Press Releases

                  Jeannie Ritter Encourages Open Discussions about Mental Health At
                                   Aurora Mental Health Center Annual Benefit Luncheon

             Strategies for Living Life to the Fullest Focus of Benefit Luncheon and Many Local Mental Health Programs

Aurora, CO, June 8, 2007 – Living life to the fullest doesn’t just happen, it takes planning, commitment, and skill.

This was the message presented by Colorado’s First Lady Jeannie Ritter, and Marianne Neifert, better known as Dr. Mom, at the Aurora Mental Health Center’s Annual Benefit Luncheon held on Tuesday, June 5.  Serving as Master of Ceremonies for the third annual fundraiser which focused on Living Life to the Fullest was Molly Hughes, news anchor for CBS 4. 

Learning to laugh and establish priorities are not only keys to positive living, but fundamental to mental health, according to Randy Stith, Executive Director for Aurora Mental Health Center which has received national recognition for their laughter therapy program.

“To help people recognize the importance of learning to be positive and happy,” says Stith “we focused this year’s event on Living Life to the Fullest through proactive changes in attitude and lifestyle management.  We truly appreciate Jeannie Ritter and Dr. Mom’s wonderful efforts to help us deliver this important message.”

Jeannie Ritter reiterated her commitment to further mental health awareness and solutions while serving as Colorado’s First Lady, and asked the 200 plus attendees to start talking as openly about mental health as they do other aspects of their life.  Ritter emphasized that mental health is treatable, and that treatment provides a promise of quality of life and hope for everyone involved. 

Improving the Quality of Your Journey by changing your perspectives and embracing humor was the message delivered by Dr. Mom, a nationally renowned speaker on health and quality of life issues.  A frequent guest on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, and other programs, Dr. Mom shared her life changing experiences of completing medical school while raising five children, and trying to be everything to everybody.  Key attitudinal shifts Dr. Mom encouraged attendees to make in order to Live Life to the Fullest include:

1. Reject the ideal of “perfectionism” and accept the challenge to be “consistently adequate.”  Dr. Mom stressed that when we say yes to something someone asks us to do, we say “no” to other priorities that often are more important like time with family, self-care, and so on.
2. Focus on self-esteem:  Rather than focus on trying to be significant to others, we need to focus on accepting our self and our capabilities.
3. Downscale and simplify:  We need to heal the frenzy of busyness which drains our emotional energy and stops us from enjoying life’s simple pleasure. 
4. Cultivate Humor:  Laugher defuses tension, relaxes muscles, restores positive perspectives, aids healing and immune systems, shrinks problems and buoys spirits among other positive outcomes. 

Beyond therapy for chronic mental illnesses, Aurora Mental Health Center provides several programs centered around proactive mental health, or therapies to help people cope with life’s challenges and achieve personal happiness and develop the skills to better manage potentially debilitating crises that may occur.  Laughter therapy and happiness classes are just some of the programs offered by Aurora Mental Health Center that continue to make a positive impact in people’s lives, and have set Aurora Mental Health Center apart from other community mental health providers.

Anyone interested in information about happiness and laughter therapy classes offered by Aurora Mental Health Center or other mental health issues can contact at Aurora Mental Health Center at 303-617-2300.