Stress Awareness Month highlights Aspen’s mental health

As a vacation hub and outdoor mecca, Aspen and the greater Roaring Fork Valley are places where many come to escape stress. But the expectation differs largely from the reality.

Angilina Taylor, executive director of the local organization Headquarters that promotes mental fitness in the community, saw exceptionally high levels of stress across the valley during COVID-19. But even though levels have lowered over recent years, Taylor says stress is still persistent throughout the community just as much as anywhere else. 

“We see a disproportionate amount of mental health issues here for the size of what the valley is, and … there’s stress involved in that as well,” Taylor said.

But experiencing mental health struggles and stress can feel even more stressful in a town that many consider paradise.

“There’s a pressure here to show up in a way that presents like you’re not stressed,” Melissa Seigle, a nationally certified counselor who owns Conundrum Counseling in Aspen, said. “There’s shame associated with stress here. But a lot of us are carrying the same stuff. I see people really struggle with a pretty high-achieving, intensely athletic, image-oriented pressure.”

Elizabeth Callaway, an Aspen resident since 2019, shares the same sentiment.  

“As silly as it may sound, a stressor I’ve experienced in Aspen is the pressure to embrace everything this valley has to offer,” she said. “Living here creates an expectation that each day should be packed with adventure. There’s a guilt in not making the most of your days, especially when people pay a premium to visit.” 

Taylor points out that the high cost of living, what it takes to actually be here and enjoy the surroundings, is also one of the primary drivers of local stress. 

Lauren O’Neill, general manager at local yoga studio Aspen Shakti who has lived in the valley for over seven years, agrees.

“I think this is an interesting question that I grapple with a lot living here,” said O’Neill. “It’s honestly probably the most incredible place I’ve ever lived. And like everything in life, I think everything is ‘two truths at once’ … particularly in lieu of what expectations life could or should look like as modeled in Aspen. In my short time here, I have seen the communities change from Aspen to Glenwood Springs as locals keep getting priced out and pushed further and further towards Silt, Rifle, and New Castle.”

Substance abuse problems also plague this valley, something Becky Gordon and Kim Reil, the executive and clinical directors of A Way Out, said can both create stress and exacerbate it. According to Gordon and Reil, “The overall stress of surviving in this valley is a major contributing factor” to alcohol use.

And stress can turn into a vicious cycle quickly.

“Stress begets more stress,” Seigle said. “The more stressed out you are, the more stressed out you get.”

If stress becomes chronic, which is especially likely when it’s not addressed, it can have adverse effects both mentally and physically. 

“High levels of stress can induce a cortisol release, our stress hormone, and over time that can have negative effects on the body,” said Dr. Stephanie Karozos of Aspen Preventative Health. “Cortisol causes a blood sugar spike in the body. Over time it can increase your risk of diabetes and in turn increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Karozos said chronic stress can also cause digestive issues, disturb sleep and consequently increase the risk for anxiety and depression. 

“It’s very common to see chronic stress,” Karozos said. “If it’s impacting your relationships, if it’s impacting sleep or any facet of work, how well you can do the things you want to do, that’s when it’s probably something we should be talking about.”

Seigle takes an approach that challenges what many might consider the antidote for stress. 

“A lot of times, people use the word calm to combat stress, but I like to use the words creativity, joy, and connection,” Seigle said. “It’s really about connecting to the parts of life that are glimmers instead of triggers, that make us feel more connected, more alive, more on purpose.”

For both Seigle and Taylor, the ultimate goal should be learning to live with stress by making daily micro-adjustments that can help soothe the body and brain.

“It’s not about eliminating stress,” Seigle said. “It’s learning how to tolerate it and building resiliency without it hijacking your body or identity.”