As we come into the New Year, let us begin this year with new hopes, beginnings, innovations, and achievements. Starting with the most potent muscle, let’s get a tune-up on our mental state. Let’s face it, 2020 has been a challenging year, and a reset is needed.

January is the month where we at South Sound Behavioral Hospital want to promote mental wellness. Mental wellness is an all-encompassing realm of healthiness. A balance of social, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing.

Mental wellness touches all segments that makeup living. It appears when we have to establish how we act, feel, and think to process situations. Eventually, it then triggers our reaction based on stress levels, relationship connection, and decision making.

To refresh our state of mind and enhance our mental wellbeing, take a few moments every day to announce your appreciation for the things or people you feel elevate you. Stay positive and motivated.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2021!

As we close in on the last couple of holidays for the year, and all our favorite traditions, temptations of holiday treats can be trying even for those who have a good deal of willpower. The Average American gain about 7-8 pounds during the holiday seasons…… BUT, there are ways to savor festive flavors and enjoy fine food without packing on the pounds.

1. Don’t skip meals during the day or try to “save appetite” for big party or feast – as it usually will result in overeating. Instead, try to focus on healthy food options that rich in fiber. Increased dietary fiber can reduce total calorie intake, which help prevent weight gain over the holidays.
2. Eat small portions. Holiday meals tend to be large and include second and third helpings. A common mistake is eating large portions of foods that are perceived as healthy. And yes, you can have your favorite dessert – but eat only the amount that it will take for you to be satisfied.
3. Limit liquid calories. Alcohol, soda, and other calorie-rich beverages are prevalent during the holidays. These drinks can contribute a significant amount of sugar and empty calories to your diet, which can cause weight gain. Additionally, alcohol consumption is often linked to increased appetite and is a risk factor for weight gain.
4. Mindful eating. Some studies suggest that focusing on how your body feels through a short body scan meditation can help you to tune in how hungry you really are and adjust your sweet eating. Also, chew slowly and thoroughly will allow you to better recognize your body’s fullness signals and consume fewer calories.
5. Maintain physically active with family and friends. Sedentary actives such as sitting on the couch watching TV are common holiday traditions for many families. Inactivity can contribute to weight gain, especially if accompanied by overeating. Exercises, as simple as a family walk can get your mind off food and allow you to bond with your loved ones. It may not make you lose weight, but it can definitely help you keep your metabolic rate at a higher level.
6. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation is common during the holidays may cause weight gain. Sleep restriction is linked to increased hunger hormone levels, ultimately leading to higher calorie intake. In addition, inadequate sleep also decreases your metabolism, which makes it hard for your body to burn fat.
7. Control your stress levels. A stressful lifestyle can cause more cravings for junk food. Stress-related hormone may also cause weight gain by consuming higher level of calories.

The bottom, make sure you are getting plenty of exercise and limiting your intake of holiday treats. If you are diligent, you may find that you have not only prevented weight gain but even lost a few pounds during this celebratory season.

November is Native American Heritage Month. This month is a time to recognize and celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, sacrifices, contributions, achievements, histories, and acknowledging our nation’s first peoples. It is an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise general awareness about the unique challenges Native people are continuing to face historically and presently.

Native Americans are very much alive and well in our country. Awareness and education to the general population are essential. Still, to this day, many misconceptions should be clarified. There are countless amenities utilized today that are derived from Native Americans. We consume many foods and medicines/remedies that we use, which were introduced by Native Americans. There is more than one highway that follows an Indian Trail. Native American contributions touch every bit of American Life, such as their literature and arts spew the wisdom and themes of Native American culture. And still, Native Americans have challenges to overcome and persevere when fighting for land rights, water rights, fishing rights, and shedding light on the concern of Missing Murdered Indigenous People is on-going today. There are approximately 326 reservations, and Native Americans make up about 1% of the Nation’s population. As the Nations’ first people, South Sound Behavioral Hospital acknowledges you.

Did you know that music therapy has a clinical history of 70+ years? We began servicing World War I veterans within Psych Hospitals and have since then progressed to working in schools, prisons, clinics, group homes, hospitals, etc. and servicing a wide range of populations as well as their needs. We also have several studies published in medical and psychological journals and are using rhythm today to improve speech and movement in those that have had strokes as well as a wide variety of neurological disorders. One of our own fulltime music therapy employees here at South Sound is Daisie Sutton, whom is a master’s level music therapist that is board certified and has over 8 years working with older adults and currently holds 7 contracts with the state of Washington with her music therapy business, “Sutton Music Therapy, LLC”. As Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, she plans to hire music therapists to service these contracts as well as the 15 facilities she serviced prior to the pandemic from Renton to Tumwater, WA.

Daisie feels very blessed to be here at South Sound Hospital where she has the title of Music Therapist and has the privilege to participate in treatment team meetings. She plans to make South Sound a lifelong career and is excited for growing the music programs here with other recreational therapists. Here she is able to do more enhanced interventions than prior work as she incorporates songwriting, lyric analysis, movement and art with music and also gets to learn a wider variety of songs to incorporate patient preferred into her session groups. One of her song writings she created uses a blues form and incorporates patient responses to describe current stressors and future goals (shown below).. Many music therapy sessions, she creates incorporate themes with handouts that prompt group discussion to share thoughts towards different songs and lyrics. Example themes include change, growth, perseverance and hope. She is very excited to be working among a new colleague Ben Kendal who is a new PRN music therapist at South Sound. He also used to work at Smokey Point and graduated from Seattle Pacific University with his bachelors in music therapy. If you would like to learn more about music therapy, please don’t hesitate to contact Daisie Sutton or Ben Kendal. Here is an example of one of the blues songwriting’s:

“I ain’t got no hoodies or cell phone
I ain’t got no wallet or friends
I ain’t got no cappuccino or computer games
I’ve got to make some changes or I’ll have the South Sound Blues

I want to go fishing and hiking
I want to get my phone and take a road trip
I want to cook and BBQ
I want to find a home and make some money
I’ve got to make some changes or I’ll have the South Sound Blues”

Another songwriting: Theme on Dealing with Stressors (This song is piggy backed to the melody of, “I’m not Afraid” by Eminem) Daisie changed the lyrics and took them out to look like a madlib for patients to logically identify how they were going to deal with their stressors and input their thoughts in the underlined sections)

“I’m not afraid of myself
Everybody cares and loves
We can overcome and accomplish
Whatever comes we will conquer
Just letting you know that you are loved
And you can survive on this road of life”

One of the ways SSBH has given back to the community is the involvement of awareness. The impacts of suicide in our society have hit home for many. To make a dent in the movement to provide understanding to Thurston County, SSBH has made it a point to provide suicide prevention awareness items for families who have lost a loved one to suicide. The items given to families affected are signs and symptom information flyers, pamphlets of options to help, community resources, stress balls, pens, notepads, etc. Every life lost is a losing position in this battle, but spreading the awareness for each loss can amplify the movement to gain an advantage in this battle. The knowledge of suicide awareness is so powerful and crucial to the campaign.