Modern motherhood is not easy. We face pressures from all directions. From living up to the unrealistic standards we see on social media, to expectations around working, keeping a home, or volunteering in our community, and of course, not letting ourselves go in the process.
Add to that family situations, a growing number of moms taking care of their children and their own parents, the public health crisis, news of school shootings, police brutality, political and social unrest, rising prices and threats of economic downturn, and it is no surprise we have a rising mental health crisis in our country. As parents, we cannot help but feel a mental toll from the past few years and if we feel it, our kids do to.
If you are like me, you have experienced a heightened level of stress the past few years.
Stress has a physical and psychological impact and may manifest as irritability, aggression, feeling out of control or off-center, fatigue, exhaustion, sadness, concentration, memory problems, headaches, digestive upset, sleep disruption, weight loss or gain, and more. Chronic stress can lead to anxiety, depression, other mental and physical illness.
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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, almost one in five American adults live with mental illness, up 51.5 million people in 2019 (Jan. 2021).
We’ve been told to make time for self-care, to meditate, take walks, etc. But when you are in the middle of the storm, it’s awfully hard to implement these techniques. When we know it’s time to do something more, it can be confusing to know where to begin. It’s exhausting for someone who is already struggling to figure out who to reach out to, how to carve out the time, and how to cover the finances for professional help. Additionally, myths and stereotypes concerning mental health may make you hesitant to professional seek treatment.
There is a new way for people who are struggling in and around Henry County to get relief and support.
Dvine Systems of Georgia created a series of therapeutic workshops with built in comedic relief. The team of licensed professional counselors at Dvine Systems know mental health is no laughing matter, but there is truth to the idiom, “laughter is the best medicine.” The Laugh Out Loud Therapeutic Workshop & Comedy Show workshops are in a group format with sessions that wrap around an actual standup comedy show. The setting is a casual and approachable offering a safe place for healing and gaining skills to cope with life’s challenges in a fun environment.
“Healing and laughter are what we do at LOL THERAPY, you will never experience therapy like the way we bring it,” said Glendora Dvine, LPC BC TMH and creator of the Laugh Out Loud Therapeutic Workshop.
The next Laugh Out Loud Therapeutic Workshop & Comedy Show takes place on October 8 from 2-5 p.m. at 14 Old Griffin Road in Hampton at the Catherine S. Williams Community Center. The session is focused on "Overcoming, Surviving, & Thriving through your Journey of Life" Tickets are $35 and must be purchased in advance on Eventbrite.
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The Laugh Out Loud Therapeutic Workshops & Comedy Shows take place virtually or in person Participants get resources and coping skills, and meet others challenged by the same issues. Run by qualified licensed therapists, the workshops are educational, inspirational, practical, and entertaining and cover a range of common challenges including relationship building, parenting, reducing anxiety, unfriending the inner critic, surviving trauma, beating depression, and more. In between sessions, participants are treated to a comedy show by a local professional comedian.
“Therapeutic workshops are a welcoming way to provide healing to people who are skeptical about talking to mental health professionals, have had a bad provider experience, or lack finances for ongoing therapy services,” says Glendora. “The workshops can also be an entry into traditional therapy or supplement existing therapy when visits are limited by insurance allowances or individual budgets.”
For busy, stressed moms these Laugh Out Loud workshops offer a concrete and low-cost way to get practical help and begin their healing journey. There is no better way to help your kids manage their own mental health, than by modeling it and making it a priority in your own life.
