The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Nate Webster LMHC                         Many people have mixed feelings about Valentines Day. Some think its shallow and materialistic, others think it is romantic and important to their relationship. And of course there are those who are just reminded of how lonely they are on the holiday! But regardless of how you may feel about Valentines Day, Americans spend around 18 billion dollars a year on it, which is a lot of flowers, candy and cards. So where did Valentines Day come from and how is it celebrated around the world? Well there are three or four theories as to where it began. We know from history that the Catholic Church recognizes at least three saints named Valentine, each with various legends about who they were and what they did. The one that I really liked lived during the reign of Claudius the 2 nd , a ruler of Rome during the 2 nd and 3 rd ...

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (lhttps://afsp.org/about-suicide/risk-factors-and-warning-signs/) lists three areas that elevate the risk of suicide: HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, HISTORY. Health factors Mental health conditions Substance abuse disorders Alcohol abuse disorders Serious or chronic health conditions Chronic pain Limited access to healthcare Sleeping difficulties Environmental factors Stressful life events including death, divorce, or separation or job loss Prolonged stress factors including harassment, bullying, relationship problems Financial or school difficulties Access to lethal means including firearms and drugs Exposure to suicide in the media or community Historical factors Previous suicide attempts Family history of suicide attempts History of self-harm Recent hospitalization Cultural beliefs that support suicide The Foundation indicates warn suicide may be imminent in these three areas: TALK, BEHAVIO...

By Nate Webster IMH             Each Christmas people everywhere engage in dozens if not hundreds of different traditions. From drinking eggnog, to the mistletoe, to socks over the fire place and much, much, more. But how many of us actually know the origins of these timeless traditions? Learning about the history of traditions can be incredibly fun. It reminds us that we are apart of a very long and wonderful history of people celebrating the holidays. So lets look into the origins of three popular traditions. Eggnog: Many of us drink eggnog, and can’t resist its thick eggy goodness, but if we are honest, it is a strange drink. There are very few drinks similar to it, so where does this random eggnog drink come from. Well according to Elizabeth Dias of Time Magazine, “While culinary historians debate its exact lineage, most agree eggnog originated from the early medieval Britain “posset,” a hot, milky, ale-like drink...