Mental health

Free mental wellness conference for teens at Everett Community College May 21

Leadership Launch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing student leaders and strengthening communities, is hosting Emotion Commotion on May 21, from noon-4 p.m. at Everett Community College. Held at the Henry M. Jackson Conference Center, the student-organized event will feature keynote speakers and workshops focused on the topics of mental wellness through movement, self-expression through…

Social isolation topic of Feb. 17 workshop at Edmonds Waterfront Center

“Social Isolation: Recognition, Impact, Solutions” is the topic of a free workshop — being held both online and in person — at the Edmonds Waterfront Center from 1-2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17. Join a conversation about community and belonging. Participants will discuss how to recognize signs of social isolation, its impact on health, and ideas…

November marks Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month; support groups meet in Lynnwood

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. The Alzheimer’s Association is marking these events by recognizing and honoring the more than 295,000 caregivers in Washington state who provide unpaid care to a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating, relentless and debilitating…

Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force formed in Snohomish County

The Snohomish County Children’s Wellness Coalition has announced the creation of the Snohomish County Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force, which will work to reduce incidence of suicide and increase the mental health and resiliency of youth. Suicide is preventable, and yet it is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the second leading…

Save the date: Snohomish County Overdose Awareness Day event Aug. 31

Those who have lost loved ones to overdoses, who are battling substance use disorder, who are in recovery, or who simply want to show their support and learn about the impact of substance use in our community are invited to participate in “A Night to Remember, A Time to Act” event Tuesday, Aug. 31 at…

Edmonds College Foundation awarded $170K grant from Verdant to expand mental health services

The Edmonds College Foundation was recently awarded $170,000 by the Verdant Health Commission to expand its mental health services for students. The grant will fund two additional counseling positions in the college’s Counseling and Resource Center (CRC) for the 2021-2022 academic year, with an additional two annual renewals. “Mental health concerns are one of the…

Coronavirus Chronicles: Amid pandemic, local opioid overdoses accelerate

While COVID-19’s devastating toll has taken center stage over the past year, another health crisis has quietly raged on. Nationally, opioid overdoses have accelerated amid the pandemic’s daily life disruptions. In Washington state, overdose deaths increased by 38% in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period the previous year, according to the…

‘It’s OK to not be OK’: Panelists offer advice for coping with pandemic pressures

While there is no roadmap for maintaining emotional well-being during a pandemic, behavioral health experts speaking during a recent Sno-Isle Libraries webinar provided a wealth of advice and resources for coping with COVID-19 pressures. During the Jan. 14 webinar, the first of three in the library system’s “Issues That Matter, Pandemic Pressures” series, speakers offered…

Edmonds School District’s virtual Mental Health Conversation rescheduled to Nov. 12

The Edmonds School District’s virtual Mental Health Conversation regarding COVID-19 has been rescheduled to Thursday, Nov. 12. In partnership with Verdant Health Commission, the meeting will cover real conversations during the times of COVID. The conversation will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. virtually via Zoom and can be accessed at the scheduled time and place…

‘You are not alone’: Panel focuses on mental health and suicide prevention

The COVID-19 pandemic is magnifying mental health issues, and among them is suicide — for people of any age, from teens to senior citizens. According to the Snohomish Health District, suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Snohomish County and resulted in 107 deaths in 2010. Suicide rates here are also higher than…

Five months into the pandemic, tips for fighting COVID-19 stress

Yes, there is such a thing as COVID stress. Burnout. Overload. “We are so saturated with information,” says Pat Morris from Volunteers of America Western Washington, “that there’s a sense of powerlessness among all of us. When are we going to get back to normal? When is this going to be over?” The information saturation,…

Snohomish County initiates COVID-19 outreach program focused on ‘mental wellbeing’ support

Snohomish County’s Department of Human Services on Friday announced the creation of the Community COVID Outreach Counselors Program to provide emotional support services to residents of Snohomish County whose mental health has been impacted by COVID-19. This program will be in partnership with Volunteers of America Western Washington, is supported by federal CARES Act funding,…

Coping with isolation: Buddhist chaplain offers words of wisdom

“It’s a paradox. Isolation can be a window to deeper connections with ourselves and others. It can shock us out of a habitual way of living.” That’s the message from Jonathan Prescott. A resident of Guemes Island in the San Juans, the Buddhist chaplain, pastoral counselor, and ordained student of world-renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat…

Questions and answers about Alzheimer’s

Recently, mental health has been an important topic that many have been researching, for both themselves and their loved ones. With this in mind, people have been learning more about brain-related illnesses and overall brain health, especially as it relates to dementia and Alzheimer’s, and prevention steps they can take. Unfortunately, the Alzheimer’s Association reports…

Community Life Center to host mental health community outreach event Oct. 13

The Community Life Center will host a community outreach event Sunday, Oct. 13 on issues surrounding mental health. The event will run from 10 a.m.-noon. Representatives from industry professional organizations will answer questions and provide help in making resources available to people struggling with anxiety, depression, addition or thoughts of suicide. Participants include: Lahai Health…

Women are Raving about an Art & Mindfulness Experience in Edmonds

(Sponsored by Peggy Farah) The Release™️ day retreat for women has been providing a fabulous opportunity for local women to come together, build connections, tend to self-care and play with a huge array of provided art supplies for the past several months at Artworks in downtown Edmonds. This innovative program includes mindfulness instruction, journaling, group…

Edmonds artist gets helping hand from new device; medical trial starts in January

Edmonds artist Whitney Buckingham-Beechie, featured artist in this Thursday’s Art Walk Edmonds, is a sculptor as well as a painter who works in mixed media — wax with indigo dye. “Indigo is alive,” she said, “so it’s unpredictable.” What she didn’t fully appreciate was the unpredictability of creating art with mild hand tremors. “I’ve had…