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Show Park Record Thursday, May 18, 1989 Page A9 T: iinxyTFCD Middle School holds workshop to address teenage depression by RON GEORG Record staff writer Disbelief would be an understandable understan-dable reaction to the assertion that there is a problem with teenage depression in the Park City School District but Treasure Mountain Middle School is holding a workshop to deal with that issue. Park City's population has grown rapidly because adults are excited to relocate to the area it seems like paradise. In fact, hundreds of young people flock here annually to enjoy life in the mountains as ski bums. What people fail to understand is that young kids aren't here by choice; this is the place they have been brought to grow up, and that process can be even more difficult in a town like this. While the past snow year has had most local adults excited at the prospect pro-spect of a lucrative year, one has to remember that not all kids ski-the past season was just one long, cold winter period. Skiing isn't the only activity which excludes some kids in Park City. When summer comes, lots of kids pull out motorcycles, windsurfers, mountain bikes the social competition competi-tion is extreme in all seasons. At Treasure Moutain Middle School, counselor Judy Holt has been engineering an extensive system to deal with teenage depression, depres-sion, including bringing in Ken Slaugh and Kent Chartebrand, professional pro-fessional counselors from Wasatch Canyons Hospital, to conduct group therapy sessions with the students. Once a week, Slaugh and Chartebrand don casual dress to come up to TMMS for weekly but informal in-formal therapy sessions. "Kids react better in a school setting," explained ex-plained Chartebrand. "They are most responsive in the least restrictive restric-tive setting." The idea is to keep students from ever getting to the point where they will have to travel to a hospital like Wasatch Canyons and a number of students each year do end up there. Hospital policy separates counseling and census, so Slaugh and Chartebrand are definitely not here to find patients they're here to prevent pre-vent kids from becoming patients. The students who attend the group therapy sessions aren't there specifically to become better students or more productive citizens. Chartebrand and Slaugh are simply trying to teach these students that they are in control of their lives. They don't impose expectations on the students, they simply help the students to develop their own plans. While this process won't necessarily make depressed teens into scholars, Slaugh puts solving the depression into perspective. "What's more important," im-portant," he asks parents, "That your kid goes to college or that he doesn't commit suicide? " While Slaugh and Chartebrand don't see any kids who are in immediate im-mediate danger of suicide, there is a problem which is in vogue that does worry them. Some Park City teens have begun injuring themselves to express their depression. 'These aren't your usual, sad kids. These kids internalize their anger and depression," said Slaugh. "They tend to act out, and this is one of the more dangerous ways." Still, Slaugh said few reach the stage where this self-destructive behavior signals near-suicidal behavior. "All of these kids are giving the classic 'cry of attention.' The ones we really worry about, however, are the ones who begin cutting themselves on the stomach, legs, or other places where the cry isn't so obvious. ' ' Self-destructive behavoir is understandly difficult to comprehend com-prehend for someone who hasn't experienced ex-perienced such desires, but Chartebrand has what sounds like a plausible explanation. "It's easier for these kids to suffer physical pain than the emotional pain of growing up. A kid who cuts himself feels, 'hey, I'm alive. I feel pain, I see blood.' The trouble is, they start needing more stimulation to convince con-vince themselves." The group therapy sessions have already helped to diffuse this problem. pro-blem. According to Holt, some kids had begun to form their own group; the admission to the group was self-destructive self-destructive behavior. By dealing with the emotions which would drive kids to self-destruction, self-destruction, and by putting the kids in a group situation where they support sup-port one another instead of reinforcing reinforc-ing each other's negativity, the sessions ses-sions have helped these kids learn how to cope with the depression brought on by growing up. Unfortunately for parents, there are no simple answers. Every case of depression is brought on by very specific reasons, and the reasons could even be diametrically opposed. oppos-ed. Depression occurs in rich kids and poor kids, boys and girls, orphans, or-phans, step-children and even kids from supportive homes. In fact, Slaugh emphasized that these problems belong to the kids, not the parents. While he stresses that parental support is a key to preventing depression, he says kids are ultimately responsible for developing their own attitudes. "A parent can be over-bearing or over-protective over-protective as long as they care the kid will be all right. That's what b important, is that the parent care Unless a parent takes caring to the point of abusiveness, parents are do ing o.k." Parents will be able to hear advice from experts at the Treasure Mountain Moun-tain workshop, May 25 at 7 p.m. The workshop will feature advice from experts including counselor Judy Holt and psychologist Dr. Marcel Chappuis, a local expert on adolescent adoles-cent behavior. The workshop is open to anyone who is interested. Students put their knowledge on display i.ii , i mi i ii i )pyiiiuu.iiiiiii.ii n.m' M l M)P im f --' ";t f ' ; til Left: this fourth grader at Treasure Mountain Middle School proudly displays his "Literature Fair" project. The display below was part of a OF THE I 'COLD: j I FU30N I Kids earn money for diabetes f fx - - ifr) . D "... V-:' CM n 7 ?. jt : -Sam---, '.-.r. ' j iiiHii II Mi ii urn ii ii. I r .'Willi- ii .i JVtf.'.iMj Students at Parley's Park Elementary School have earned $8,000 for the American Diabetes Association. The students, with teachers and principal prin-cipal (shown here) ran laps around the school for sponsorship. Jennifer Wagner, Chris Witt, and Kelly Wells each earned over $250. DEER MOUNTAIN LOG BUILDERS Design, consultation, residential and commercial construction Unsurpassed in quality, model and office at Bear Lake, Ut. Geoff Gordon Custom, handcrafted log homes, magnificently sculpted from large P.O. Box 126 diameter, full-length Montana pine or spruce. Scandinavian full- Garden City, Ut. 84028 scribe, state of the art construction. We build log homes to 801946-8663 majestically endure as highly functional works of art. AUCTION Complete Liquidation of Former Park City Lighting Co. Saturday - May 20th, 11:00 am. Preview Fri 6-8 pm. and Sat 10-11 am. 353 W, Pierpont (250 So.) Salt Lake City Lights - Accessories - Antiques -Furniture Exterior Lighting in Brass, Black and Antique Brass 50 Chandeliers Variety of Styles Many Imported from Italy Flue Vases in Variety of Colors Lightolier Track in Brass and Bronze 4' & 8' lengths Bath Light Bars Wall Sconces 4 dozen 6' Opal Class Ceiling Mounts Transformers for Door Chimes Fluorescent 2x4 Oak Ceiling Mounts Fluorescent I x 4 Recessed Fixtures Various Lamps Bentwood Rocker Church Pew Handcarved Wooden Animal Dining Chairs Contemporary Prints Laminated Sofa Table Silk Trees Elegant Close to Ceiling Mounts Bathroom Fans Decorator Accessories Floor Lamps Lamp Parts Wall Lamps ' Antique Fire Extinquishers Brass and Copper Contemporary Sofa Four Poster Bed 4x6 European oil painting of horse Tortoise Shell Frame Flood Lamps Oak Antique Dinning Table Oak Roud Antique Coffee Table Various other Antique Pieces Too much to list - Everything Goes! Auction Conducted by: Auctioneers Ken & Bonnie Jackson, Inc. Mailing Address: 6760 South 3rd East Midvale, Utah (801) 268-3320 GENERAL PUBLIC & DEALERS WELCOME No Limits No Reserves TERMS OF SALE: Cash, certified check, VISA, Muter Card, company check with proper identification. All personal checks must be accompanied by a bank guarantee card Full payment must be made and merchandise moved day of sale. seventh-grade "Futures Fair" project. The fairs have also included a sixth grade "Curriculum Fair." The purpose of the fairs is to give students a chance to construct and display a project tyis which ex- n? emplifies what they are thinking and learning. Judging from the cutting-edge fusion projects, pro-jects, these kids are right on top of things. GREAT STUFF!!! 2770 Butch Cassidy Sat. 9-3, Sun 9-noon. Lots of furniture, Country Accents and Art, Craft Supplies, Boy's 18 in. 6MX, Children's Books and Asst. Misc. Something for Everyone! Don't Miss This One! 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ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER Dancing With The Lion S mm yTp j 1 TV $(5)49 $(o)49 J CASSETTE if CASSETTE f OR If j 4 OR LP B ibb m m m i m u ; m II I I COMPACT J W Ij M mm disc NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK HANGIN' TOUGH Including PtMM Donl Go Gin Th flight Stuff Hangm tougn What enji Gonna Do (About N) Fnvortta Gift PRICES GOOD FOR ONE WEEK rv uss. i I COMPACT DISC THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS POWERFUL STUF F ' including HrK Thu PirtKnic Out Cloaa TogalharPowtHui Stuff I CBS ASSOC. CD'S AVAILABLE AT PARK CITY LOCATION ONLY Muale and Mora! 1351 Kecrps D!vd. EmporSym Poht Office Hober City 454 N. Main 654-0061 (behind Taco Time) i |