August 3, 2018, was the final straw. Over the preceding year, Demetrius Glover’s Adderall prescription had lost its effectiveness. He became more depressed and more anxious. Worse, the suicidal thoughts were more common.

The “final straw” was an extremely adverse reaction to what became his final dose of Adderall, a drug that treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Suddenly, Glover’s muscles

 stiffened, standing became difficult, and when he did stand he was unsteady. Add to that an extremely unsettling confusion and a mental fog.

His mother was en route from Chicago for a previously arranged visit. “My reaction to that last dose was as close to death as I’ve ever felt,” Glover recalled. “It hit me that this could have been my last moment with mom.”

Glover’s alternatives were painfully obvious: Choose life, or choose death.

A single choice sets off a dynamic chain of actions and decisions that radically alter lives and events. Having chosen life, Glover set out to free himself from prescription drugs, and create a healthy lifestyle.

He did not know that this journey would lead him to create SōlHaus a little more than a year later. SōlHaus presents live and online wellness events that integrate meditation with live entertainment. Glover’s client list includes corporations, public sector agencies, and non-profits.

Tense, Sweaty, and Shaky

Glover was that awkward child. As early as seven years old, his body became tense when he was with people. It did not matter if he knew them, or if he was interacting with strangers. His worry was constant: Can they see my red face, feel my sweaty hands, and see my body shake? He was diagnosed with an obsessive compulsive disorder at age 13, which expanded to ADHD in his 20th year. The doctor added an anxiety disorder diagnosis by the time Glover turned 23.

The two most reliable paths to mental health and wellness — make friends and plug into community — were extremely difficult. “Simple tasks, such as saying “hello” to strangers took a lot of effort,” Glover recalled.

The Holistic Approach

Glover’s life-choice morphed into resolve: “Wellness is a joyful state of being,” he explained. “It is the ability to maneuver within the present moment and roll with the punches.”

For him, wellness required that he quit the medications cold turkey.

“I was tired the next three or four months despite having slept a lot,” he recalled. “Returning to normal energy levels took time.” Prayer and exercise are key practices in Glover’s wellness regimen, and meditation is at the core.

“Meditation helps you become more aware and intuitive of yourself,” Glover explained. “You begin to understand the mechanisms that allow you to pinpoint what you need to do in order to shift your reactions.”

The toolkit includes things as simple as focusing on your breath, or eating a nutritious meal. But, as Glover asserts, it begins with meditation. “Without it you will always flee — be it to the past, to the future or to something around you.”

The Stamford Connection

Glover’s wellness journey opened the door to motivational speaking gigs at TEDx Talks and the university circuit. He enjoyed the work and the travel, but he wanted a more relaxed setting in a community.

A friend’s invitation to a housewarming party in Stamford altered Glover’s life yet again. The fact that housing dollars go a lot further in Stamford than in Manhattan caught his attention. However a holistic life teaches that you don’t thrive on money alone.

“I met the right people at the right time,” Glover recalled. In July of 2019, he attended a Stamford Innovation Week social mixer where he met Keith Reynolds, a Stamford Partnership board member. Their conversation resulted in a suggestion that Glover to take a booth at the SiW Digital Media Fest Expo in September 2019.

More introductions and more meetings with more people opened more doors. Glover realized that no one in the Stamford area had paired meditation with live entertainment, which became the SōlHaus sweet spot.

“Stamford has been very gracious to me. I could not have started SōlHaus anywhere else.”

Enable Change, Build Communities

SōlHaus’ client list includes corporations, schools and non-profits. Events are attended by people from different races, creeds and ethnicities.

Glover firmly believes that mentally and physically healthy people create thriving organizations, as well as strong communities. SōlHaus’ engaging events boost mood, focus, and productivity. The end result is simple: People learn how to center themselves. More than boosting productivity, Glover says this work is vital to the life of our communities.

Even still, he sees huge wellness gaps in the Black community.

“Blacks, particularly Black men, don’t talk enough about mental health” Glover explained. He wants to change that. “I want Black people to have open conversations about what depression feels like, or how anxiety holds us back,” Glover continued. “If we can develop modalities that help people feel better, entire communities will become better.”

To that end, SōlHaus co-sponsors social justice events, including the recent Justice for Brunch and the Black Lives Matter Mural in Stamford. These events included activities like painting, voter registration and chalk art from other co-sponsors, as well as SōlHaus sessions around meditation and music.

“Wellness and mental health assure that neither our people nor our leaders burn out,” Glover insisted. “Wellness is the path to a thriving community, as well as a life that you can live with.”