Last News Herald recovery forum to focus on mental health and coping

April 25-- Apr. 25--PANAMA CITY -- Six months post-Hurricane Michael, and many of us still have a Category 5-sized storm raging in our minds.

The destruction still plain as day throughout the county, the stress of dealing with insurance and repairs and contractors, constant change, even something as little as a rainstorm, can pile up like straws on the back of a camel and many of us feel like we are one more straw away from breaking.

Or maybe we already have.

For the News Herald's last community recovery-focused forum, we are tackling the Hurricane Michael-shaped elephant in the room -- mental health and coping.

We will be joined by experts from Big Bend Community Based Care, Life Management Center, Emerald Coast Behavioral, private practice and Bay District Schools, who will be answering a variety of questions related to the mental health of this community.

They'll be answering questions on how the community has been handling this disaster, what people can expect in terms of stress and trauma, what resources are available if people need help, what are the warning signs of a problem, how to talk to children about this disaster, and techniques and best practices for taking care of your own mental health.

Think of it as being a little bit like group therapy.

The forum is free of charge and will be held at the Bay County Government Center at 6 p.m. and is expected to last about an hour.

The forum will also be broadcast live on our Facebook page for people who cannot make it, and it will be accessible there for anyone who wants to watch it later.

Tickets are also on sale for the News Herald's next event: Standing Tall, a Hurricane Michael-themed storytelling event put on in partnership with the Bay Storytellers. Featured speakers include public officials, local students and residents sharing their inspiring, scary and funny stories from Hurricane Michael.

That event is at Robert's Hall on May 10. Tickets are $10 and available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/standing-tall-stories-from-hurricane-michael-tickets-59495241870

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