perform perfectly in all those areas, that can be a really problematic recipe.”
An organization called Morgan’s Message is dedicated to eliminating stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community. Created after the loss of Duke University student athlete Morgan Rodgers to suicide, Morgan’s Message “takes a shot at mental health” by equalizing the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics. It aims to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alone.
Resources & Can't-Miss:
Strides Against Stigma 5k & Family Fun Run
Race from The Beautiful Mind Project with all proceeds going towards programs for adolescents and families that provides free counseling, group events, and peer support. Saturday, May 21st at 8am at SCSU’s National Hockey Center. Register here!
National Weekend of Prayer for Faith, Hope, & Life
During the weekend of May 13-15th, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention invites faith communities across the nation to come together to pray for those whose lives have been touched by suicide. See further details and resources here.
Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
The Central Minnesota Mental Health Center is hosting an event to commemorate its new Crisis/Detox center in St. Cloud on Tuesday, May 24th from 11am-2pm. Address and center details here.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255 or text “MN” to 741-741