Substance abuse and mental health struggles have greatly affected me and my entire family. My oldest sister lost her battle with substance abuse at the young age of 45, devastating our family. Like many others in our community, the COVID-19 pandemic took a severe toll on my mental health. For an extrovert like myself, this new "normal" of social distancing was an extreme struggle. Several years ago, I also lost a good friend, co-worker, and mentee who died by suicide after a long battle with his own mental health issues. At the time of his passing, I was angry. I was sad. I was confused. I felt guilty. I couldn't understand my feelings until a few years later when I was wrestling with my own major depression. I knew I needed to seek help to get my mind healthy again. I also vowed that after I regained my own mental health, that I would strive to do more to support those who struggle with substance abuse and mental health disorders. I realize both issues are complicated and often intertwined. I also know I am not unique and so many of my neighbors and friends deal with these same situations. One small way I can try to help the community in this regard is to offer more support by expanding programming through our parks and recreation programming. I want to collaborate and listen to those ideas to combat substance abuse and improve mental health. For example, through my wife Jaime’s work with the Milton Youth Task Force, I want to collaborate with teens who may be struggling themselves or want to help their fellow peers who may be struggling. For example, is there a local peer-to-peer system which can be created for different ages? Can we create better opportunities to get teens away from drinking in our parks? What other programs and activities can be created to provide a better support system? Are our teens socializing and thriving after COVID and, if not, how can we use youth programming, recreation, and sports leagues to improve their mental health?
These topics can be difficult to discuss but together we can make a difference in our communities. I invite you to write to me at robformilton@gmail.com, and to let me know your ideas, concerns, thoughts, and stories. I look forward to working with you and all the members of our community, especially our youth, to support the most vulnerable in Milton and to improve mental health resilience and resistance to substance abuse town-wide.
