{"id":4629,"date":"2016-09-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/2016\/09\/13\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/"},"modified":"2023-06-23T11:03:20","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T17:03:20","slug":"mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health issues can happen at any age"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"woman
Signs of mental illness can be seen at any age and early intervention is key. Source: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your child or teenager starts to change \u2013 a lot. A compliant child becomes defiant. A teen stops hanging out with old friends and becomes reclusive, or develops a new and less appealing group of peers.<\/p>\n

Maybe the child is \u201cjust being a teenager\u201d or maybe it\u2019s a sign something more is going on. Maybe they are signs of mental illness.<\/p>\n

Mental illness sometimes manifests itself early.\u00a0 And early intervention is the key to achieving a good outcome for the patient. \u00a0When in doubt, seek professional help, said Monica Smith, director of Behavioral Health at UCHealth Northern Colorado<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Early intervention for mental health issues helps improve outcomes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Smith, who is a nurse by profession and has a master\u2019s degree in nursing leadership, has been with the organization for 20 years, the past 17 as director.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly intervention just means getting help before the symptoms are so devastating that you have to be hospitalized,\u201d she said. \u201cThe first sign is that something is not quite right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe the child is not sleeping or eating well or has no energy, \u201cvague symptoms that can be attributed to a lot of things, but also can signal depression or other problems,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIn children or adolescents, maybe they are suddenly doing poorly in school, isolating themselves from friends, breaking all the rules, showing changes in the way they dress or in their demeanor.\u201d As a parent or loved one, \u201cyou want to start paying attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Often, nothing is done until a child starts getting in trouble with school or even the law, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as you start having concerns or arguments, think \u2018Is there something else going on here?\u2019\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

She added that although \u201cit could be just the normal teenage rebellion, it also can mean something else is<\/em> going on, like drug abuse, or early signs of bipolar or depression.”<\/p>\n

The same thing is true with adults, she noted. Maybe someone who is usually physically active and outgoing becomes lethargic and introverted \u2014 a change from who they used to be. Maybe they stop talking to you, drink more, eat less or sleep a lot.<\/p>\n

Signs of mental illness often do manifest themselves in the young, but not always, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can happen at any age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Signs of mental illness<\/strong><\/h3>\n

She gives the example of someone who loses his or her job. That person may become depressed or suddenly socially isolated.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t say, \u201cOh, he\u2019ll get over it,\u201d she said. \u201cThat might be the prime time to seek counseling. If you ignore it, it can get worse and worse till it gets to the point where they\u2019re drinking more, maybe becoming more withdrawn, and it\u2019s interfering with relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Untreated, the patient may reach a point where they can\u2019t take it anymore, even thinking about suicide.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt that point, you\u2019re past early intervention,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIgnoring that first symptom can trigger bigger problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early on is the time to evaluate, perhaps prescribe an anti-depressant or other medication, or get counseling.<\/p>\n

It’s a time to say, “‘Let\u2019s go talk — find out if it\u2019s more than just the blues.’\u201d\u00a0 Because \u201cwhen it\u2019s the fourth week you\u2019ve got the blues, then you need help,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Mental illnesses can be treated<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Depression<\/a> is the most common illness treated at the outpatient clinic, followed by anxiety.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re probably the two things where early intervention can help the most,\u201d Smith said. \u201cAnd for people who are bipolar, if you intervene early on, the outcome is more positive with fewer disruptions in their daily lives. If not, it makes it much harder for them to get back on their feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Intervening at any point helps, she said, but \u201cthe sooner you intervene, the more the duration [of symptoms] can be shortened, or the fallout can be eased \u2013 before it impacts their entire life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The causes of bipolar disorder<\/a> are organic, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA biological salt called lithium is missing in the body, and that helps us to modulate mood and to sleep normally.\u00a0 You may be predisposed and not even know it. There\u2019s definitely a genetic component, just like other diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early intervention with mental illness is key<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The sooner there is intervention with mental illness, the less disruptive it will be, Smith said. \u201cPeople with hypertension, if they take meds, are less likely to have a stroke or heart attack. If they don\u2019t take their meds, the results will be more debilitating. Mental illness is very much like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The stigma of mental illness keeps many people from seeking health care early enough, she said. It\u2019s something that society needs to overcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are no more choosing to be that way than they would to be diabetic or hypertensive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Early intervention \u2013 when symptoms first present themselves \u2013 is like treating any other disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, \u00a0when you feel like you\u2019re coming down with a cold and you take some vitamin C, drink fluids and get some extra rest,\u201d\u00a0 she said. \u201cWe treat it before it gets too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patients often come to UCHealth’s behavioral health facilities through referrals \u2013 from a medical doctor<\/a> or even a school counselor.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly intervention usually starts in children, so it\u2019s usually the school that recommends it, long before a parent thinks it is necessary,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

If identified early enough, most forms of mental illness can be treated on an outpatient basis. The duration and frequency of visits will vary widely depending on how early the illness is caught, which illness the patient suffers, and how faithful they are in following the prescribed regimen. Visits can vary from several times a week to once a year, once symptoms are under control.<\/p>\n

Most insurance plans have some sort of mental health coverage, but if not, help is available, she said. A person\u2019s primary care physician also may be a resource with early identification and treatment, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big key to all this is helping society move away from the stigma of getting help for a mental illness,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Right now, mental illness is among the top five causes of death in America, Smith said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tragedy is — it\u2019s treatable.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your child or teenager starts to change \u2013 a lot. A compliant child becomes defiant. A teen stops hanging out with old friends and becomes reclusive, or develops a new and less appealing group of peers. Maybe the child is \u201cjust being a teenager\u201d or maybe it\u2019s a sign something more is going on. Maybe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":34448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[113,112,9187],"class_list":["post-4629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-behavioral-health","tag-mental-health","tag-readysetco"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe signs of mental illness: It can happen at any age - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Signs of mental illness often do manifest themselves in the young, but not always. It can happen at any age.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mental health issues can happen at any age\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Signs of mental illness often do manifest themselves in the young, but not always. It can happen at any age.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-09-13T06:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-23T17:03:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/4f8630d1a32bfa51d40bf26aa4896808\"},\"headline\":\"Mental health issues can happen at any age\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-09-13T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-23T17:03:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/\"},\"wordCount\":1075,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Behavioral health\",\"Mental health\",\"Ready. Set. CO\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Healthy living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/\",\"name\":\"The signs of mental illness: It can happen at any age - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-09-13T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-23T17:03:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"Signs of mental illness often do manifest themselves in the young, but not always. It can happen at any age.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.webp\",\"width\":800,\"height\":533,\"caption\":\"Signs of mental illness can be seen at any age and early intervention is key. Source: Getty Images\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Mental health issues can happen at any age\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/4f8630d1a32bfa51d40bf26aa4896808\",\"name\":\"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/503dab036ecc79682937ed0b639be92da5d2c8c90fd7acc794eda3a529ca0768?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/503dab036ecc79682937ed0b639be92da5d2c8c90fd7acc794eda3a529ca0768?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/503dab036ecc79682937ed0b639be92da5d2c8c90fd7acc794eda3a529ca0768?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth\"},\"description\":\"Linda DuVal is a freelance writer based in Colorado Springs and a regular contributor to UCHealth Today. She has written travel articles for major U.S. newspapers and national, regional and local magazines. She spent 32 years as an award-winning writer, reporter and editor for The Gazette in Colorado Springs.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/lduval\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The signs of mental illness: It can happen at any age - UCHealth Today","description":"Signs of mental illness often do manifest themselves in the young, but not always. It can happen at any age.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mental health issues can happen at any age","og_description":"Signs of mental illness often do manifest themselves in the young, but not always. It can happen at any age.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2016-09-13T06:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-06-23T17:03:20+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/"},"author":{"name":"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/4f8630d1a32bfa51d40bf26aa4896808"},"headline":"Mental health issues can happen at any age","datePublished":"2016-09-13T06:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-23T17:03:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/"},"wordCount":1075,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.webp","keywords":["Behavioral health","Mental health","Ready. Set. CO"],"articleSection":["Healthy living"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/","name":"The signs of mental illness: It can happen at any age - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.webp","datePublished":"2016-09-13T06:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-23T17:03:20+00:00","description":"Signs of mental illness often do manifest themselves in the young, but not always. It can happen at any age.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2016\/09\/17093405\/Getty-woman-bridge-fog-sad-tiny.webp","width":800,"height":533,"caption":"Signs of mental illness can be seen at any age and early intervention is key. Source: Getty Images"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mental-health-issues-can-happen-at-any-age\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mental health issues can happen at any age"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/4f8630d1a32bfa51d40bf26aa4896808","name":"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/503dab036ecc79682937ed0b639be92da5d2c8c90fd7acc794eda3a529ca0768?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/503dab036ecc79682937ed0b639be92da5d2c8c90fd7acc794eda3a529ca0768?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/503dab036ecc79682937ed0b639be92da5d2c8c90fd7acc794eda3a529ca0768?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Linda DuVal, for UCHealth"},"description":"Linda DuVal is a freelance writer based in Colorado Springs and a regular contributor to UCHealth Today. She has written travel articles for major U.S. newspapers and national, regional and local magazines. She spent 32 years as an award-winning writer, reporter and editor for The Gazette in Colorado Springs.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/lduval\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":18,"name":"Linda DuVal","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/lduval\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4629"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34450,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4629\/revisions\/34450"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}