December 15, 2025 • 29 mins
Dr. Lorant tells you how to keep safe during this holiday season, focusing on mental health as this can be a stressful time of year. Betsy Robertson gives us the latest updates on the floods that are consuming Washington State, as well as what the Red Cross has to offer to those that need assistance. She also gives advice on how to prepare for potential evacuation and for those who want to help, how to do so.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome in. This is Seattle Voice presented by iHeartRadio here
in Seattle, and as we are entering the holiday season,
sometimes there's a lot of stress, Sometimes there's some loneliness,
and sometimes just the gloom that overcomes us here in
Washington can get to pretty much everyone. So right now
I'm going to introduce you to doctor jult Lorent, who
(00:23):
is a psychiatrist with OFTEN Washington, which is located in Seattle. Doctor,
thank you for joining me today.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So let's talk about this. We have some holiday preparedness.
There's a lot of stress that comes into whether you're traveling,
whether you're not, whether you're hosting, whether you or not.
You still have to buy gifts and everything. How would
you approach dealing with holiday stress.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's a great question, and I think the best way
to deal with holiday stress is to prepare for stress.
If we go into the holiday season and we know
that it's most likely not going to be perfect, there's
going to be some issues or obstacles, then we will
be able to deal with the stress much better if
(01:11):
we have some kind of understanding of what to expect them,
what to prepare for, what.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Kind of things In your profession, would you say are
the most important to prepare for?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
That's another great question. We have to have realistic expectations
as we are going into the holiday season meeting these
families and friends. We have to learn and practice how
to maintain boundaries. We need to practice gratitude, self compassion,
and we need to prioritize and set limits. If you
(01:48):
feel that the stress is getting overwhelming, thank you again.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
This is doctor Jeal Laurent who is joining me with
Upton Washington located here in Seattle. This is Seattle Voice
Jasman McIntyre, and I am someone who travels. I'm from
New York. My whole family lives there, but I've been
living in Seattle for fifteen years and i am a
sideline reporter for college football, so for four months of
the year, I'm on a plane every weekend. And so
(02:13):
I'm just wondering when it comes to travel, for those
who do, what would you recommend? How do we lower that?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yes, I'm very familiar with traveling. I am original from Hungary,
so whenever I visit my family and friends, I spend
twenty four hours traveling from door to door.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
That's a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
That is a lot, and a flight can be anywhere
from eight to twelve hours, depending on which a line
or which direction you are going. So just talking from
my own personal experience, we like to go out to
the airport early on, make sure we are not in
a hurry. We anticipate traffic problem or backups, and once
(03:03):
you're there, we go through security and then after that
we try to find some calming area and have a
snack or drink and just relax. And during the flight
it's important that sometimes you get up walk around every
one to two hours to make sure that your muscles
and your circulation is not going to shut down. And
(03:28):
you have to hydrate yourself very well during these long flights.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You know, that is something that I've noticed when I travel,
I get dehydrated. Do you know why that is?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
The air is very dry in the airplane. They're recirculating
the air, and as you are sitting there, your body
is working a little bit differently, So it is good
to stand up, move around, move those muscles, and then yes,
(04:04):
drink regularly, and if you have to use the bathroom,
that's actually a good way to make their muscles move.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
I like that, And yeah, I am usually a window
sea person, but I have no problem asking people to move.
If I actually have to go to the bathroom, I
usually wait for the isle person to make their move
and then I'm like, Okay, I'll go. But I do
completely understand that. Again, Doctor Joelaurant is joining me here
on Seattle Voice. Remember, if you want your voice heard,
(04:33):
you can always email Seattle Voice at iHeartMedia dot com.
Now let's stick to travel here. I know that you
know gathering and people are hyper aware of that following COVID,
which is still around. How can we protect our health
while traveling and being in crowds?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yes, and so basically it depends on what is your
level of general help. If somebody who already has a
compromise immaienes, then they had to be much more cautious
than somebody who's more healthy. What are the tips and
tricks that you can use. It would be important you
keep up with your yearly vaccination for flu and COVID,
(05:15):
which is an easy tool to utilize. And once you
are in a crowd you see people coughing, sneezing and
looking sick, the best thing you could do is to
put a mask on and distance yourself from that person.
In my last six years, of year time since COVID started.
(05:40):
I got sick once with COVID, and that was when
I was not paying attention. I was coming home from
a conference and I had a lever in Chicago. I
was working on my laptop. I didn't have my mask on,
and there was a person sitting very close to me coughing, sneezing,
looking sick. And I put my mask on later, but
(06:03):
I realized that I missed my chance and I got sick.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
I completely understand that. I think it was four Christmases
ago that I went home to visit my family in
New York, and my father did get tested every week,
just because it was during that time where he just
wanted to be safe, and he just tested negative and
thought he had a cold, and we went to the
gym together, wrote in the car together. We didn't mask up.
(06:29):
We were fine. I wasn't worried about it. And then
we all got COVID because of that, we were lucky
enough to not have the huge symptoms. But it can happen.
And I do see as I've been traveling every single weekend,
I do see a lot of people masking up in airports,
and I would assume that you'd still recommend that.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yes, I do. And let's just airport, but bus terminals,
train stations, places where there are lots of people from
all kinds of sources to gather. Those are the most
risky locations to get sick.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Okay, doctor, we are all going to be gathering during
the next month, you know who, Whether we be at work,
whether we be of the family's friends, you name it.
We're all going to be gathering and celebrating. What can
we do to say safe while we're in those gatherings
with our close ones.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Absolutely, you have to take care of both medical health
and mental health. Medical health be talked about. If you
feel sick, don't show up. If other people are sick
around you, try to distance yourself or use a mask.
Make sure that you're eating healthy, although the food can
be very tempting during the holidays. Make sure you are
(07:47):
sleeping enough, and then put a little exercise into a day,
even if it's just a few minutes of walk. And then,
in regards of mental health, you have to prepare for
stressful situations in conversations with your family and friends. How
to have some kind of an exit strategy. If the
topic is getting to a point where it is feeling
(08:09):
uncomfortable to you.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I think that is really good. And things are tense
in our nation right now, regardless of what the topic is.
I just feel like everyone's kind of on edge right now.
And you earlier you talked about setting boundaries. How do
we do that for ourselves when we're with our loved
ones that we might have disagreements on.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yes, it's a good question. Basically, the way how we
deal with it is that we have to prepare. You
have to have some kind of words and sentences that
you prepare in your mind before you go to these events.
And then when the conversation is getting to the point
where topics come up about religion, politics, anything that's divisive,
(08:56):
then you have an exit strategy and then you protect
yourself on your family members if needed.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
I appreciate that, and I know that some people are
even hesitant to be with their loved ones, which is
probably good for the mental health, right but hesitant because
a certain conversation might come up, or a certain feeling
might come up. Do you have any advice on just
going through that? And it's okay if you don't, but
(09:24):
I'm just wondering if you.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Do well again preparing the exit strategy. You could say
that it's a very important topic, but why don't we
talk about it later and then focus on something else
at this point. Or you can also say that, well,
you guys are talking about it, let me exclude myself.
(09:48):
I need to go for a walk or I have
to run an errand. And you can be more assertive,
less assertive, more comfortable, less comfortable about your strategy. But
if you care for it and you're visualized before you
are in a situation, then you have a much better outcome.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
I think that's really good advice. I think I might
follow it. Actually, as I head into this holiday season,
which my family extends beyond blood, I will see a
lot of people during the holidays, so thank you for that.
Let's go into the family part of it. Why is
it important for parents or their caregivers to have conversations
(10:29):
with their kids about mental health.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
It is very important. If you think about the fact
that one in three adult Kersten have some kind of
identifiable and maybe even diagnosed with all mental health condition.
It is important that we bring this up during a
non stressful, calm conversation with your family members and especially
with your children. Fifty one point two percent of adults
(10:59):
twelve and order have used illicit drugs in the last year,
which means that it's very prominent. And then if you
don't talk about it, then the kids will hear information
about it from their friends or from online or on
not professional resources.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Thank you again, doctor Jalde Lorentz joining me. Psychiatrists with
OPDAM Washington, located here in Seattle. What resources are available
to help parents and caregivers just to start those conversations.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I'm biased. I usually go to my professional organization, to
the American Academy of Child and otherless and Psychiatry. It's
an open website. Anybody can go there, caregiver, parents, even
children's teenagers, and they have great resources about how to
talk to your children, how mental health disorders are diagnosed,
(11:58):
what are the treatment options, and that's a trustworthy website
that I usually direct my patients there as well.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Well, that's great, and talking to you, doctor, I think
I would visit that one. It's okay to be biased
because you know what you know, and I appreciate all
the advice that you have given. Is there anything else
that I might have missed during our conversation that you
would like to tell people out there as we enter
the holiday season.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
The best thing to do is prepare for fun times,
enjoy it, but also prepare for stress and then think
about strategies that you can utilize when you are facing
that stressful situation.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Well, thank you, I am actually absorbing this advice, Doc,
I am absorbing it and I will put it into practice.
I appreciate your time, and I hope you. Are you
traveling for the holiday season. Are you going that twenty
four hour flight?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yes, actually, I'm going to visit my mom and my
family and hunger and my mom is eighty two and
we would like to spend as much time as possible,
especially around the holidays. It will be a short trip,
just one week, but at least I can connect with
my love Onespeck in my Contria for region.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
That is exactly how I feel about the holidays. A
short time is a good time. Sometimes, yeah, sometimes two
days feels like a week. It is very special. Yes, well,
I wish you the happiest of holidays. Doctor. I appreciate
your advice and thank you so much for joining me.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Thank you so much, this is my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Thank you to doctor LAURENTT for that wonderful interview, and
now we're going to turn our heads in the other
direction to our state, which is what is happening here.
There's widespread flooding and it's impacting so many communities here
in Washington State and those who are responding the Red Cross.
And that is why I have our guest coming in,
(13:57):
who is a rep. For Betsy Robertson, who is the
director of communications for the Northwest Region of American Red Cross. Betsy,
thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Hey, thanks for having us here.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I appreciate it. And I think that it is little
known how much Red Cross does in our communities, and
I just like I didn't know that they would respond
to flooding. Can you tell us what you're doing right now?
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, thanks for that. So we have Red Cross volunteers
and members of our community, I mean spread out across
western Washington. I mean really, wherever you are, wherever you
are in the United States, there's probably a Red Cross
volunteer who's not too far from you. So it is
our you know, mandate, it is our duty to respond
(14:42):
when there are events, natural disasters, some man made disasters
that happen in our own backyard and sometimes as you
mentioned they're in Maui or other you know, parts of
the world, but right now they're here. And due to
the atmospheric river that brought all that rain, that rain
still falling in many areas, the rivers are rising and
(15:05):
people are being impacted. So they're being forced from their homes,
and we want to make sure that there is a
safe place for them to go, a place where they
can rest their heads, get a warm meal, find some support,
and just just be beset and being be safe until
(15:25):
it's okay to return home.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Thank you so much, Bessie, and I have another question,
just because I think people are hesitant to leave home
during these things. We hear all these horror stories about
you know, tornadoes, hurricanes and you know, we'll be okay.
What advice would you give to those is kind of
those people, Just welcome them into that safe space.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, it's so important to listen to your local emergency officials.
It's also important to listen to your gut when things
start to get uncomfortable, even before then, anticipate and listen
so that you know when it's time to leave. It's
not worth it. It's not worth your life, it's not
worth the safety of your loved ones to try to
(16:10):
ride out a storm, especially when there are places to
go that are free of charge, where everyone is welcomed,
where you can bring your pets and just be and
be safe until the storm passes. And you also don't
have to stay overnight. If you just need to get
away for a couple of few hours to have a
(16:30):
place to rest and recharge while the imminent threat is there,
just come to a shelter, seek out the Red Cross
or the local agency that is supporting your community, and
take care of yourself.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
It sounds like the eastern side of the state. I
guess I would just say over the pass is getting
hit pretty hard, and it looks like the Evergreen Safe Airgrounds.
The four H building is a location that you guys
have set.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Up, so we have three shelters open. And that is
correct at the Evergreat Street Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe,
also at Saint John's Lutheran Church in Shahelis, and at
the New Community Church in Maple Valley. And I say
all that this is a dynamic situation. You know, water moves,
(17:22):
water rises, water receives, and so before you leave your house,
check to make sure where the nearest shelter is and
so that it's still open. The easiest way to do
that is to go to Redcross dot org and click
on get Help. There'll be an easy length to find
open shelters near you. There's also the Red Cross Emergency
(17:42):
app that has the same function. Just a good tool
to have no matter where you are, to be able
to find safety.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Thank you again. This is Betsy Robertson who is joining
me with American Red Cross, the Northwest communications director and
I just wanted to you know, follow up on that
too with you had mentioned that if people just need
a couple hours, can they go there? Like, what is
(18:09):
the wait time when people are looking into seeking shelter.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Oh, there's no way time. I mean the way time
is just getting yourself there. There is a check in process.
We just you know, want you to check in with
us when you arrive. But beyond that, you if you
need a place to stay, we'll make sure that you
have a cot or you know, a place to set
your things. Maybe you're just coming in for something to
eat or a cup of coffee. Just get there and
(18:38):
work with our volunteers to just have the biggest hearts
and are there to help and to serve and to
make sure that you and your family are safe.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
I love that, Thank you so much. And I have
done volunteer events for the Red Cross in the past.
I mean, I'm going back to Katrina Days and everything
where I was a bartender and we did a fundraiser.
We donated all of our tap but I saw the
outpouring from the communities. Have you seen that kind of
thing in your time with the American Red Cross?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Always it's always so impressive and so just affirming, and
to see the generosity that flows out from community members,
we always want to make sure that it's directed in
the right way. A lot of times the first offer
is for stuff we just you know, we'll just cook
that overarching stuff that people like to you know, pull
(19:30):
from their own household. And it's so important to remind
folks that that really, truly is not the best way
to help. It takes a lot of energy to like
to clean, sort, organize and distribute items that frankly may
not be needed. So if you're wanting to make a gift,
you know, go to Redcross dot org and make a
(19:51):
financial donation, and that way we're able to serve the
people who come to us for help in the exact
way that they need, right, maybe it's the exact side
that they need, right or the exact dietary need that
they have. We will make sure that we're able to
do that. And you know, money just makes us makes it,
(20:13):
it goes farther, and it really helps us help the
people in needs.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Helps the people directly. Yes, I completely understand this, Betsy
Robertson joining me with American Red Cross Northwest Region. And
I know that we talked off air about this, but
I think that people think that American Red Cross is
just like a blood donation kind of thing and it
only shows up in emergencies. But you guys are doing
(20:38):
things all the time. Can you talk a little bit
more broadly about the organization and everything it provides.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
So proud to be a part of the Red Cross
that was founded by Clara Barton back in eighteen eighty
one and really as a service to our military members
and families who needed assistance. And that is a long
standing tradition that we can can you to this day,
working with enlisted folks from the day of enlistment all
the way through their life cycle as a military member,
(21:09):
working with their families and then into retirement, just to
provide support and some of the unique needs that you
have when you're in that role. We are always doing
preparedness work. This last couple of years, we've put a
lot of emphasis on wildfire preparedness, and yes in western
Washington as well as Eastern Washington obviously, but that's the
(21:31):
real need, making sure folks know and have the tools
and the knowledge that they need to be safe when
an emergency comes. Right now, it's flooding, and so we
are responding in a big way to meet the needs
of people in our own communities. You mentioned we collect blood,
and we're excited to say that we opened two sites
(21:51):
in our region in Washington State just this last year,
one in Seattle and one in Kennewick that are fixed
locations with our then you can come and donate blood
and platelets to people in need. So a wide range
of work that we do, and I'm sure I didn't
even hit on all of it off the top of
(22:11):
my head, but I'm really proud to be a part
of this organization.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
I am jealous in a way because I want to
contribute as much as you guys are. I don't mean
to say jealous, but I don't want to say proud
because it sounds kind of setting. But I am proud
of what you guys do as well. And I know
that what I really like that you said is if
there's an emergency, we're going to respond. And this is
(22:37):
the emergency right now, and you guys are responding. And
I spoke to you earlier today and I told you
that the property that we have out in Skycomish is
flooding as we speak. Yeah, the river is rising over
the bridge. And I really like people to know exactly
what they can do and where they can go. I
(22:58):
know that I have right up on you a little
bit that there are food cuts other urgent needs. But Betsy,
I would like you to kind of talk about yourself
and what got you into this service.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yeah, I would love to before and I'm going to
get there. And actually, one thing that's important is how
the Red Cross. Surprisingly You may wonder, like, well, we
need a shelter in our community. We are working with
local emergency management operations right counties, cities, and they's the
little known fact that we don't just decide where we're
(23:34):
going to go. And we're very gonna open shelters. That's
a deep coordination process that happens with officials who raise
their hand and say yes, Red Cross, we need you
in our community. So I think that's important, important thing
to say. And also that all at work I described, Yep,
it's also by volunteers. Of the workforce that we have
is done by volunteers.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Yeah, I'll bring it back around to that's one of
the greatest when I say that I'm proud to work
at the Red Cross, the people who keep me here
day in and day out. We do wonderful work, and
our volunteers are so inspiring. Their stories, their origin stories
are like what made them decide to coick the button
and say yes, I want to volunteer. I love I
(24:18):
love telling the stories. I love hearing the stories. And
it's everybody's got their own unique path to get here
and a way that they want to serve. Myself, I
spent twenty years in communications in TV journalisms just in
different markets around the country before coming here. The final
chapter of that was as a community relations liaison for
(24:42):
one of the local stations here in Seattle, and I
had the opportunity to work with the Red Cross following
the OsO landslide and do some really meaningful work with
the community there. That work stuck with me. The people
I met stuf with me, and when I had an
opportunity to join, I was all in.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
I one hundred percent. I remember that exactly when that happened.
I drove up to the collection center in Arlington. I
went to home Depot and bought a bunch of things
that they listed on their website that they needed, and
drove up. And then I am also a pet person.
(25:25):
I had a dog for eleven years, and I bought
a bunch of dog food. And I think that's another
thing that people don't necessarily, I mean, the people in
it think about, but people outside of it don't. What
can pet owners do.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Well, prepare their pets just like they prepare themselves. Right
as you were getting ready to evacuate, if you're going
to pack at some things, personal items, even a book
to read, but certainly your medications, you know, change of clothes,
maybe your favorite pillow, think about your pets as well.
You don't want to do that for your kids, but
also you're for babies and make sure you have a
(26:04):
leash and maybe their bed, maybe a comfort item for
their pets, their favorite food, things like that, you know,
and enough for a couple of days to get to
get through just the initial chaos and make sure that
they're as comfortable as they can possibly be and that
they're able to stay with you.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
And are the shelters that are open right now? Are
they pets are friendly?
Speaker 3 (26:29):
We work with anybody who shows up with their pets
to make sure that it works. I haven't been to
the locations, but I saw on show Hayles some pictures
of cats and puppies. Yeah, so it was a real
ends up being a real menagerie oftentimes at our shelters,
and depending on what the needs are and what the
(26:50):
facility looks like, there might be a designated area for
pets to be in. But we have learned over the
years it's so important people will not leave their homes
they feel like they can't take their pets with them,
and the let's remove that as a barrier and just
make sure that people get to safety. Take who you
need to feel good about leaving your home.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Thank you for that. And it is a question me
as a I don't have kids, but you know, when
you don't have kids, your pets are your kids for sure,
and I think it's good for people to know that
as well, that okay, you can bring, but that's really
good advice to you know, have your leash, have the food,
you know, like, have all the things, the blankets with
(27:33):
the smell on them. Yeah, as Yeah, it can.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Be stressful, just as stressful for your pets to leave
home and suddenly be in a strange place, yes, as
it is for the residents.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Well, I really appreciate your time. And is there anything
else you'd like people to know about what the American
Red Cross is doing during the Atmospheric River.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Yeah. Well, this is what I'll say is that this
is at the very start of this event and we're
anticipate I think it's going to grow. We're in the
process of bringing supplies and just backfilling and bringing all
kinds of stuff to the region to make sure that
we're able to support. We have thousands of costs available
that will be spread out and distributed to where they're needed.
(28:16):
And so don't take any risks, don't wonder if it's like,
if it's for you. Just make sure if you are
threatened in any way by these floodwaters, that you get
yourself to a safe place.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Well, thank you so much, Betsy Robertson. I can't believe
we haven't met before. You and communications with the media
and me on the radio here in Seattle. Yeah, appreciate
all of your efforts so much, and thank you for
joining me.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Nice to talk with you. Stay safe.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
In full transparency, we do record these interviews ahead of time,
and this show airs on multiple stations, so I don't
have the opportunity to do them live. So I want
to be honest with this audience here. But that means
also things can change, and that also means that the
shelter locations may change or evolve into more of them.
(29:05):
So I would recommend going to Facebook and follow Red
Cross Northwest for the latest information. And also you can
download the Red Cross app. It is right on your phone,
which I'm sure you have with you right now. Don't
do it if you're driving, please that will have the
latest information for any not just this flooding that we're
(29:27):
dealing with, but any any disaster or emergency that you
might have. They're a wonderful organization, as you can tell
by my conversation with Betsy. They are wonderful people, So
please just stay safe, keep yourself updated, and all of
that information will be updated on a daily basis. Thank
you so much. This has been Seattle Voice. I'm Jessman
(29:48):
McIntyre and this is presented by iHeartRadio here in Seattle. Again.
If you want your voice heard, email Seattle Voice at
iHeartRadio dot com
Welcome in. This is Seattle Voice presented by iHeartRadio here
in Seattle, and as we are entering the holiday season,
sometimes there's a lot of stress, Sometimes there's some loneliness,
and sometimes just the gloom that overcomes us here in
Washington can get to pretty much everyone. So right now
I'm going to introduce you to doctor jult Lorent, who
(00:23):
is a psychiatrist with OFTEN Washington, which is located in Seattle. Doctor,
thank you for joining me today.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So let's talk about this. We have some holiday preparedness.
There's a lot of stress that comes into whether you're traveling,
whether you're not, whether you're hosting, whether you or not.
You still have to buy gifts and everything. How would
you approach dealing with holiday stress.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's a great question, and I think the best way
to deal with holiday stress is to prepare for stress.
If we go into the holiday season and we know
that it's most likely not going to be perfect, there's
going to be some issues or obstacles, then we will
be able to deal with the stress much better if
(01:11):
we have some kind of understanding of what to expect them,
what to prepare for, what.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Kind of things In your profession, would you say are
the most important to prepare for?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
That's another great question. We have to have realistic expectations
as we are going into the holiday season meeting these
families and friends. We have to learn and practice how
to maintain boundaries. We need to practice gratitude, self compassion,
and we need to prioritize and set limits. If you
(01:48):
feel that the stress is getting overwhelming, thank you again.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
This is doctor Jeal Laurent who is joining me with
Upton Washington located here in Seattle. This is Seattle Voice
Jasman McIntyre, and I am someone who travels. I'm from
New York. My whole family lives there, but I've been
living in Seattle for fifteen years and i am a
sideline reporter for college football, so for four months of
the year, I'm on a plane every weekend. And so
(02:13):
I'm just wondering when it comes to travel, for those
who do, what would you recommend? How do we lower that?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yes, I'm very familiar with traveling. I am original from Hungary,
so whenever I visit my family and friends, I spend
twenty four hours traveling from door to door.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
That's a lot.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
That is a lot, and a flight can be anywhere
from eight to twelve hours, depending on which a line
or which direction you are going. So just talking from
my own personal experience, we like to go out to
the airport early on, make sure we are not in
a hurry. We anticipate traffic problem or backups, and once
(03:03):
you're there, we go through security and then after that
we try to find some calming area and have a
snack or drink and just relax. And during the flight
it's important that sometimes you get up walk around every
one to two hours to make sure that your muscles
and your circulation is not going to shut down. And
(03:28):
you have to hydrate yourself very well during these long flights.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You know, that is something that I've noticed when I travel,
I get dehydrated. Do you know why that is?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
The air is very dry in the airplane. They're recirculating
the air, and as you are sitting there, your body
is working a little bit differently, So it is good
to stand up, move around, move those muscles, and then yes,
(04:04):
drink regularly, and if you have to use the bathroom,
that's actually a good way to make their muscles move.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
I like that, And yeah, I am usually a window
sea person, but I have no problem asking people to move.
If I actually have to go to the bathroom, I
usually wait for the isle person to make their move
and then I'm like, Okay, I'll go. But I do
completely understand that. Again, Doctor Joelaurant is joining me here
on Seattle Voice. Remember, if you want your voice heard,
(04:33):
you can always email Seattle Voice at iHeartMedia dot com.
Now let's stick to travel here. I know that you
know gathering and people are hyper aware of that following COVID,
which is still around. How can we protect our health
while traveling and being in crowds?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yes, and so basically it depends on what is your
level of general help. If somebody who already has a
compromise immaienes, then they had to be much more cautious
than somebody who's more healthy. What are the tips and
tricks that you can use. It would be important you
keep up with your yearly vaccination for flu and COVID,
(05:15):
which is an easy tool to utilize. And once you
are in a crowd you see people coughing, sneezing and
looking sick, the best thing you could do is to
put a mask on and distance yourself from that person.
In my last six years, of year time since COVID started.
(05:40):
I got sick once with COVID, and that was when
I was not paying attention. I was coming home from
a conference and I had a lever in Chicago. I
was working on my laptop. I didn't have my mask on,
and there was a person sitting very close to me coughing, sneezing,
looking sick. And I put my mask on later, but
(06:03):
I realized that I missed my chance and I got sick.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
I completely understand that. I think it was four Christmases
ago that I went home to visit my family in
New York, and my father did get tested every week,
just because it was during that time where he just
wanted to be safe, and he just tested negative and
thought he had a cold, and we went to the
gym together, wrote in the car together. We didn't mask up.
(06:29):
We were fine. I wasn't worried about it. And then
we all got COVID because of that, we were lucky
enough to not have the huge symptoms. But it can happen.
And I do see as I've been traveling every single weekend,
I do see a lot of people masking up in airports,
and I would assume that you'd still recommend that.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yes, I do. And let's just airport, but bus terminals,
train stations, places where there are lots of people from
all kinds of sources to gather. Those are the most
risky locations to get sick.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Okay, doctor, we are all going to be gathering during
the next month, you know who, Whether we be at work,
whether we be of the family's friends, you name it.
We're all going to be gathering and celebrating. What can
we do to say safe while we're in those gatherings
with our close ones.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Absolutely, you have to take care of both medical health
and mental health. Medical health be talked about. If you
feel sick, don't show up. If other people are sick
around you, try to distance yourself or use a mask.
Make sure that you're eating healthy, although the food can
be very tempting during the holidays. Make sure you are
(07:47):
sleeping enough, and then put a little exercise into a day,
even if it's just a few minutes of walk. And then,
in regards of mental health, you have to prepare for
stressful situations in conversations with your family and friends. How
to have some kind of an exit strategy. If the
topic is getting to a point where it is feeling
(08:09):
uncomfortable to you.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I think that is really good. And things are tense
in our nation right now, regardless of what the topic is.
I just feel like everyone's kind of on edge right now.
And you earlier you talked about setting boundaries. How do
we do that for ourselves when we're with our loved
ones that we might have disagreements on.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yes, it's a good question. Basically, the way how we
deal with it is that we have to prepare. You
have to have some kind of words and sentences that
you prepare in your mind before you go to these events.
And then when the conversation is getting to the point
where topics come up about religion, politics, anything that's divisive,
(08:56):
then you have an exit strategy and then you protect
yourself on your family members if needed.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
I appreciate that, and I know that some people are
even hesitant to be with their loved ones, which is
probably good for the mental health, right but hesitant because
a certain conversation might come up, or a certain feeling
might come up. Do you have any advice on just
going through that? And it's okay if you don't, but
(09:24):
I'm just wondering if you.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Do well again preparing the exit strategy. You could say
that it's a very important topic, but why don't we
talk about it later and then focus on something else
at this point. Or you can also say that, well,
you guys are talking about it, let me exclude myself.
(09:48):
I need to go for a walk or I have
to run an errand. And you can be more assertive,
less assertive, more comfortable, less comfortable about your strategy. But
if you care for it and you're visualized before you
are in a situation, then you have a much better outcome.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
I think that's really good advice. I think I might
follow it. Actually, as I head into this holiday season,
which my family extends beyond blood, I will see a
lot of people during the holidays, so thank you for that.
Let's go into the family part of it. Why is
it important for parents or their caregivers to have conversations
(10:29):
with their kids about mental health.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
It is very important. If you think about the fact
that one in three adult Kersten have some kind of
identifiable and maybe even diagnosed with all mental health condition.
It is important that we bring this up during a
non stressful, calm conversation with your family members and especially
with your children. Fifty one point two percent of adults
(10:59):
twelve and order have used illicit drugs in the last year,
which means that it's very prominent. And then if you
don't talk about it, then the kids will hear information
about it from their friends or from online or on
not professional resources.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Thank you again, doctor Jalde Lorentz joining me. Psychiatrists with
OPDAM Washington, located here in Seattle. What resources are available
to help parents and caregivers just to start those conversations.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I'm biased. I usually go to my professional organization, to
the American Academy of Child and otherless and Psychiatry. It's
an open website. Anybody can go there, caregiver, parents, even
children's teenagers, and they have great resources about how to
talk to your children, how mental health disorders are diagnosed,
(11:58):
what are the treatment options, and that's a trustworthy website
that I usually direct my patients there as well.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Well, that's great, and talking to you, doctor, I think
I would visit that one. It's okay to be biased
because you know what you know, and I appreciate all
the advice that you have given. Is there anything else
that I might have missed during our conversation that you
would like to tell people out there as we enter
the holiday season.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
The best thing to do is prepare for fun times,
enjoy it, but also prepare for stress and then think
about strategies that you can utilize when you are facing
that stressful situation.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Well, thank you, I am actually absorbing this advice, Doc,
I am absorbing it and I will put it into practice.
I appreciate your time, and I hope you. Are you
traveling for the holiday season. Are you going that twenty
four hour flight?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yes, actually, I'm going to visit my mom and my
family and hunger and my mom is eighty two and
we would like to spend as much time as possible,
especially around the holidays. It will be a short trip,
just one week, but at least I can connect with
my love Onespeck in my Contria for region.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
That is exactly how I feel about the holidays. A
short time is a good time. Sometimes, yeah, sometimes two
days feels like a week. It is very special. Yes, well,
I wish you the happiest of holidays. Doctor. I appreciate
your advice and thank you so much for joining me.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Thank you so much, this is my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Thank you to doctor LAURENTT for that wonderful interview, and
now we're going to turn our heads in the other
direction to our state, which is what is happening here.
There's widespread flooding and it's impacting so many communities here
in Washington State and those who are responding the Red Cross.
And that is why I have our guest coming in,
(13:57):
who is a rep. For Betsy Robertson, who is the
director of communications for the Northwest Region of American Red Cross. Betsy,
thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Hey, thanks for having us here.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I appreciate it. And I think that it is little
known how much Red Cross does in our communities, and
I just like I didn't know that they would respond
to flooding. Can you tell us what you're doing right now?
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, thanks for that. So we have Red Cross volunteers
and members of our community, I mean spread out across
western Washington. I mean really, wherever you are, wherever you
are in the United States, there's probably a Red Cross
volunteer who's not too far from you. So it is
our you know, mandate, it is our duty to respond
(14:42):
when there are events, natural disasters, some man made disasters
that happen in our own backyard and sometimes as you
mentioned they're in Maui or other you know, parts of
the world, but right now they're here. And due to
the atmospheric river that brought all that rain, that rain
still falling in many areas, the rivers are rising and
(15:05):
people are being impacted. So they're being forced from their homes,
and we want to make sure that there is a
safe place for them to go, a place where they
can rest their heads, get a warm meal, find some support,
and just just be beset and being be safe until
(15:25):
it's okay to return home.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Thank you so much, Bessie, and I have another question,
just because I think people are hesitant to leave home
during these things. We hear all these horror stories about
you know, tornadoes, hurricanes and you know, we'll be okay.
What advice would you give to those is kind of
those people, Just welcome them into that safe space.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, it's so important to listen to your local emergency officials.
It's also important to listen to your gut when things
start to get uncomfortable, even before then, anticipate and listen
so that you know when it's time to leave. It's
not worth it. It's not worth your life, it's not
worth the safety of your loved ones to try to
(16:10):
ride out a storm, especially when there are places to
go that are free of charge, where everyone is welcomed,
where you can bring your pets and just be and
be safe until the storm passes. And you also don't
have to stay overnight. If you just need to get
away for a couple of few hours to have a
(16:30):
place to rest and recharge while the imminent threat is there,
just come to a shelter, seek out the Red Cross
or the local agency that is supporting your community, and
take care of yourself.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
It sounds like the eastern side of the state. I
guess I would just say over the pass is getting
hit pretty hard, and it looks like the Evergreen Safe Airgrounds.
The four H building is a location that you guys
have set.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Up, so we have three shelters open. And that is
correct at the Evergreat Street Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe,
also at Saint John's Lutheran Church in Shahelis, and at
the New Community Church in Maple Valley. And I say
all that this is a dynamic situation. You know, water moves,
(17:22):
water rises, water receives, and so before you leave your house,
check to make sure where the nearest shelter is and
so that it's still open. The easiest way to do
that is to go to Redcross dot org and click
on get Help. There'll be an easy length to find
open shelters near you. There's also the Red Cross Emergency
(17:42):
app that has the same function. Just a good tool
to have no matter where you are, to be able
to find safety.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Thank you again. This is Betsy Robertson who is joining
me with American Red Cross, the Northwest communications director and
I just wanted to you know, follow up on that
too with you had mentioned that if people just need
a couple hours, can they go there? Like, what is
(18:09):
the wait time when people are looking into seeking shelter.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Oh, there's no way time. I mean the way time
is just getting yourself there. There is a check in process.
We just you know, want you to check in with
us when you arrive. But beyond that, you if you
need a place to stay, we'll make sure that you
have a cot or you know, a place to set
your things. Maybe you're just coming in for something to
eat or a cup of coffee. Just get there and
(18:38):
work with our volunteers to just have the biggest hearts
and are there to help and to serve and to
make sure that you and your family are safe.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
I love that, Thank you so much. And I have
done volunteer events for the Red Cross in the past.
I mean, I'm going back to Katrina Days and everything
where I was a bartender and we did a fundraiser.
We donated all of our tap but I saw the
outpouring from the communities. Have you seen that kind of
thing in your time with the American Red Cross?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Always it's always so impressive and so just affirming, and
to see the generosity that flows out from community members,
we always want to make sure that it's directed in
the right way. A lot of times the first offer
is for stuff we just you know, we'll just cook
that overarching stuff that people like to you know, pull
(19:30):
from their own household. And it's so important to remind
folks that that really, truly is not the best way
to help. It takes a lot of energy to like
to clean, sort, organize and distribute items that frankly may
not be needed. So if you're wanting to make a gift,
you know, go to Redcross dot org and make a
(19:51):
financial donation, and that way we're able to serve the
people who come to us for help in the exact
way that they need, right, maybe it's the exact side
that they need, right or the exact dietary need that
they have. We will make sure that we're able to
do that. And you know, money just makes us makes it,
(20:13):
it goes farther, and it really helps us help the
people in needs.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
Helps the people directly. Yes, I completely understand this, Betsy
Robertson joining me with American Red Cross Northwest Region. And
I know that we talked off air about this, but
I think that people think that American Red Cross is
just like a blood donation kind of thing and it
only shows up in emergencies. But you guys are doing
(20:38):
things all the time. Can you talk a little bit
more broadly about the organization and everything it provides.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
So proud to be a part of the Red Cross
that was founded by Clara Barton back in eighteen eighty
one and really as a service to our military members
and families who needed assistance. And that is a long
standing tradition that we can can you to this day,
working with enlisted folks from the day of enlistment all
the way through their life cycle as a military member,
(21:09):
working with their families and then into retirement, just to
provide support and some of the unique needs that you
have when you're in that role. We are always doing
preparedness work. This last couple of years, we've put a
lot of emphasis on wildfire preparedness, and yes in western
Washington as well as Eastern Washington obviously, but that's the
(21:31):
real need, making sure folks know and have the tools
and the knowledge that they need to be safe when
an emergency comes. Right now, it's flooding, and so we
are responding in a big way to meet the needs
of people in our own communities. You mentioned we collect blood,
and we're excited to say that we opened two sites
(21:51):
in our region in Washington State just this last year,
one in Seattle and one in Kennewick that are fixed
locations with our then you can come and donate blood
and platelets to people in need. So a wide range
of work that we do, and I'm sure I didn't
even hit on all of it off the top of
(22:11):
my head, but I'm really proud to be a part
of this organization.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
I am jealous in a way because I want to
contribute as much as you guys are. I don't mean
to say jealous, but I don't want to say proud
because it sounds kind of setting. But I am proud
of what you guys do as well. And I know
that what I really like that you said is if
there's an emergency, we're going to respond. And this is
(22:37):
the emergency right now, and you guys are responding. And
I spoke to you earlier today and I told you
that the property that we have out in Skycomish is
flooding as we speak. Yeah, the river is rising over
the bridge. And I really like people to know exactly
what they can do and where they can go. I
(22:58):
know that I have right up on you a little
bit that there are food cuts other urgent needs. But Betsy,
I would like you to kind of talk about yourself
and what got you into this service.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yeah, I would love to before and I'm going to
get there. And actually, one thing that's important is how
the Red Cross. Surprisingly You may wonder, like, well, we
need a shelter in our community. We are working with
local emergency management operations right counties, cities, and they's the
little known fact that we don't just decide where we're
(23:34):
going to go. And we're very gonna open shelters. That's
a deep coordination process that happens with officials who raise
their hand and say yes, Red Cross, we need you
in our community. So I think that's important, important thing
to say. And also that all at work I described, Yep,
it's also by volunteers. Of the workforce that we have
is done by volunteers.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Yeah, I'll bring it back around to that's one of
the greatest when I say that I'm proud to work
at the Red Cross, the people who keep me here
day in and day out. We do wonderful work, and
our volunteers are so inspiring. Their stories, their origin stories
are like what made them decide to coick the button
and say yes, I want to volunteer. I love I
(24:18):
love telling the stories. I love hearing the stories. And
it's everybody's got their own unique path to get here
and a way that they want to serve. Myself, I
spent twenty years in communications in TV journalisms just in
different markets around the country before coming here. The final
chapter of that was as a community relations liaison for
(24:42):
one of the local stations here in Seattle, and I
had the opportunity to work with the Red Cross following
the OsO landslide and do some really meaningful work with
the community there. That work stuck with me. The people
I met stuf with me, and when I had an
opportunity to join, I was all in.
Speaker 1 (25:04):
I one hundred percent. I remember that exactly when that happened.
I drove up to the collection center in Arlington. I
went to home Depot and bought a bunch of things
that they listed on their website that they needed, and
drove up. And then I am also a pet person.
(25:25):
I had a dog for eleven years, and I bought
a bunch of dog food. And I think that's another
thing that people don't necessarily, I mean, the people in
it think about, but people outside of it don't. What
can pet owners do.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Well, prepare their pets just like they prepare themselves. Right
as you were getting ready to evacuate, if you're going
to pack at some things, personal items, even a book
to read, but certainly your medications, you know, change of clothes,
maybe your favorite pillow, think about your pets as well.
You don't want to do that for your kids, but
also you're for babies and make sure you have a
(26:04):
leash and maybe their bed, maybe a comfort item for
their pets, their favorite food, things like that, you know,
and enough for a couple of days to get to
get through just the initial chaos and make sure that
they're as comfortable as they can possibly be and that
they're able to stay with you.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
And are the shelters that are open right now? Are
they pets are friendly?
Speaker 3 (26:29):
We work with anybody who shows up with their pets
to make sure that it works. I haven't been to
the locations, but I saw on show Hayles some pictures
of cats and puppies. Yeah, so it was a real
ends up being a real menagerie oftentimes at our shelters,
and depending on what the needs are and what the
(26:50):
facility looks like, there might be a designated area for
pets to be in. But we have learned over the
years it's so important people will not leave their homes
they feel like they can't take their pets with them,
and the let's remove that as a barrier and just
make sure that people get to safety. Take who you
need to feel good about leaving your home.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Thank you for that. And it is a question me
as a I don't have kids, but you know, when
you don't have kids, your pets are your kids for sure,
and I think it's good for people to know that
as well, that okay, you can bring, but that's really
good advice to you know, have your leash, have the food,
you know, like, have all the things, the blankets with
(27:33):
the smell on them. Yeah, as Yeah, it can.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Be stressful, just as stressful for your pets to leave
home and suddenly be in a strange place, yes, as
it is for the residents.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Well, I really appreciate your time. And is there anything
else you'd like people to know about what the American
Red Cross is doing during the Atmospheric River.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Yeah. Well, this is what I'll say is that this
is at the very start of this event and we're
anticipate I think it's going to grow. We're in the
process of bringing supplies and just backfilling and bringing all
kinds of stuff to the region to make sure that
we're able to support. We have thousands of costs available
that will be spread out and distributed to where they're needed.
(28:16):
And so don't take any risks, don't wonder if it's like,
if it's for you. Just make sure if you are
threatened in any way by these floodwaters, that you get
yourself to a safe place.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
Well, thank you so much, Betsy Robertson. I can't believe
we haven't met before. You and communications with the media
and me on the radio here in Seattle. Yeah, appreciate
all of your efforts so much, and thank you for
joining me.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Nice to talk with you. Stay safe.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
In full transparency, we do record these interviews ahead of time,
and this show airs on multiple stations, so I don't
have the opportunity to do them live. So I want
to be honest with this audience here. But that means
also things can change, and that also means that the
shelter locations may change or evolve into more of them.
(29:05):
So I would recommend going to Facebook and follow Red
Cross Northwest for the latest information. And also you can
download the Red Cross app. It is right on your phone,
which I'm sure you have with you right now. Don't
do it if you're driving, please that will have the
latest information for any not just this flooding that we're
(29:27):
dealing with, but any any disaster or emergency that you
might have. They're a wonderful organization, as you can tell
by my conversation with Betsy. They are wonderful people, So
please just stay safe, keep yourself updated, and all of
that information will be updated on a daily basis. Thank
you so much. This has been Seattle Voice. I'm Jessman
(29:48):
McIntyre and this is presented by iHeartRadio here in Seattle. Again.
If you want your voice heard, email Seattle Voice at
iHeartRadio dot com
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