To watch the 2024 Milton Mental Wellness Webinar -- once again in partnership with the LRJ Foundation -- CLICK HERE. This event featured several experts, including Dr. Scott Livingston , discussing how Emotional Intelligence can be used (and improved) to help yourself and others.

No community -- Milton included -- is immune from mental health challenges. That's because anxiety, depression, loneliness and the like impact people of all ages, all backgrounds, all socioeconomic and demographic groups. A person can seem like they're happy on the outside, but on the inside fights to wake up each day. They may seem to have everything together to everyone else, but feels like they're falling apart on the inside. Too often, they don't know what to do or where to turn.

This webpage is designed for those people and those who love them. 

Since 2019, the City of Milton has partnered with the LRJ Foundation -- a non-profit that promotes suicide prevention and shares mental wellness tools with schools, groups and the greater community -- on mental wellness forums. These had different formats but a common purpose: to share insights, stories and strategies to support people dealing with mental wellness challenges.

VIDEOS:

• 2024 Milton Mental Wellness Webinar: Emotional Intelligence
• 2023 Milton Mental Wellness Webinar: The Power of Positive Parenting
• 2022 Milton Mental Wellness Webinar
• Milton shines spotlight on suicide prevention (2021)
• 2020 Milton Mental Wellness Webinar
• Suicide - A Community Conversation (2019)

RESOURCES

Are you or someone you know struggling, perhaps even considering suicide? If so, there are many ways to get support. Among them:

Available Mental Health resources for Milton residents: https://sites.google.com/view/988-miltonga/

• Georgia Crisis & Access Line -- This state-based service offers telephone crisis intervention, can dispatch a mobile crisis team and helps people make urgent appointments. Connect to GCAL via its website or by calling 1-800-715-4225

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -- Simply dial 9-8-8, or go to www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org for free, confidential help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

• Crisis Text Line -- Anyone in crisis can text HOME to 741741

• LRJ Foundation -- Go to LRJ Foundation's website for more on programs, events and resources offered through this group. You can also call (570) 840-2680 or email TeamLRJ@LRJfoundation.com. 

You can also click HERE for the LRJ Foundation's list of local therapists and psychological hospitals.

UNIQUE GROUPS AND NEEDS

Helping children cope with stress and anxiety

Learning how to cope with mental health struggles is challenging for anyone. For some young people, it can be overwhelming -- especially if they don't know what to do or where to turn. Many organizations, like the LRJ Foundation, can offer immediate support for those in need; scroll below to the RESOURCES section if you or someone you know is in crisis.

The LRJ Foundation also offers these recommendations, more generally, for children who are feeling stressed and anxious:

1. Talk to your parents (ideally face-to-face or perhaps by email) or another qualified adult, like a counselor
2. Find a friend you trust and confide with them – including how they can help you
3. Get involved in support groups nearby and, remember, you’re not alone.
4. Stay active and try to find, and do, things that bring you joy
5. Text HOME to 741741 or call 1-800-448-3000 for immediate professional support 

As for parents of struggling children, the same organization suggests:

1. Make a point of really listening to your children with an open-mind and without making judgments
2. Show empathy and be a good role model by being vulnerable, honest and authentic
3. Encourage schools to have a strategy and actions to support mental wellness among students
4. Advocate for your child, helping them get the help they need while encouraging their growth
5. Sit by your child (at least 10-15 minutes away) to practice coping skills and let them know they are not alone

Combating loneliness and depression among older people

Social isolation and loneliness have long been problems for older people. And the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated those issues.

A United Nations report issued this summer estimates that 20-34% of older people in parts of Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America suffer from loneliness. This perhaps shouldn’t be too surprising in the United States, given a U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services report that found about 28 percent of older American adults live alone.

Especially at an advanced age, loneliness can lead to cognitive decline, dementia, depression, and anxiety. Even in 2019, there were more suicides among Americans between the ages of 55 to 64 than for any other age group, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

So what can be done about it?

Engagement is key – even in, or really especially in a pandemic. So, too, is knowing who is lonely. If there is someone you see in this category, interact with them as best you can. Maybe drop by their house. Or give them a call, on the phone or Teams. Invite them out. Or connect them with someone else – perhaps another person who is likewise feeling lonely.

Of course, no magic potion can make loneliness go away. Still, little acts can make a big difference.

First responders and veterans face unique challenges

When there’s someone in a mental crisis, first responders – meaning police officers and firefighters – are often the first to encounter them. And in warzones, members of the military find themselves in the thick of dangerous situations as they endeavor to accomplish their missions.

But what about when men and women from either of these groups need help, not just physically but with their mental state?

According to a study by the Ruderman Family Foundation, police officers and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Their suicide rate is also appreciably higher than the general population, as is the percentage of first responders – 30 percent, compared to 20 percent overall – who suffer from behavior mental health conditions like depression and PTSD, according to a study cited by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

In Milton and beyond, first responders like these are encouraged to talk about their challenges and get help from loved ones, their employer, someone they trust, and/or a mental health professional. Those who are considering suicide can also call one of several hotlines, such as 1-800-273-8355.

Similarly, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports suicide rates for veterans are about 1.5 times higher than for non-veterans. Military members are more likely to suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression (five times more so than non-military, a JAMA study found).

Help is available in the form of:

1. The federal government’s Veterans Crisis Line – by calling 1-800-273-8255, texting 838255 or going to https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
2. The PTSD Foundation of America – reachable at 877-717-7873 or at https://ptsdusa.org/
3. Operation Mend – with more information available at http://operationmend.ucla.edu/

Connection between substance abuse and mental health issues

According to the National Institutes of Health, there is a proven correlation between substance abuse and mental health issues -- and vice versa. In other words, an alcoholic or chronic drug user is more likely (than the norm) to suffer from things like depression, anxiety, and the like. Addressing substance abuse problems, then, can improve a person's mental wellness -- not to mention their physical health.

There are many options for Georgians with substance abuse issues to get help, including:

• Alcoholics Anonymous in Georgia (with this link showing Milton meetings)
• Live Another Day (sharing available mental health resources) 
• Recovery in Georgia (with options in Alpharetta, Roswell and Woodstock)
• Georgia Overdose Prevention Project
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (offering options for treatment centers and more)
• The Summit Wellness Group (with centers in Roswell and Atlanta)

Managing and identifying workplace stressors - and finding balance

A hectic schedule at work and home can create a swirl of emotions and unhealthy habits, leading to undue stress and lack of productivity and joy.

Watch -- and share -- this 11-minute video on tips to learn to recognize and manage stress in our daily lives and in the workplace.

The CDC offers these suggestions to promote mental wellness in the workplace, both for you or your colleagues:

• Participate in (and push for the creation of) programs teaching people how to manage stress, anxiety and other mental health issues
• Share your personal experiences with colleagues and, in so doing, help reduce the stigma of talking about mental health issues
• If you notice a co-worker struggling, respond with empathy, support and ideally ideas where they can get professional help
• Take care of your own physical needs, like eating healthy and getting enough sleep. That can help you get in a better place mentally, and allow you to better assist others.
• Do activities for stress management and relaxation like yoga, mindfulness exercises and tai chi
• Try to stay positive, expressing happiness and gratitude when you can.

GENERAL TIPS and TOOLS

During the 2020 Milton Mental Wellness Webinar, expert panelists outlined numerous valuable coping tools and strategies for those struggling with mental health issues. Below you'll find some examples, as well as additional tips from Dr. Jeannine Jannot -- one of the expert panelists and author of "The Distintegrating Student: Super Smart and Falling Apart."

• Practice "mindfulness" -- which, ultimately, is about being present in the moment -- to decrease stress.
• Social media use can contribute to depression and anxiety, so try to reduce your use of it when you're feeling off.
• Share your core needs with loved ones, ideally in a positive, gentle (and, if need be, repeated) manner. In other words, don't hesitate to ask for what you need.
• Intentionally acknowledge your feelings -- even if just to yourself. In other words, "Name it to tame it."
• Give yourself mental breaks every so often, even naps. It's OK to take it easy sometimes.
• Know your emotional triggers. What sets you off? Then look closer at what you can do about it.
• If someone close to you is struggling, try to be a positive emotional role model -- calm, collected and open.
• Whenever possible, find and express gratitude for what's good and valuable in your life.
• Don't keep what your feeling to yourself, either. Reach out to people. Get help if you need it.

Strive to make your "today better than yesterday..."