While immersed in the gentle motions of Tai Chi, men and women lined the aisles of the Tinnin Center on Wednesday during a mental health and suicide awareness conference. The fluid movements aimed to relax muscles and instill calmness within each participant.
Led by martial arts instructor Judy Schremp, attendees learned the innate benefits of a healthy mind, spirit and body during the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Summit.
This year's event placed a special focus on preventing veteran suicide. According to the VA, 20 veterans committed suicide per day were reported in 2017 and of those, 14 were not under VA care.
"This is a national public health issue that requires a concerted, national and community-wide approach," said Dr. Patricia Hall, director of the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center.
Schremp's 20-minute session was part of a forum focused on alternative therapies intended to ease the burden of chronic pain. Schremp, chiropractor Dr. Kevin Winkle, and clinical psychologist Dr. Amanda Wallace discussed available treatment options in lieu of prescription medication. Among those discussed were chiropractic care, acupuncture, Tai Chi and cognitive behavior therapy, or modifying dysfunctional emotions to boost happiness.
"Quality of life and functioning is really what the focus should be on, but in the past, I think it's been on just controlling pain," Wallace said. "But if we put quality of life and functioning ahead of that, I think we'll see that (patients) have better control of that pain as well."
Winkle said chronic pain is "the most underestimated health care problem," citing the link between it and depression. Winkle said hands-on, noninvasive care should be a sufferer's "first resort instead of their last" and discussed how alternative treatments work to combat the current opioid crisis.
Wallace said she feels the medical community has created a situation lacking additional coping tools that patients need, which has forced a dependence on prescription drugs.
"Figuring out ways to treat chronic pain that don't involve only medication, that are more holistic and think about treating people from a whole health model is very important because it improves their quality of life and functioning and that's really what we need to focus on," Wallace said.
Schremp suggested the ancient Chinese exercise Tai Chi because of its effects on relaxation. She said the practice is appropriate for people of all ages and is what she considers a "moving meditation."
"You're moving very slowly, you're very present," she said, and reminded the audience of the importance of getting up and around. "If you don't use it, you lose it," she said of a body's function.
The hour-long alternative therapy session's overall focus was on helping sufferers of chronic pain find new tools to ease the burden of their condition.
"I think most people would agree if the things that you do in your life matter to you, you enjoy them, you feel good about how your life is going, your mental health will be improved, you'll have better self-esteem and your overall functioning in the world and with those around you will be improved," she said.
The metal health and suicide prevention summit also featured sessions about opioid use disorder, recovery housing, suicide risk assessments and crisis intervention teams. Veterans and their family members were made available to side sessions focusing on mindfulness and meditation and suicide prevention through the question, persuade and refer methodology.
For more information of veteran mental health and suicide prevention, call the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center at 573-686-4151.