Author Archive: Stephanie Salazar

Thank You, Therapists!

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By Will Heininger, Depression Center Outreach Coordinator

In the last year, so much about our lives has been turned upside down. We have had to change our daily routines, as well as the ways we attend school and work.

We’ve adjusted to evolving health protocols, traded in holidays for visits with loved ones through computer screens, and even had to scramble to secure toilet paper.

The adversities we’ve endured during these “COVID times” can impact our mental health, and have left many of us longing for our old routines, for consistency, and for anything familiar. The uncertainties have also raised lots of questions:

  • Will this pandemic ever end?
  • How will I manage if I have to quarantine?
  • When can I get vaccinated, is it safe, and when will enough people be vaccinated for life to return to ‘normal?’
  • Will 2021 be as challenging as 2020?

    • It is hard to know many of the answers for certain. Nevertheless, what we do know is that these uncertain times can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety. And, that high levels of stress and anxiety can make it difficult for our brains to function properly, even on a day-to-day basis.

    Thank you, therapists, for understanding human beings the ways you do, and using it for good. Your work is so critical; it has a tremendous impact on individual well-being, as well as on society as a whole.

    Luckily, we also know that working with a licensed therapist can help tremendously. Therapists can help us navigate and understand our stressors, in addition to helping manage challenging mental health issues, like anxiety and depression.

    I’d like this brief article to serve as a giant “Thank You!” to all therapists for their work (as well as a simple PSA to remember to pay attention, as individuals, to our mental health).

    In the same ways we thank surgeons who help our bodies regain functioning, or pediatricians who treat our kids when they’re sick, it’s important to thank therapists. Thank them for helping get our brains back on track and functioning properly, helping us repair relationships, and the multitude of other ways they provide support, ultimately helping us improve our mental health.

    Thank you, therapists, for understanding human beings the ways you do, and using it for good. Your work is so critical; it has a tremendous impact on individual well-being, as well as on society as a whole.

    About the Author

    Will Heininger is mental health educator and public speaker for the University of Michigan Depression Center, openly sharing his story of overcoming major depression and anxiety during undergrad, while playing football at Michigan. After hiding his illness at first due to stigma and ignorance, he received life-changing treatment and care from the Athletic Medicine staff, and was able to thrive for the majority of his time at Michigan. He would go on to help found Athletes Connected in 2014.

    Since first sharing his story at the Depression on College Campuses Conference, Will has spoken with over 100,000 people across the country, helping to bridge the gap between what science and medicine have learned about mental health and well-being, and what society actually knows and uses. In addition to athletes of all levels, Will works with schools, athletic departments, communities, and corporations to improve mental health outcomes. Heininger is a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    Handling Seasonal Affective Disorder and Isolation During a Pandemic

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    Athletes Connected’s COVID-19 series tackles a common winter malaise: Seasonal Affective Disorder. Coupled with the isolation associated with the pandemic and a unique combination needs to be addressed.

    By Jonah Silk, LLMSW, Athletic Counseling Fellow

    Have you noticed in the winter that you do not feel as motivated for lifting? Or maybe your sleep pattern is off? Is it harder to get going for a morning practice, or for a night class, now that it’s dark and cold?

    Some people notice they experience symptoms consistent with depression that are related to changes in seasons. You may have heard this referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or seasonal depression. Seasonal depression often begins and ends at about the same time every year.

    You may notice as the winter goes on the feelings you are having are getting worse, at the same time you have other responsibilities.

    In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Less often, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. You may notice as the winter goes on the feelings you are having are getting worse, at the same time you have other responsibilities.

    During the pandemic, it is common to be carrying a greater emotional load than usual. Yet, with school, athletics, and work, we are still expected to perform. It is OK to need some help. Even if you don’t have SAD, you may notice changes with the season and the daylight, especially with increased isolation this year due to the pandemic. Many of us are experiencing additional challenges to our mental health with less in-person interaction and screen fatigue.

    Signs and symptoms of SAD may include:
    There are a variety of symptoms that may indicate seasonal depression. These may include:

    • Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day;
    • Lost interest in activities you once enjoyed;
    • Low energy and problems with sleeping, or experienced changes in your appetite or weight;
    • Feeling more sluggish, agitated, hopeless, worthless, or guilty;
    • Having difficulty concentrating, or;
    • Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide.

    What can you do? Here are some treatment options.
    The good news is there are many skills, tools, and treatments available for those diagnosed with or struggling with symptoms of seasonal depression. Remember it is OK to not feel OK. Here are some things to consider:

    1. Get support from a mental health professional. If you think you may be depressed, consider seeing an athletic counselor.
    2. Big goals are hard to achieve overnight. Break large tasks into small ones, set priorities, and do what you can in the present moment.
    3. Cook, and eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
    4. Stay away from alcohol and drugs. These can make depression worse.
    5. Let your family and/or friends help you — but do not use them to replace therapy.
    6. Exercise consistently; During the pandemic it is harder, but in addition to the workouts given to you by your team, there are limitless online videos you can seek out, including yoga. You may also try cycling, hiking, or another outdoor, socially distanced activity with a friend.
    7. Spend time outdoors in the sun when possible. There are many trails around town including the Nichols Arboretum that are beautiful to walk even in winter. Or walk around town looking at the murals and graffiti art.
    8. Study on a patio or at a coffee shop that now have heaters outside during the pandemic. 
    9. Connect with family and friends, whether in person or via Zoom
    10. Keep a normal sleep and waking schedule
    11. Use Vitamin D supplements, but always consult with your physician before taking new supplements
    12. Mindfulness and meditation — Here are three helpful videos
        Meditation
        Mindful Self-Compassion
        The 10-Second Breath
    13. Gratitude Journaling
    14. Spend time with pets or connecting with nature
    15. DIY Projects, creative projects, arts and crafts. 
    16. Watch television shows, documentaries, and movies, listen to podcasts or music, read books, or other hobbies that you enjoy
    17. Engage in light therapy by sitting in front of a special therapy lamp (10,000 lux or more) for 30-45 minutes a day.  It is typically most effective to use these first-thing in the morning. Learn more about light therapy.

    Additional Resources:

    About the Author

    Jonah Silk is the Ehrenberg Family Fellow of Athletic Counseling as part of the U-M Athletics Counseling Team. After moving around the East Coast in his youth, Jonah graduated from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Holocaust Studies. He played for the varsity soccer team and had some stints abroad in Spain and in Sweden before settling into coaching in New Jersey. Jonah moved to Ann Arbor in 2018 and earned his Master’s Degree in Social Work from U-M in 2020. Jonah interned at the Judson Center in Warren, Michigan, prior to joining the athletic department. Jonah enjoys playing hockey and still tries to skate over at the A2 Ice Cube when he isn’t playing with his dog Jasper.

    Athletes Connected Unveils College Athlete Program Manual

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    By Jeremy Fallis, U-M Depression Center Marketing Communications Specialist

    To address the growing concern for college athlete mental health, requests by other institutions, and to promote general well-being, the University of Michigan’s Athletes Connected program has created a first-of-its-kind manual to aid in this quest. The College Athlete Mental Health Program Manual, unveiled Tuesday, Dec. 8, is a roadmap to create programming and assist college athletes.

    The manual is available as a PDF download or in a web-friendly dynamic view.

    The concept for a manual stemmed from a bevy of inquiries about the creation of Athletes Connected, its functions and successes. The program, collaborative in structure, teamed up to disseminate how to make it work at your college or university.

    The 15-page document was written and edited by members of the U-M Depression Center and Athletic Department. In it, background on the program’s formation, roles, action items and much more are explained in great detail.

    A set of best practices, lessons learned and key questions are answered to guide the next athlete mental health programs. The manual is free to use by others. Even the survey measures can be utilized by outside institutions provided they attribute the University of Michigan’s Athletes Connected program as original creator.

    Have questions? Members of the Athletes Connected program can be contacted by email.

    About Athletes Connected
    Formed in 2014 on an NCAA pilot grant, Athletes Connected is a collaborative program by the University of Michigan’s Athletic Department, Depression Center and School of Social Work that actively works to provide student-athletes with the tools and resources possible to support student-athletes along the continuum of well-being. Athletes Connected does this by promoting awareness of mental health issues, reducing the stigma of help-seeking and promoting positive coping skills among student-athletes. To learn more about the program, view the entire catalog of videos, read original stories and access helpful resources for student-athletes and non-athletes alike.

    Athletes Connected Newsletter
    Our program produces a quarterly newsletter, the next one will be delivered this week! Be sure to subscribe to future emails.

    Q&A: Rower Ally Eggleton

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    Athletes Connected caught up with rower and Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) Mental Health Liaison Ally Eggleton. Ally is a senior and shares her mental health story, how she got involved with SAAC and what she does to stay centered.

    The Athletes Connected program recognizes the many different entities that factor into student-athlete mental health. As part of our Q&A series, Athletes Connected shares how coaches, administrators, athletic trainers and other athletic staff approach their roles in the lives of student-athlete health.

    See our previous Q&A posts:

    I’m so lucky because through athletics, the mental health resources are superb. The Athletics Counseling Team (ACT) has been so crucial to my success. Whenever I need something or I have a bad day I can shoot my counselor a text she gets right back to me, either to schedule an appointment or with words of encouragement.

    Q: What was your introduction to mental health?
    A: My introduction to mental health in the 8th grade, I stumbled across Goldberg’s depression test online and took it because I feel like it might be something interesting. It came back that I was severely depressed. I knew the way I was feeling wasn’t very normal to feel. So I’ve been struggling with depression since before the 8th grade, but that was when I first found out.

    I didn’t tell anyone until junior year of high school. That’s when I started getting help. Through that process and in college I developed a passion for helping kids who are like me. That’s where my interest in psychology has come from and my interest in the mental health field and why I want to become a clinical therapist.

    Q: Since being at Michigan, how have folks aided your mental health for the better?
    A: I’m so lucky because through athletics, the mental health resources are superb. The Athletics Counseling Team (ACT) has been so crucial to my success. Whenever I need something or I have a bad day I can shoot my counselor a text she gets right back to me, either to schedule an appointment or with words of encouragement. My coaches and trainers and counselors have been good if I’m scared about something. Michigan Athletics really prioritize the health of its athletes in every sense of the word. It’s been so nice to have that support network behind me and that I can reach out if I need anything.

    Freshman year, the Athletes Connected wellness group was an amazing resource. I was always a big participant. Knowing I had that support put me at ease. It made it so that I was willing and able to put myself in position to reach out and get help.

    Q: How did you become a mental health liaison?
    A: I know that the two SAAC mental health representatives graduated so I saw that there was an opening for it. That was when Rachel Amity (Athletes Connected program coordinator)  reached out to me, and told me that I was recommended for the position. It was something that I knew I wanted to do, but I didn’t know how to get into it. I’m glad that I’m able to do it.

    Q: What are some of the goals that you and your fellow SAAC members have for mental health for the 2020-21 year?
    A: We have a lot of things in the works that we’re trying to do. We want to continue spreading the awareness for athlete mental health. I partnered with Hidden Opponent, founded by former USC volleyball player Victoria Garrick, which is a large mental health advocacy group. They have great ideas, resources, panels and talks. We really want, depending on how games and meets and races go, to do some mental health dedicated events sponsored by SAAC to push that mental health awareness. Things like wear lime green ribbons, t-shirts, etc. 

    UNCut, which was started at UNC, is another really cool sub-organization that I’d like to start through SAAC to tell athlete stories about mental health and wellbeing. I want people to know that it’s really OK to struggle, that we all struggle in different ways, that you’re not going through it alone and to try and make you the best person you can be.

    Q: Obviously 2020 has been thrown for a loop. What are you doing to stay mentally well?
    A: I’ve been leaning on my teammates and my housemates and best friends. We talk E + R = O.

    Event

    Response

    Outcome

    The only thing I can control during COVID is how I react to it. It’s really what I’ve been doing as an anchoring part. The power is in my hands even when it feels like it’s so out of my hands.

    Q: Are there any other ways you’ve been helping others during the pandemic?
    A: A big one I’ve been trying to reach out to those who are closest to me, especially when on campus. I’ve continued training with my team. We don’t have captains, we have senior leaders where we split the team into smaller families and reach out to freshmen and help them out. Really, just trying to spread awareness that E + R = O, making sure that we’re all being kind to others and kind to ourselves.

    Q: In terms of performance, how do you get into a good headspace for competition?
    A: The biggest thing for me is to have fun and remember, rowing to me is such a cool sport to me. We use “Why” statements. The reason I row is that there’s no better feeling than being at the start line with 4 or 8 other girls and putting it all together, going through 2K meters of pure hell. I do it for my team, for the girls around me. Whenever I remind myself of that, it just soothes me a bit.

    Q: What has been your proudest achievement at U-M?
    A: I think the obvious one is my sophomore year our team won Big Tens and placed 3rd at NCAAs. Building off that, the reason we did so well that year was the team culture that our seniors built. My proudest achievement was being a part of a team that loves each other so much that even when we’re not the fastest on paper, we can still win championships together.