Mental Fitness Workout & Workshop: Unlocking Your Full Potential

Are you constantly experiencing stress, burnout, anxiety, beating yourself up for mistakes, fixated on what might happen if you fail? More than likely, your Saboteurs (Mental Stoppers) are running the show and your Mental Fitness is running weak. Mental fitness is your way of experiencing and creating your life. In this workshop, we will unlock new self-discoveries that will increase your inner power, connection, and inner peace.

Writing as a Means of Coping with Stress

Jan Leland is a long time Ann Arbor mental health therapist with a background in helping her patients develop coping mechanisms for dealing with chronic stress. She is also a first-time published author who has used writing as a way to cope with stress. At this educational event, she will discuss how these two experiences came together during the first year of the COVID pandemic as she published her first novel, After the Before Times.

This event includes a signing with books for sale.

The Big Gay Read | Mental Health Discussion with Everwell Counseling on AADL.TV

Join AADL, Dr. Jennifer Tang, and her colleagues from Everwell Counseling in discussing The Big Gay Read 2023, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. We will take a look at the book through the lens of a mental health professional and dive into the core themes represented therein.

This event is part of the 2023 Big Gay Read, featuring Last Night at the Telegraph Club. For all Big Gay Read events, see aadl.org/ thebiggayread.

VISIONS 2023 | Ann Arbor District Library Accessible Technology Forum

Audrey Huggett, Anthony DeVee, and Katie Monkiewicz, AADL Library Staff

The Ann Arbor District Library has recently added Accessibility Tools to the Tools Collection, making items such as a Braille typewriter and a handheld electronic magnifier available for patrons to check-out. The Accessibility Lab in the Downtown Library has been under renovation and is now open with new elevator tables and other updated equipment. Come hear AADL staff talk about these changes, and tell us what else you’d like to see at your library!

VISIONS 2023 | The Spectrum of Low Vision Services

Donna Wicker, O.D., and Erin Klukas, O.D., UM Kellogg Eye Center

The University of Michigan Low Vision and Visual Rehabilitation Clinic provides visual rehabilitative services, including innovative technologies, magnification devices, adaptive techniques, and occupational therapy. Join staff members as they discuss the wide spectrum of low visions services that are available.

For a full list of events and vendors at VISIONS 2023, go to aadl.org/visions.

 

VISIONS 2023 | Leader Dogs for the Blind: We’re More Than Guide Dogs!

Leslie Hoskins and Alyssa Otis

Leader Dogs for the Blind programs are designed to provide clients with the tools and training to reintroduce them to a life of confidence, safety and independence. Come learn about the full-range of programs from Leader Dog staff members.

For a full list of events and vendors at VISIONS 2023, go to aadl.org/visions.

 

Mental Health Awareness Month | Mood Lifters: A Novel Mental Wellness Program

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Dr. Patricia Deldin, U-M Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, provides an overview and update since the 2019 launch of the program Mood Lifters, a peer-led, instant access, affordable and science-based program designed to improve mental wellness and decrease sadness and anxiety.  At any given time, 70% of people report feeling stress and over 30% report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Many do not feel comfortable visiting a psychologist or psychiatrist to get help. They want to get better on their own.

Seed Sampler: Year-Round Herb Garden on AADL.TV

Have you ever wanted fresh herbs in the middle of the winter without having to drive to the grocery store? Or you want to grow plants indoors because you don't have any garden space outside? Follow along with one AADL staff member's experiments to grow herbs in his basement in the cold months. Don't let the lack of space or sun keep you from making winter pesto!

Bright Nights Community Forum | Substance Use and Its Effect on the Brain: Using Neuroscience to Understand Pathways to Addiction and Inform Treatment

Developmental research indicates that certain aspects of brain functioning during adolescence, such as reward processing and impulse control, contribute to risky behaviors, including substance use. Substance use can have neurotoxic effects on the brain and continued use can alter neural function. Thus, identifying risk and protective factors related to substance misuse during adolescence and into young adulthood is an important public health priority.