[StBernard] Parish Update for 12/16/05 - Mental Health

[Westley Annis]

Editors Note:  This is one of several emails.

PARISH UPDATE FOR 12/16/05

>From Craig Taffaro on behalf of the St. Bernard Parish Council (Mark

Madary,
Judy Hoffmeister, Kenny Henderson, Chairman Joey DiFatta, Lynn Dean, and
Ricky Melerine)

Mental Health

As the holiday season approaches the mental health issues become more
heightened to many people.  The reality of the many losses experienced due
to Hurricane Katrina coupled with the many adjustments and frustrations of
the recovery efforts may continue to challenge your ability to enjoy life as
you once did or at least create a source of melancholy.  Adding to this
challenge may be the loss of family traditions or customs during the holiday
season or the separation from family and friends that were part of the
Christmas and New Year's routines.

While this time of the year will be challenging for many a few helpful hints
may take a slight edge off the difficulties you may experience.

-	expect to be off center.  It is ok to not quite feel yourself during
the different holiday surroundings and activities.  Do your best to give
yourself permission to enjoy the moment- it is really the only one we have.
Even if it is not exactly what you want or where you want to be we have the
ability to choose to enjoy any moment we take notice of.
-	Find the holiday.  We all experience Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
New Years in our own individual way.  The people, places, and things that
are surrounding us during this time of our lives provide us with endless
opportunities to find the spirit of the holiday, no matter how we experience
it.  Challenge yourself to find that spirit as often as you think about it-
create opportunities and you may be surprised how this one ties neatly into
enjoying the moment.
-	Use your shelf.  What I mean by this is the idea that it is ok to
hold onto all of the emotions that you may be experiencing as part of the
Hurricane losses, but it is equally ok to put your emotions on the shelf
temporarily.  Sometimes we need to actively give ourselves permission to
shelve our negative emotions just long enough to experience the other side
of ourselves.  Go ahead and let yourself laugh, make a joke, or just slip
into something that really energized you before.