| Sometimes there's trouble in paradise
Last week I went to the third Mental Health in the Mountains event in Telluride, a program hosted by the Telluride Mountain Club each year.
Seats for the event fill up each year, and the event seeks to remove the stigma that comes with discussing mental health issues, which are surprisingly common in mountain towns.
Of course, there are differences between the Telluride and Montrose communities, and residents of each have their own unique experiences. But, we have a lot in common too, so I wanted to check out the event for the first time this year and see what I could bring back for our Montrose readers.
This year's event featured lots of small group discussions, but also an interesting talk from Western Professor Cole Cooper about the some of the physiology behind why we get dysregulated and how our bodies literally aren't built for chronic stress.
We'll break it down a little more in Saturday's paper, but I wanted to use this newsletter to highlight some past stories we've done on mental health in our communities.
Every expert says one of the most important things we can do is talk about these issues, especially with our friends and family who may be struggling. So, I try to cover mental health events and education when the opportunity comes up, and we keep these stories free.
Two stories I've written in the past year stood out to me on the subject.
Depression in Paradise a preview of last year's MMM event, is a deeper dive into why there are so many mental health issues in mountain towns, in part through the lens of advocate and professional skier Drew Petersen.
Moving up toward Delta County, Tattooing Away the Stigma tells the story of Needle Rock Body Art, a Hotchkiss tattoo shop where the artists use their unique platform to promote awareness for mental health issues.
Check these stories out to learn a little more about the issue in our community and the people advocating for it, and know the 988 hotline is always there for immediate crisis.
Cheers,
Kylea from the newsroom
Support Make-A-Wish
Montrose High School students are spending the week supporting Make-A-Wish Colorado, by raising awareness and, they hope, some funds for a Make-A-Wish child named Cooper. You can help out by attending the varsity basketball games on Tuesday night, Feb. 3. Fans are encouraged to attend and bring spare change for in-game fundraising opportunities, including a Miracle Minute fundraiser where students will attempt to raise as much money as possible in just one minute.
Read more about MHS' plans here.
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