WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION MEAN TO YOU? DEBATING THE DOCUMENT THAT’S SHAPED OUR COUNTRY
Most teenagers are more interested in hanging out with their friends and listening to the next cool band than diving into the United States Constitution. But that’s exactly how some students have been spending their mornings, afternoons, and evenings: studying and preparing to debate their peers all over the nation about the contents of the 200-year-old document. Their motivation? Prestige, honor, and thousands of dollars of scholarship money. Sponsored by the American Legion, these constitutional debates were started in 1938 with the intent to “develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students,” according to the Legion’s website. In the process of writing the speeches they’ll debate, students under 20 learn the history of U.S. laws and develop a better understanding of the rights and
privileges of American citizenship. The legion offers up over $188,000 annually in scholarship money to debate winners. For one of those winners, in addition to helping pay her way through college, the debate experience also provided fodder for a Broadway play. In “What the Constitution Means to Me,” playwright and actor Heidi Schreck recounts her experience of debating the Constitution in American Legion halls all over the U.S. In the largely autobiographical play, theatergoers get to see the experience through the eyes of 15-year-old Heidi (played by Schreck in the original production) as she gives her speech and
talks about the Constitution. At other times, viewers see the grown-up Schreck reflect on the evolution of the Constitution’s meaning over the years and how her debate experiences shaped her understanding of what it means to live under the rules of this governing document. For Heidi Schreck, as well as for hundreds of other debaters, developing a close relationship with the Constitution helped pay her way through college and gave her a better understanding of the principles our country was built on. This month is a great time to take a look at the document that shaped our country’s past and continues to shape its future.
STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH ANXIETY AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
DON’T IGNORE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
A fter a car accident, most people are concerned with the physical damage, how they’ll be able to pay the medical bills from their injuries, and if they’ll be able to afford the car repairs. These are important things to consider, but the physical damage shouldn’t be your only focus after an accident. It’s also important to keep up with your mental health. It is extremely common for people who have been in a car accident to experience anxiety following the crash. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that individuals can suffer from moderate to severe levels of anxiety for months following their crash. The Mayo Clinic defines anxiety as “intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.” While it is normal to experience some anxiety in stressful or dangerous situations, an anxiety disorder brought on by a traumatic incident can be crippling. Anxiety after a car accident is common, even if you were not badly injured in the accident. This kind of anxiety can manifest in panic attacks, sleep disorders, and physical symptoms like headaches,
dizziness, chest pain, nausea, and muscle tension. It’s also common for people with anxiety to develop phobias. The NIH states that nearly 40% of crash survivors develop phobias related to driving or being in a vehicle. There are ways you can cope with feelings of anxiety. Meditating, breathing exercises, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are all important for dealing with an anxiety disorder. But if you are struggling with anxiety following your car crash, then the best thing you can do is reach out to a mental health professional. Speak to someone who can help you process your accident and develop healthy coping tools for dealing with your anxiety. This is the best path for getting back to your normal routine. It is important to take anxiety seriously. Anxiety can linger for years following an accident. This is perfectly normal. You are not a weak person if you are still dealing with anxiety several years after your accident. You just need a hand in overcoming your anxiety. If you hurt your back in a car accident, then you would not ignore the problem — you would go to a doctor and get treatment. Your mental health deserves that same attention.
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