Hopewell Therapeutic Farm Offers Assessments and Information; CEO Suggests Ways to Get Through Holidays
Mesopotamia, Ohio-(December 19, 2014) Getting through the holiday season can, for many, be particularly stressful and sometimes physically exhausting. Whether it be from hiking through crowded shopping malls, driving in bumper-to-bumper holiday traffic, coping with the kids on school break or visiting grandma across town, it can be a time when external demands and expectations are high and, conversely, where time, money and relationships can be stretched beyond their usual limits.
“If you happen to find that the holidays are generating more personal stress and anxiety than usual, you are not alone,” said Richard R Karges, Hopewell Executive Director/CEO. “The good news is that the holiday season does not have to be that dreaded experience you felt was inevitable.”
Focus on the Real Meaning of the Holiday Season
Karges offers some do’s and don’ts you might consider this holiday season to help make your experience more enjoyable, meaningful and rewarding. According to Karges, “you should focus on the real meaning of the holiday season.”
Don’t get too distracted by the holiday commercial and media hype.
Don’t feel you have to compete with your friends and neighbors around how much money you spend, gifts you buy or number of cookies you bake.
Don’t dawdle too much on the nostalgic past (as it may not have been quite as good as you now think it was) or dwell on past holiday letdowns.
Do take time to reflect, on a personal level, on the true meaning and the reason for the holidays.
Do take time to recognize and thank others.
Do enjoy the positive and rewarding holiday moments and keep these in your “memory bank” for future reference.
Information and Consultation Available
“Often during the holidays we pause to gaze at the bold new year ahead,” Karges continued. “We begin to reflect on ways to improve our life and the lives of those near and dear to us. As a therapeutic working farm, Hopewell offers numerous programs that
successfully help people with mental illness achieve their potential and contribute to society.”
Information and assessments are available by contacting Rachael McLaughlin, director of admissions/marketing at 440.426.2009 or visit www.hopewell.cc.
About Hopewell
Hopewell is a nonprofit, private-pay facility. It is licensed and certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and was the first therapeutic farm community in the United States to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for Therapeutic Community: Mental Health (Adults). Hopewell is a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the American Residential Treatment Association (ARTA). Research projects are carried out at Hopewell through a partnership with Case Western Reserve University.
