THE LOOP A COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM AROUND NEVADA
MAY 2024
ISSUE 38
Greetings from WestCare Nevada, The importance of prioritizing mental well-being for ourselves and for those around us oftentimes gets overlooked. However, in today’s landscape, it is important that we realize how important it is and that it should be something that we consider and assess daily. The fact that May is Mental Health Awareness Month only brings this issue to an even greater light, and we at WestCare Nevada pledge to continue to be committed advocates for mental health. We will accomplish this pledge by supporting and promoting a culture of understanding and compassion by continuously working to educate ourselves and others by fostering a safe environment and by supporting policies that create greater access to mental health services. In addition, our pledge is to destigmatize mental health issues by openly discussing them and creating an environment that is without judgment and allows every individual the opportunity to talk about their challenges with mental well-being while also celebrating their ability to overcome the challenges that come with a diagnosis and the symptoms associated with that diagnosis. My personal commitment to this pledge forces me to share a little bit about my own challenges with mental health. In 2002, I was diagnosed with a depressive disorder. At that time, I was unsure about how that diagnosis was going to impact my future. However, I realized how it had impacted my past and how it was potentially one of the major reasons associated with my addiction history. Since that time, I have come to realize that a mental health diagnosis is just that, a diagnosis and that it does not have to define me. Now, let me be clear. To this day, I experience the symptoms of depression. However, those symptoms, such as not wanting to get out of bed in the morning, cause me to use some of the skills that I have developed. Skills that I can introduce to others when it comes to their experiences with a depressive disorder.
VOLUME 4
Let me paint you a picture: If we are standing together with a strong wind blowing in our faces, to remain standing and/or move forward, we would need to “lean in,” otherwise, the wind would blow us over. Well, the same goes for the thoughts that trigger the symptoms of a mental health diagnosis, such as depression, causing us to not want to do things like get out of bed. Making the active decision to “lean in” means that we acknowledge and are aware of what we are experiencing, yet we are willing to do what it takes to overcome that challenge and live life on life’s terms, becoming or remaining a contributing member of society. This issue of the Loop contains articles from our Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Jason Engel, regarding mental health and is accompanied by pledges from some of our Nevada employees as well as an article regarding our mental health services provided to our Veteran population in our Reno Homefront program, written by clinical social work intern, Ms. Ekaterina Diaz. We also feature our Mother’s Day celebrations, the LS Fest West, the networking event (True Connections) we hosted at our Women and Children’s Campus (WCC), and some personal and professional accomplishments of some of our employees. I will end by wishing our mothers a Happy Mother’s Day and remind us all how important it is for us to talk openly about our challenges, struggles, and victories when it comes to mental health and our awareness of it. Remember, when the wind is in your face and trying to blow you over, all you have to do is make the commitment to “lean in.”
Leo Magrdichian, LCSW, LCADC, Vice President
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