Welcome to The Sam Chase Fund newsletter.

Take a look below for important fentanyl facts and resources, young adult distress indicators, and more. Follow us on IG for more information @samchasefund, or find us on Facebook as The Sam Chase Fund page.

May 9th: Fentanyl Awareness Day

Carter Chase

People are dying at alarming rates from fentanyl.  Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of people under 50 than any other cause of death. May 9th has been created to help amplify the knowledge around the dangers of  fentanyl and the drug epidemic. Let's get the facts and share them together. We can make a difference. 

In honor of May 9th, The Sam Chase Fund will be sharing videos of people who have been affected by fentanyl. Whether they lost a child, sibling, or best friend, we will be sharing how fentanyl has impacted people's lives. To follow along with these stories you can find us on Instagram or Facebook.

If you are interested in participating, please send a 30-60 second video on "How Fentanyl has Affected My Life" to (530)925-0345. Feel free to text that number with any questions.

To find more information about May 9th, please consider reading more at the links provided.  

 https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org/

https://www.dea.gov/national-fentanyl-prevention-and-awareness-day

Mental Distress Indicators

By Courtney Chase

I believe the best chances of building impactful connections and influence with young adults today starts when adults choose to believe in them, give them hope, challenge them, and walk with them through their greatest challenges. 

This is of course what most parents, teachers, faculty, coaches, etc. are trying to do. We also have to be looking out for when our kids are showing signs of distress. Here we will define the difference of stress and distress, list some sources of distress for our young adults, and highlight the symptoms to look out for. 

 Stress and distress differ in that stress is a state of mental and emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. Distress is the accumulation of everyday stress responses in the body and mind that can erode our sense of well-being and lead to low mood, and the feeling of being on edge all the time.  

Here is a list of some general sources of  distress for young adults:

• A sense of failure

• Lack of social self-confidence

• Spiritual estrangement

• Confidence or willingness to meet self or others expectations is low: self sabotage

• Competition with other students or with the self

• Social expectations

• Family expectations: Social life, personal attire, religious activities, career of choice

• Time management/organizing schedules

• Roommates

• Scholar-Athlete demands

• Dependence vs. self-direction; new independence for many

• Safety vs. risky decision making

• Study and play balance

• Partying vs not partying

• Budgeting

   

Here are more acute stressors often found on campuses:

• New to area (ie. urban to rural)

• Severe depression/anxiety

• Inability to advocate within their family 

• Drawing boundaries with parents

• Learning disabilities

• Sexual identity

• Eating disorders 

• Addictions

• Friends going through real challenging times

Below is a list of general symptoms of distress:

• Nervousness 

• Agitation 

• Increased irritability 

• Undue aggressive or abrasive behavior 

• Marked change in class participation 

• Little or no work completed

• Infrequent class attendance

• Depression 

• Lack of energy

• Withdrawal

• Fearfulness 

• Indecisiveness

• Confusion

Here are some other warning signs of distress in college students:

• Social isolation, withdrawal, lethargy: classes, social, teams, organizations

• Inability to focus on a specific topic in a conversation or activity

• Disorganized thinking and speech, feelings that are inappropriate to the situation, lack of affect, or other evidence that the student is “out of touch with reality”

• Expression of feelings of persecution, strong mistrust of others

• Violent outbursts

• Signs of excessive alcohol or drug use and misuse

• Expressions of general unhappiness over a period of several weeks

• Frequent class absence or “disappearance” over extended periods

• Gain or loss of significant amounts of weight

• Abrupt change in manner, style, or personal hygiene

• Frequent bodily, health-related complaints 

  • Depressed and/or anxious students often describe feeling that their minds are in a fog, jammed up, or racing.

  • Difficulty expressing thoughts; needing more time to process and express their thoughts or describe their experience

  • More forgetful or distracted than usual; lost in their thoughts

  • More disorganized; forgetting meetings, datelines for papers, procrastination

• Becoming less emotionally expressive, e.g., a student that used to joke and laugh a lot might stop doing so.

   

Believing in our own kids and the kids we work with, giving them hope, and walking with them through difficult times are a few ways to deeply connect and make an impact. We must also keep our eyes and ears open when their stress progresses into distress and identify the signs and  symptoms they are showing.

This information comes for a presentation Courtney does on campuses called Student Mental Distress Indicators and Strategies in Addressing. 

Looking ahead:

• May 9th: Fentanyl Awareness Day

• 3 more SCF assemblies

For access to videos of our assemblies at schools and future presentations, follow us on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColnC28GVcZITA4O1KO6o6g

Kalia's Food For Thought

Growth.

A six letter word that embodies patience, transformation, and new beginnings. It is both rugged and rough yet clothed in elegance and grace, serving as a representative of hope. As the sun comes out and the flowers begin to bloom we are reminded that good things come from Winter and that even in seasons of darkness, beautiful things are made. We are reminded that there are seasons for all of creation to rest, to reset, to recharge. It is in those seasons that new life is birthed and what is not aligned is shed, all to make room for Growth. There is an invitation for each of us to enter into this season of growth as well. An invitation to let go of what no longer serves you and take up what adds value to your life, challenge yourself to try something new, move your body, and be reminded that as the seasons change so can we. As we welcome warmer weather, longer days, and the beauty of spring around us let us also welcome growth and change within ourselves. Do something that scares you and keep doing what makes you become a better version of yourself!

- Kalia 

Please help young adults find their path by supporting The Sam Chase Fund with your tax deductible contribution.

Donations to the Sam Chase Fund are processed and administered by our partner, The Community Foundation of the North State. The Foundation is a 501c (3) non-profit foundation and all donations are tax deductible.

Know someone who can benefit from our resources ? Have questions?

Contact Our Team

Kalia Kaili

Phone: 530-588-2492