Depression and Bipolar ​Support Alliance ​National Capital Area Chapter Weekly Update October 24, 2021 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 Friday. Be sure to check out the chapter website at www.dbsanca.org . DBSA NCA Peer Support Meetings A special chapter board meeting the weekend of October 17th considered the matter of resuming in-person group meetings. It decided that the chapter groups that previously had in-person meetings may consider returning to in-person meetings or offering some combination of in-person and virtual meetings. The Thursday evening groups (DC and Oxon Hill) expect to make plans to resume in-person meetings in November or December, while virtual Thursday evening meetings are planned to continue. Other groups are delaying decisions for now. In person meetings will follow all procedures and guidelines recommended or required by national health agencies, the relevant local government, and the host institutions. This week the chapter will offer Zoom peer support groups as shown below. 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 group locations indicated below for virtual groups denote where these groups have met previously, and will probably return; however some groups will remain virtual indefinitely. Peers may opt to participate in any of the peer groups. The Zoom connection links for groups have changed for 2021. To join peer groups you use the same link to access any 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 . Sunday Evening Zoom Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Sunday, October 24, 2021 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time Beltsville Zoom Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Monday, October 25, 2021 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time LGBTQIA+ Zoom Peer Support Group Meeting No meeting this week Women’s Zoom Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Tuesday October 26 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time Mid-Day Zoom Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Wednesday, October 27 at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time Montgomery County Zoom Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Wednesday October 27 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time Southern PG Peer Support Group Meeting (In Person) No meeting this week. Location: Oxon Hill United Methodist Church - 6400 Livingston Road, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 Thursday DC Peer Support Group Meeting (In Person) Time: No meeting this week. Location: Foundry United Methodist Church, Room B2 - 1500 16th Street, NW, Washington DC 20036 Thursday Zoom Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time (gather from 6:45) Sunday Evening Zoom Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Sunday, October 31, 2021 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time 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 Family & Friends Meeting No meeting this week 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 Call for Web Volunteers & Feedback The Web Team is currently seeking administrative volunteers to help with putting out weekly newsletters and maintenance on the website. If you would like to help or provide feedback on these newsletters and the website , please reach out to [email protected] . Your assistance is most welcome and appreciated. We Need Your Likes! Our chapter now has a Facebook Page - please go to https://www.facebook.com/DBSANCA and click to “Like” the page. We will be using this to push out information about the chapter and mood disorder resources that you will find helpful. You can also use this page to share with friends and family who are looking for support. Our goal is to get 100 new likes in the next month so check it out! News From National DBSA Facilitator Training - National DBSA will be offering virtual training in most upcoming months, involving three required two or three hour sessions. Our chapter is offering more groups than it has in the past, and would very much appreciate having more trained facilitators who could sometimes lead them. If interested, please inform one of our chapter facilitators and/or contact Jill Burgos at [email protected] September 2021 eUpdate - Supporting Our Community DBSA recently released its 2020 Annual Report - learn all about the incredible work of DBSA over the past year. I’m Living Proof: A Letter to My Younger Self National DBSA Wellness Wheel DBSA Wellness Toolbox Mental Health Screening Center 8 Tips on Setting Boundaries for Your Mental Health - DBSA Ten Grounding Strategies To Help You Redirect Your Thoughts Suicide Prevention Information Online Events Outside of DBSA Our Future in Mind - Mental Health Summit, MHA - Streaming November 5-6 Our Future In Mind - Mental Health Summit Developing New Treatments for Mania Using Brain-Based Risk Markers - BBRF - Tuesday November 9 at 2:00 PM EST Our Future In Mind - Mental Health Summit Mind Your Mind Mondays - Mondays at 6:30-7:30 PM ET - The Mental Health Association of Maryland’s Vibrant Aging: Peers Program is a weekly opportunity for older Marylanders to learn about brain health and engage with others around mental wellness, with a different topic every week. - MHAMD Mind Your Mind Mondays | MHAMD Studies & Opportunities Healthy mothers aged 18-50 who experienced PPD are invited to participate in a 7-month study at NIH with appointments every two weeks. Call 301-496-9576 NIMH » Adults: Postpartum Depression Emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral impact of the COVID-19 pandemic - Clinical Trials Survey System | Home NIMH online study (approximately 2 hours) Depression: Repeated Doses of Ketamine, and Neuroimaging - NIMH Call 1-877-MIND-NIH to find out if you qualify. ClinicalTrials.gov is a database of privately and publicly funded clinical studies conducted around the world. You can search for studies involving a specific disease or condition, such as “bipolar disorder,” and for ones recruiting or soon to be recruiting participants. Further Resources The State of Mental Health in America - MHA 2021 Children's Mental Health Report - Child Mind Institute In Honor of National Recovery Month 2021, again featuring Lizabeth Schuch, our chapter Vice President: Arlington County Behavioral Healthcare Divisions presents: “Recovery is for Everyone” testimonials, on YouTube Understanding Anxiety, Depression and CBT - Online Course University of Reading free online course FreeWill for Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) - FreeWill lets you create a last will and testament. Severe Depression and Covid-19: Communities in Need Across the U.S. (pdf) - MHA What to Know When You're Newly Diagnosed With Depression - article from WEBMD From BBRF: Mindfulness Training Plus tDCS Stimulation to Treat Cognitive Decline in Older Persons with Depression or Anxiety Study Sheds Light on Prevalence of 'Long-COVID,' Including Cognitive and Psychiatric Symptoms Positive Phase 3 Test of Rapid-Acting Oral Medicine for Postpartum Depression Healthy Minds TV | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Study Identified Potential Predictors of Suicide Attempts in 30 Days Following Suicidal Thinking In Study, Phone-Based Mindfulness App Helped Young Teens Ruminate Less Depression’s Genetic Links Probed in 1 Million People in a Single Study for the First Time Obesity Is a Risk Factor for Brain-Structure Changes in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, 2 Studies Show Study Indicates Brain Lesions and Treatment Targets in Depression Affect the Same Circuitry, Suggesting New Treatment Possibilities Recent articles from BP Magazine (BP Hope) Solutions for Sleep Stress, Shared Beds, and Bipolar Inside a Bipolar Depressive Episode Reconciling with Resentment & Rapid-Cycling Moods How To Avoid Caregiver Fatigue Stand-Up Comedy as Stress Relief with Bipolar Reconciling with Resentment & Rapid-Cycling Moods “This Is the Moment”—Elite Athletes Making Headlines about Mental Health My “Bipolar Brain”: Constant Conversations in My Head How to Nurture Lasting Love with Your Partner Take Your Sleep to the Next Level When My “Go-To” Mood-Management Strategies Aren't Cutting It Marriage & Bipolar Disorder: Tips from a Dedicated Couple 20 Unexpected Signs of Bipolar Depression Three Bipolar Disorder Symptoms No One Wants to Talk About Monitoring My Moods to Catch Episodes Early The Financial Burden of Bipolar—4 Tips for Making It Work Bipolar & Work: How I Turn My Brain “On” 5 Ways to Make a Relationship Thrive Using Authenticity Lists to Avert an “Identity Crisis” How Nature Can Help Your Mind, Body, and Soul Don't Let the Stigma of Bipolar Disorder Stop You 5 Fixes for Forgetfulness & Lack of Focus College Prep for Students with Bipolar How to Nurture Lasting Love with Your Partner Take Your Sleep to the Next Level The Importance of Sleep Hygiene in Bipolar Management Power of the Page: Writing as Therapy Bipolar & the Eyes: What Does the Research Reveal? 4 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Treatment Facility for Bipolar Disorder ​ Contributions to DBSA Donations