Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of depression and suicidal thoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
A California megachurch pastor committed suicide last week after a long battle with mental illness.
Jim Howard was a pastor of the Valencia campus of the 7,000-member Real Life Church. Paramedics with the Los Angeles County Fire Department were dispatched to Howard’s home after a report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“It is with a heavy heart that I can confirm we suffered a tragic loss on our church staff this week. On Wednesday, January 23, 2019, Jim Howard — a beloved pastor here at RLC — took his own life,” RLC Lead Pastor Rusty George wrote in a Facebook post.
“As all of us who knew Jim can attest, he was a wonderful man with a deep love for Jesus and a passion for sharing the grace of God with anyone he met. He was also a tornado of energy, always looking for new challenges and opportunities to minister to others,” George continued.
“Sadly, Jim suffered in private with mental health challenges — some of which he bravely discussed in public — and was wrestling with some personal issues in recent months. This week, he made the tragic decision to end his pain,” he said.
Church officials say he will be deeply missed by his family, friends, the RLC family and all those who were blessed to know him.⠀
Church members and community leaders are mourning Howard’s untimely death.
“Jim Howard was a class act,” KHTS radio owner Carl Goldman shared on the station. “He was passionate about our valley. We worked closely on the candlelight vigil for the Santa Clarita victims of the Las Vegas shootings, as well as many Halloween events at Real Life Church. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and everyone he touched. He will be missed.”
Others urged the entire body of Christ to pray for Real Life Church.
“The Apostle Paul wrote, ‘If one member suffers, all suffer together’ – 1 Corinthians 12:26. This tragedy is not simply a Real Life Church heartache, but a shared grief for the Body of Christ in our city. As the broader body of Christ, let’s lavish our prayers on the brothers and sisters at Real Life Church,'” Tracy Weaver wrote on Facebook.
Howard isn’t the first megachurch pastor in California to commit suicide in recent months.
Last year, Inland Hills Lead Pastor Andrew Stoecklein took his life, leaving behind his wife and three young children.
Regent University professor and RED Church pastor Dr. Jayce O’Neal told CBN Newspastors are not immune to mental illness.
“Pastors are humans and have issues just like everybody else,” he said. “They struggle with insecurities; they struggle with their own mistakes. I think one of the issues that we see is like what Martin Buber used to say, is that we often treat people, not as people, but as objects. And we treat them as tools. And pastors, people come to them for help, but who does the pastor go to when they’re struggling?”
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States’ suicide rate went up by 33 percent between 1999 and 2017. Americans are killing themselves so much, suicide is contributing to the overall decline in US life expectancy.
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in America and some call it a national health crisis.\
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of depression and suicidal thoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Marlie Rowell sat weeping in her art studio as she unraveled one of her husband’s red sweaters.
She tugged methodically at each fiber, and at the stigma and shame surrounding his death.
The process was cathartic and therapeutic, and it empowered her to heal from the grief.
Using strands of that red yarn on canvas, embellished by raw words, untamed paint and intact clothing items, she documented her road to recovery.
Marlie is a self-proclaimed suicide widow. Her husband, Dick Rowell, died Aug. 30, 2009.
She has a website titled “Suicide Widow Etiquette.” Its front page explains how “hush-and-hide-all-things-suicide helps everyone else sleep better … unless you’re a suicide widow.”
“Suicide is so taboo, and the hush is toxic,” Marlie said during a recent interview at her South Salem home. “It really makes healing harder.”
Clinical depression is an illness, not a weakness, yet a Salem woman helps hide her husband’s illness because of the stigma. Anna Reed, Statesman Journal
As organizations, mental health professionals, schools and communities focus on suicide awareness and prevention — in the wake of at least five Salem-area teen suicides in the past five months — often forgotten are the people left behind.
With every suicide experts estimate there are at least six survivors who are most affected by the death. Family members. Close friends.
In Oregon, 7,288 people have died by suicide the past 10 years. Do the math, and that’s nearly 44,000 Oregonians experiencing grief that can be especially complex and traumatic.
Those coping with this kind of loss often need more support but get less.
Few people knew Marlie’s husband suffered from clinical depression. Not the kind of depression that makes someone feel sad for a few days, but the kind that makes someone feel hopeless for weeks, months, sometimes years.
Dick Rowell waged a decade-long battle with the illness. He sought professional help. He tried various medications. All the while, he hid it from friends and colleagues, with help from his wife, because of the stigma.
Help is out there
It’s often said the person who completes suicide dies once. But those left behind die a thousand deaths. They struggle with unanswered questions, especially “Why?”
Suicide loss survivors feel a range of extreme emotions, including guilt, blame, rejection, anger, shame, and relief. And in some cases, the grief is so painful they don’t think they can go on.
Research shows family members of individuals who die by suicide — including parents, children, and siblings — are at increased risk of developing major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal behavior.
“Suicide destroys so many families,” said Todd Pynch of Crisis Chaplaincy Services, a Salem nonprofit that provides crisis support to emergency service workers and grief counseling to others in the communi”When it’s a child, divorce rates are extremely high,” Pynch said. “There’s so much of the blame game that gets played. They’re left alone, and their friends are gone.”
Pynch works with 35-50 families each year impacted by suicide, primarily in Marion County. Each family and each person experiences grief in their own way and at their own pace.
Some seek one-on-one counseling, which is what Marlie and her two adult children did. Some attend support groups. There’s one for suicide bereavement that meets twice a month at West Salem Clinic. And others go at it on their own.
No matter the path, the hope from those who offer support is that the grief is not compounded by isolation.
Everyone experiences grief in their own way and at their own pace. A suicide loss survivor in Salem shares what helps her on the path to recovery. Anna Reed, Statesman Journal
Her 18-year-old son, Mason, died by suicide in 2009. She found healing through her volunteer work. There was no local support group when her son died.
The one she co-facilitates today with Bruce Carson is an open group for friends and loved ones of those lost to suicide. They’ve been trained to lead the group, but neither is a mental health professional or a counselor. They’ve simply experienced suicide grief.
“We don’t tell anyone what they should do or how they should feel,” said Carson, whose 25-year-old son, Michael, took his life in 2013. “They should know they’re not going to be judged.”
Life slowly gets easier, suicide loss survivors swear, but it takes time. A long time. And most admit they couldn’t have survived to where they are today without help.
Marlie now has the strength to talk about her family’s experience, but only because more than nine years have passed since Dick died.
“We still talk about my husband. Other people don’t,” she said.
Remember life, not death
Dr. Richard “Dick” Rowell was a well-respected pediatric dentist in town. His patients adored him, in part because he always made available the latest and greatest electronics and toys in the waiting room of his practice.
He grew up in Salem and graduated from South Salem High School and Oregon State University. He attended dental school at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and completed his residency at what is now Oregon Health & Science University.
He and Marlie were married 28 years. They met in Portland at the apartment complex they both lived in. She blocked his car during a snowstorm.
They have two children, Patrick and Kari. Their family enjoyed many trips snow skiing, boating, sailing, and biking. Dick was athletic and loved golf.
He had everything to live for, a loving family, a luxurious home, a successful practice. No one said that to Marlie’s face, but she knew they were thinking it.
Those same people had no idea Dick had been diagnosed with clinical depression, which can cause people to lose pleasure from daily life and experience feelings of hopelessness.
Dick often told Marlie he was “damaged goods.”
Clinical depression, also referred to as major depression, is a common and serious medical illness that that can affect one’s body, mood, thoughts, and behavior.
And it can lead to suicide.
Depression is like cancer
Mental health experts estimate up to 60 percent of people who die by suicide have major depression. But not all people who suffer from depression — more than 16 million adults in the U.S. — attempt suicide.
“Mental illness is not treated as an illness but a weakness,” Marlie said. “My husband worked so hard to heal. There was nothing weak about this. We hid it because of the stigma.”
She remembers the time they were invited to a gathering for one of Dick’s buddies who had cancer and those attending were asked for their prayers and support.
Later, Marlie lamented to her husband: “Isn’t it a shame you are so sick, and you can’t ask for the same support?”
She remembers him looking at her in a panic as if she was about to tell the world about his battle with clinical depression.
They never told anyone.
But the family didn’t hide it after his death. They addressed it during Dick’s church memorial service, which made some people uncomfortable.
Marlie wrote something for the pastor to read, and it started like this: “Dick is finally at peace. For over 10 years, Dick worked so very hard to beat the demon of depression. His depression spread like a cancer in the brain, and despite vigilant medical and emotional care, his illness was terminal.
“Dick fought hard; we admired his bravery and courage. I’ve never worked on anything as hard as Dick worked at healing.”
A star-shaped glass jar stored behind cupboard doors in Marlie’s studio is a reminder. She pulls it out whenever she needs to remind herself how hard her husband tried to live.
She calls it the “Jar of False Hope.” It’s filled with medications her husband took over the course of his illness, white, yellow, pink and brown tablets and capsules of all sizes. He took them to help him sleep, to help him stay awake, and to help relieve the pain.
Dick was a big believer in science, his wife said, but no pill could cure his illness.
“Other people — lots of people — do get help from meds,” Marlie said.
Just as important to her was being open and honest with patients at her husband’s dental practice. She sent a heartfelt letter to parents and noted how the children helped him survive as long as he did. She asked them to remember how Dr. Rowell made their smiles brighter, healthier and bigger.
“We need to talk about the fun times we shared with him,” she wrote. “Like slipping into the banana chairs, wearing funny sunglasses, watching the fish swim, and playing all the games there for us.”
He didn’t give up, he wore out
Dick died on a Sunday morning. Marlie thought he was golfing. She was at church.
He planned it so it would be easier on the family. To Marlie, it was “kind and gentle suicide,” if there is such a thing. He helped himself to sleep is how she puts it.
“I had known for many months that this could happen,” their son, Patrick Rowell, said. “I was calling him almost every day just to let him know I loved him and I cared about him and was thinking about him.”
Dick used to tell Marlie he would never take his own life, but she knew just how much pain he was in. He was hospitalized for his depression for three weeks a few months before he died.
He didn’t give up, she said, he wore out.
“Just as cancer eats healthy cells, depression ate every last ounce of hope in his brain.”
He left notes for her and their children. They had fewer unanswered questions than some suicide loss survivors, but their grief was no less profound and complicated.
Just say ‘I’m so sorry’
In the days and weeks after her husband died, Marlie was numb. She didn’t sleep well.
Simple tasks like making coffee became insurmountable. One day she’d forget the water. The next day she’d forget the coffee grounds.
“I was scared by that,” she said. “My memory was extremely compromised.”
The best advice she received was from Chaplain Pynch: Take care of yourself and your children, no one else. She didn’t return phone calls. She put a sign on the front door with the message, “Thank you for dropping by, we’re resting.”
Friends and neighbors left food on the porch, which they greatly appreciated. People tried to offer support in other ways, some more than others. Many didn’t know what to do or say.
“I’m so sorry” would have been enough, Marlie said.
“Find the courage to end it right there and say nothing else,” she said, dreading the times when someone would launch into a story about another person’s tragedy and how they survived. “In the beginning, I couldn’t bear another ounce of sorrow.”
The simple and unsolicited gestures turn out to be the most helpful for a Salem family grieving the death by suicide of their husband and father. Anna Reed, Statesman Journal
She couldn’t even watch TV.
One friend offered to just sit and listen, on multiple occasions, whether Marlie was sad or angry. She just listened. That helped. Another friend dead-headed the flowers on her porch. The simple and unsolicited gestures turned out to be the most helpful.
Marlie couldn’t predict when the tears would come, and she was hard on herself when they did.
The weeks turned into months. She eventually allowed herself the courage to just sit and feel the pain. It wasn’t nearly as scary as she thought it would be.
The first Christmas was, in her words, horrible. She and her children “ran away,” taking refuge at her brother’s in New York. The unexpected bonus was that she felt anonymity for the first time, and no one gave her “the look.”
At about the five-month mark, she convinced herself a suicide death was no different than any other death. But then, a few weeks later, her dad died.
She went to her hometown of Great Falls, Montana, for the service. Everyone who attended expressed their condolences and said they were sorry about her dad, who died what she now refers to as a “respectable” death after heart surgery.
Only three people said: “I’m sorry about your husband, too.”
“The hush that surrounds mental health and suicide is toxic,” Marlie said. “I want to tell you we’re better about the shame, but I honestly don’t think so.”
Healing through art
Marlie Rowell addresses the expectations of being a suicide widow, and the artistic process is therapeutic. Anna Reed, Statesman Journal
Marlie was chastised the first time she called herself a suicide widow. She was just being authentic, which she believes is the gateway to real healing. The words empowered her to face her feelings.
“So much in my life was appearances and faking that Dick wasn’t sick,” she said.
Art became her own personal therapy, and it was raw. It addressed all the expectations and static around her, people insisting she was fine, pleading with her to not cry, urging her to stay busy, and to stop calling herself a suicide widow.
She incorporated words in her art, opting out of the denial game and accepting her reality. She owned it, including all the sorrows and fears, and “unlocked the portal to a doable, sustainable, sanctified recovery.”
A year ago, her art installation and lecture premiered at High St. Gallery. The event was a fundraiser for Crisis Chaplaincy Services. The response was mostly positive, although there were mutterings of “She needs to get over this.”
“If Dick dropped dead of a heart attack, and the fundraiser was for heart disease,” Marlie said, “nobody would say she needs to get over it.”
Cannabidiol – commonly known as CBD oil – has a number of proven health benefits. Along with treating pain, epilepsy and anxiety, anecdotal evidence has suggested that CBD oil my be helpful in alleviating multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms.
But what exactly is CBD oil and could it be the solution for MS sufferers? We examine the research.
What is CBD oil?
CBD is a cannabinoid – a naturally occurring chemical compound – which can be extracted from the cannabis plant. It is then mixed with a carrier oil (such as hemp), to create CBD oil.
Unlike the most well-known cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC), CBD is not psychoactive, meaning that it won’t make you ‘high’. While the majority of cannabinoids are controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act, CBD is legal across the UK, provided it has been derived from an industrial hemp strain that’s EU-approved.
Unlike the most well-known cannabinoid, CBD is not psychoactive, so it won’t make you ‘high’.
These strains contain very little to no THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid). In fact, there are strict regulations in place with regard to CBD oil’s THC content, as well as the conditions of sale.
‘CBD oils can only be sold legally in the UK providing they contain negligible amounts of THC, do not make any claims for medical benefit and are not sold as medicines,’ explains Janice Sykes, Information Officer at MS Trust.
What is Multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, which occurs when your immune system starts to attack the myelin that coats and protects your nerve fibres.
MS symptoms differ for everyone, depending on the area and extent of the nerve damage, but they can include vision problems, numbness, tingling, muscle spasms and spasticity, pain, weakness, fatigue, and difficulty moving or walking. Symptoms can be unpredictable – for some, symptoms deteriorate over time, while for others they come and go in periods of relapse and remission.
How does CBD oil differ from medicinal cannabis?
Medicinal cannabis became legal for specialist doctors to prescribe from 1 November 2018. The term ‘medicinal’ simply means that it is used for medical, rather than recreational, use. Therefore, medicinal cannabis can refer to anything from raw herbal cannabis to a drug manufactured to pharmaceutical standards.
Sativex is one such licensed, cannabis-based medicine, which can be prescribed in the UK for the treatment of spasticity and spasms related to MS.
Studies have found that CBD oil may help to treat other symptoms of MS as well as spasticity.
However, it can only be prescribed by a specialist doctor (not a GP), and only when the patient has not responded to other treatments first. Unlike CBD oil, Sativex contains equal proportions of both CBD and THC, and studies have shown that it can lessen symptoms of spacticity and spasms.
Other studies have investigated different preparations of medicinal cannabis containing both CBD and THC, and have found that it may help to treat other symptoms of MS as well as spasticity, including reduced central pain and frequent urination.
Does CBD oil work for MS?
An article published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology in 2018 discussed the fact that CDB has the potential to offer positive pharmacological effects, given that it is anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiemetic, antipsychotic and neuroprotective. It also cites the fact that CBD is safe, as it does not alter heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature, and psychomotor and psychological functions are not negatively affected.
However, when it comes to MS, only cannabis products that contain both CBD and THC have been subjected to clinical studies, and only cannabis with a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC (or greater) has been shown to reduce muscle spasticity and pain in people with MS.
‘There have not been any clinical studies to demonstrate whether cannabis oils containing cannabidiol (CBD) alone have any benefits (or harms) in MS,’ reiterates Sykes. ‘All the studies have used preparations with different proportions of THC and CBD, or THC alone.’
Therefore, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that CBD is beneficial to people with MS.
Anecdotal evidence
Despite the lack of empirical evidence, there does appear to be anecdotal evidence suggesting that CBD oil may improve MS symptoms in some people.
‘Anecdotally, some people with MS say they have found cannabis oils to be beneficial, while others have seen no effect,’ says Sykes. ‘While I couldn’t offer any explanation as to why this is the case, of course a placebo effect would need to be considered.’
What are the side effects?
While the majority of CBD users don’t experience any negative effects, as with any treatment there are of course possible side effects. These include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloating and dizziness.
CBD oil may also interact with common prescription medications, so it’s important you always seek the advice of your GP before giving it a go.
How should you take CBD oil?
If you’re interested to see whether CBD oil may help alleviate your MS symptoms, it is available in the form of tinctures, sprays and gummy sweets, which can be ingested, as well as e-liquid for vape pens and creams for topical application. However, before trying, it’s important to consult your doctor.
‘It would be sensible to discuss your decision to try CBD oil with your GP, MS nurse or neurologist,’ advises Sykes. ‘As for where to purchase, we’re not aware of any independent guide to the quality or otherwise of the CBD oil products that are available, although there are plenty of anecdotal reports of benefits and websites selling a wide range of products. A number of CBD oil producers are members of the Cannabis Trades Association UK.’
CBD oil treatment tips
If you are keen to give CBD oil a go, Sykes recommends the following:
In an area with strong feelings on both sides of the argument, and little in the way of objective evidence, we would suggest that people ignore the hype from both sides and monitor any effects on their own symptoms in a diary.
Listing the symptoms experienced – perhaps rated on a 1-5 scale to indicate severity – would give a picture of health over a period of time.
If you start the diary a week or two before trying CBD oil, this will give you a baseline.
It may help to record other medication and treatment/management for MS, as well as other lifestyle changes.
Set a reasonable trial period (the research on Sativex saw a response to the drug in the first two or three weeks).
Review your diary after the trial period.
If it shows improvements, and cost and availability issues are not prohibitive, then you may choose to continue.
If there is no change or a deterioration in symptoms, maybe you should stop and consider other approaches.
The holiday season tends to be a very stressful time for many people. It shouldn’t be that way, but between buying gifts, trying to cook the perfect meal, and trying to keep everybody happy, tensions can be high. However, for the most part, it’s a fun and exciting time, with plenty of opportunities to cook up some delicious treats. But people usually make the same things year after year, and holiday baking can get boring. If you want to add a bit magic to your kitchen, CBD is the perfect way to spice things up.
If we had suggested that you whip up a cannabis-infused salad dressing for the family a year ago, you probably would have clicked away, thinking we were crazy. But the rising popularity of CBD means that it is now a lot more easily accessible and a socially accepted resource for reducing stress and feeling all around better.
The truth is that “cannacuriosity” is flowing rapidly through today’s society. There is an increasing amount of people who are excited to add CBD to their everyday life. CBD is a great way to add relaxation and rest at the end of a busy day. Edibles containing low doses of CBD are a great option for first-time cannabis users.
From cakes to popsicles and energy bites to chocolate mousse, we want to share with you the ultimate ways to add CBD into your holiday festivities.
Red Velvet CBD Cake
Who doesn’t love red velvet cake? Softer than most cakes, fluffy, buttery and moist, there’s only one thing that can improve the original red velvet cake – and that is CBD. This is the perfect dessert to take to any holiday party.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
2 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 ¾ cups of granulated sugar
2 large room temperature eggs
¾ cup of canola oil
10 drops of CBD oil
1 ¼ cup of buttermilk
2 teaspoons dark red food coloring
Frosting
4 ounces of slightly softened butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
16 ounces of soft cream cheese
3 cups of powdered sugar
Directions
Set your oven to 350 degrees. Use parchment paper to cover three 8 inch pan and then slowly pour the wet ingredients together with beaten eggs into a bowl. All dry ingredients should be mixed together in a separate bowl. Next, you should fold the wet ingredients into the dry.
The mix is now ready and can be poured into the three separate pans. Bake for between 25 to 30 minutes. Once done, you can flip them onto a cooling rack.
You can get started with the frosted while the cakes are cooling down.
Mix the cream cheese and butter together, and slowly add powdered sugar (this is to avoid clumping). Then add the vanilla and beat everything together until it’s smooth.
Once the cakes are completely cooled, simply frost and decorate.
CBD Golden Milk Popsicles
Nibbling on a therapeutic popsicle is the best way to stay cool when things are getting heated with the family. The first secret of a good popsicle is to have a good mold. Popsicles are undergoing a renaissance, and as such, there are plenty of easy-to-use contraptions and fun shapes available at the moment.
There are so many different types of popsicles, and this recipe can be easily customized to suit your taste and dietary needs. The easiest way to make these popsicles is with a CBD tincture. Also, while we provide a recommended CBD ratio, you can adjust it to meet your needs.
Ingredients
1/3 cup Nut Milk
1/3 cup Honey
4 teaspoons CBD tincture
1-14 oz can Full Fat Coconut Milk, well shaken
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoons Ginger
1 tablespoons Coconut Milk Powder
Directions
Place all the ingredients in one small saucepan. The heat should be set at above medium-low and stir frequently until all ingredients have been added and the mixture is smooth.
Next step is to pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze them for at least 3 hours before serving. While you can start serving after 3 hours, it’s often best to leave them to freeze overnight. This recipe will make 6 popsicles.
CBD-infused Lavender Hot Chocolate
What could possibly be better than a warm, chocolatey, lavender drink on a cold winter’s night? Perhaps the only thing that can beat this is a warm, chocolatey, lavender drink infused with CBD. We don’t know about you, but this sounds like bliss in a mug to us.
This CBD-infused hot chocolate hits the spot and warms the heart. It doesn’t only have anti-inflammatory properties, but it’s also incredibly delicious.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
1 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk of choice (hemp and almond work great; coconut is also tasty, but it changes the flavor a bit)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop of neutral-flavored CBD oil (check out Green Roads for the best CBD)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Directions
Add the milk to a small pot and bring it just to the boil. Then add the lavender and cover the pot. Leave it to steep for 10 minutes. Next, you can pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or tea strainer to remove the lavender and reserve the infused milk.
Blend together with maple syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder, sea salt, and CBD oil. It’s ready to be served immediately.
Chocolate Reindeer Mousse
This is the perfect dish for the holiday season. It’s the ideal dessert to enjoy after a big festive meal. The best part is that it’s light and airy, so you won’t be left too full after indulging. With this recipe’s added tot of CBD, you will definitely want to leave room for dessert.
Ingredients
6 pitted dates
4 tablespoons maple syrup
3-4 tablespoons cold water
2 pitted and scooped avocados
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
15 drops CBD oil
Directions
Combine the cocoa powder, dates, vanilla, maple syrup, cold water, and vanilla, and add it to a food processor. Process the mixture and make sure to scrape the sides down if necessary.
Once the mixture is smooth, you can add the two avocados and CBD oil. Then you will need to process again, and gradually add the remaining two tablespoons of cold water.
Lastly, you can divide the mouse evenly between four dessert cups. Chill them in the fridge before serving and be sure to enjoy them within 48 hours.
Coconut Raspberry CBD Energy Bites
CBD energy bites are one of the best things to have in the house, because they’re sweet enough to count as treats, but they aren’t so decadent – there’s no worry about the guilt of overindulging. Dates are the perfect way to sweeten desserts because they are a whole food with minerals and fiber, and don’t seem to have the same addictive quality that refined sugars have.
These energy bites could count as a superfood, depending on what ingredients you decide to use. Sprouted seeds and hemp seeds are a great mixture to use for the base, coconut oil is used as a binder, and the dates are used to sweeten the dish. From this simple recipe, there are plenty of ways to jazz it up or make them seasonal in flavor.
In this particular recipe, 1 ml of a 3,000 mg tincture is used, resulting in 100mg of CBD for the entire batch, or less than 10 mg per serving.
Ingredients
1.2-ounce bag freeze-dried organic raspberries
1ml CBD oil tincture
¼ cup organic hemp seeds
½ cup sprouted organic pumpkin seeds
1 cup pitted dates
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Directions
Add the freeze-dried raspberries to a food processor and turn on high until the raspberries have been ground up into a fine powder – this should take about 20 seconds. Then, pour the raspberry powder into a bowl and set aside.
Next combine the hemp seeds, coconut powder, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, and CBD oil into the base of the food processor. Process on high for about 60 seconds, or until the ingredients have turned into course batter. Then, pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and shape the batter into energy bites using your hands, and roll each one in a coating of raspberry powder.
Place the energy bites into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to your guests. You can store these in your fridge and consume within seven days of making.
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of depression and suicidal thoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
The difference between a person surviving suicidal thoughts and giving in to them can sometimes be just 15 minutes, said Michael Hartman, behavioral health director at Lamoille County Mental Health.
His organization is working to eliminate suicide in Lamoille County as part of a nationwide initiative called Zero Suicide.
The initiative, which began in 2012, includes new ways to treat depression and focuses especially on removing the stigma from discussing suicide. Hartman says that, once people open up about their suicidal thoughts, they’re less likely to go through with any plans they’ve made.
Suicide prevention should be considered a core responsibility of health care, the organization says, with comprehensive screenings to identify patients who have had suicidal thoughts and treating them with compassion.
Often, suicidal people slip through the cracks of the health care system because they don’t know how to bring up how they’re feeling, Hartman said.
Asking people directly whether they are suicidal can bring to light what they’re facing.
“There’s such a stigma around the word that, for many people, uttering those words is very difficult. The chances of them bringing it up independently — i.e., there’s nobody asking them, there’s nobody hinting at it, no indication that anybody’s giving them that it’s safe to talk about suicide here” — are very slim, he said.
“If it is brought up and questions are asked, very often, people will talk about it. It’s not like they won’t talk about it; it’s more like you have to ask. One of the things (Zero Suicide) is designed at is, how do you make your system capable of making sure that people ask, and that they know what to do if they get a positive response?”
Suicide in Lamoille County
A Zero Suicide fact sheet says 83 percent of people who die by suicide saw a doctor within a year before their deaths, and didn’t bring their mental states to their doctors’ attention.
In the last 17 years, death by suicide increased about 50 percent in Vermont, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lamoille County has the third-highest suicide rate in the state.
That’s not counting attempted suicides; several a month can be found within the logs of local police departments, since officers are often on the front lines, accompanying emergency response personnel, when a person tries to take his or her life.
For every person who dies by suicide, 25 people try, experts say.
“The growth of suicide in Vermont has been pretty tremendous,” Hartman said.
In 2007, he said, 12.5 people per 100,000 died by suicide every year; now, 12 years later, that number is 18.9 people per 100,000.
“We certainly know that the kind of challenges that have gone on in many people’s lives for 10 or 15 years have been pretty strong,” Hartman said, including economic shock still rippling through Vermont after 2008’s recession, and depression in veterans who served in conflicts in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“We have a changing social structure of people who at one time, you had a job, you were all set, you had health insurance, holidays, things working out OK, and moving to an economy where everybody’s sort of doing gigs, where there’s very little stability,” Hartman said.
He also noted an increase in diagnosis of anxiety disorders in people ages 15 through 25.
“Those things all seem to be factors. … The challenge is, can we change how people look at this?”
A health care issue
Hartman said people who work in health care, emergency response, public safety and the school system need to look at suicide as an ingrained public health problem, not something to be ashamed of.
To do that, people need to get comfortable asking the tough questions.
Hartman says there are two ways to ask — the “hard ask,” and the “soft ask.”
“‘Sometimes, you must hear things that are pretty sad or depressing. Have you ever had a day when maybe a lot of that happened, and you go to bed and you think, it’d be fine with me if I didn’t wake up tomorrow morning?’ That’s an example of a soft ask,” Hartman said.
A hard ask?
“Have you had times where you wished you were dead?”
If the person says yes, Hartman says whoever posed the question should call Lamoille County Mental Health with the person and make sure they know they aren’t alone, and there’s help.
Often, the window in which someone thinks about suicide and then acts on that idea is between 15 minutes and three hours, Hartman said. If the person gets through that period, the likelihood of suicide drops.
People who commit suicide don’t want to die, Hartman said; instead, they feel trapped, and don’t see a way out of what they’re feeling.
“The challenge is, can we do enough things to prevent that moment from happening?”
Hartman praised an effort by the Vermont Agency of Transportation in Quechee to install fencing on the sides of the Quechee Gorge Bridge to make it harder for people with suicidal intentions to go through with their plans.
“It’s sometimes that simple of a delay, that you slow the process down, that people make a different decision. It really does take a community-wide application of this,” Hartman said.
Lamoille County Mental Health has trained most of its core staff, and works with community partners such as the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department and Lamoille South Supervisory Union to help people recognize the signs of a person who’s struggling.
“We try to establish some kind of line of communication with people, just to see if they’re off, if they’re depressed, if they seem to care about themselves, care about what’s going on. Quite a lot of it is communication, and just to see where people are at,” Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux said.
A warning sign for his department is when family members or friends request wellness checks for a specific person.
“I think that it’s just important for law enforcement to do their best to recognize the signs and connect the people that are in crisis with Lamoille County Mental Health. Sometimes, it’s worse than that. Sometimes, we’re at the point where we have enough for an emergency evaluation, and we can take them into custody,” Marcoux said.
That happens once or twice a year.
Tracy Wrend, superintendent of the Lamoille South Supervisory Union, says her schools work with Lamoille County Mental Health to provide counseling and education about mental health for students, and professional development for faculty and staff.
“We collaborate … to support students and families in need, such as for emergency assessments, case management support, and coordinated services plans, all of which help to ensure children and their families’ needs are addressed across the school, home and community environments,” Wrend said.
People who are suicidal “are basically people who are seeing no end, no way out of a bad situation, and by suddenly being able to talk openly about this, start letting the pressure off. As the pressure goes off, the intensity dissipates,” Hartman said.
It’s in our nature to share what’s good with our four-legged pals
Click here for additional information on how to order: Click Here!
It is old news now. Its popularity for anxiety relief, pain relief and sleep aid is well-known among people.
As with many good things, it seems like it’s in our nature to want to share the good stuff with our four-legged buddies. Whether it’s that last bite of steak, or a piece of potato chip, many in the Twin Cities area seem to want to share CBD oil and its benefits with their cats and dogs.
They carry zero percent THC, CBD products for humans as well as pets.
“For pets we’ve got dog treats and cat treats as well,” Loehr said holding up a plastic jar with a white lid. “And we have a tincture for both of them. This one is chicken flavored.”
Loehr said the reason pet owners may seek CBD oil products for their pets may be similar to the reasons they might seek some for themselves.
“[If] it’s a pain thing or anxiety or seizure things like that, they’re going to benefit,” she explained.
For Loehr and Cherba, CBD oil has worked for their three dogs. Loehr said she especially noticed its effects on her oldest dog that had surgery for arthritis.
“My 14-year-old, she’s a chocolate lab and if we miss a dose, she is moaning and groaning that whole time,” Loehr said.
Another interesting point she brings up: animals don’t know anything about the placebo effect. Therefore she said she knows the pain-related behavior change is a real one.
“Last year was a hard winter,” Loehr said. “I don’t think she’d be around if we didn’t have CBD for her.”
During the shoot for this story, I brought my dog Mac along to Calm Waters CBD. While there, he received a sample treat. Loehr said for a 30 lbs dog, two treats– once in the morning and once at night– would be a good dose to start with.
To no one’s surprise, Mac loved the treat and begged for more. Although he doesn’t have any issues with chronic pain, we did notice that after an hour or so, he was calmer. Even with plenty of people going in and out of the store, he remained happy but not frantic.
Mac also fears car rides. He was shaking all the way to the store in the back seat. On the way back, I noticed he didn’t shake, at least from what I could observe.
Just like CBD products for people, CBD products that Calm Waters carries is zero percent THC. Loehr said there is no risk of a high or any psychoactive reactions.
The bottom line for CBD products for pets is that it presents itself as an option for you. It’s available– if you ever decide to try it out.
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of depression and suicidal thoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
‘The danger is that we are presiding over a suicidal generation of young people’
Suicide rates among teenagers have almost doubled in eight years, figures have shown.
Provisional data compiled in 2018 by the Office for National Statistics shows the suicide rate in children and young people aged 15-19 has increased, while it dropped in older age groups.
The numbers indicate a growing concern about the impact social media is having on young people, The Sunday Times has reported. Recent studies have suggested British children are some of the unhappiest in the world – and social media is playing a part.
‘Teenage suicide is on the rise’ Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, will this week say technology giants such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat should allow a new regulator to monitor material and remove the worst of it in order to better protect vulnerable people. She will say the companies have a “duty of care” to users, and that there is a link between teenage suicide and self-harm and spending long periods on social media apps, The Sunday Times said.
The ONS full figures are set to be published in September. They will reveal suicides are at more than five in 100,000 teenagers in England, up from just over three in 100,000 in 2010. Instagram is one of the social media companies being ordered to take action [Getty Images] Professor Louis Appleby, head of the national suicide prevention strategy, said: “Teenage suicide is on the rise… The danger is that we are presiding over a suicidal generation of young people and that young people have learnt self-harm as a way of coping.”
Education Secretary Damian Hinds said social media companies have a “moral duty” to act and pilot schemes to support mental health in school children will be launched. Last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged social media giants to “purge” content about suicide and self-harm to protect their young users. Molly Russell i reported that Mr Hancock wrote to firms, including Facebook and Twitter, to tell them they should take urgent action following the death of teenager Molly Russell. Molly, 14, was found dead in her bedroom in November 2017 after showing “no obvious signs”” of severe mental health issues. Her family later found she had been viewing material on social media linked to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide. Her father, Ian, said Instagram “helped kill my daughter”.
In September last year, official guidelines for social media use were set to be drawn up as health experts realised just how significant an impact social media was having on child mental health.
A California megachurch pastor committed suicide last week after a long battle with mental illness.
James Donaldson notes: