Mary Gubbe Lee, the host for this week’s Wellness Wednesday seminar, provides information, training and technical assistance to help communities respond appropriately to the needs of people with mental health disorders. She also has helped Xavier Whitford (the lady who was presented a previous Wellness Wednesday seminar about how to cope with grief) in coping with the death of her son.

    “People with mental illness before the pandemic have gotten worse,” said Mrs. Lee. “Studies have shown that the level of dopamine has lowered since the pandemic.”

   Studies have also shown that the purchase of alcohol and more drugs have been on the uprise since the start of March last year. 

   Mrs. Lee, who is involved with the Illinois Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health and Justice, recommended ways for students to prevent falling and feeling trapped into the gloom of the world. One suggestion was to listen to a song and dance around, and go outside for just a few minutes everyday. She suggested playing with your pet, or hanging out with your family or friends.

   At the end of the seminar Mrs. Lee gave out the number for a suicide hotline, which I thought was very helpful. During the presentation, one student said, “I loved the seminar and wanted to know more about how to deal with mental illness during this pandemic.” I thought it was a good sign showing that people actually do care about learning about mental illnesses.