Study shows rise in mental health issues during pandemic Â
Study shows rise in mental health issues during pandemic Â
The Child Guidance Clinic for Central Connecticut in Meriden on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. The clinic, located at 284 Pratt St., provides comprehensive evidenced based mental health evaluation and treatment, crisis intervention and outreach services to children, adolescents and their families. Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
December 14, 2020 08:10AM By Mary Ellen Godin, Record-Journal staff
A  study of health care workers published last week revealed nearly half reported serious psychiatric symptoms during the pandemic, including thoughts of suicide.
Those same results are reflected in the general public as local clinicians report spikes in referrals as the holidays approach.
COLUMBIA - Shorter days and colder weather can leave many feeling sluggish and out of energy.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs in a seasonal pattern, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
Gary Lembke, outpatient therapist at Burrell Behavioral Health, said SAD usually occurs during the winter months, but can happen during any season.
âWe look at seasonal affective disorder, as well as depression, is that there are cycles, and sometimes we see more of a flux this time of year for a variety of reasons,â Lembke said.
Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include feelings of sadness, loss of appetite, fatigue, energy loss, difficulty thinking or concentrating and loss of interest in things once enjoyed. Lembke said if you experience SAD, you are not alone.
N.J. should allow medical patients, low-wage earners to grow their own marijuana | Opinion
Updated Dec 11, 2020;
Posted Dec 10, 2020
A cannabis plant taking natural lighting inside a private residence. Medical marijuana advocates call for the state to allow patients to grow their own weed. The controversial measure has surfaced in the weeks since the coronavirus outbreak as patients have been stuck in hours-long lines to pick up their medicine. (2019 NJ Cannabis Insider file photo)
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By David L. Nathan
As the New Jersey Legislature crafts legislation that will put meat on the bones of the successful cannabis legalization ballot initiative, one topic has received increasing public attention. Once called a “non-starter” by some legislators, the right of New Jerseyans to cultivate (or “home grow”) a limited number of cannabis plants has become a real possibility.