Depression and Bipolar ​Support Alliance ​National Capital Area Chapter Weekly Update October 31, 2022 Hello and welcome to the weekly email! If you have a suggestion or news item to share please send to [email protected] by 5:00 pm on Fridays. Be sure to check out the chapter website at www.dbsanca.org . DBSA NCA Peer Support Meetings We have resumed in-person meetings. See our Support Groups & Events calendar for more information. This week the chapter will offer Zoom peer support groups as shown on our Support Groups & Events page. Please note that peer groups are for people living with depression and bipolar disorder. The Friends and Family group is for friends and family members of those living with depression or bipolar disorder (or other mental illnesses) to share the challenges of that relationship. The Zoom connection links for groups have changed. To join peer groups, you may use the same link to access any Zoom meeting at its scheduled time. The Friends and Family group (first and third Wednesday evenings) has a different link for its meetings. If the provided link is used online, a password should be unnecessary. Please let us know of any difficulties via [email protected] . ​ See our Support Groups page for up-to-date information on in person and virtual groups. Invite link for all ZOOM PEER groups: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6625874960?pwd=TU5SZ3lkV3o4TDhDdi9lZU1jZDZMQT09 Meeting ID 662 587 4960 Passcode: dbsanca One tap mobile +13017158592,,6625874960#,,,,,,0#,,3858633# Dial in 301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 662-587-4960 Passcode: 3858633​ DBSA NCA Family and Friends Meeting ​ Invite link for the FAMILY & FRIENDS group: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82298544216?pwd=QVpkeVFIeTJvVGJwbmpXNHdWcnVlQT09 Meeting ID: 822 9854 4216 Passcode: dbsanca One tap mobile +13017158592,,82298544216#,,,,*6740529# Dial in 301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 822 9854 4216 Passcode: 6740529 Find Upcoming DBSANCA meeting and events This is a link to the chapter calendar of meetings and events. ​​ https://calendar.google.com/ calendar/embed?src=c_ jf01i5oim3ibbt9g36ku0ujjf4% 40group.calendar.google.com &ctz=America%2FNew_York News, Events, and Resources In Person Meetings Our chapter currently has three separate in-person support groups taking place. Two are on Thursday evenings, and operate in parallel with the 7:00 PM ET virtual Thursday group. The Oxon Hill, MD UMC at 6400 Livingston Rd. has been suspended until 2023. The DC based Foundry UMC meeting at 1500 16th St NW has moved its start time to 7:15 PM ET. Parking is now largely restricted on 16th Street NW until 7:00 PM. A 7:15 start allows participants to park with more ease. The group finishes by 8:45 PM, and the church closes at 9:00 PM. The Beltsville, MD group has returned to virtual only. They meet on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 pm ET. The Silver Spring, MD in-person group will meet on the first and third Tuesdays at 6:00 PM at the Silver Spring UMC. The location is 8900 Georgia Avenue, one mile south of the Capital Beltway, and 1/2 mile north of Colesville Road (Route 29), a 15 min. walk from the Silver Spring Metro. Zoom Peer support group, open to those with mood disorders, meets Wednesdays at 12:00 pm. Invite your family, friends, and loved ones to join our support group specifically for caregivers and those needing resources for understanding mood disorders. This group meets the first and third Wednesday of every month at 7:30 pm. LGBTQIA+ Peer Group meets first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 pm ET. Women's Peer Group, second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 pm ET. NEWS FROM OUR CHAPTER ONLINE VIDEOS OF DBSA’S SPEAKER SERIES DBSA NCA Speaker Series Talks by Dr. Jacobsen and Dr. Gao are now live to view on our website under Speakers Series. Diagnosis and Treatment of Biopoloar Disorder: What Patients and Families Should Know Dr. Gao Surviving & Thriving: Covid, War, Stress & Despair by Dr. Jacobsen Identification of Symptom-Specific Brain Circuit Abnormalities in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation DBSA National Statement on Gun Violence The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance acknowledges the heaviness many people around the country are feeling in the wake of the recent mass shootings. Click here to read full statement . National DBSA Annual Report 2021 https://annualreport2021.dbsalliance.org/ Gain a closer look at the impact our chapter’s support has had on those living with depression and bipolar disorder. Through education, support, and action, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, along with our community of mental health advocates, is lighting the way for wellness for more people than ever before. MEDICARE HELP The Medicare patient resource center is on a mission to help people with disabilities get the most out of the Medicare program (note: they do not sell or provide healthcare plans). They have published a comprehensive guide to understanding eligibility, coverage, and, most importantly, how to navigate the enrollment process. THE NIMH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Sign up for the latest mental health news, research advances, upcoming events, publications, clinical trials, meeting summaries, and more. In addition to the email newsletter and RSS updates , please also visit NIMH on Twitter , Facebook , and YouTube , where they highlight Science Updates, Press Releases, and other timely matters. From DBSA National- New Groups & Resources to Help Families The DBSA Teen Council is a group of high school students (ages 15-18) that meet with DBSA each month to discuss issues impacting teen mental health, particularly for those living with depression or bipolar disorder. The group advises DBSA on the types of resources teens need to support mental wellness and creates its own resources to share with the DBSA community. If you are a teen, aged 15-18, who is interested in joining the DBSA Teen Council, please fill out the application . NEW! Online Support Groups For Teens Aged 14-17 DBSA now offers support groups for teens aged 14-17 living with mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder. Support groups will take place virtually twice a week, Mondays at 5:30 p.m. CDT and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Space is limited, please apply online: https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/newsletters/teen-support-groups/? NEW! Online Caregiver Support Groups DBSA has just launched pilot support groups for parents and caregivers of children living with mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder. Registration for the Parent and Caregiver Support Groups pilot powered by Haven Now is open. The parent and caregiver support groups are 90-minute online support groups organized by the age group of the child: Young Children (4-10), Tweens (11-13), Teens (14-17), Young Adults (18-25), and Adults (26+). Register online: https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/newsletters/dbsa-launches-support-groups-for-parents-caregivers/ Parental Support NYC’s Robert Louis Stevenson School's P2P Network is proud to partner with DBSA National. The P2P Network offers parent-driven resources and support in real time. Personal and intimate, this monthly online forum, hosted by the school, is free and open to parents and primary caregivers nationwide raising emotionally complex children and young adults. Attendees offer and ask for resources and share parenting experiences. To participate, call Jerry at the school, 212-787-6400. All meetings are on Thursdays, 1:00 PM ET. The next meeting is Nov. 17, 2022. https://www.stevenson-school.org/blog/p2p DBSA Peer Awards Presented at Recent Summit: 2022 DBSA Peer Awards - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Teens: Join a Depression, Bipolar Support Group Made for You Mental Health Resources for Parents and Children - DBSA Chronic Conditions and Mental Health - DBSA Lynn G. - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance TREATMENT OF ILLNESSES Psych Congress: Bipolar Disorder Across the Spectrum: Novel Screening Tools and Treatment Options | HMP Education ​ Folic Acid Supplements Were Associated With Lower Suicidality in Large Database Study Safety of t-PBM, A Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Technology That Uses Light to Treat Depression & Anxiety "Supporting Wellness": A Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Mixed-Methods Investigation of Lived Experience Perspectives and Priorities for Mood Disorder Treatment - PubMed ​ OUTDOOR EVENTS #hikeOctober - Hikes for Mental Health Check Out The Schedule Join the fifth annual #hikeOctober campaign to raise awareness of the challenges of mental illness, fund mental health research and conserve wilderness trails. #hikeOctober is free to join, open to hikers of all experience levels, and an easy way for your walk in the woods, or around the park, to make an impact. FROM DBSA NATIONAL Letter From Our CEO: DBSA Introduces Our New Tagline - Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance A Conversation with DBSA Co-Founder Rose Kurland A Spotify podcast interview with DBSA co-founder Rose Kurland, who takes us back to the fall of 1978, when six people gathered in her living room in Glencoe, Illinois. This small but enthusiastic group laid the foundation for the life-changing work that reaches across 35 years. Rose shares highlights from DBSA's earliest years in a conversation with communications director Betsey O'Brien, giving us a glimpse of the friends, colleagues, and medical partners who have fueled decades of hope and progress for people with mood disorders. You can learn more about DBSA's origins by checking out the timeline. https://www.dbsalliance.org/our-history/ ​ Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Trauma, and Mental Health ACE’s are traumatic experiences during childhood (from birth to 18-years-old) which can have a lifelong effect on mental health. Examples include experiencing or witnessing abuse, neglect, or violence in early life. To learn more read this fact sheet