A8
LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Mental health emphasized during May
By JEFF BUDLONG
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The
pandemic has changed
daily life for nearly every-
one, and that can manifest
itself in a number of ways.
Something hospitals across
the nation have seen is an
increase in mental health
issues as people adjust to a
new normal.
May is Mental Health
Awareness Month and Wal-
lowa County Health Care
District community health
clinical social worker Kath-
ryn Kemp shared some
ways to identify mental
health issues and ways they
can be addressed.
Kemp identifi ed three
main factors the pandemic
presented aff ecting mental
health:
• Sense of isolation:
Social isolation breeds sad-
ness and anxiety.
• Grief: The loss of loved
ones and ways of life and
activities.
• Stress response: When
threatened, the body’s
response can be to ramp up
or shutdown, and the pan-
demic has kept it in this
state for a greater length of
time.
“We can become chron-
ically activated or chron-
ically shutdown, and for
a lot of people having an
amped up nervous system
can leave them feeling irri-
table and feeling more anx-
iety each day,” she said.
“Little things can feel more
overwhelming than usual,
and people can get angry
with others who are close to
them.”
A chronic shut down
state may include feelings
of apathy or numbness,
Kemp said. Individuals can
oscillate between the states
frequently, even during the
same day.
Learning to deal with the
stresses is something every-
one has had to do during
the pandemic and led to
a greater need to assist a
growing population looking
for help with mental health
issues.
Kemp’s position is new
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Leon Werdinger Photography/Contributed Photo
Beth Gibans tends vegetables for sale at a stand at the farmers
market in Joseph. The Beth Gibans Memorial Producer Fund
Award — named in honor of Gibans, who died in June,
awarded more than $12,000 to Wallowa County farmers.
Farmers market begins
20th year on May 28
By ANN BLOOM
For the Wallowa County
Chieftain
Wallowa County Chieftain/File Photo
COVID-19 has left many people wrestling not only with economic and social issues, but with
depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns in Wallowa County and across the nation.
and provides more support
for both patients and health
care workers. She provides
in-patient mental health
coordination and sup-
port in addition to out-pa-
tient mental health coun-
seling through the Wallowa
Memorial Medical Clinic.
Kemp said the pandemic
also put people into new
caregiving roles, but it is
important to remember to
take time for yourself.
“I think of the instruc-
tions you get when you are
on a plane,” she said. “You
need to put your own oxy-
gen mask on fi rst before
you can help others.”
The pandemic led many
people to address mental
health issues while bring-
ing a more shared under-
standing, but there still is
a stigma in society when it
comes to asking for help,
Kemp said.
“There isn’t any shame
in reaching out and getting
the help you need,” Kemp
said. “We are all experienc-
ing this stressful thing.”
Techniques in practice
Kemp said small things
can make a big diff erence in
a person’s daily life to deal
with a variety of stressors.
She suggested looking for
patterns that may put your
body and brain on edge,
and looking for glimmers
throughout the day.
“Start by having compas-
sion for yourself,” she said.
“All of the emotions are
normal human responses to
a stressful world.”
Things that bring peo-
ple calm and signal safety
are important when trying
to cope with diffi cult situ-
ations, Kemp said. It helps
the nervous system move
back into a calm and con-
nected mode.
“It can be something
as simple as the warmth
of the fi rst sip of coff ee
or a smile from a child or
coworker,” she said. “Take
a moment to relax into
whatever positive feeling
that glimmer gives you.”
Kemp also recommends
keeping a list of personal
anchors that are easily acces-
sible throughout the day to
utilize when someone is feel-
ing overwhelmed. Anchors
can include memories that
bring a sense of comfort,
or putting people, places
or activities that bring joy.
Include goals that make peo-
ple excited for the future.
Professional help
Kemp said anyone expe-
riencing emotions that are
hard to deal with should
reach out to medical profes-
sionals in their area.
“Getting connected with
a mental health counselor
or other support is a great
place to start,” she said.
Individuals feeling hope-
less should contact their
health care provider or
call the local mental health
crisis line. The Wallowa
County Crisis Line is avail-
able 24/7 at 541-398-1175
and is free and confi dential.
JOSEPH — The 2022 sea-
son of the Wallowa County
Farmers Market marks its
20th anniversary.
It was in 2002 that the late
Beth Gibans, a local organic
producer, and a few others
had the idea for a market that
would feature fresh, locally
sourced produce for sale and
include artisans and crafts-
men off ering their products
to visitors and community
members.
This year, the market is
back without the COVID
restrictions of the past two
years. The fi rst day of the
market is Saturday, May
28,: running from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m.
The market is in the park-
ing lot of Stein’s Distillery, in
Joseph. The market is open,
rain or shine, every Saturday
until Oct. 8. The fi rst market
of the season is always the
spring planting event with
starts for sale.
“Twenty years ago, my
former boss and mentor,
Beth Gibans, started the Wal-
lowa County Farmers Mar-
ket as a venue to share fresh,
local produce with our com-
munity,” said Caitlin Rush-
low, farmers market presi-
dent. “What started with a
couple of women grew to
dozens of vendors joined by
local musicians and commu-
nity partners. As I remember
her passing one year ago, I’m
proud to support the market
and continue this tradition,
not just for our community,
but in honor of her.”
Many of the Saturday
markets will feature live
entertainment by local musi-
cians. There will be vendors
selling jewelry, photographs
of the Wallowa County area,
soaps and lotions, bison
products, fresh bread, pro-
duce, fl owers, craft items and
more.
Market manager Jessica
Bogard reminds people that
anyone who is interested in
being a vendor can sign up
anytime.
“We encourage people to
people to sign up even if they
can only attend a few times,”
she said. “New faces and
new vendors add to the mar-
ket’s vibrancy.”
The market also features
a co-op booth where home
gardeners with excess pro-
duce can sell vegetables and
fl owers.
Throughout the mar-
ket season, special events
planned include a pie sale, a
strawberry shortcake sale and
a cider pressing in October.
The market also off ers a
Friends of the Market and
a sponsorship program for
anyone interested in support-
ing the market.
For
more
informa-
tion about the market or to
become a vendor, email :wal-
lowacountyfarmersmarket@
gmail.com :or visit the web-
site at wallowacountyfarm-
ersmarket.com.
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