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Tuesday, December 10, 2024
HomeCommunityGROUNDHOG DAY  

GROUNDHOG DAY  

I do realize it is not February. The title refers to the 1993 film starring Bill Murray as a cynical weatherman reliving the same day over and over. His predicament drives him to distrac­tion until he sees a way of turning the situation to his advantage. Oscar Wilde said something about “life imitates art”. What if it were a cyni­cal CVSO reliving a challenging Monday over and over?

Perhaps my personal life/art lesson is perse­verance, repetition, and toning down the cyni­cism. I am going to repeat myself, as I often do, to promote knowledge and create advantages for everyone.

If you are attempting to locate military records, including discharge documents (DD-214), then please note that a request should be made to the Na­tional Archives, National Personnel Records Center. You may request records online, by mail, or by fax. www.archives.gov/veterans.

Your Veterans Services (VS) office may assist you with the paper form if you are unable to complete the request online. The VS office is not a records repository nor are the resources able to assist with family histories.

In my previous article, I referenced the web article Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness.

While I wish I had the space to share the entire article, I am going to share a few more snippets to reinforce my desire to spread knowledge and enact change.

Stigma often comes from a lack of understanding or fear. Inaccurate or misleading media repre­sentations of mental illness contribute to both factors. A review of studies on stigma shows that while the public may accept the medical or genetic nature of a mental health disorder and the need for treatment, many people still have a negative view of those with mental illness.

Some of the harmful effects of stigma can include: reluctance to seek help or treatment and less likely to stay with treatment; social isola­tion; lack of understanding by family, friends, co­workers, or others; fewer opportunities for work, school, or social activities or trouble finding housing; bullying, physical violence or harass­ment; health insurance that doesn’t adequately cover your mental illness treatment; and the be­lief that you’ll never succeed at certain challeng­es or that you can’t improve your situation.

A quick reminder, Lake County Veterans Ser­vices office will be closed (working but unavail­able) from December 25 – January 1 for the holidays and end-of-year maintenance. We are currently scheduling appointments at least three weeks out. Please consider calling or emailing to ad­dress your needs.

Brad Anderson and Melissa Crandall are the Lake County Veterans Service Officers and can be reached at 218.834.8326 or cvso@co.lake.mn.us

Karen Christianson is the Cook County Vet­erans Service Officer and can be reached at 218.387.3639, or karen.christianson@co.cook.mn.us

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