Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC, Author at NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties

1 in 5. Changing the faces of mental health

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC May 4, 2018 Anxiety, community, counseling, depression, education, educators, health, healthy students, mental health, mental health care, NAMI Blog, presentation, recovery, stigma, teachers, well-being, wellness

May is Mental Health Awareness month. An entire month aimed to create positive awareness for mental health. A healthy step forward, right? Personally, I believe this is an important first step on a long winding road, but merely a starting point. My feelings about this cause are deeply personal, rooted in my own complicated mental health history. I invite you to follow along as I unpack some of my thoughts for you in hopes of shining a light on a different path. To begin, let’s acknowledge that all of us has mental health. Each person has a brain and thereforeRead More

Anxiety, My Companion

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC April 26, 2018 Anxiety, community, counseling, depression, education, educators, health, healthy students, mental health, mental health care, NAMI Blog, presentation, recovery, stigma, teachers, well-being, wellness

My relationship with Anxiety is like what they say about falling in love: “gradual and then all at once.” She started spending time with me when I was in college—only every once in a while—then, I slowly became more anxious as I started adulthood. With each hardship I faced, Anxiety became a more consistent companion. Anxiety begged me to seek reassurance and validation for the lack of comfort in my new life. Together, we found it in the wrong place—a toxic relationship. What started off as an exciting fling became soul-sucking attachment. An attachment that I was fortunately able toRead More

Finding Wellness After Illness

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC December 30, 2017December 30, 2017 community, counseling, education, health, mental health, mental health care, NAMI Blog, presentation, recovery, stigma, well-being, wellness

At 50 years old, Joe experienced what he considers his first manic episode. He was fired from his job—a career he spent 33 years building. After getting the news, he drove straight to the hospital. “I walked in through the employee’s entrance, all stressed out,” Joe explained. “The people working there were like, ‘Hello? How are you?’ And somehow or another the word ‘suicide’ came out. The next thing I knew, I was laying down, strapped in.” It was during this first admittance of many that Joe was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “I ran away from my diagnosis,” Joe explained.Read More

NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties Community In Our Own Voice Mental Health Recovery Presentation

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC December 19, 2017December 19, 2017 counseling, education, health, mental health, mental health care, recovery, stigma, well-being, wellness

NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties will host two presenters who will share their own mental health recovery stories. They will bravely share their lived experience to inspire hope. Please join us Saturday, January 13, 2018, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm at Koelbel Library – The Forum, Greenwood Village, Colorado. NAMI In Our Own Voice (IOOV) presentations change attitudes, assumptions and stereotypes by describing the reality of living with mental illness. People with mental health conditions share their powerful personal stories in this 60-minute presentation. What You’ll Gain NAMI In Our Own Voice adds a critical perspective to the popular understanding of whatRead More

Growing The Whole Teacher: Mental Health In Education

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC November 14, 2017 counseling, education, educators, health, healthy students, mental health, mental health care, stigma, teachers, well-being, wellness

Today, the role of teachers is expanding to include more duties and responsibilities than ever before, including building emotionally strong and healthy students. However, society often neglects to address or even discuss the mental and emotional well-being of teachers themselves. This neglect has led to two major issues – teacher burn-out and a lack of skilled teachers available as a result. Given their expanded duties, growing numbers of educators are struggling to cope with the changing demands of their profession. According to a recent survey of over 30,000 educators, conducted by the American Federation of Teachers, more than 75 percent sayRead More

Making Mental Health Care Accessible in Denver

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC October 18, 2017 NAMI Blog

As an educator training new mental health providers, it is my goal to prepare professionals who can address the growing demands for mental health care. As a licensed professional counselor and nationally certified counselor, I believe that it is our profession’s responsibility to also help break down barriers to care – whether they are stigmas, access to services or overall awareness of managing one’s own mental health. In Colorado, mass casualty events in recent years have reinforced the importance of building skills and resources within our communities to help cope with and prevent these tragic events. In an in-depth report,Read More

Depression Survival Guide

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC August 29, 2017 NAMI Blog

Post submitted to NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties by guest contributor: Larry Godwin, an excerpt from Depression Survival Guide: 35 Suggestions Although I am not a health care professional, I’ve seen depression from the inside. My expertise is rooted in the trials and errors of personal experience. Every person is different and therefore not all of these suggestions will work for you, just as they haven’t all worked for me. My hope is that through this list you can gain insight into at least one strategy that helps assuage your depression. Recognize That Depression Is Not A Sign Of Weakness It’s notRead More

Suicide Prevention- Finding Help and Hope

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC July 31, 2017August 18, 2017 NAMI Blog

What Chester Bennington & Chris Cornell Can Teach Us About Suicide Prevention Article contributed by: Jennifer Scott, spiritfinder.org The morning of July 20th, 2017 started out like any other day. The summer sun was shining. Not a cloud in the sky. I’d been running errands and was outside enjoying the weather when I received the shocking phone call: Chester Bennington was dead. The news hit like a punch in the gut. I couldn’t believe it. The Linkin Park frontman was more than just a celebrity to me. He was one of my favorite singers. Surely, this was just anotherRead More

A Wholehearted Thank You to AllHealth Network!

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC January 31, 2017August 18, 2017 NAMI Blog

AllHealth Network featured NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties in its most recent Pulse newsletter. We wanted to share it with you. Thank you, AllHealth Network. We value you our partnership and look forward to the future. NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties is a local Colorado affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and a true partner to AllHealth Network. Their mission is to provide education, support, and advocacy for people whose lives are impacted by mental illness. They help families and individuals with their mental health goals including support and recovery. NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties provides support for AllHealth Network clients in manyRead More

Attachment

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC June 5, 2016August 18, 2017 NAMI Blog

Attachment is an enduring emotional bond with another being across space and time. That’s a very lofty understanding of something we engage in every day, often take for granted, and often don’t pay a great deal of attention to until it is a source of discomfort or stress. It’s as small as the interactions with mere acquaintances, and as expansive as the most important relationships of our lives. It is typically the most important relationships that become the subject of counseling. It is those relationships that can take over and occupy our thoughts and feelings that we seek assistance inRead More

Author: Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC