"Recovering from a mental illness is not only a possibility, it's happening," Director of Mental Health Services Henry Smith says.
    That was the message on Monday last week, when those facing mental health problems, their families and the community came out for a mental health recovery event at the Appalachian School of Law.
    Those suffering from mental illnesses shared their own personal accounts of the struggles, obstacles and success they have encountered.
    A little over a year ago, Kim explains, she took a handful of Xanax and began carving into her wrists. It marked her ninth visit to a mental health hospital in two years.
    A judge would later make it a condition of her release from the hospital that she visit Cumberland Mountain Community Services' OUR House – a clubhouse for mental health recovery. She would also have to continue to see a psychiatrist and psychologist regularly.
    If she violated the court order, she was told she could be jailed, fined or hospitalized. Regardless, Kim hated the idea of being forced to spend time with "those type of people."
    Admitting she misjudged the people with which she soon became close friends, Kim says she agreed only because she was determined to leave the hospital.
    "But, basically, the clubhouse has saved my life," she says. "It gives me somewhere to go. It gives me freedom."
    Kim isn't alone.
    An estimated 22 to 23 percent of the U.S. population experience a mental disorder in any given year, but almost half of these individuals do not seek treatment, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
    According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, mental health is how a person thinks, feels and acts when faced with life's situations. Their mental health affects how they look at themselves, their lives and others and how they evaluate their challenges and problems.
    So, when a person has mental health problems or disorders, it also affects his or her thoughts, body, feelings and behavior. According to the department, mental health problems are not just a passing phase. They can be severe, seriously interfering with a person's life and even causing a person to become disabled. Mental health problems include depression, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia and conduct disorder.
    Severe mental health problems in adults are referred to as mental illnesses.
    Kim's story is similar to many who visit OUR House.
    According to Program Manager at OUR House, Sharon Blankenship, they can all lead happy lives with the support of their community, which is the reason Cumberland Mountain Community Services coordinated the event.

  The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reminds motorists to be ready for back to school changes in traffic patterns.
   School buses, parents, students and pedestrians will return to the streets and highways following the end of summer vacation. Because there are more young people on the road each morning, the beginning of the school year is also a time when children are at increased risk of transportation related injuries from pedestrian, bicycle, school bus and motor vehicle crashes.
   * Motorists should be aware of increased activity in and around school zones during their morning and afternoon commutes. Please be alert for children and other pedestrians and use caution, especially  in the 25 mph school zones. Avoid driver distractions such as eating or talking on the cell phone.
   * Parents should supervise young children as they walk or bike to school, or as they wait at the school bus stop.
   * Teachers should supervise young children as they walk or bike to school, or as they wait at the school bus stop.
   * Students who walk to school should learn and practice the safety rules for pedestrians. If you ride the bus, learn and practice the safety rules for waiting at the bus stop, getting on and off the us, and riding the bus.
   * Students who drive should leave for school early enough to pick up friends and still arrive on time without rushing. Avoid distractions, such as cell phones and iPods, and pay extra attention to all pedestrians.
    With all of the excitement this time of year brings, safety may not be the first subject that comes to mind. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles encourages parents to take the time to talk to their children about transportation safety.