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The Courage to Face Addiction

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC addiction, colorado, connection, counseling, exercise, gratitude, happiness, health, Healthy Practices, healthy students, high school, life pressures, meditation, mental health, mental health care, pressure, psychology, recovery, Scholarship, self-care, sociology, stigma, Students, substance abuse, substance use, support group, Teens, well-being, wellness, whole health
The Courage to Face Addiction

Addiction is a struggle that many face. To do so, takes an immense amount of sacrifice, and willingness to beat. A task that is not easily done. The first step requires one to acknowledge their addiction. This can be the hardest step, as it has become part of the addict’s life, habits, and takes priority over most things in life. The mindset of an addict is counter-intuitive to a non-addict. The struggle of someone who wants to fix their problem but is not able to because of their internal conflict can be a relentless back and forth cycle of attemptsRead More

Practicing Self-Care After a Traumatic Injury

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC aging, Anxiety, colorado, community, connection, counseling, depression, douglas county, education, exercise, gratitude, happiness, Healthy Practices, help, kindness, meditation, mental health, mental health care, NAMI Blog, nursing, psychology, recovery, self-care, sleep, well-being, wellness, whole health
Practicing Self-Care After a Traumatic Injury

Recently, I was walking my daughter’s adorable dog Raleigh when I saw two other cute dogs with their owner approaching on the path. All three dogs barked excitedly and jumped joyfully. Raleigh accidentally bumped my legs and I fell down hard on the pavement. Instantly, I knew I was seriously injured. The man with the two dogs quickly called 911, paramedics came, and later that night I had surgery to repair my crushed right femur. After a couple days in the hospital, I went to a rehab/nursing center for three weeks until I could safely handle myself at home. Self-careRead More

A whole health approach to wellness

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC aging, Anxiety, arapahoe county, colorado, community, connection, counseling, depression, douglas county, exercise, geriatric, gratitude, happiness, health, Healthy Practices, healthy students, help, isolation, journaling, kindness, meditation, mental health, mental health care, mental illness, NAMI Blog, nursing, psychology, recovery, sleep, social, support group, teachers, time management, well-being, wellness, whole health

Most of us have to work for wellness and there are practices that help. This is Part Three of my wellness plan/practice, which includes gratitude, massage, and medicine. Previously, I discussed connection, meditation/mindfulness, healthy eating, adequate sleep, movement/exercise, and time in nature as fundaments to my wellness. Gratitude Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky found that 50% of happiness is determined by your genes, 10% by the circumstances in which you live, and a full 40% of happiness is determined by your actions, your attitude or optimism, and the way you handle situations. I am happier and calmer when I intentionally practice gratitudeRead More

Practical Steps to Wellness

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC aging, Anxiety, arapahoe county, colorado, community, connection, counseling, depression, douglas county, education, exercise, geriatric, gratitude, happiness, health, Healthy Practices, help, isolation, kindness, meditation, mental health, mental health care, mental illness, NAMI Blog, psychology, recovery, seniors, sleep, social, stigma, support group, time management, well-being, wellness, whole health

Life is not merely being alive, but being well. – Marcus Aurelius Studies show that sleep and exercise are the two most important factors contributing to wellness and happiness. My Wellness Plan – Part Two focuses on sleep and movement/exercise, as well as the importance of spending time in nature. Adequate Sleep A few nights without sleep can gravely impair mood, judgement, and concentration. Unfortunately, a great number of us are chronically sleep deprived. Stressful schedules, lack of genuine connection, too much screen time, and too little exercise are some common reasons for sleeplessness. Anxiety caused me to have insomnia,Read More

Getting more Connected in the New Year

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC aging, Anxiety, arapahoe county, colorado, community, connection, counseling, depression, douglas county, education, exercise, geriatric, gratitude, happiness, health, Healthy Practices, healthy students, help, isolation, journaling, kindness, meditation, mental health, mental health care, mental illness, NAMI Blog, recovery, seniors, sleep, social, Students, support group, teachers, time management, well-being, wellness, whole health
Getting more Connected in the New Year

Welcome to 2019! The New Year is a time most of us set intentions. We put closure on the past and look forward to the future with a renewed hope and anticipation. Right? Maybe that’s my own idealistic view. For many, optimism for the coming year doesn’t look any brighter than what’s come and gone. Mental Health and its effects can weigh us down, forging ahead in what feels like concrete boots. But it doesn’t have too… Those challenges can be compounded by those resolutions we set and don’t keep. You know the ones…to lose weight, to exercise more, or to makeRead More

A Path to Happiness and Well-Being

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC Anxiety, arapahoe county, community, depression, douglas county, education, educators, exercise, gratitude, happiness, health, Healthy Practices, healthy students, journaling, kindness, meditation, mental health, mental health care, NAMI Blog, presentation, psychology, recovery, sleep, social, Students, support group, teachers, time management, well-being, wellness, whole health
A Path to Happiness and Well-Being

The Science of  Well-Being  People want to be happy and the study of positive psychology can help. Recently, I completed The Science of Well-Being, a free online course offered by Coursera. It is a ten-week program adapted from the most popular course at Yale University taught by Professor Laurie Santos. Dr. Santos created the original Yale course for two main reasons. First, she observed that many Yale students were unhappy, which was also prevalent at other universities. Second, Dr. Santos realized she wasn’t as happy as she could be. Each course participant completes lectures, quizzes, and readings, which explore the most prominent studies aboutRead More

Scholarship to Connect the Dots Between Mental Health and Learning Disabilities

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC Anxiety, arapahoe county, colorado, community, counseling, criminal justice, depression, douglas county, education, educators, health, healthy students, mental health, mental health care, mental illness, NAMI Blog, psychology, recovery, Scholarship, sociology, special edcuation, stigma, Students, teachers, well-being, wellness

My name is Morgan Miller and I am a proud recipient of a 2018 NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties Seeds of Hope Scholarship. Receiving a scholarship from NAMI ADCO helps support my goal of becoming a special education teacher. In my studies and work, I have observed an often overlooked correlation between learning disabilities and mental health. My passion for this work has been a dream since childhood. I believe as a future educator, I can help highlight the need for educators to know about mental illnesses and their prevalence in those with learning disabilities. In recent years, I have worked with individuals who haveRead More

2018 NAMI ADCO Seeds of Hope Scholarship

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC Anxiety, arapahoe county, colorado, community, counseling, criminal justice, depression, douglas county, education, educators, health, healthy students, mental health, mental health care, NAMI Blog, nursing, presentation, psychology, recovery, Scholarship, sociology, special edcuation, stigma, Students, teachers, well-being, wellness
2018 NAMI ADCO Seeds of Hope Scholarship

On April 25th, NAMI Arapahoe/Douglas Counties hosted its inaugural Seeds of Hope Scholarship Awards Breakfast at the Hilton Denver Inverness. We proudly awarded six scholarships to local students pursing a degree in a behavioral health or human service field. Our 2018 NAMI ADCO scholarship award recipients were: Talia Brown – Legend High School, Parker, Health Sciences and Psychology Sophie Camp – Mountain Vista H.S., Highlands Ranch, Psychology and Sociology (criminal justice) Sarah Knapp – Skyview Academy, Highlands Ranch, Psychology Brianna Lawrence – Regis University, Nursing and Psychology Morgan Miller – University of Colorado, Denver, Special Education Kimberly Smith – ArapahoeRead More

1 in 5. Changing the faces of mental health

Jason Hopcus, CLC, MSLC Anxiety, community, counseling, depression, education, educators, health, healthy students, mental health, mental health care, NAMI Blog, presentation, recovery, stigma, teachers, well-being, wellness
1 in 5. Changing the faces of mental health

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 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