by Colette Florido
The last few years have been stressful for everyone. Many feel both their physical and mental fitness have been impacted.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Centre@St.PeteBeach has programs to help. Check these out.
1) Sound Bowl Therapy – Since our bodies are mostly water, vibrational sound waves easily pass through us. Our cells respond to the vibration from these Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls. People report pain relief and increased focus.
2) Meditation and Breathwork – Our brains associate emotions to breathing patterns. That means you can actually trick your brain into a better emotional state by altering your breathing. Meditative work helps you practice getting in the moment and staying there. These habits can reduce anxiety and provide clarity.
3) For a different perspective join the Aerial Yoga class and hang around for a therapeutic stretch. Feel like a kid again! Shake it off! From Beginning Belly Dance class to one-on-one salsa or ballroom dancing, you can shake away stress and anxiety by releasing dopamine and endorphins, the neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of happiness and pleasure. Bonus that you’ll be raising your heartrate and working muscles while engaging the neocortex with music, reducing impulsivity and creating calm.
4) Art and Healing – Using the creative brain relieves stress and supports cognitive function. Join a Pour and Paint session and watch your stress melt away while creating a work of art.
5) Try a free sample of CBD. Studies show CBD can alter serotonin levels, reducing depression.
6) You can also purchase Delta-8 at the Centre, which is an analgesic and can help with both pain and stress all at once.
Obtain your medical marijuana recommendation from Triverde Health. Call 727-322-4588 for an appointment.
The team will walk you through the process and by the time you leave your appointment, you’ll be ready to purchase medicine at a dispensary. You can attend a FREE Cannabis 101 class to ask specific questions and find the best products for you.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Information & Resource Helpline: Free info, resources and support for people living with mental health conditions, family members and caregivers, mental health providers and the public. With every call or email, NAMI helps move sufferers closer to recovery or meet the needs of a loved one providing care and support. Call 727-791-3434, weekdays, 9am–6pm email office@nami-pinellas.org or text.
Text NAMI to 741-741 to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: If you or someone you know is in crisis–whether they are considering suicide or not–please call the toll-free Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7.
Area Agency on Aging of Pinellas-Pasco County: Serving the seniors and their caregivers, the AAAPP provides individual Mental Health counseling for emotional support and guidance, or treatment of psychiatric disorders.
Referrals are received through the Senior Helpline by calling 727-217-8111.
Finding hope with medical marijuana:
“Late 2019, I had lost my father to lung cancer and eight months later my stepmom passed away from breast cancer and a brain tumor. To describe my state of mind would be doom and emotional breakdown…I didn’t want to go anywhere or see anyone… I was afraid to leave my home. I felt incomplete and so sad most the time, I had just lost my hero… I went to my primary care physician for help with insomnia, grief, and trying to get by day by day. I was provided with some medications, filled all and felt like I was living in a daze. Then I secured a medical marijuana card through Triverde Health and since I have been taking THC and CBD for a little over two years now, I have weaned myself off of all prescribed medications and the hazy days are gone forever.” Female, 49, St. Petersburg