Friday, September 27, 2024
PESHTIGO – Matt Bellace often visits juveniles sent to detention for substance abuse to tell them what he has learned about creating natural highs without drugs or alcohol.
This time, he’s speaking to parents in Peshtigo so he won’t have to visit their kids in detention. The event, sponsored by the school district with support from Communities that Care, is scheduled to start with a light supper at 5:30 p.m., followed by the presentation at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30 at Peshtigo Elementary School, 341 N. Emery Ave. in Peshtigo.
Bellace, a neuropsychologist and occasional standup comedian, is the author of A Better High: Laugh, help, run, love…and other ways to get naturally high!
Those who hear Bellace speak on “Delivering Better Highs and Healthier Lows” will no doubt be treated to a few jokes along the way, but his message is serious stuff. He aims to prevent adolescents from choosing a dangerous path by encouraging them to find ways to feel those natural highs in life, the kind runners get during or after a jog or run.
People need three natural highs a day, but they shouldn’t come from drugs or alcohol, he said.
“You have to show kids,” Bellace said. Natural highs can come from laughter or from taking a walk and enjoying nature.
Peshtigo School District Superintendent Patrick Rau said the event aims to strengthen the partnership between parents and Peshtigo schools and give staff and parents the tools to guide students in developing healthy habits.
“The goal of Matt Bellace’s visit is to better equip our parents of how to promote the choices that lead to a healthy lifestyle,” Rau said.
Bellace recently spoke in Menominee, Mich., to a crowd concerned about the city’s marijuana shops. Communities that Care of Marinette and Menominee Counties sponsored the event and is providing funds for the one in Peshtigo.
“Those who saw him were really enlightened,” said Karianne Lesperance, executive director for prevention services at Menominee County Intermediate School District. Who also works for Communities that Care of Marinette & Menominee Counties, which is funded by a federal grant and aims to prevent and reduce youth substance abuse of initiation drugs and alcohol.
“We hope to increase parents’ perception of risk and their awareness of mental health disorders, and just a better understanding of their role as a parent and how it can help their kids,” she said. “This is a different time we’re all growing up with.”
Rau said Menominee’s marijuana shops weren’t the reason Peshtigo schools invited Bellace to speak. “Exposure to alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and other substances has always been a concern of any school community. We believe education and focus on healthy lifestyle choices is vitally important to our community,” he said in response to a reporter’s request for comment.
Bellace said the marijuana dispensaries were a big topic in Menominee. For teenagers, whose brains are still developing, they might try drugs because they’re bored. “Everyday life doesn’t excite them, so they turn to drugs,” he said.
They need to lean on healthy people for support, including their parents, who can help guide them toward natural highs, he said. Children who can achieve natural highs on their own won’t be as likely to turn to drugs out of boredom.
Some people are more likely to seek exhilarating highs, such as from downhill skiing, while others prefer mellow highs, like those achieved playing or listening to music, Bellace said.
In Peshtigo, Rau said, “The district continues to promote healthy living through its health, physical education and living skills course courses. It is also supplemented with the encouragement of students to participate in extra-curricular activities.”
Students engaged in team sports often experience natural highs, but individual athletic pursuits, such as swimming, running or cycling often are even better, Bellace said. “The best natural highs come from individual sports,” he said.
Eating healthy foods also can achieve a high, he said, noting that it’s best to avoid fast food and seek out slower cooked meals.
“Personality types predispose us to certain natural highs,” he said. “I love surfing, just like speaking, or getting on stage and doing standup. Others would rather do painting.”
Other factors also contribute to risk-taking behavior, including drug use, if students don’t have a good support system. The more stress factors teenagers have, such as exposure to divorce, violence and substance abuse, the more it increases their likelihood of dying by age 21 or being thrown in jail, he said.
Mass shootings often involve young men who feel isolated, he said. “Isolating people is a form of aggression,” he said. “People with a lack of social capital lash out.”
Having at least one person take an interest in them can make a difference, he said. So can achieving so-called “flow highs,” from doing something for themselves, such as eating a good meal, socializing, swimming, running, or taking a walk and looking at nature.
“If you’re going through a tough time, sit and meditate. Close your eyes,” he suggested. “Give yourself permission to feel.”
