Summer is in full swing. Families are taking vacations. The sun is shining. On any given day, you can hear the splashing of pools, smell the barbeques, and hear laughter of kids as they roam through neighborhoods with friends.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could put our problems aside for a summer break, too? What if we put depression and anxiety on pause for a couple months and treated ourselves to a vacation from feeling bad? Imagine being completely free to walk away from life’s demands while the kids were out of school.
Unfortunately, summer brings anxiety to an all-time high and depression doesn’t hide from the sun. During this time of year, parenting stress increases, couples struggle, and kids are often left without the structure they needed to replenish their brains and resilience before they return to the classroom. That’s why Care to Change doesn’t take breaks in the summer. It’s also why we add summer groups … and why we’ve added intensives as an approach for those who want to get further faster.
We know life doesn’t pause just because school takes a break. We see how trauma has affected our lives and those of the people around us. We understand life challenges and all too often see the wreckage left behind. So in this issue, we’ll focus on providing some basic help for families parenting, and mental health in the workplace. As you enjoy your summer activities, we hope you’ll continue to make time for our podcast, and we’ll continue to share tips to help you face summer challenges through our social media, too. All are welcome to connect with us.
And, as always, if you’re struggling, please reach out. We’re here for you.
April Bordeau is the Director of Care to Change. A licensed clinical social worker, she has focused on helping children and families overcome challenges in their lives for 30 years.
