NINE
NINE CARES ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND THIS WEEK WE'RE TAKING SOME TIME TO
TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH A MILE
HIGH MORNINNG AND RIGHT HERE ON
NEW SET FOR IT'S ACTUALLY
SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TALKING
MORE AND MORE ABOUT ESPECIALLY
SINCE THE START OF THE
PANDEMIC.
FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S A
NATIONAL SURVEY OF NEARLY A
THOUSAND PARENTS OF TEENS AND
IT SHOWS THAT NEARLY HALF
OF THEIR CHILDREN HAVE SHOWN
SIGNS OF A NEW OR WORSENING
MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION OVER
THE LAST YEAR THREE IN FOUR
PARENTS REPORTED A NEGATIVE
IMPACT ON THEIR TEENS
CONNECTIONS TO FRIENDS WHILE
ONE IN SEVEN SAID THEIR TEEN
HAS WITHDRAWN FROM THE FAMILY
SINCE THE START OF THE
PANDEMIC, ABOUT A QUARTER
OF PARENTS SOUGHT HELP FOR
THEIR TEEN FROM A MENTAL HEALTH
PROVIDER.
IT'S NOT JUST OUR TEENAGERS
WE'RE ALL REALLY GOING THROUGH
A DIFFICULT TIME RIGHT NOW.
HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT IS
DR. CHERYL ZIEGLER.
SHE'S A PSYCHOLOGIST AND OUR
9NEWS PARENTING EXPERT.
DR. ZIGGLER, THANKS FOR TALKING
TO US ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS REALLY A COLLECTIVE
EXPERIENCE OF TRAUMA AND GRIEF
RIGHT NOW.
SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
EXAMPLES THAT EVERYONE'S
FEELING RIGHT NOW SO YOU'RE
RIGHT, KIRAN.
THIS IS A COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE
WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL
AND I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW
PEOPLE ARE FEELING THAT GRIEF.
PEOPLE ARE SEEING
THE INCONSISTENCIES IN THE WAY
THINGS ARE OPENING UP FOR THEM
AND NOT FOR OTHERS.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE
YET IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO
HAVE ALSO THAT COLLECTIVE SIGH.
SO WE'RE STILL SEEING KIDS IN
ISOLATION AND HAVING FEELINGS
OF DEPRESSION AND SO PARENTS
ARE STILL WORRIED.
I THINK THAT PARENTS ARE ALSO
STARTING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN
THINGS DO REOPEN, WHAT'S IT
GOING TO BE LIKE?
AND SO I THINK THERE'S STILL
REALLY A LOT GOING ON IN TERMS
OF MENTAL HEALTH.
INITIALLY I THINK EVERYBODY WAS
LIKE OK, WE'RE ALL IN THIS
TOGETHER.
I ALSO DON'T THINK ANY OF US
THOUGHT WE'D BE DOING IT A FULL
YEAR LATER.
SO DOES THAT THAT IDEA THAT
WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS
TOGETHER HELP AT ALL?
I DO THINK IT DOES.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THINGS
THAT KIDS HAVE MISSED OUT ON
LIKE ANYTHING FROM PROMS,
GRADUATIONS, HOLIDAYS,
BIRTHDAYS ALL OF THESE
EXPERIENCES THAT NOW WE'RE IN A
YEAR SO EVERYBODY'S HAD HAPPY
BIRTHDAY, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS
I THINK IT DOES HELP.
I THINK THE SAME THAT I'VE BEEN
SAYING FOR A LONG TIME NOW IS
THAT WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME
STORM AND DIFFERENT VOTES AND
I THINK WE SEE THAT I THINK A
LOT OF SNOWMAP BUT I THINK JUST
A LOT OF DIFFERENCES IN HOW IT
HAS IMPACTED FAMILIES HAS
REALLY SHOWN UP.
BUT YES, ULTIMATELY IT DOES
HELP WHEN YOU SAY WELL IT'S NOT
JUST ME THAT THIS PROM OR
HOMECOMING OR MY SPORTS
EVERYBODY ELSE DID TO YEAH THAT
IS TRUE.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS,
THERE ARE SOME SILVER LININGS
AS WELL WHEN WE TRY TO FIND
THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRAUMA
AND GRIEF.
YEAH, THERE ARE SOME I MEAN
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS
REALLY SHARING LATELY IS THAT
THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED
POST-TRAUMATIC GROWTH AND SO WE
AS A SOCIETY COLLECTIVELY HAVE
BEEN THROUGH A TRAUMATIC
EXPERIENCE.
WE'RE STILL IN IT AND THERE'S
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GROW
AFTERWARDS AND NOT JUST
RESILIENCE.
RESILIENCE IS GOING BACK TO
WHERE YOU ARE THE ABILITY BACK
GROWTH IS ACTUALLY SAYING IN
WHAT WAYS CAN I ACTUALLY BE
BETTER FROM THIS IN THE FUTURE?
WHAT IS IT THAT I DO WANT TO DO
WITH MY CAREER OR WHAT I MIGHT
WANT TO STUDY IN COLLEGE OR DO
I WANT TO TAKE A GAP YEAR OR
WHO ARE MY FRIENDS WHO ARE
THERE'S ALL OF THESE AREAS
OF OUR LIFE FROM PERSONAL TO
SPIRITUAL THAT WE HAVE
OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW.
AND SO I REALLY THINK THAT
PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE SOME TIME
TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT THAT OVER
THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT I GUESS THAT
WE DON'T FORGET I MEAN THAT'S
THE PART OF IT IS THAT WE DON'T
FIVE YEARS FROM NOW OR 10 YEARS
FROM NOW AND JUST DON'T TAKE
THINGS FOR GRANTED GIVEN WHAT
WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
IT'S SO TRUE AND THAT'S THAT'S
WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES IF
THERE'S AN EXPERIENCE IF YOU
DON'T GROW FROM IT, THEN YOU'RE
EITHER STAGNANT OR YOU GO BACK
TO THE SAME WAYS THAT YOU USED
TO BE AND THAT I THINK IN SOME
AREAS OF OUR LIFE WOULD BE A
MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO THE OPPORTUNITY HERE IS
TO REFLECT AND EVALUATE GOSH,
WHAT DO I GET FROM MY PAST THAT
I WANT TO GO BACK TO?
WHAT DO I WANT TO CHANGE ABOUT
MY FUTURE?
WHO ARE IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN
MY LIFE?
WHERE DO I WANT TO SPEND
MY TIME?
THERE'S REALLY A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO THINK
ABOUT IT INDIVIDUALLY AND ALSO
TALK ABOUT IT AS FAMILIES.
ABSOLUTELY.
LET'S HOPE WE CAN ALL DO THAT.
WE'LL BE TUNED AND WE'LL COME
BACK TO YOU FOR ADVICE ALONG
THE WAY FOR SURE.
DR. ZIGGLER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND THIS WEEK WE HOPE YOU JOIN
COLORADANS FROM ACROSS
THE STATE TO TALK ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH IN THIS CHALLENGING TIME
WE'RE PARTNERING WITH COLAB TO
BRING YOU A VIRTUAL TOWN HALL
HOSTED BY GEORGE CHAVEZ AND
FEATURING A PANEL OF MENTAL
HEALTH EXPERTS.
SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS.
TEXT THREE THREE EIGHT SEVEN
ONE ONE FOUR NINE ONE AND THEN
WATCH THE CONVERSATION AND
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THIS THURSDAY AT