Speakers Share Mental Health Advice

Anyone who walked into the middle of Wednesday night's "Recognizing and Overcoming Depression" Town Hall at might have been surprised by the silence.

As part of the program, Dr. Donna Rockwell of Farmington Hills-based had the audience do a mindful meditation and five-breath exercise. Rockwell said mindfulness – or learning to be in the present moment – has a direct effect on physical well-being. It has been shown to increase immune response and decrease production of stress hormones, the "fight or flight" response, which can lead to anxiety, depression and even physical ailments, like heart disease.

"This is not something  you have to do in a woo-woo way at an ashram," she said. "This is something you can do when you're on line at the grocery store."

Sharing some Buddhist philosophy, Rockwell said it's important to be in the present moment, because "that's where the joy and beauty are. It trains the mind to observe and heightens mental agility and regulation of emotion ... I call that 'wisdom' and 'peace'."

Rockwell was one of five speakers who presented information about mental health issues and resources available to local residents. The Commission on Children Youth and Families organized the event to bring awareness to what is considered a growing concern.

Chief Chuck Nebus, who attended the event, reiterated a statistic that has galvanized officials and community members alike: The Hills Police Department is on track to petition more than 200 people this year for mental health treatment. Hills council members Nancy Bates, Ken Massey and Randy Bruce have also organized a task force on suicide prevention that is working on a parallel track, planning a second town hall for later this year.

At Wednesday night's event, speakers focused on more general information, including how to identify and combat depression, as well as stamping out the stigma of mental illness. Speakers Amy Yashinsky and Malkia Maisha Newman, with Community Network Services, described stigma as a rumor that people spread.

Among the common misconceptions, they cited:

• People who have mental illnesses are not more prone to violence. In fact, Yashinsky said, people with mental illness are 11 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime.
• People with mental illnesses can recover. "They can learn to manage their illness, so they can have a good quality of life," Yashinsky said.
• People with mental illness are not unstable. On average, Yashinsky said, people report their symptoms affect their lives only 88 days out of the year.
• Culture plays large role in people's experience with mental illness. Newman said some languages don't even have a word to describe mental illness. "In some cultures, the stigma is so strong, not only are people with mental illness ostracized by society, but their families are," she added.

With an occasional burst of song, Newman also related her own experience as a person living with mental illness. She went 30 years before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After she finally got on track with medication and therapy, she was asked to join the CNS staff.

"Having a mental health challenge isn't the end of the world," she said. "For me, it was only the beginning."

Yashinsky and Newman also suggested ways to help people with mental illness, including advocacy for those who aren't able to speak up for themselves, showing compassion and using "people first" language. We don't call people "heart disease" or "cold" when they have a physical illness, but think nothing of referring to someone with mental illness as "schizophrenic" or "bipolar", they said.

Jeff Brown, Executive Director for the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority, described how OCCMHA works with partners agencies to provide mental health services to county residents. He said depression is treatable, but it first has to be recognized.

"Just because people have bad things happen to them ... that doesn't necessarily point to depression," he said.

Symptoms to watch for include a depressed or somber mood, irritability, lack of interest, weight loss or gain, sleep disturbances or over-sleeping, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, distractedness or inability to think clearly. Suicidal thoughts or isolating and pulling away from family and friends are the symptoms to worry about most, Brown said.

While anyone might feel some of those symptoms, he said, the question to ask is "how many of those symptoms have  you had for a long period of time?". Having five or more for a month indicates an evaluation is needed.

Brown said it's important for people to know where to get help, and he gave the phone number for OCCMHA partner Common Ground, which provides a 24-hour service for adults, children and families in crisis. During the panel discussion, Common Ground representative James Perlaki said his agency encourages anyone who is concerned about a friend's or family member's mental health to talk about it.

"If they think you're off-base, they'll tell you, and you'll be able to observe behaviors that tell you they're trying to hide something," he said. "It may actually enlighten them to the point where they become aware (of the problem)."

After the 90-minute presentation, Laurie Scott, who serves on the Commission for Children, Youth and Families, said she learned a lot about resources that are available for mental health support.

"I really liked Donna Rockwell's meditation techniques," she said. "I practice yoga, and I've really found it helps me detach and take a big picture look at what's going on. That's a quick technique to engage that process when a little extra support is needed."

To connect with Common Ground's 24-hour crisis line, call 800-231-1127. The Town Hall will be broadcast on public access television. Check listings at swoccstudios.com