Mental Wellbeing

L+ideas

Mental Wellbeing

About the Cover

“They. Knew. She Understood.”

watercolor, salt, found objects

7.4 in. x 9 in.

“They. Knew. She Understood.” is a collage that is based on, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, by Ntozake Shange a classic choreopoem. A series of twenty monologues about seven black women who are identified only by the hues of the dresses they wear and who have endured sexism, rape, body shaming and racism; set to dance and song. My first encounter with the work was at the Fisher theatre where it was performed in 1977. Almost fifty years later the poem, “nitewithbeauwillie brown” continues to resonate with me. Finally, I was able to connect the dots as to who willie brown was, why he was troubled and why he committed the unimaginable.

I was taught that a work of art should stand on its own. No further explanation or additional context should be needed. In this instance, I offer the explanation that the collage represents my ruminations on “willie brown”, how he came to be, the role the U.S. government / Big Pharma played in allowing his psyche to spiral out of control, and how companies whose products I use daily are investing in solutions to the problem that drove “willie brown” to despair.

References:

Fantastic Fungi. Directed by Louie Schwartzberg, performances by Paul Stamets, Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, Andrew Weil, Giuliana Furci, Moving Art, 2019. Jacobs, Andrew. “Healing Messengers: Combat veterans are leading a push to legalize psychedelic drugs that may ease their physical pain, post traumatic stress

and depression.” New York Times, November 16, 2021, Section D, Page 1.

MudWater. “Taking Stand for psychedelics.” [Brochure], MudWtr, [2022]. Pollan, Michael. This is Your Mind on Plants. Penguin Press: New York, 2021. “Studying Psilocybin as aid for depression”, New York Times, April 19. 2022, Section D, Page 7.

Thiermann, Kyle. “Mud/WTR’s Official Stance on Psychedelics.” February 24, 2022, https://mudwtr.com/blogs/trends-benefits/mudwtr-supports-psychedelics

“Using Psychedelics to Treat Addiction.” New York Times, April 12, 2022, Section D, Page 7.

Sheila Gaddie Artist/Editor

sgaddie@ltu.edu

Disclaimer

The mental health/wellness information included in L+ideas, Fall, 2022 is intended, not for diagnosis, prescription, or treatment of any health disorder whatsoever. Nor should the information replace consultation with a competent healthcare professional. In addition, this issue is intended to be used as an adjunct to a rational and responsible healthcare program prescribed by a professional practitioner. Editors and authors are not liable for the misuse of the material.

Mission Statement of the Lawrence Technological University Library Bring People and Information Together

The library’s mission is to play an active role in the instruction of library users including students, faculty, administrators, staff and alumni, in the effective use of information resources.

The faculty and the professional librarians are full partners in the educational process.. The librarians perform both an educational and instructional function.

In the modern technological environment, it is imperative that students be taught how to locate and evaluate appropriate intellectual resources for study, research projects, problem solving, and professional advancement both in the library and from alternate sources.

L+ideas

Editor

s Note

As we put the finishing touches on the Fall Edition of L+Ideas the leaves are beginning to put on their Fall display representing a change in season is forthcoming. We would like to see an additional change, an honest and active discussion of Mental Health and ultimately Mental Wellbeing. The statistics surrounding suicide are staggering. Suicide as a cause of medical mortality surpasses breast cancer, prostate cancer, and AIDS. At least two thirds of suicides result from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or one of the other categories of mental illness. 1. The subject of mental illness/wellbeing cannot be comprehensively covered in an issue of L+Ideas but we are offering a start to the conversation. “An Awakening” by Dr. Therese Jamison, is a poignant reminder that none of us are exempt from the trauma of mental illness.

The question, “What Can We Do?” is answered by information concerning 988 and the National Alliance on Mental Health’s resource guide, “Navigating Mental Illness”. We then turn our attention to Mental Wellbeing, highlighting, Positive Psychology, the Ways We are healed by Nature and the offering of Virtual Healing Workshops.

We end with a reminder that November is Native American Heritage Month, and we provide an overview of pertinent literature dealing with Native Americans.

Change is inevitable and we will experience a change in the leadership of the Lawrence Technological Library in the coming months with the retirement of the current Director Gary Cocozzoli. Gary reviews how the LTU library has changed during his tenure of more than 47 years. We sincerely wish Gary the very best on the next leg of his life’s journey.

Sheila Gaddie, Editor

1.Insel, Thomas, MD. Healing: Our Path From Mental Illness to Mental Health, Penguin Press:New York. 2022. Pg. 9.

Gary Cocozzoli

LTU Library Director

Lawrence Technological University celebrated its 90th anniversary of its first day of class on September 6, 1932. The library, however, did not actually get established until 1938. A story in the Tech News of that year chronicled the excitement of the students who finally had a true library space with books and study tables, a space that was needed and wanted. Though modest, it was important for students, and fulfilled its mission.

moved to Southfield to its now current location. There was just one building on the campus, what is now the Engineering Building, but everyone including the library was housed there.

In 1960, it was announced that a second building, the Library Building, was in the planning stages, and the Library Building opened in 1962, and it also housed the School of Architecture and School of Industrial Management (Business). It was a very beautiful, mid century modern space, with sleek terrazzo floors, Thonet chairs (blue, of course), floor to ceiling south facing windows and wide-open spaces. However, it lacked air conditioning, so was not a welcoming space on a hot sunny summer’s day.

The library improved over the years in Highland Park, but in 1955, the college

As the library grew, an expansion was required, so the library had a second area in the lower level. The reference

librarians and circulation desk were on the main floor, and books with call numbers from A P, with the lower level space dedicated to the science books

Q Z and all of the bound volumes of periodicals. It was difficult to deal with two disconnected spaces as there was no elevator in the building and two

century: we did use a stencil machine to make catalog cards vs. typing each one, which was high tech for the time.

One year later, there was a massive change. The Architecture school was growing and desperately needed space, and a new building to house the library was in the thinking stage, so in the meantime the library would be re-located to an office building adjacent to, but not on, campus at Civic Center Drive. The location had no direct automobile access at the time, but in many ways, it was a more convenient and equally attractive space. We moved there in summer of 1976, and that was the library’s home for the next six years.

service desks were required, and two card catalogs had to be maintained.

At this point, in 1975, I came to Lawrence Tech as a newly-minted librarian, and along with some other new staff, we began to modernize some of the procedures that were likely in place for nearly forty years at that time. But the library was not much different from the libraries of the early 20th

The building was air-conditioned, but did leak from the skylights. Fortunately, because the book stacks were too heavy for the main floor, they were in the lower level and did not get wet. The building did have a full kitchen, including a stove and dishwasher, so the library staff felt right at home.

The new building, which would be named the Buell Building, was finished

Card Catalog

for the Spring 1982 Open House, and the library moved in over the summer.

The location in the center of campus was ideal. It was a colorful space, with a beautiful indoor garden and orange carpeting that was apparently in vogue…Madonna College library and Toronto Public Library which were built about the same time, had the identical carpeting. I visited a community college library near Provo, Utah around then, and it looked absolutely identical to our library, except it was on the top floor of its building and had views of the mountains in the distance. The Lawrence Tech library was in the lower level, as underground buildings were the style when it was designed, even the local malls and the University of Michigan Law Library being built at the time had this multi-level, partially underground design.

The real evolution of the LTU library happened in the late 1970s, when the library switched to automated cataloging with OCLC terminals that revolutionized book processing by providing the catalog record, labels,

and pre-printed catalog cards, ready to file. (OCLC stands for Online Computer Library Center but at the time stood for “Ohio College Library Center”, the first state to network and share catalog records and holdings; they went nationwide in 1977.) And just at this time, the library acquired the 3,000 item Albert Kahn library from Albert Kahn Associates. The library was partially reconstructed at the Civic Center Dr. building, but was later fully recreated within the Buell Building library, to look as it had looked when Albert Kahn was using it. We were able to catalog each item into the national database, as some materials were quite rare and were uniquely held at LTU.

Albert Kahn Room at Lawrence Tech Library

Since the general LTU collection is somewhat specialized, the library began fast book and periodical article lending through OCLC, so we were able to share our collection with the library community nationwide. Soon, CD ROM atabases would revolutionize the tedious use of printed periodical indexes. One

The library staff constantly assess the cost benefits of new electronic products, and the advantages of online resources does extend the research experience for both on campus and virtual learning students. That is why the library joined a 24/7 chat reference cooperative to make sure a librarian is at the ready whenever and wherever help is needed.

More and more of Lawrence Tech Library’s holdings are of electronic materials, some 1,250,000 are now

innovation after the other kept raising the bar during the 1980s, until the library installed its first online library system in 1995, and all databases moved to online access. The card catalog became a relic, and its carefully filed cards became scrap paper. Today’s students and some faculty have never seen a card catalog let alone used one.

accessible from the library’s catalog, TechCat. This became essential to operating when the COVID pandemic shuttered libraries everywhere, and during this time LTU found itself being

Lawrence Tech Library

Lawrence Tech Library

asked for help from many large prestigious universities which had print holdings but could not access them; we had them online and shared them. A library can be modest in size, but that does not mean its holdings and its desire to serve others are not powerful.

and enjoyed the challenge of a job that was constantly re-inventing itself over and over.

After more than 47 years serving students, faculty, and staff at Lawrence Tech, I have decided to retire as director. During my tenure here, I watched the LTU library grow from a typical library that had changed little since the early days of the twentieth century to one that resembles something from science fiction. I was able to learn something new every day,

There is no going back, and the library staff have adapted and will continue to adapt to this new normal. Despite the wonderful technological advances, students still want human interaction, and enjoy using physical books, so I hope that these options are never lost as we continue to think of what the library of tomorrow will look like.

Gary R. Cocozzoli Director of the Library gcocozzol@ltu.edu

LTU Campus Map

Learn About

Your LTU Library

Archives: Find Your Next Research Topic

An archive is essentially a type of library that houses unique or rare documents which are retained in perpetuity. If you are searching for a research topic perusing an archive might generate just the topic you have been looking for. Below is a sample of archives, note that access to the public varies and some archives can be searched online. Contact the individual archives for more information.

The Albert Kahn Library is housed in the Lawrence Technological University Library. The Kahn library consists of books, periodicals and photographs from the architect’s personal working library. The focus of the collection covers three major subject areas, Art and Architecture, Engineering and Technology and History and Humanities. Additional resources in the collection include professionally photographed folios of Kahn designed buildings. These are a careful chronicle of the architect’s works, covering Michigan sites and architecture projects in other U.S. cities. Building projects include healthcare, aircraft, automotive, religious, academic and residential facilities.

Detroit Masonic Temple, Library, Archive and Research Center (500 Temple St., Detroit, MI, 313 832-7100) is dedicated to preserving and maintaining the history and materials relevant to the Detroit Masonic Temple and Detroit history in general. It is a resource for Masonic education and study. Its purpose is to safeguard Masonic books and artifacts, display relevant materials relating to Freemasonry and the Detroit Masonic Temple and to provide an avenue for Masonic research.

Bob Dylan Center (Tulsa, Okla.)

Bob Dylan’s vast archive is housed in a $10 million center with the aim of using documents and artifacts of Mr. Dylan’s career to illuminate the creative process. The full archive, approximately 100,000 items, is available only to credential researchers. It includes documents, films, recordings, photographs, books, musical instruments and ephemera.

Mumia Abu-Jamal Personal Archive has been acquired by Brown University. Mumia Abu-Jamal was the face of the anti-death penalty movement in the United States. A former Black Panther sentenced to death in the 1981 murder of a police officer. In 2011, the Philadelphia district attorney dropped the death penalty. Today, Abu Jamal is serving a life sentence in a Pennsylvania prison. Abu Jamal’s archive includes more than 60 boxes of letters, notebooks, manuscripts, pamphlets, personal artifacts, and books.

References:

Sisario, Ben, “The $10 Million Bob Dylan Center Opens Up His Songwriting Secrets”, New York Times, May 5, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/arts/ music/bob-dylan-center-tulsa.html?searchResultPosition=1

Schuessler, Jennifer, “Preserving a Prisoner’s Collection, New York Times, August 25, 2022, Section C, Page 1.

Resourses Compiled by Sheila Gaddie

An Awakening

Gene was a middle-aged white male, father of seven children, husband, and son. He loved to grill, make ice skating ponds for winter fun, garden, and be with family. In November, while driving 94, he drove his car into an

Detroit home. Still an innocent 5th grader, I did not think much of it. Later that day, we were told the news. He was killed in an auto accident. Yet, it was not until I was in my early 50’s that I learned, it was not an accident, yet his successful attempt at suicide. My lens changed. The narrative changed. My heart broke again. I had to wonder, why? My father had suffered with untreated Depression.

Therese Jamison and her father, Gene

I will never forget the sunny, cool November day while playing outside with friends that I noticed my aunt talking with the police in front of our

Why do I tell you something so personal? Because it is “Okay to talk about suicide” (National Alliance on Mental Health, 2022). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), suicide was among the 10 leading causes of death in the United States in 2020 among persons aged 10–64 years, and the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents aged 10 14 and adults aged 25 34 years (Ehlman, et al, 2022). As we continue to respond to the pandemic and its effects on isolation, economic insecurity, worsening substance use, mental health, and well being, the

management of our mental health is critical to our existence. We need to increase the awareness of risk factors, subtle and overt manifestations, and provide hope that mental illness and the potential for suicide can be prevented.

So, here we are at Lawrence Technological University (LTU), a prestigious private University. What can we do? What resources do we have?

First of all, let us take a pledge of being kind to ourselves and each other. Self care is important. Self care will look

different to each one of us. Define it. Do it.

Below is a sampling of the resources which provide you an opportunity to be an academic scholar at LTU, get involved in student organizations, and be supported by experts in clinical counseling. The first step is to recognize that you may need help. Then, reach out to one of these resources. Always know that you are not alone, know that you matter, your life matters, and you are loved.

Author

Dr. Therese Jamison DNP, ACNP BC Director and Professor of Nursing, Lawrence Technological University, Nurse Practitioner, Ascension

The Office of Student Life @ https://www.ltu.edu/studentactivities/

Office of Career Services @ https://www.ltu.edu/career_services/

Student Affairs Clinical Counseling @ www.ltu.edu/student_affairs/student counseling.asp

Zaven Margosian Academic Achievement Center @ https://www.ltu.edu/aac/

References

Ehlman, D.C., Yard E., Stone D.M., Jones, C.M., Mack K.A. (2022). Changes in Suicide Rates United States, 2019 and 2020. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 71:306 312. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7108a5

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 immediately.

If you are uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.

Be Prepared

Suicide and mental illness are uncomfortable topics to discuss but learning to recognize suicidal thoughts and behaviors and knowing what help is available can save lives. When mental illness is present, the potential for crisis is never far from mind. Crisis episodes related to mental illness can feel incredibly overwhelming. There’s the initial shock, followed by a flood of questions the most prominent of which is: “What can we do?”

People experiencing mental illness — and the people who care for them — need information. However, that information is not always readily available and the search for answers may require more energy and persistence than possible in times of crisis.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has prepared "Navigating a Mental Health Crisis: A NAMI Resource Guide for Those Experiencing a Mental Health Emergency" (Crisis Guide) provides important, potentially life saving information for people experiencing mental health crises and their loved ones. This guide outlines what can contribute to a crisis, warning signs that a crisis is emerging, strategies to help de-escalate a crisis, available resources and so much more.

Download the guide Navigating a Mental Health Crisis

https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Publications-Reports/Guides/Navigating-a-MentalHealth-Crisis/Navigating-A-Mental-Health-Crisis? utm_source=website&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=crisisguide

Mental Illness Discussed in Multimedia

A book, a film or a song can spark an epiphany about a difficult subject. Below is a list of media that clarify how one might spiral into mental illness, resolve to commit suicide or find hope to press on.

Books:

Dunn, Andy. Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind. Currency: New York, 2022. In 2016, Dunn was about to sell Bonobos, the startup he’d been building for the previous nine years. Dunn flew into a manic spiral and was hospitalized for a week in the psych ward at Bellevue in New York. When he was discharged, he was met by NYPD officers, taken to jail, where he was charged with felony and misdemeanor assault. The story is gripping and a reminder that when we do not face reality the consequences can be overwhelming.

Erlichman, Shira. Odes to Lithium. Alice James Books: Maine, 2019. A collection of poems devoted to the medication Lithium that helped Erlichman release the grip of bipolar disorder. To learn more about Erlichman’s journey watch ; https://articulateshow.org/videos/shira erlichman be hold/

Insel, Thomas, MD. Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health. Penguin Press: New York, 2022. Dr. Insel, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who headed the National Institute of Mental Health in 2002 15 outlines the treatments that currently exist, describes the obstacles that many people face, and shows how care programs might be designed to work better.

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest EyeA constant on lists of banned books, The Bluest Eye explicitly deals with difficult subjects. Percola’s heart wrenching decent into insanity after her child dies is worth a reconsideration of the literary value of The Bluest Eye.

Wiley, Soon. When We Fell Apart. Dutton: New York, 2022. Min cannot believe his Korean girlfriend, Yu jin, died by suicide right before her college graduation. He embarks on a quest to uncover the truth, he learns more about Yu jin’s life as the daughter of a high-ranking government official, the actual nature of her bond with her roommate So ra and his own biracial identity.

Films:

Burns, Ken. Hidden in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness. PBS:2022. A two part, four-hour film. Through first-person accounts, the film will present an unvarnished window into the issues associated with mental illness and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that those who will with it face daily. The film confronts the issues of stigma, discrimination, awareness, and silence, and in doing so, help advance a major shift in the public perception of mental illness today.

Pollan, Michael. How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, 2022. Based on Pollan’s book by the same title, the four part series is currently streaming on NetFlix.

Mental Illness Discussed in Multimedia (cont’d)

Films:

A Beautiful Mind, directed by Ron Howard, starring Russell Crowe, Universal Pictures: 2001. A Beautiful Mind is a biographical film based on the mathematician John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics. The story begins in Nash’s days as a graduate student at Princeton University. As the film progresses Nash begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes while watching the burden his condition brings on his loved ones

Shine, directed by Scott Hicks, starring Geoffrey Rush, Fine Line Features, 1996. Based on the true story, of the Australian pianist, David Helfgott an international prodigy, suffered a mental breakdown but is gradually able to piece himself back together.

Music: A Playlist

• Logic-1-800-273-8255, featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid

• Help, The Beatles

• I guess I just wasn’t made for these times, The Beach Boys

• Smile, Jay Z

• Unpretty TLC

• In My Blood Shawn Mendes

• “U” Kendrick LaMar

• Break My Soul, Beyonce

• Hold On: Change is Comin’ Sounds of Blackness

• Let it Be, The Beatles

compiled by Sheila Gaddie

sgaddie@ltu.edu

Book Review

PANDORA’S BOX

The Horrors of Mental Illness

I picked up the book, “The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice” by Benjamin Gilmer thinking it was a simple true crime story that I could read in a few hours and then go on about my business. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was totally unprepared for the seismic shock this story delivers. I find I am still reeling from aftershocks.

Dr. Vince Gilmer murdered his father and had been sentenced to prison leaving the small N. Carolina medical practice needing a doctor. Dr. Benjamin Gilmer stepped in to fill the position. Despite the coincidence of having the same last name the two doctors are not related and had never met. Dr. Ben, naturally, was curious about his predecessor, the other Dr. Gilmer. And there was no doubt that Dr. Vince was guilty. But the more Dr. Ben learned about Dr. Vince through stories from the staff and the patients, a disturbing disconnect grew. How could a

man dedicated to healing, whose kindnesses and generosity were legend in the community be a killer? Was the real

Dr. Vince a selfless, concerned and giving medical professional dedicated to helping people or a vicious murderer? Who exactly was this man? What had driven

Dr. Vince to commit a heinous murder? While afraid of meeting a killer but compelled to understand this contradiction, Dr. Ben Gilmer decides to visit his predecessor.

Like the story of Pandora’s box, where she, “ … took off the lid, and out swarmedallthetroublesoftheworld, nevertoberecaptured.”1 Dr. Vince had no idea that visiting the prison to meet the other Dr. Gilmer that he, like Pandora, would unknowingly open a world of pain, illness, cruelty, legal nightmares, of medical mistakes, and excruciating heartbreak into his life. This story is an indictment of the legal and medical practices in this country. Indeed, it is a

veritable indictment against society and shatters the illusion of America’s stance on basic human rights.

But the Pandora legend also tell us that, “ …. Hopewasleftinthebox,stuck underthelid.”2 As disheartening as this story is there is reason for hope because this is also a story about heroes. You will find yourself pulled into the vortex of violence and violation cheering Dr. Ben and others engaged in Quixotic battle on behalf of desperate, tortured people without power, money, knowledge or hope.

Once exposed to this treacherous, cruel

world where basic humanity was largely absent, Dr. Ben can’t unsee what he has seen, unhear what he has heard, or unfeel what he has felt. After reading this book, neither will you.

Spoiler Alert: Have a box of Kleenex nearby. You’ll need it.

I wish I could tell you that the story of Dr. Vince Gilmer has a happy ending, but I can’t … not yet.

For an update go to: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc md va/2022/08/06/northam gilmer doctors murder pardon/

To participtate in a happy ending go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rescue vince gilmer a free man still in prison

Sherry Tuffin, Reviewer

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer Dr.

Off the Rack

Along with campus wide free access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, Lawrence Tech Library is now offering The Washington Post online. To read the Post, just go to the library’s home page and in the lower right box, there is a link to sign up for the Post and all the other newspapers.

Articles you may have overlooked:

“A Crisis of Student Anxiety?” by Peter N. Stearns, Chronicle of Higher Education, September 1, 2022 https://www chronicle com.ezproxy.ltu.edu/article/a crisis of student anxiety

“Mental Health Advice For Incoming College Student.” New York Times, August 4, 2022, Section A, Page 3.

“What to Know About Mental Health Apps” by Christina Caron, New York Times, May 12, 2022, Section A, Page 3.

Feeling disconnected? Strike up a conversation with a stranger as suggested by David Sax’s article, “Strangers Are Good for Us.” New York Times, June 17, 2022, Section A, Page 24.

Artists Aren’t Happy, “An A.I. Generated Picture Won an Art Prize” by Kevin Roose, New York Times, September 3, 2022. Section B, Page 1.

The debate continues as to whether Artificial Intelligence has become sentient in “At Heart of Google’s Feud with Worker: His Claim That It’s A.I. Has a Soul”, by Nico Grant and Cade Metz. New York Times, June 13, 2022, Section B, Page 5.

“When Parents Report a Child to Avert a Shooting”, by Tawnell D. Hobbs and Sara Randazzo. Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2022, Section A, Page 1.

“Ann Shulgin, 91; Explored Psychedelics and Took Readers Along for the Trips”, by Clay Risen. New York Times, July 20, 2022, Section A, Page 21

What is Positive Psychology?

“Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living” 1

Psychology has previously focused on the effects of past events that are still impacting people negatively in the present. Psychologist, and one of the founders of positive psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman has shifted, “… the focusfrommentalillnessandpathology tostudyingwhatisgoodandpositivein life… thathelp(s)makelifeworthliving andhowtodefine,quantify,andcreate wellbeing”. 2 He reasons that, “... the absenceofill-beingdoesnotequalthe presenceofwellbeing.”3

resolve problems interfering with present well-being. As psychologist James Pawelski, PH.D. noted:

The term positive psychology can be misleading so please note that: “…positivepsychologyisnot tobeconfusedwithuntested selfhelp,footlessaffirmation, orsecularreligion nomatter howgoodthesemaymakeus feel. Positive psychology is neitherarecycledversionof thepowerofpositivethinking norasequeltoTheSecret.” 4

Studying what is positive in your life does not ignore or eliminate the need to

Positivepsychologyisbased onthefundamentalinsight thattreatingmentalillnessis notthesameaspromoting mentalhealth.Gettingridof whatwe don’twantinour livesdoesnotautomatically bringwhatwedowant”5

To illuminate this concept Dr. Pawelski offers a garden analogy. If you want a healthy, flourishing garden you must not only pull weeds that hinder growth but you must also plant seeds so flowers or vegetables can flourish. Focusing on the past is the psychological equivalent of weeding; filtering out the negative thinking, the faulty perceptions, that inhibit our growth and prevent us from

fully enjoying our lives. Planting seeds is a positive act representing optimism about the future.

Self-Talk: Explanatory Styles

The Three “P’s”

Explanatory styles are how we frame our lives and the world. They are the stories we tell ourselves. Under similiar circumstances the optimist may see a hiccup where a pessimist might see a hurricane. The most common example highlighting the opposite viewpoints is the way optimists and pessimists interpret whether a glass is half full or half empty. Explanatory style can become a self-fulfilling playbook, good or bad, and have huge consequences for your life and your future.

justgotlucky(Personalization).

Ifyou’ reanoptimist,youtendtosee lifetheotherwayaround: good fortunewillprobablylast,it’ sjust anotherexampleofhoweverything’s awesomeinyourlifeandit’ sprobably theresultofallthediligent,patient, persistentandplayfulhardworkyou’ve putinforquiteawhile”.6

power of purpose meaning and fulfillment/

According to Dr. Seligman explanatory styles comes down to three P’s:

• Permanence

• Pervasiveness

• Personalization “Ifyou’ reapessimist,youthinkgood fortune won’ t last (Permanence), it doesn’ t apply to the rest of your life (Pervasiveness)and it’ s because you

In real life choices usually aren’t binary: yes/no, either/or. Pessimism isn’t always negative and optimism isn’t always positive. Going through life as a “Pollyanna” who only sees the up side of things and being blind to potential problems is unrealistic and can lead to bad choices and vulnerability. We need to be aware that, “pessimism … can helpus:maintaincriticalthinking;

utilize the skill of risk assessment; prevent naivety; and promote rationality”.7

the world are, according to Dr. Seligman, learned helplessness and learned optimism. How do we develop these perspectives that determine how we frame the world?

The idea of perpetual happiness as so often portrayed in television, movies, popular literature and advertising is unrealistic and distorting. According to Dr. Vanessa Buote:

“One of the misconceptions about happiness is that happiness is being cheerful, joyous, and content all of the time;alwayshavingasmileon yourface.It’ snot.Beinghappy andleadingrichlivesisabout taking the good with the bad, andlearninghowtoreframethe bad.”8

Learned Helplessness

A person with a pessimist explanatory style believes they are helpless to change or solve their circumstances. This belief can evolve into learned helplessness which is defined as , “ … a psychological phenomenon in which a person learns that he or she cannot avoid bad things happening in the future.Thiscauseshimorhertostop tryingtopreventthem”.10

The two explanatory styles of perceiving

It is the equivalent of throwing your arms up in the air and saying, “I give up! Nothing I do matters. It’s hopeless”. Phrases such as, “I don’t care”. “What difference does it make”? can be a sign of a person trapped in a state of learned helplessness. Depression, “…is adisorderofthefuture,notadisorder ofthepastorthepresent” . 11

How can we change the future when

the stories we tell ourselves are bleak and our memories are distorted? Positive therapy has an answer because it is, “… oriented toward better planning, and rosier views of possible futures” . 12 Learning new ways to reframe events and perceptions counters the negative thinking of learned helplessness by embracing learned optimism.

Learned Optimism

“Learnedoptimismisa processbywhichyoulearn torecognizehabitually negativethoughts,andthen challengethem.Challenging yourpessimisticideashelps youreframethemintonew, morepositivebeliefs”. 13

Research has shown that optimism, “… cause(s)betterresistancetodepression when bad events strike, better performance at work, … and better health”.14 In an eight year Women’s Health Initiative study optimism was measured by the Life Orientation Test and the results showed, “… that optimismprotectsandpessimismhurts. Thiswastrueholdingalltheotherrisk factors–includingdepressivesymptoms constant”.14

Mindfulness can help redirect your thoughts from dark thoughts. One simple way to focus on the present is to start a gratitude journal where you note the positive daily experiences. They could include simple things such as acknowledging that someone held a door open for you, or you received praise for something to did.

But what about the future? Depressed people often conjure negative ideas about the future. Why not “…writethree good things you anticipate happening tomorrowandwhatyoucandotomake itmorelikely[they]happen…and write downthreemethodsthatcouldbeused to mitigate disappointmentif the good things do not actually happen? This could include coping mechanisms (reaching out to a friend) or alternate strategies (e.g. if a friend cancelled lunch, you could suggest lunch next week).16

The PERMA Model

The PERMA model offers a road map about how to, “…build resilience, wellbeing,andoptimism”. It is “… a higher order construct that predicts the flourishng of groups, communities, organizations,andnations”. 17

What is FLOW?

Acccomplishments

Cover image https://openclipart.org/detail/331976/growing mental health

Peterson, C. (2008). What is positive psychology, and what is it not? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https:// www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the good life/200805/what is positive psychology and what is it not

Seligman’s PERMA+Model Explained: A Theory of Wellbeing. Retrieved from: https://positivepsychology.com/perma model/

Seligman, Martin E. P. The hope circuit : a psychologist's journey from helplessness to optimism / Martin Seligman Penguin Random House Australia North Sydney, NSW 2018

Peterson, C. (2008). What is positive psychology, and what is it not? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https:// www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the good life/200805/what is positive psychology and what is it not

https://www.coursera.org/learn/positive psychology visionary science/discussionPrompt/zuQiw/imagine your life as a garden

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0 1115/The 3 Ps of Optimism.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests procedures/resilience training/about/pac 20394943#:~:text=Resilience%20training% 20focuses%20on%20four,life's%20inevitable%20challenges%20as%20opportunities

https://positivepsychologylearning.com/international day happiness 2016/#:~:text=Vanessa%20Buote%20said%2C%20%E2%

COne%20of,how%20to%20reframe%20the%20bad.%E2%80%9D

https://www.simplypsychology.org/learned helplessness.html

Coursera Drawn by the Future Part 2

https://www.betterup.com/blog/learned optimism

(Authentic Happiness 83)

(hope circuit 332)

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_thinking_about_the_future_makes_life_more_meaningful

https://positivepsychology.com/perma model/

http://pedsanesthesia.org/wp content/uploads/2021/03/How

cdn.net/wp

Virtual Healing Workshops

Finding ways to relax can be difficult. We are offering three workshops to help you find peace in our chaotic world. The workshops are free and class sessions are an hour. Details on resources and supply lists will be provided upon registration. Questions? Contact Sheila Gaddie at sgaddie@ltu.edu

Learn to Knit!

Tuesday, November 1 15, 2022, 6:30 7:30 p.m. Also, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Dec. 13, Dec. 20. Learn the fundamentals of knitting, including casting on, basic knit and purl stitches, increasing, decreasing, and binding off. You can knit a hat for yourself or to give as a holiday gift.

Create a Mandala

Tuesday, January 10, 2023, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Learn how to get in touch with your inner soul through the creation of Mandalas. Creating a Mandala provides calming and relaxing effect on the mind and body; assisting self-healing.

Play the Ukulele

Tuesday, January 17, 2023 March 21,2023, 6:30 7:30 p.m. Begin your journey playing the ukulele. At the end of the class, you’ll be able to pick up your uke when you are blue and in no time the uke will transport you to a happier space.

Register For Workshops Here

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMYqBs

In some of my earliest memories I’m perched between two branches of a plum tree that grew in front of my house. To climb, I’d grip the lowest branches and stretch my foot as high as it would reach, pulling myself up to sit comfortably in my little throne of branches. There, I’d peer through the pale purple blossoms, across the sidewalk, admiring the tops of cars.

I don’t remember any fear—just the scrape of callused feet on bark; the triumph of successfully hoisting my knee onto a branch; the comfort of my hands circling that final limb as I reached the perfect nestling spot.

Growing up with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, I was anxious a lot. I procrastinated constantly because I didn’t know how to prioritize. I was worried I might be stupid because I couldn’t finish basic tasks. Sitting still in a circle was torture. But at the tops of familiar trees, seeing everything through a veil of leaves or delicioussmelling blossoms, I could make my brain stop spinning.

Even now, laundry stays in the washing machine for three days because I forget about it. I leave half-full glasses of water all over the house. Currently, I have 52 tabs open in three Chrome windows. The other day I went into my bedroom to get my phone charger but only managed to change my shirt. Spending time with plants is still my reset button. In my quest for introspection and mental quiet time, trees have been my most stalwart allies.

Nature

s

cognitive restoration

Globally, more than 300 million people live with depression, 260 million with anxiety, and many with both. An estimated 6 million American children have been diagnosed with ADHD. Physical activity is known to help combat and prevent these disorders, but a walk down a busy traffic-filled street doesn’t cut it. A walk in the woods, however, works. Just 90 minutes can decrease activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex—a region associated with rumination (dwelling on negative thoughts, for example).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, exposure to nature can significantly reduce stress. It also alleviates symptoms of anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Spending even a short amount of time in green space can lower blood pressure; it can also help people develop healthier habits and form more positive relationships. People’s mental health is markedly better in urban areas with more green space.

Attention Restoration Theory helps explain why. Urban environments are overwhelming. City dwellers are constantly bombarded with complex sights, sounds, and smells. Researchers believe that this has a negative effect on executive functioning, making us less able to cope with distractions. Captivating natural scenes, however, can restore attention and help combat mental fatigue.

Interestingly, some built environments can have the same effect. Cities that incorporate water, or “blue space,” are more restorative than those without. Monasteries and countryside cottages fit the bill because, like nature, they evoke a sense of “being away.” Museums and art galleries are restorative because they provide an escape from the cacophony of urban life. These scenes all give one a sense of space—of room to explore.

The more interactive we are with restorative space, the better; a weekend stay in a

The problem with urbanization

More than half of the world’s population, and counting, lives in an urban setting. People in cities run a higher risk of both anxiety and mood disorders than people in rural areas—20 and 40 percent higher, respectively. We’re also more sedentary than ever, and green space has been shown to promote critically important physical activity.

Apartments, office buildings, subways, traffic filled streets we’re spending more and more time away from nature. Researchers estimate that if every city dweller spent just 30 minutes per week in nature, depression cases could be reduced by 7 percent. Globally, that’s a whopping 21 million people. But for a busy city dweller, a visit to a beautiful monastery isn’t always feasible. We all have read about the benefits of “forest therapy,” but a half-day hike in the woods is a luxury many can’t afford.

The answer lies in incorporating green space into urban planning, weaving nature into the fabric of everyday city life.

To understand our fraught relationship with urban nature, consider the evolution of big cities. Urbanization exploded in the 1800s as more people left their rural homes to look for work. With the focus on high level priorities such as sanitation, not to mention basic transportation and housing, green space just wasn’t considered sufficiently important for human welfare.

Kathleen Wolf, a social science researcher at the University of Washington, studies the human benefits of nature in cities.

With the industrial boom and huge population influx, rates of disease went up, she says, and we focused on clearing space for sanitary engineering systems. “What we think now is that, maybe, the pendulum went a little too far in removal of nature from cities.”

cozy wooded cabin will do more good than staring at a picture of one.

Racial and class inequity in green space

Modern higher-income communities often predominately White have the time, influence, and financial resources to build green space and cultivate a sense of appreciation for urban nature, Wolf says. But poorer communities including some communities of color don’t always have the same luxury.

“There are top level priorities in communities of need with regard to health: crosswalks, sidewalks—really fundamental needs—assurance that people have housing. I would guess that if our cities could mobilize and satisfy those high level needs, people in those communities would then begin to say, ‘We have now a baseline quality of life; now [we can talk about] parks.’”

Yet these people need green space the most. People with less financial security often have more demanding lifestyles. “They may be working multiple jobs. They may be single parents. They may have inadequate support systems,” Wolf says. “People in those situations … benefit even more from green space encounters.”

Add to this the growing demands on our nation’s young adults—expensive housing, out of control student loans, unprecedented pressure to succeed and it’s easy to see the dire need for cities to address cognitive fatigue, especially in stressed and underserved populations.

Investing in “green”

Integrating green space doesn’t have to be difficult. Someone just has to lead the charge.

“

The direct integration of nature into buildings in a substantive way makes quite a difference,” Wolf says. “Biophilic design … is an intentional effort to integrate nature into the places where people work, learn, and live.”

Nor does it have to be cost prohibitive. “With any innovation, the early adopters

pay more. Once it’s more broadly accepted … best practices emerge,” Wolf says. “You reach a threshold of implementation, and costs come down.”

Already, cities are taking steps, often going beyond planting trees. Chicago; Baltimore, Maryland; Portland, Oregon; New York; and Philadelphia are all investing in green infrastructure to improve city life and reduce their carbon footprint. Internationally, cities are leading in “smart design.” In parts of Singapore, garbage trucks are replaced by chutes that vacuum refuse. In London, city planners are restructuring the city’s lighting to save energy and lessen the harm of light pollution on human health and sleep.

Workplaces are also using green spaces to address employees’ health and wellbeing. Research shows that companies that invest in green infrastructure and promote nature-oriented activities see reduced absenteeism, higher productivity, and better problem solving in their employees. For these cities and workplaces, investing in green infrastructure has a clear cost benefit.

Now, greater attention must be directed to low-income communities to address racial and economic disparity the “green space gap.” California has a number of community-level efforts. The Little Green Fingers initiative in Los Angeles promotes urban parks and gardens in low income areas and communities of color. In Sacramento, the Ubuntu Green project helps convert unused land into urban farms and gardens in low income communities. And the Oakland Parks and Recreation department is working with the Oakland Climate Action Coalition and the Oakland Food Policy Council to preserve green space amid gentrification.

Houseplants bring nature inside

People living without sufficient access to green space, particularly those living with anxiety, depression, or ADHD, might also benefit from bringing nature into their homes.

More robust research in environmental psychology needs to be done to tease apart the complex benefits of houseplants, but the existing literature is promising. Indoor plants have been shown to soothe mental fatigue, lower blood pressure,

and improve quality of sleep. Some hospital patients who underwent surgery were found to have higher pain tolerance, less anxiety, and even shorter recovery times when they could see plants from their beds.

Indoor greenery also brings in a distinctly interactive element that outdoor natural space can’t always provide: the opportunity to grow and nurture something. Houseplants respond to our care and can pull us to slow down. They are living reminders of the importance of staying on track and not neglecting our responsibilities. They can help us maintain good habits. Research has shown that caring for a pet can help improve mental health by alleviating loneliness, calming stress, and restoring a sense of purpose and responsibility; for people unable to adopt a pet, houseplants may be a great lower-stakes alternative.

This has an important caveat. As Wolf points out, lonely, isolated people are more prone to problems with mental and even physical health. Indoor plants are no substitute for community-wide solutions. Wolf encourages apartment dwellers to advocate for shared outdoor green spaces. They may benefit more from establishing “little sitting gardens” in place of “boring landscape materials” or ensuring that green stormwater infrastructure is designed “so it becomes a people space, as well,” she says.

Ultimately, we benefit most by incorporating interactive green space at every level of city life—for individuals, cities, and everything in between.

I look, with cautious optimism, to a future full of trees.

BY NATALIE SLIVINSKI

The Ways We are Healed by Nature (Even Houseplants). Yes Magazine, Sept. 19,2018.Reprinted with permission

Photo by Alexei Sergeevich/Getty Images

NOVEMBER

Blackbird’s Song

For much of U.S. history, the story of native people has been written by historians and anthropologists relying on the often biased accounts of European American observers. Though we have become well acquainted with war chiefs like Pontiac and Crazy Horse, it has been at the expense of better knowing civic minded intellectuals like Andrew J. Blackbird, who sought in 1887 to give a voice to his people through his landmark book HistoryoftheOttawaand ChippewaPeople.Blackbirdchronicledthenumerous

their land and culture, first with military

later by claiming the tools of citizenship.Thisstirringaccountreflectsonthelived

Books by or about Native Americans

The next edition of L+ideas Michigan

The Past The People The Places

Please submit any: Ideas, Artwork, Stories, Media on this topic

December 15th to:

or sgaddie@ltu.edu

L+ideas Past Issues

2022 Spring Art Speaks

Winter The Future of Work

Fall Food for Thought

Spring Connecting the Dots

Winter Imagine

Fall