by Heidi Reid | Aug 15, 2023 | Buzz, July/August 2023
The American Psychiatric Association Foundation selected Raleigh as a pilot city for a new program hoping to empower residents to address their mental health.
Almost 1.5 million people in North Carolina have a mental health condition—that’s more than three times the population of Raleigh (!)—yet 22% of those people are unable to get needed counseling or therapy. Enter the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF)’s transformative awareness campaign Mental Health Care Works, which recently chose Raleigh as one of the four cities to launch a pilot in Raleigh along with Denver, Baltimore and DC.
“Our team has done extensive research and vetting to select our pilot markets for this campaign,” says APAF Executive Director Rawle Andrews Jr., Esq. “As we examined the potential markets, we looked specifically at the unmet need for mental health conditions, the existing healthcare infrastructure and openness to seek help.”
Mental Health Care Works is set to roll out nationwide in early 2024 following the pilot program. The comprehensive campaign is designed to raise awareness around the symptoms of mental health disorders, showcase the efficacy of seeking help and encourage individuals to take action. Prior to forming Mental Health Care Works, APAF conducted a national survey showing that, although a large majority of the population are aware of mental health services in their area, nearly one-third still experience symptoms without seeking help.
“The mental health crisis in this country continues to grow, and while we see conditions worsening, far too few are seeking out resources, help or treatment,” says Andrews. “Mental health is a fundamental aspect of overall well-being, but few treat it as such. Through this campaign, we hope to raise awareness, combat discrimination and encourage action for struggling individuals.”
Key elements of the campaign include high-impact marketing (think TV, radio, billboards and social media) and partnerships with both local and national voices, as well as an easily accessible landing page with helpful resources.
Reaching each generation is another major focus of the campaign. In order to appeal to all age groups, APAF has created three different narratives to resonate with various phases of life: young Lizzie, who is going back to skateboarding after seeking help for her anxiety; new mother Simone, who is dealing with postpartum depression after giving birth to her new baby; and grandfather Diego, who is getting help for his depression after his wife passed.
“The message is that mental health care can be life-changing,” says Saul Levin, MD, MPA, CEO and Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association, and APAF Board Chair. “Now more than ever, we’re pleased to be leading this important effort to get the word out and know that we will have that impact.”
Levin adds: “There is no physical health without mental health and no mental health without physical health.” And with this new campaign, hopefully Raleighites can take the first step in prioritizing their mental well-being.
by Kelsie Barton | Jun 29, 2023 | July/August 2023, Stuff
Get hip to hypnosis for healing
First things first: No, hypnosis is not some kind of woo-woo mind control—and, no, it doesn’t involve a swinging pocket watch. And it’s high time we shed those silly Hollywood stereotypes. “There’s a lot of misunderstandings, which is unfortunate because hypnotherapy is such a simple and effective way to make meaningful change for yourself,” says Susanne Morais, owner of Raleigh’s Journeys Hypnosis. “Many people feel stuck in life and want an alternative that will allow them to feel better.”
So then what is hypnosis, really? “Believe it or not, the state of hypnosis is something we all experience frequently,” Morais explains. “Watching a movie is a hypnotic state—while staring at the screen, you are awake and aware, but just deeply focused on the movie itself and everything going on around you kind of fades away.” Who would’ve thought?!
As a certified hypnotherapist, Morais facilitates this deep state of focus and relaxation in both her online and in-person sessions, helping clients quiet the analytical mind and connect with the subconscious to create change. Whether it’s moving on from past traumas, breaking habits or conquering fears, hypnotherapy is a natural approach to overcoming barriers so that people can begin to live a more confident and purpose-filled life. “The client’s subconscious is ultimately leading the session,” Morais continues. “Like a personal trainer during a workout, I’m there to coach the client on how best to deal with events or emotions that come up within the subconscious.”
Not only is hypnotherapy a total game-changer when it comes to determining the root cause of an issue and addressing it, but it works fast. In fact, Morais says that many of her clients experience some sort of shift after just one session. And the process of hypnosis can be so subtle that sometimes clients don’t realize a change has occurred until they are faced with a real-life situation.
“I worked with a client who was extremely fearful of dogs. She had a very difficult time even talking about them,” Morais shares. During the session, the hypnotherapist picked up on slight changes in the client’s language pattern that indicated the phobia was no longer an issue, although the client remained skeptical. “Two days later, she emailed me a thank-you, along with a photo of herself with a dog in her lap,” says Morais. “She adopted a dog!”
As we normalize convos about mental health, more people are seeking support—and hypnotherapy may be the answer for those seeking a more holistic form of healing. “Just as we are capable of making ourselves sick due to worry or stress,” says Morais, “we also have the power within to make ourselves well.” Healing through hypnosis? Worth a try. journeyshypnosis.com
Deep Dive
Past Life Regression
While Morais mostly facilitates clinical hypnotherapy sessions for emotional issues, her specialty is transpersonal and spiritual hypnotherapy—in fact, it was the Past Lives Podcast hosted by Simon Brown that attracted her to hypnosis in the first place. “These are fascinating,” Morais says of past life regressions, which are typically three-hour sessions. “This is where a client can regress to a previous lifetime (or what is perceived to be a previous lifetime) to address an issue impacting their current life.” For example, are you someone who has trouble with relationships? “It’s possible you made a promise in another lifetime to never love again,” she explains. “You can clear that promise during a past life regression.”
Law of Attraction/Manifesting Coaching
“This is incredibly powerful as my clients learn how to manifest the ideal relationship, career or income for themselves,” Morais explains. Combined with hypnotherapy, these sessions teach clients how to adopt a mindset where they can push past fears and limiting beliefs in order to set their intentions on whatever outcome it is they desire. “You should see what people can do for themselves!” says Morais. “You believe it, you trust it, you know it, you attract it. It’s so cool.”
Custom Group Hypnotherapy
What’s better than hypnosis? Hypnosis with friends. Morais can design sessions for organizations—or women’s retreats, triathlon training groups, or just about any group at all—looking to address struggles, realize strengths or set goals as a team. “It allows a company to be able to push through some of the mundane stuff,” she says. “And then you can come together after that visioning happens to create
meaningful conversations.”
by Kelsie Barton | May 30, 2023 | Do, June 2023
Sweating for that summer bod? We turn to Raleigh trainer JoJo Polk to find out what’s hot—and what’s not—on the local fitness scene.
TRENDING
The Great Outdoors
Whether it’s hitting the pickleball court or heading to Lake Johnson for a little SUP action, exercising alfresco is the way to go. “People are biking and running again now that they can get outside and get some fresh air,” says JoJo Polk, a personal trainer at the new FX Fitness located within Raleigh Iron Works. “All things outdoors are trending.” Go on, soak in that vitamin D—your body will thank you.
Futuristic Wearable Tech
Wearable tech has become an essential part of our workout culture thanks to OGs like Orangetheory Fitness. But now, Triangle newcomers such as OHM Fitness and Body20 are introducing even more high-tech experiences: think bodysuits designed with electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to deliver the benefits of an intense two-hour workout in one quick low-impact session. Notes Polk, a former AFL athlete, “That’s the sports world finally starting to meet the fitness world.” Science rules!
Stability Training
While mobility training has taken TikTok by storm, Polk adds that stability training is also on the rise. “People are working on their balance and their core—and when I say core, I don’t just mean an ab workout,” the fitspert explains. “Everything has to work together, so you have to strengthen everything at once. … You’ve got to work your lower back, your glutes, your hamstrings, your quads.” And even though balance may seem natural, Polk says it actually requires constant practice, especially as people age. “The more you do it, the more comfortable you get with it and the stronger you feel.”
Mind, Body and Soul
If you’ve taken a Hot Girl Walk at any point in the past year, then you already know that mental health is the latest fitness craze (and certainly one we can all get behind). “I think that has always been important, but nowadays it’s taking the forefront,” says Polk. “The mind controls the body, and once you figure that out, the body can do what it’s supposed to because it’s in a good state.” Plus, more studios are jumping on the holistic health bandwagon, offering everything from meditation and breathwork classes to on-site physical therapists, nutritionists and massage therapists for nourishment inside and out. “That’s all part of wellness,” Polk continues. “We think that wellness is just working out and getting fit, but it is training the mind and calming the mind.”
FADING
At-Home Virtual Exercise
With the pandemic now in our rearview, at-home virtual workouts are being replaced by IRL classes. “Even Peloton has taken a big hit,” says Polk. “A lot of people want to engage again, they want to feel like we are normal again, so they are venturing back out.” However, many are still opting for hybrid workouts that combine online instruction with visits to a brick-and-mortar studio. “We don’t need them anymore, but I think they will always have a place,” Polk says of virtual sessions. “In case anything happens again, you can always go online.”
Old-School Pilates
Time to roll up those mats. Pilates is once again booming, but this ain’t your mama’s version of the full-body exercise. From the 3-2-8 method to wall Pilates, the new workout that has every fit-fluencer buzzing provides myriad ways to experiment. “Even places like FlowCORPS and Mega that have the Reformers—a lot of people are moving toward that,” Polk says of the trendy variation involving a machine that focuses on core strength and proper muscle engagement. Talk about a big flex.
Big-Box Gyms
Bye-bye, big box. “[They] are not as trendy as they used to be,” Polk reveals. Instead, there’s been an explosion in small-group fitness boutiques that offer camaraderie as well as clear, personalized instruction. “A lot of people don’t want to go and not know what they’re doing, so they are taking more classes or doing more of a personal studio type,” Polk continues. “At some point in your day, you just want to go and be told what to do and just let that person take over for a little bit.” (It’s me, hi.)
Lengthy Sessions
Forget sweating it out for hours at a time—shorter, optimized workouts and even workout “stacking,” are the next big thing. And the popularity of HIIT, which involves short bursts of vigorous exercise, has certainly helped drive this shift. The most important thing is to simply move your body, even if it’s only in 10- or 20-minute chunks. “Whether it’s a walk, whether it’s a jog, whether it’s Pilates or another workout, just make sure you’re moving every day,” says Polk. “If you can do that, you’re already winning.”
by Lauren Kruchten | Mar 28, 2023 | April 2023, Stuff
Local artist Tre. Charles’ new EP sparks timely convo around masculine vulnerability.
Durham-based singer-songwriter Tre. Charles isn’t afraid to be vulnerable. In fact, his new EP Currently., dropping April 26, is centered on bringing honesty and insight to the forefront of conversations around self-awareness, insecurity, mental health, masculine vulnerability and introspection—and challenging the status quo surrounding those topics.
Despite drifting through careers without a sense of true purpose, the high school chorus singer has always loved music—but never took it seriously. That was until an unfortunate car accident damaged his knee and forced him to think about the next bar—er, chapter—in his life.
“They said I wasn’t going to be able to walk again,” recalls Charles, who first picked up the guitar in college. “I wasn’t able to move; I had to do physical therapy. For the most part, I was just teaching myself guitar and trying to get better at it.”
Finding his forte, Charles dedicated himself to music full-time, releasing his first single, “Stressin.,” in 2021. Through simplistic yet powerful lyrics and emotive crooning, he reflects on the personal and social struggles he’s experienced throughout his life as a young Black man in America, as well as the isolation many felt during the pandemic.
“Lately.,” the first single off his new album, dives deeper into the realm of mental health by “addressing the overwhelmingness of today’s social media landscape and the constraints of overthinking,” he says. Relatable, indeed.
Those honest and powerful lyrics paired with Charles’ self-described alt indie soul sound—think Frank Ocean meets Hozier, he says—make Currently. a must-listen.
“I hope listeners can feel heard and seen—and [I hope to] challenge their perspective,” he says of experiencing the album—“kind of like continuing on with this new renaissance, specifically with Black men talking about their emotions and going to therapy and doing the work to try to be better.” trecharles.com
by Raleigh Magazine | Feb 27, 2023 | Buzz, March 2023
As anxiety and self-harm escalate, mental health concerns are top of mind.
Mental health has gone from public health crisis to epidemic—and it’s touching every age group and demographic.
According to the NCDHHS, of the 2,423 violent deaths in 2020, almost 60%—or 1,436—were suicide. Per NC Child Fatality Task Force’s most recent report, 57 youths took their own lives—with a 46% surge in self-harm ER visits among girls aged 10–14 from 2020–21. At NC State, eight student deaths have been reported this school year, with at least five reported as suicides—and per a university counseling center survey last year, 27% of students said they were so depressed they found it difficult to function. And per NCDHHS, while suicide rates are higher among males, the suicide rate peaks for females aged 45–54.
Anxiety has been named as a major contributor to the escalation of these deaths. According to UNC professor of psychology and neuroscience and Director of Clinical Psychology PhD program Jonathan Abramowitz, PhD, “Anxiety is a universal experience we all have—it’s part of the fight/flight response, which is there to protect us from harm. But sometimes anxiety can become overwhelming for some people to the extent it gets in the way of their functioning and causes a great deal of distress.”
In light of the current events, we sat down with Dr. Abramowitz to discuss contributing factors, warning signs, breaking the stigma and more.
How has anxiety evolved?Anxiety went from being a ‘normal’ human emotion we all learn to live and operate with to being something we need to control, avoid or fight—which is especially apparent over the last 10–20 years with a shift toward protecting others (our kids, students, etc.) from anxiety, rather than supporting them in how to get through anxiety. We’ve come to view anxiety as a liability, rather than as our friendly and life-saving fight/flight response.
What has been a major contributing factor? In the ’90s–’00s with the internet/social media, we started trying to prepare the road for the child rather than preparing the child for the road. On social media, we don’t see people having anxiety (only the positive aspects of their lives), so we start to think we shouldn’t be anxious. The media very much feeds into the narrative that anxiety should be avoided or controlled, and life can and should be anxiety-free—which is, of course, untrue!
At what cost? By protecting others from anxiety (especially kids), we’re missing opportunities to teach them helpful life strategies for managing inevitable stress and anxiety. Being overwhelmed with anxiety does not mean anything’s wrong with the person, only that they experience anxiety at times, or at levels, that are unhelpful.
How do we break the stigma? We need to do more to help people understand mental health and illness, rather than perpetuating the fear and misunderstanding. Strong scientific evidence shows calling mental problems ‘disorders’ and ‘diseases of the brain’ leads to fear and greater misunderstanding. When we create a better understanding of mental health experiences (anxiety, panic, OCD, etc.), we create more respect for these challenges.
How do we better educate the community? Many people think we should more strongly label mental disorders as ‘medical disorders’ like any other. But we’ve been trying this strategy for 30+ years and it isn’t working particularly well. We need to help people understand—whether it’s anxiety, panic, obsessions, substance use, hallucinations, mania, attentional difficulties, depression, body image concerns, etc.—these are part of the human experience, not a ‘brain disease.’ We all experience many of these in various forms—they’re a part of human experience. Moreover, it’s often society’s acceptance that makes all the difference.
What are some of the warning signs of anxiety bordering suicide/self-harm?If the anxiety is associated with severe depression. We can recognize this by checking in with people we know are dealing with anxiety to make sure they are still engaging in their activities and not becoming socially isolated.
Have we historically seen education change perception? Before 1973, gay people were given a psychiatric diagnosis and given treatment by trying to convert them. Now, we sneer at these practices. But we got here not by labeling gay as a brain disease, but, instead, by coming to understand homosexuality is a normal expression of sexuality. We became less fearful as a society through education. In 1973, homosexuality was removed from the list of mental disorders and conversion fell out of favor. Maybe we can educate society and change the tolerance for other types of experiences currently labeled as brain diseases.
Help is available. Need someone to talk to? Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
