Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
National Capital Area Chapter | |
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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.
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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
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DBSA NCA Family and Friends Meeting | |
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IN PERSON & VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUPS
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As always, a calendar of all meetings, including zoom links, is on our site. https://www.dbsanca.org/supportgroups.html
IN PERSON MEETINGS
Tuesday
Silver Spring, MD group, first and third Tuesdays at 7:00 pm at
Silver Spring United Methodist Church, 8900 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Thursday
DC Peer Group, weekly at 7:15 pm at Foundry United Methodist Church, 1500 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036
VIRTUAL MEETINGS
The virtual family group will no longer be meeting. National offers several new groups, by age group and relationship to the person with a mood disorder. Please note this on the website. New groups offered: https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/newsletters/dbsa-launches-support-groups-for-parents-caregivers/
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
LGBTQIA+ Peer Group, first and third Tuesdays at 7:00 pm. Women's Peer Group, second and fourth Tuesdays at 7:00 pm.
Wednesday
Mid-Day Peer Group, Wednesdays at 12:00 pm. The Family, Friends, and Loved Ones Group has been shuttered as DBSA National now offers various support groups for these persons. https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/newsletters/dbsa-launches-support-groups-for-parents-caregivers/ Montgomery County, MD Peer Group, second and fourth Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.
Thursday
The Oxon Hill, MD UMC at 6400 Livingston Rd. will resume weekly, in-person, on Thursday, January 13 at 6:30 PM. 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 Silver Spring, MD in-person group meets the first and third Tuesday each month at 7:00 PM Eastern in the Fellowship Hall of the Silver Spring United Methodist Church at 8900 Georgia Avenue (parking on site, ½ mile from Silver Spring Metro). A Zoom Peer support group, open to all those with mood disorders, meets Wednesdays at 12:00 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.
PARENTAL SUPPORT FROM P2P & DBSA
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. 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 resources and share parenting experiences. To participate, call Jerry at the school, 212-787-6400. All meetings are on Thursdays, 1:00 PM ET.
Scheduled Meetings:
January 26, 2023
February 16, 2023
March 30, 2023
April 27, 2023
May 25, 2023
June 29, 2023
https://www.stevenson-school.org/blog/p2p
Special Events | Friends, Family, & Loved Ones Virtual | Peer In Person | Peer Virtual
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Holiday Cancelled Meetings | |
The DC Group will not meet December 22 or December 29 as the church will be closed.
The Sunday Virtual Group will meet January 1.
Meetings will resume in January. Happy Holidays!
IN THE NEWS
For Men's Health Awareness Month, please visit this site to access resources containing educational information for men with bipolar, men’s bipolar support groups, and more.
Men’s Corner - International Bipolar Foundation
Video Game-Based Intervention Helped Reduce Cognitive Deficits in Depressed Patients
Expert-Recommended Light Therapy Lamps to Help Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder
From The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation: Adding an Antibiotic Improved Brain Stimulation Results in Depression
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
WEBINARS
BBRF webinar Tuesday, January 10 at 2:00 PM ET.
Sex Differences in Mental Health Disorders | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
STUDIES SEEKING PARTICIPANTS
From The Collaborative Research Team to study psychosocial issues in Bipolar Disorder (CREST.BD): Mobile apps are increasingly being used to support self-management of people with bipolar disorder. This study aims to learn how patients use and interact with the Beta-version of the Polar Us app. In return for time and effort, you can choose to receive a total of USD $80.00 (or CAD 100.00) in gift cards at the end of your participation in this 12 week study. https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEqx6PlLGTK7Frw
Univ. of California, San Diego: The research study is being conducted to test whether using high dose spaced theta-burst rTMS (a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) produces a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. Contact: Itay Hadas at [email protected] https://clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation
Emory University: Suicidal Behavior in Patients Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder. Contact: Dorian Lamis, Ph.D. 404-616-3533, [email protected]
https://www.medifind.com/articles/clinical-trial/6572755
Evaluation of the Genetics at The Johns Hopkins Mood Disorder Research Center. Using genetic mapping and sequencing methods to identify genetic markers and variations that contribute to the risk of bipolar disorder. Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder are studied, along with their relatives. Contact: Research Coordinator, 410-614-1017.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Early Intervention for Youth at High Risk of BP: Researchers will conduct an efficacy trial of Interpersonal & Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) delivered via tele-health for the offspring of bipolar parents. Contacts: Kelly Monk, [email protected], Pamala Pyle, [email protected]
Johns Hopkins Medicine: patients will complete an over-the-phone interview to determine eligibility. If qualified the study member will schedule a date for you to undergo a skin biopsy and blood draw. $200.00 compensation is given once all components are completed (interview, blood draw, biopsy). Contact: Neal Prasad at 443-287-2981 or email [email protected]
Stanford Bipolar Disorders Clinic: participants undergo a 12-week course of either Pramipexole medication or rTMS therapy. The ultimate goal of the study is to offer participants experiencing anxiety and depression a treatment that is alternative to ones that have failed them in the past. Contact: call or text 650-600-1609 or email [email protected] http://med.stanford.edu/williamslab/research/current/rad.html
UCLA & The Childhood Bipolar Network (CBN). CBN sites have expertise in diagnosing, assessing, and treating youth. The primary aims of this study are to identify and reliably diagnose youth, ages 9-19, with bipolar disorder (BD) and BSDs, and to examine predictors (e.g., mood instability, inflammatory marker C-reactive protein) of clinical outcome over one year. Contact: David J Miklowitz, PhD 310-267-2659, [email protected]
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Where's The Rest of the Newsletter? | |
We have been making changes to the newsletter in order to give you more timely, relevant content, without superfluous or outdated information. However, if you may wish to access past newsletters, all of our newsletters are now archived at our Newsletter page. Unfortunately, these are not currently searchable by content. | |
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Are We Serving Your Needs? | |
We aim as volunteers to provide you with relevant and easily accessible content. Please let us know if we are successful, and especially if you think there are any changes to our newsletter or website that could better serve you by emailing [email protected]. | |
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Donations to the National DBSA may be made through the website. https://www.dbsalliance.org/
The DBSA NCA has a donation page which may be used for online contributions via PayPal or major credit card. Others may prefer to mail a check, payable to DBSA NCA, to our chapter's address on the website. Our chapter is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
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If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us via email or our dedicated voicemail line, 240-780-8706.
In Health,
The DBSA NCA Web Team
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