#JustBreatheWV
The #JustBreatheWV Initiative is a four-week campaign led by the Brain Training Center and Dumas Psychology Collective (BTC/DPC) in Beckley, West Virginia. The intention is to help the community deal with stress and anxiety of COVID-19 as our community begins to phase open.
Through daily activities and exercises via social media, BTC/DPC will continue to Heal the Community with #JustBreatheWV.
Week 1 will start our month-long (August 2020) offering of free neurofeedback and counseling sessions for teachers who are returning to school and need assistance with adjusting to a new academic normal. Neurofeedback is a relaxing and natural way to assist the brain in functioning most optimally. To read more about the neurofeedback process click here.
Week 2 will consist of yoga and meditation. Both modalities have proven benefits such as mental clarity, relief of chronic stress, decrease anxiety, lowers blood pressure, increases focus, and relieves chronic pain to name a few.
Week 3 will focus on assisting parents in coping with return to school for the children. The school district in which our agencies reside have rolled out the return plan, and it has already elicited much anxiety for parents who work outside of the home, have limited resources, or feel ill-prepared. BTC/DPC will offer resources, feedback, and webinars from renowned school counselors and teachers.
During the final Week 4, BTC/DPC will wrap up with the very serious issue of COVID-19 and its long-lasting effect on a post-COVID patient’s lungs. Through a partnership with OxyPam Inc, LLC, the owner of BTC/DPC, Dr. Kristi Williams Dumas, is selling oxygen concentrators.
Research suggests that residual radiological changes and impaired lung function are common in COVID patients. In fact, the lung is the most affected organ from the disease*. According to research, continued impairment in pulmonary function can range from months to years after discharge of the disease. Post-COVID fibrosis (holes in the lungs, also known as acute respiratory distress syndrome) reduces oxygen in the bloodstream and deprives the organs of oxygen which can lead to organ failure according to Dr. Lori Shah, transplant pulmonologist at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Post-COVID fibrosis is defined as lung damage that’s irreversible and can result in functional impairment, cough, shortness of breath, and need for oxygen.
An oxygen concentrator is a medical device used to deliver oxygen to those who require it. Oxygen concentrators are powered by plugging in to an electrical outlet or by battery. A concentrator filters in air, compresses it, and delivers air continuously. The air supply will never run out. Instead of refilling compressed air, the concentrator just needs access to power.
Oxygen concentrators are safe, consistent, affordable, and compact unlike oxygen tanks. The freedom to a patient to move around easily is a huge benefit to anyone suffering from post-COVID breathing issues, COPD or any respiratory illness.