AgWellness Episode 8: Interview with Ashley Yaugher
Josh Dallin 00:11
We'd like to welcome everyone to episode eight of our AgWellness Podcast. I'm Josh Dallin and I've got it my co host Jake Hadfield with me, and today we are excited to welcome our guest, Dr. AshleyYaugher. She is a health and wellness professional practice extension assistant professor. And she works in the HEART Initiative, where she acts as the CO lead. Now HEART's acronym, it stands for health extension, advocacy, research, and teaching. And so we're really excited to have Ashley with us. She's earned her master's and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Texas A&M University. And she works specifically in substance use prevention and education. Again, we're so excited to have you here. Ashley, thanks so much for joining us.
Ashley Yaugher 01:02
Thanks so much for having me.
Josh Dallin 01:05
You're welcome. And again, so excited to have someone with your level of expertise and and focus on the certain areas, especially for our listeners to be able to get some insight for you from you. So our first question, I think, to start off this interview is, can you give us a short introduction, and tell us a little bit about your connection to the ag community?
Ashley Yaugher 01:30
Yeah, and so I am located in Carbon and Emery counties in the state of Utah, we're two rural areas in southeast Utah. So a lot of my work is with the general community, including people in the ag community, people who are farmers, and people who do landscaping and all of that fun, exciting stuff that goes on outside and a lot of stuff that is accident and injury prone as well. And so that sort of ties back into my primary goal as part of the HEART Initiative, which when we started back in 2018, was to address some of the opioid crisis that we were facing with overdoses, but also prescription pain medication being used in very high amounts. And so that's my connection and my passion and really teaching people what opioids are, and also alternative pain management strategies and other strategies that you can use that are evidence based, instead of or in conjunction with opioids. And I think no one more than the ag community might need this information with some of the accidents and injuries that happen just on the job every day.
Jake Hadfield 02:52
No, we agree with you, Ashley. And especially, I mean, if you go down, drive down I-15. You see all the billboards, right, that are talking about these issues that you know, the whole state is facing, really I know, there's some areas that are hit a little bit harder, but really, as a state, we're facing this. And so you've described your work a little bit, especially where you're located. Can you kind of talk about your role and kind of what the HEART initiative is and how you work in that role of with the Heart Initiative?
Ashley Yaugher 03:22
Yeah, so the HEART initiative, like I briefly mentioned, it started back in 2018. So we've been doing it for almost five years now. And our role is really to address public health crises. And the first one that we were targeting as an initiative across the state because you're right, Jake, it's everywhere. It's not in one county, one area, it doesn't matter if you're rural, urban. It doesn't matter. It affects every house, every family, every person in the state, and in the country, really, it's not just Utah. And so that's what we started with was the opioid overdose crisis, specifically, but we also address other public health issues that are emerging, including things like vape prevention in youth, and education, suicide prevention. So we're really fortunate to have the access to these university resources at USU extension, where we can provide this evidence based information and educational opportunities for our communities. Because when people think of the university, I think they often think of students in that traditional role of, oh, you're a young person attending college, but extensions really cool and that our students are the community. We're here for the public, we are a resource for everyone. And so that's been really amazing to be able to bring some of this information because a lot of people didn't even know what an opioid was there. They're like, Oh, I got this from my doctor. They said to take it for a month, but that's a really long time to take and opioid prescription if it's just a minor tooth poll or something like that, right. So I think a lot of this education and information was needed and really beneficial. And that's been my primary role as a HEART faculty member and health and wellness faculty member. But I've also been able to provide mental health education and suicide prevention education and a lot of really great stuff for community members to bring them together, activities, events, I could go on and on and on about what the heart initiative is. But it's basically just providing resources to people that need them, and making sure that we're filling any gaps that are there in the community and making sure everybody knows, so you can make an educated choice about your own treatment and the way that you want to treat your pain or manage your pain.
Josh Dallin 05:56
I love that such needed information to I've had the opportunity to work with you and some of your colleagues. And there is such a lack of that type of education out there. And as I as I've even personally learned about even some of the examples that you just shared, it's amazing, you know, just with that little bit of knowledge to have a better understanding of how things should be and how to protect ourselves and those around us from, from the harms that can come from from misuse of those types of things. Now, speaking of your focus on substance use prevention and education. My question kind of revolves around what did these issues really look like in our ag community? And do you have any specific projects that you're working on to address this for our people in agriculture?
Ashley Yaugher 06:51
Yes, absolutely. I was researching on the ag community and opioids recently, and it something like 75% of people in the ag community have experience with opioid prescriptions, or opioids in some way or another. And that's a really high number. And we talked a little bit about, you know, accidents and injuries. And of course, if you have chronic pain, opioids were for a long, long time, the first line of defense to treat these things instead of other pain management strategies. And the problem with that is over time, your body actually is less sensitive to the pain medication, and it can actually make your pain worse. So you're experiencing more pain than less pain, which is counterintuitive, right? So some of that information is really helpful to have if you have chronic pain, or you have an injury to know, okay, I can take a pain medication for a short time to help me initially with my acute or short pain experience. But in the long term, it's really important to learn other strategies are to manage my pain in a different
way. And that's something that, especially in our ad community has been something that we've focused on, is providing information education on what are alternative pain management strategies, because I keep saying it, but I haven't said that it is right, because like, okay, alternative, it makes sense. It's something other than opioids to manage your pain. But specifically things like cognitive behavioral therapy. So the way that we think about our pain can really impact our experience with pain, the mind is
a very powerful tool. And so changing things that come into it versus our output of our thoughts can be really effective in treating our pain. But so can things like movement and exercise. And, again, maybe counterintuitive, if you're someone who has chronic pain, like well, it hurts to move. But actually, over time, it has been shown that if you do moderate, or light exercise and work with your physician or your practitioner, right, don't do anything without their advice or oversight. But if you work up to things and
start slow, it can actually help your body to be moving a little bit more and engaging in that like Tai Chi, Yoga, simple small practices to improve your pain. There's also other mindfulness activities that can really help your pain and there are some over the counter medications as well that can help with pain if it's maybe a Tylenol or Advil or something like that, that can help in the short term as well instead of using an opioid pain prescription, and that, that's some of what we talk about is that alternative pain
management and ways that you can manage your pain that we write fact sheets about. So people can find this information anytime on our extension websites, which is another great thing about extension is that we just give This is information that people, we're not trying to hide it or keep it secret, we give it to everybody. And we try to get it out there. So there's fact sheets and information on how to actually do some of these practices that I'm talking about. And then specifically, some things that I have done for educating and providing this information to my community, my agricultural community has been some pretty big education dinners and events that we've done. And actually this month and next month, I don't know if you guys know this, but it is Recovery Month in September. And so we are gearing up for that and doing large educational events talking about Naloxone Narcan, how to reverse an accidental opioid overdose, and to honor people that we have lost, but also provide resources and information to
people who are not yet in recovery, or people in recovery, their family members, friends, loved ones. And so Recovery Month is is just a couple of weeks away, which is exciting. And maybe we'll be here by the time this comes out. I don't know. And so it's really an exciting time to learn and to learn it in a community setting. And so anybody and everybody is welcome to all of these events. But just coming and engaging in some of these educational dinners, or educational seminars, or even just brief
presentations on what naloxone is, or some of the things that I have been providing and can make a really big difference, even if you know your loved one of someone who uses a prescription opioid with oversight from their physician because there is a place for them. Of course, it's always helpful to know okay, what do I watch for what does an opioid overdose look like, if somebody accidentally takes too many opioids, or is maybe having some kind of interaction. And so learning this information can save a
life. And we provide this for free, and there's lots of online resources for it as well. If you can't make it to an event, I know a lot of us are far apart. And transportation can be an issue, especially if you've worked a long day. And you're like, I just don't want to drive over 100 miles to go to this dinner. But a lot
of it's online, too. So I've actually recorded a lot of my webinars, information. That's all on our Extension website, our heart website has a lot of that. Sorry, that was a really long answer.
Jake Hadfield 12:31
No, that's great, Ashley, and honestly, I think it's important to understand, I'll be honest with you. I mean, I had heard about opioids and whatnot. But before I got into into extension, I did not know the details behind it, and a lot of the things that you have talked about, you know, understanding those educational principles and being able to utilize them in our lives. And so okay, I'm gonna move into the next question here. So this AgWellness podcast that we have, we focus on mental health. And so some
people might be like, well, you're only talking about substance abuse. So I'm going to ask you, how do substance substance use, I should say, and mental health overlap, especially in our community?
Ashley Yaugher 13:13
I think that's such a great question. Because I think that's a common thought, right? Like, wait a minute, why are we talking about this, but the overlap is so strong, there's so much coccurrence between the two, because an opioid medication is actually a central nervous system depressant. So it slows things down. It can make people feel low or mood depressed, right that and once you start taking a medication, any medication can have an impact on your mood. But particularly a central nervous system depressant can impact things and make you feel sad or not have the energy that you once had. And so particularly when we're talking about opioids, there's a lot of overlap there. But also because if you're prescribed an opioid, you probably have pain. And with pain comes stress and anxiety, am I going to be able to do the things that I need to do to provide for my family? Can I work today, a lot of these things are co occurring because stress, anxiety, depression, they're all connected. And there's so much and I know I'm going to talk about this probably a few times and I'm a broken record here. But stigma is such a barrier to getting treatment and to talking about these issues. So I'm glad that you mentioned mental health because mental health and physical health are connected right the opioid pain medication, treat some of the physical symptoms that we might have in the short term, but our mental health is also just as important as our physical health and if you are someone who has long term chronic pain, that's going to play a role on how you are feeling and how you're thinking and planning your day. So they're just all so interconnected. And there's often a lot of shame talking about both of
them. And, you know, my goal and talking about opioid pain medication is not to shame anyone who is taking them because there is a place for opioid pain medication. And there are people who are on long term pain management strategies that they're working with their physicians. And my goal is to say, oh, that's, you know, that's great. But what else can we do to help manage that pain that might even be more effective, like some cognitive processes or some mindfulness that can actually help both pain, but
also helps things like stress, anxiety, depression, all of it can be helped so much more substantially. If we pay attention to our mental health, and start talking about it, instead of keeping it in the dark or not talking about it, that's when we have the larger issues of, you know, we don't know what to do, if nobody talks about it, we don't even know that someone might be going through some of these things. So sharing and starting the conversation, breaking down that stigma can be really important for both substance use mental health, all of those co occurring concerns. And I, I know I'm going to be a broken record again. But don't let the stigma, keep you from talking about these things with your family or friends, your loved ones, because I know, we started the conversation with this, but it impacts every single person, you know, mental health concerns, everybody through their life is going to experience anxiety, we're going to all experience different varying levels of pain, and injury. And so it's important to
talk about these things so that we are there for someone when they need it.
Josh Dallin 16:49
I really appreciate you sharing that Ashley because you know, you're spot on and Jake and I had the opportunity to go out and teach some of our AgWellness information. And we were out in a very rural spot. And one of the things that we didn't know at the time is that one of the attendees was a father, who had just three months earlier, lost his son to suicide. And it was very interesting to hear him say the exact words that you just said, which was, we need to talk about this. And he said, it's interesting,
because he says, as I go around in my small community, I know people want to say something, but they don't. And he said, and I wish that they would because we need to talk about it. We can't ignore what happened. And we've got to break that stigma down so that it doesn't happen again. And it was really, it was really powerful. And and again, something you know that I'll always remember because it was something you know, we weren't aware of. But he was very adamant that he wanted to share that
people need to talk about it, and they need to get the help that's needed. That being said, speaking of the help that's needed. What what are some resources that you feel might be helpful for our ag folks that may be struggling with substance use and or mental health related issues? On that substance line, what do you you talked about some fact sheets, you talked about some things that you're creating? Where can they go to find this information that that might be really helpful for for them?
Ashley Yaugher 18:31
Yeah, I am so glad that you asked that specific question because there are so many resources out there that people just aren't aware of. But there are so many things, even if you just type it in to your Google, right, like so many websites and information, it can be a little overwhelming sometimes, if you're just starting to open that door and look for resources. And I think that's another thing that can get in the way. Because talking about it is hard. Finding the information is hard. But I think you're right. And that experience is unfortunately more common than then we know and then people share because people don't talk about it. But it's actually really helpful and evidence based to talk about thoughts of suicide to talk about pain to talk about mental health concerns. So all the fact sheets and information that I've briefly mentioned, they're on our Extension website, extension.usu.edu/heart. So all of that can be found there. But in addition to that, there's a lot of really great public resources. For example, the SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a lot of information for people who are experiencing or family members who are experiencing any substance use or mental health related concerns that I think would be a really great place for people to start. And there's also agriculture specific ones as well. So it really depends on what You want what you need. But also don't hesitate to reach out to your local health department. They have resources, they have people that are
dedicated to mental health and knees and and opioids and substance use and general health and wellness things at our health departments that are across the state. Everybody has a health department. There's also local behavioral health agencies. So depending on where you are, you might have a different behavioral health agency, but there are health agencies in every county that serve those folks. So don't be afraid to reach out locally, as well.
Jake Hadfield 20:39
Perfect. Thank you, Ashley. And what we'll try and do is some of those resources, specifically, especially the websites, we'll get with you and be able to put them into the description. Oh, great. So so that way, we can have those just right there available. Um, but to just kind of finish up our interview, kind of go with the last question here. So if you could share anything with that committee, maybe a couple points with them, what are some things that you'd want to share? Specifically, when it comes to you know, these issues that we've talked about today?
Ashley Yaugher 21:14
I guess the the key things that I would want to share is to just talk about it be open, I think oftentimes, we're scared to talk about things. Because we don't know what the other person's going to think or say, or if they're going to judge us. But everyone has difficult times everybody goes through pain. And that can be emotional, physical, all kinds of pain. And more often than not, I think you can find commonality, when you open up and share in a genuine way, then you will find someone who is judging you. And so that's my first thing that I am hoping that I get across today is just open up, share, start breaking down that stigma and don't don't let fear guide you or keep you from something that you need. I think that's the biggest thing that I want to leave everybody with. If they're listening and knowing that there are resources nationally, statewide locally, there are resources there to help. And so don't be afraid to talk about it and reach out. And then the only other thing Well, I mean, there's a lot of things I could share.
But the only other thing that I want to definitely share with the ag community is, you know how much they're appreciated. And I don't think they get that as often as they should. But that they matter, their mental health, their physical health matters. And so don't don't forget to take care of yourselves, when you are also taking care of your crops, your animals, your family, your own responsibilities, please don't forget to take care of yourselves, and do some self care to schedule that time in apps. I always joke about it with people that I talked to you, but schedule it into your day, whatever your self care looks like maybe your self care is sitting and watching the sunrise or sunset, right? Whatever time is better for you, but schedule something and that's just for you. And that can be time with your family, it can be time on your own, it can be whatever it is to show yourself some self care. So that's kind of the last couple of things that I wanted to say. But I'm also a resource, as well as the health and wellness, faculty and extension faculty, all we all know some resources. So if you don't know where to start, reach out to your local extension office, we have we've got a whole list of resources for you probably more than you want. But we've got it
Josh Dallin 23:47
Actually, we would like to thank you so much. That's such wise counsel. And even for me, right now, this time of year I just with work and all the things that are happening, you know that, that counsel of self care, I don't think we can hear it enough. I think that when we take time to sharpen our own axes, we we tend to be a lot more efficient and a lot better people. So I really appreciate your thoughtfulness in your comments. I appreciate your expertise. We appreciate all that you do for extension. And we'd
like our listeners to know that you are such a valuable resource to our ag community and always so willing to help and so kind and so brilliant in the programming that you provide. And so I know that when you say that you're a resource reach out to me, I'm happy to help. It's it's not just something that you're saying we know that the definitely as our listeners, listen and understand what it is that you do, they can take advantage of those things. So we appreciate you and we're very grateful to you. This has been episode number eight of our ag wellness podcast. And we look forward to meeting with you again next time. I'm Josh Dallin with Jake Hadfield. See you soon.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Ag Wellness podcast. Please subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts, visit our website at farmtress.us, and connect with us on social media at Ag Wellness Utah. If you are experiencing stress, mental health concerns, or suicidal thoughts, or if you know someone who is, please contact these resources. As always, if it is an emergency, dial 911.
Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line Text HOME to 741741
Crisis Response Network 1-800-203-CARE (2273)
SafeUT 833-372-3388 or download their app to use the chat feature
If you need help finding a mental health provider, here are some ways to get started:
Contact the person’s health insurance provider and ask about mental health professionals that are within the network.
Psychology Today Service Finder: On this website, you can search for therapists, psychiatrists, treatment centers and support groups in your area. www.psychologytoday.com/us
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Here, you can find general information about mental health services in your area.
• findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
• At this website, you can find health centers that offer more affordable options for people that do not have health insurance.
• https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• This website can help if you have questions about insurance coverage for mental health.
• https://www.hhs.gov/programs/topic-sites/mental-health-parity/mental-health-and-addiction-insurance-help/index.html
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