Doctors Robert Isaacs and Yuhuan Xie Speak About Mental Illness
Our guest speakers for December 14, 2023, were Drs. Robert Isaacs and Yuhuan Xie, mental health practitioners. Dr. Isaacs is a board certified family physician and currently works at Santa Rosa Behavioral Hospital. He obtained his medical degree from UC San Diego. He also worked at the Institute of Mental Health in Singapore. Dr. Xie is a board certified psychiatrist and is also board certified in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. She did her psychiatric training at Duke University and her Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at UC Davis. She also worked at the Institute of Mental Health in Singapore along with her husband, Robert.
Dr. Isaac’s presentation focused on key myths about mental illness. These include: people with mental illness are dangerous and violent; there is no hope of recovery for people suffering from mental illness; mental illness is caused by character flaws and weakness; people suffering from mental illness can’t hold down jobs; therapy and self-help are a waste of time; teenagers don’t suffer from mental illness (their problems are too much “drama” and “hormones”); children doing well in school with good home lives will not suffer from mental illness; and bad parents are the cause of mental illness. These are all myths that taint the public view of people with mental illness and make it difficult for people to seek treatment. For example, there is little correlation between people with mental illness and violence; it happens but is largely limited to drug abusers and people with specific types of mental illness, such as severe paranoia. Likewise, mental illness can be treated and those suffering from it can be returned to “normal” or “near normal.” And, therapy is not a waste of time, especially when combined with a multi-disciplinary approach, such as psychiatry and social work.
Robert also introduced the myth that Cannabis is a natural substance and not dangerous. The Cannabis sold today is not the Cannabis of the past; it is far stronger than it was in the past. Cannabis use in younger people can cause a psychotic state which can be a warning sign of future problems if use continues. Dr. Xie noted that young people using Cannabis often do not have the ability to fight off the adverse effects of Cannabis. In her career she has seen teenagers who used Cannabis once and became permanently ill.
Dr. Xie also recommends lifestyle changes to protect ourselves from mental illness and treat those with mental illness. She noted that Chinese medical concepts and approaches can help deal with mental illness. Healthy food, sleep, relaxation, and engagement with others are all key factors in improving our mental health. Dr. Xie provided us with this very helpful one-page “prescription” for mental health.
Many thanks to Dr. Isaacs and Dr. Xie. This was a timely, well-organized, thoughtful, and persuasive presentation! Keep up the good work!
On a regular basis, our resident photo pro Warren Smith, submits pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.
Thanks for all the great pictures Warren!Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!
Top shot is lead by Peter Treleaven, Past President, next Mark Campbell, President Elect Nominee for 2026 and anchored by Stacy Drucker-Andress Board Member. Leaders!
Interact Faculty Advisor Doug Gibson proudly introduced the officers of Elsie Allen Interact. Sunrisers Merle Hayes and Willie Billeter are our campus reps.
Sunrise lineup for Cindy Gillespie's 2024-25 year includes from zoom lad Penny Millar Treasurer, Paul O'Rear Secretary, Lori Rodrigues President Elect, Mark Campbell President Elect Nominees, Stacy Drucker-Andres, Max Childs, Steve Herron, John Jones, Shauna Lorenzen, Matthew Crooks and Kent Seegmiller and Debra Robertson.
Our Club By-Laws provide the provision for a Nominations Committee to recruit candidates and election in December. Officers are President, Secretary and Treasurer. Director positions are discussed and assigned by the board. The nominating committee is composed of the last five presidents.
Thank you to our newest board members: Mark Campbell, Max Childs, Matthew Crooks and Steve Herron. Continuing are Cindy, Debra, Lori, John, Stacy and Shauna, Paul and Penny.
Our legacy thrives because you continue to Serve Above Self!
Our club's contribution to the Salvation Army Bell Ringing brought in $731.00! The south door won with $389 while the north door came in at $342. Thank you all who helped out with this very worthwhile event. ~ Steve Herron
Thank you, Steve, for organizing a great return to bell ringing!
President Debra adjourned the meeting with this message:
Two quotes to hold us over until the new year:
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
“It’s Christmas Eve! It’s the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year, we are the people that we always hoped we would be.” — Bill Murray
Earl Knauss got a lesson in food waste when he received a neighbor’s gift of three bushels of red peppers that had been cast aside by a farm because they were misshapen. “I discovered that odd-shaped, blemished, and imperfect vegetables were dumped or destroyed,” says Knauss, of the Rotary Club of Hamburg in western New York state. He asked the farm’s owner for more of the unsalable produce and collected 18-gallon totes of vegetables that he sent to food pantries. The Farm to Family project has since expanded to include three farms, and the Hamburg club formally adopted it in 2018. From May to December, Rotary members and friends work alongside Knauss delivering vegetables to about 3,000 families. In 2022, they provided more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables to 23 distribution sites. Among them is the Resurrection Life Food Pantry in Cheektowaga, where pantry director Kim Reynolds says the site would not have many fresh vegetables without the program. “Our clients rely on Farm to Family to fill that gap,” she says.
Peru
Much of the milk produced in Peru never leaves the farm: It’s consumed directly by farming families, fed to calves, and used to make artisanal cheeses. The Rotary E-Club of Fusión Latina Distrito 4465 teamed up with the nonprofit CEDEPAS Norte to help subsistence farmers in the country’s northern highlands. Last year the club delivered stainless steel presses and molds to open two cheese production facilities. A global grant of more than $50,000 helped pay for the equipment, training, management, and marketing. “So far there are 21 new employees and 63 families served, and 25 pregnant cows were gifted” through the Peruvian government program Agroideas, says Club President Fernando Barrera, who lives in Trujillo.
This story originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of Rotary magazine.
.png)
.png)
Earl Knauss got a lesson in food waste when he received a neighbor’s gift of three bushels of red peppers that had been cast aside by a farm because they were misshapen. “I discovered that odd-shaped, blemished, and imperfect vegetables were dumped or destroyed,” says Knauss, of the Rotary Club of Hamburg in western New York state. He asked the farm’s owner for more of the unsalable produce and collected 18-gallon totes of vegetables that he sent to food pantries. The Farm to Family project has since expanded to include three farms, and the Hamburg club formally adopted it in 2018. From May to December, Rotary members and friends work alongside Knauss delivering vegetables to about 3,000 families. In 2022, they provided more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables to 23 distribution sites. Among them is the Resurrection Life Food Pantry in Cheektowaga, where pantry director Kim Reynolds says the site would not have many fresh vegetables without the program. “Our clients rely on Farm to Family to fill that gap,” she says.
Much of the milk produced in Peru never leaves the farm: It’s consumed directly by farming families, fed to calves, and used to make artisanal cheeses. The Rotary E-Club of Fusión Latina Distrito 4465 teamed up with the nonprofit