A plaguing (but important) element of depression is rumination.  While many people’s experience of rumination is negative, Scientists Andrews and Thomson propose that the negative effects of rumination are what allows people to learn from past triggers of sadness.  They call this the analytic-rumination hypothesis.  Their hypothesis points out that people would learn from situations and events that made them sad if they didn’t ruminate about it.  The article states “If depression didn’t exist — if we didn’t react to stress and trauma with endless ruminations — then we would be less likely to solve our predicaments. Wisdom isn’t cheap, and we pay for it with pain.”

I am fascinated by the implications of this hypothesis and the positive angle it takes on pervasive negative thoughts.  This hypothesis may be integrated in a CBT fashion in helping clients realize the positive aspects of ruminating and help them move beyond it.

Check out the link to the article above for more information.  The article also looks at the effects rumination has on frontal lobe blood flow and attention difficulties.  Thank you to my clients who send me news articles!

While Pacific Quest’s students were nestled in the hills high in Kau and well out of any tsunami danger zones (roughly 1500 feet in elevation), coastal regions in Hawaii today were on high alert.  As many followed the news on their computers and televisions many Hawaii residents were forced to evacuate their homes and head for higher ground, relying on radio broadcasts.  Luckily the event was not much more than a scare (the above photo is just a cool Hawaii wave).  It turned out to be an incredible community building event that actually brought people closer together.

I was awoken to a phone call at 3:15 am this morning from a frantic friend suggesting that I evacuate my house.  I live very close to the beach in Hilo, an area particularly prone to tsunami damage.  Having visited the Pacific Tsunami Museum on the bay front in Hilo in the past, I new the potential power of the natural phenomenon.  Hilo has been struck by tsunamis in 1940’s and 60’s leaving buildings and home completely destroyed.  With my adrenaline pumping I threw my valuable belongings in my truck and drove mauka (toward the volcano).

I found a nice view of the bay and backed my truck in next to others who were already parked.  We watched the sunrise and talked story as others continued to gather.  As the tsunami hour approached more and more people kept coming.  The crowd resembled that which one might see at a parade.  People were coming down from the volcano to get a better look at the approaching wave.  While the wave never really formed, the group enjoyed laughs and stories and it turned out to be a rather nice way to spend a Saturday morning.

For more information on tsunamis visit NOAA Pacific Tsunami warning center.  I want to reiterate that the PQ program is well out of harms way of tsunami danger and the students utilized this opportunity to learn more about earth science.

We began our day by learning how to introduce ourselves in Hawaiian and learning some Hawaiian words that are significant to the area. This was followed by a tour around the park which showed us evidence of both the human and environmental impacts that have helped to shape the local landscape. Some examples include the need for human and commercial transportation that built the pier and the earthquakes and tsunamis that helped to destroy it, and which washed away the black sand beact that once lined the coast. Another is the coconut grove and the remains of the old stone wall that sits in the shadows of the trees, and which once closed this estuary off as a fish pond. We also learned about the many different uses for the niu (coconut) tree and the lauhala plant.

After learning a mele (song) by Keola Beamer (pupu hinuhinu – shiny shell) and having a snack, we headed to the muliwai (estuary) which was once a loko i’a (fishpond). Only half of the wall that once made this estuary a fishpond still exists and Ka ‘ Ohana O Honu’apo and NOAA are working to restore the area as muliwai. There we learned about ways of testing water for salinity, visibility and ph. We were then able to get in the water to run transect lines and record the fish we encountered.

As this is the season when the humpback whale as in Hawaii to mate and calve, so of us were lucky enough to see whale surfacing throughout the day. Over lunch we talked about the amazing journey the whales make to Hawaii and back without eating, as their main food source, krill, does not live here. We also learned about the great pacific garbage patch, the effects of this human made phenomenon on wildlife, and the importance of picking up trash. We concluded our day with a beach clean up and filled 2 trash bags with debris, both that which had washed in from the ocean and some that we saved from making it there in the first place. This gave us the opportunity to spread out along the shore, see more whales and do our part to keep this rich place so beautiful.

As established in the previous blog post Hawaii’s clean energy intiative, Hawaii is making strides in eliminating the state’s severe dependence on imported oil and working toward shifting to renewable energy resources.  In a recent discussion on NPR, experts highlighted that Hawaii is meeting it’s short term goals in utilizing renewable energy resources.  The clean energy initiative is being implemented!

Although the initiative calls on the use of the heavies ie. the obvious renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, tidal, and wave energy, other valuable resources exist as well.  Biofuels are an important resource for Hawaii, especially because of the tropical growing environment and already existing diesel plants (which can operate with biodiesel).  The question is then, which biofuels are a viable resource in Hawaii, and in particular which can be used for biodiesel? Sugar cane is an excellent resource for ethanol, however ethanol has it’s own environmental consequences.  Biodiesel is more friendly on CO2 emissions and is possible.  Research being carried out at University of Hawaii indicates that local palm, kukui nut, and jatropha are heavy in oils useful in biodiesel production.  Please visit the website Hawaii’s Energy Future for further information on biofuels.

Perhaps PQ students could start making biodiesel at the PQ farm?  This could serve the students in many ways, including hands on education of renewable energy, participating in the green movement, and utilizing an energy they create.  Making biodiesel is fairly simple too – demanding a few barrells and measuring devices.  The hardest part would be procuring the biomass (the jatropha, kukui, and palm).  Perhaps the students could then use the biodiesel to power a generator on the land, reaping the benefits of their work and feeling connected.  This is another connection with the land – similar to the full circle of growing food and then eating it!

Mauna Kea, planet Earth’s tallest mountain (when measured from sea floor to summit) rises 13,796 feet above sea level. It is arguably the best place in the world to look at the stars. On Tuesday afternoon, Pacific Quest’s Malama students had the rare opportunity to don long-johns and winter hats, as they made the trip to Hawaii’s sacred mountain.

Upon arriving at the Visitor Information Station (VIS) at 9,300 feet in elevation, the students took a walk to see the unique flora of the ecosystem.  Students viewed the silversword, a threatened plant species endemic to Hawaii.   The life cycle of this particular plant is up to 40 years. Found only on the slopes of Mauna Kea and Haleakala (a volcano on Maui), the silversword is named for its long, narrow leaves with silvery hairs.

After examining the rare plant as well as a few others that exist on Mauna Kea, the students hit the trails for a short hike up an extinct cinder cone, or pu’u, to watch the sunset. From above the clouds the views were spectacular! Everyone seemed to enjoy absorbing the alien landscape, often likened to that of the moon. As the sun set, one student uttered a reverent, “Wow.” With that, the group shared one thing from their past that they would like to leave up on the mountain—one thing that, if absent from their life, would allow them to move forward in a more positive direction in their future.

The group headed back to the VIS to have a picnic dinner and watch a film about the cultural and scientific history of Mauna Kea. Once it had become sufficiently dark, it was time for the star tour began.  Everyone shuffled outside to view the night sky. With the aid of the VIS telescopes, the Malama students got to look at the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter with four of its moons.  VIS staff pointed out different constellations and before leaving everyone got a lesson on how to used the public telescopes to find different stars and planets in the sky.

Mauna Kea is truly a magnificent place and everyone was sincerely grateful to have had such a unique opportunity.

About three months ago an 18 year old was sitting in a psychiatric hospital staring down a paranoid thought disorder and a bi-polar diagnosis.  The psychiatrist reported that this individual would not be successful without consistent medical and psychiatric management.  I thought PQ would offer more than doctor visits each week.  Through the dedicated relationship  fostered by the admissions process and the skills of the clinical department, the consultant trusted we were the fit.

The student pushed our system a bit in the beginning and many responded.    During the first few days the student had such enormous anxiety he thought he was having a seizure.  He was taken to the emergency room.  Throughout his stay the student exhibited incredible growth, moving into a mentoring role during his final week.

The student recently graduated PQ and successfully transitioned to another program.  After meeting with the psychiatrist there a few times the working diagnosis has shifted to simply an anxiety disorder.  No paranoid thought disorder. No active or real signs of any bi-polar.  We helped the student move from medical and “psychiatric” stigmatization and a life long entrenchment with psychological problems.  Through dedication and opportunity this student has put himself in a completely different position.  It is a testament to the power of the program and what an individual can do if he/she embraces the opportunity.

I feel fortunate to have been a small part of this young man’s growth.

On Friday Jan 15th the group visited the Na’alehu Community Center to help the O Kau Kakou organization set up for the community free dinner. The group was very helpful in arranging tables for the 100 or so people they expected to attend the dinner. The center bustled with the activity of many people preparing to serve the community. Participants of the Boys and Girls Club were there making signs for the evening too.  It was truly a community event. Everyone was very appreciative of our effort to help the success of this event.

The group was excited to learn of the pond cleanup that Wayne is coordinating next month.  Next, group spoke about leadership and shared about their experience that day.  To top off the great day the group went to Honu’apo for lunch and a bit of whale watching.