(Graphics provided to Steamboat Radio.) This is a weekly update. Visit YampaValleyResources.org today to explore all the resources available for you and your household. Together, we are working to create a stronger, more resilient Yampa Valley where everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive.

Links to past Mental Health Minutes are below.

 

 

Steamboat Medical Group

Dr. Debra Drengenberg

 

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol is one of the most common psychoactive substances consumed world-wide. Alcohol is widely and socially accepted but can pose detrimental health risks based on consumption frequency, amount, age, and other comorbidities. Let’s dive into how alcohol may affect you!

 

Mountain towns experience a disproportionate impact from alcohol consumption. About 45% of adults in mountain towns report binge drinking within the past 30 days compared to the 18% national average. In Routt County specifically, 58% of motor vehicle accident deaths involved alcohol compared to the Colorado average of 34%.

 

How alcohol affects YOU

 

	Description
Brain	Alcohol can slow brain activity: impairing concentration, coordination, & reaction time   Short term complications: impair decision making, gaps in memory and mood changes   Long term complications: memory problems, anxiety, depression and dependence
Body	Liver: is the organ responsible for detoxification of alcohol and overwhelming this organ can lead to damage Heart: elevate blood pressure, irregular heart beats Immune system: depress your ability to fight illnesses Cancer: increased risk of colon, mouth, throat, and liver cancer
Recommended Limits	Women one drink/day Men two drinks/day
Healthier Habits	Avoid drinking to cope with stress, drink slowly and with food, alternate drinking alcohol with water, select alcohol-free days each week, NEVER drink and drive
Resources	Talk to your primary care physician, therapist, or counselor Routt County Alcohol Counseling:  (833)-787-9718 Foundry Treatment Center: (844)-955- 1066

 

This is the continued Mental Health Minute, beginning July 7, 2025.

• Feb. 23, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Alcohol Consumption
• Feb. 16, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — How Volunteering Can Support Your Mental Health
• Feb. 11, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Processing Grief
• Feb. 1, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Free Local Sober Events
• Jan. 26, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — The Nervous System
• Jan. 18, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — A message from Yampa Valley High School
• Jan. 11,  2026 — Mental Health Minute – Prioritizing Mental Health Like Physical Health (Youth-Focused)
• Jan. 4, 2026 — Mental Health Minute — Healing through tears, laughter and love
• Dec. 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — The HOPE Initiative from The Health Partnership
• Dec. 14, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Standing Together: Men’s Work and “Walking Each Other Home”
• Dec. 8, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — The Gut and Brain Connection
• Nov. 30, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Your Voice Matters
• Nov. 24, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Nov. 16, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Time Change Blues 
• Nov. 10, 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Navigating Changes in Midlife for Women
• Nov. 3, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Stress Management in Teens
• Oct. 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Day of the Dead
• Oct. 19, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Sacred Moments: Finding the Sacred in the Ordinary 
• Oct. 13, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Talk Saves Lives: Empowering Our Community to Prevent Suicide
• Oct. 6, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) comes to Northwest Colorado
• Sept. 29, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Get Immediate Support with the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line
• Sept. 22, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Theater as an Outlet
• Sept. 14, 2025 –Mental Health Minute — Connection in Times of Adversity
• Sept. 7. 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Sharing stories and building bridges at new event
• Aug. 31, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Message from Yampatika
• Aug. 25, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Mental Health After a Critical Incident: How to Help, What to Expect, and Taking Care of Yourself
• Aug. 17, 2025 — Mental Health Minute: Uncertainty Is Part of Life — But It’s Heavier for Some
• Aug. 11, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Re:generation: A Christ-Centered Path to Lasting Transformation
• Aug. 3, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Steps to Help Save A Life
• July 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Steamboat Kids & Phones
• July 24-2025 — Mental Health Minute — Starting with the basics
• July 15, 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Helping Others through Peer Engagement and The HOPE Initiative
• LINK to all previous Mental Health Minutes — DECEMBER 1, 2024, THROUGH JUNE 23, 2025