Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance National Capital Area Chapter Weekly Update April 18, 2021 Hello and welcome to the new weekly email! We are very excited to show you all the work we’ve done to bring you a new experience online. 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 new chapter website at www.dbsanca.org . DBSA NCA Peer Support Meetings This week the chapter will offer Zoom peer support groups: Sunday evening, Monday evening, Tuesday evening (women’s meeting), Wednesday at noon, Wednesday evening, Thursday evening, and Sunday evening. 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 denote where these groups have met previously, and will probably return. 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 . Southern PG County Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time Beltsville Peer Support Group Meeting No meeting this week. Women’s Peer Support Group Meeting No meeting this week. Mid-Day Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time Montgomery County Peer Support Group Meeting No meeting this week. DC Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time Southern PG Peer Support Group Meeting Time: Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 6:00 PM Eastern Time Invite link for all 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 Time: Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 7:30 PM Eastern Time 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 DBSA POETSPEAK Please join us on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at 7 PM for another great DBSA POETSPEAK . Bring your poetry, short-short story or essay, songs, dance, jokes, or other entertainment. Hosted by DBSA facilitator Billye Okera. All are welcome; bring your tea and toast and relax and join us for 2 hours of fellowship and fun. See you then. Next Speaker Series Program to feature Roy Richard Grinker DBSA NCA is excited to announce that our Speaker Series Program will feature Roy Richard Grinker in conversation with DBSA Advocacy Vice President Phyllis Foxworth regarding his new book. “Nobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness” Tuesday, May 4, 2021 7:00-8:30 PM ET – via Zoom Nobody's Normal argues that stigma is a social process that can be explained through cultural history, a process that began the moment we defined mental illness, that we learn from within our communities, and that we ultimately have the power to change. This conversation will explore how we understand these issues today and ways that peers can address them. Roy Richard Grinker is Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Grinker was born and raised in Chicago where his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father worked as psychoanalysts. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1983 and received his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology at Harvard University in 1989. He is the author of Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness (NY: W.W. Norton, January 2021) and Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism (NY: Basic Books). Grinker is also the author of numerous other books in the field of anthropology. He was a 2008 recipient of the National Alliance on Mental Illness KEN award for “outstanding contribution to the understanding of mental illness” and the 2010 recipient of the American Anthropological Association’s Anthropology in the Media award for “communication of anthropology to the general public through the media.” Phyllis Foxworth is the Advocacy Vice President at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. After being diagnosed with a mental health condition in early adulthood, Ms. Foxworth continues to live in wellness and facilitates a weekly DBSA Family & Friends Support Group. Ms. Foxworth directs the organization’s national advocacy strategy with a focus on strengthening mental health parity laws and compliance, broadening adoption of peer support services and development of the peer specialist workforce, and ensuring that patient-desired treatment outcomes are adopted and integrated throughout the entire health care eco-system. Register in advance for this program: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Note that this program will be recorded. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZYrceuuqTwpHNWdUhYYF7t0P1XYXHLmQ6UC The book can be purchased through Politics and Prose Bookstore at https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9780393531640 DBSA Chapter Outreach Project Planning Committee Meeting Scheduled As recently announced, The National Capital Area Chapter was the recipient of a generous donation to support the development of a community outreach campaign, with a particular focus on communities of color. The Board is very excited with the possibilities that this contribution presents to the growth of DBSA in the region and opportunities for members to participate in a variety of ways. A special planning committee has been established to develop a marketing campaign and create new support group meetings targeted to a variety of communities. The first meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 20th at 7:15 PM. DBSA Chapter members are invited to participate in this effort and are encouraged to reach out to Gregory Billings
[email protected] if you would like to participate in this discussion. Online Events Outside of DBSA MHA Webinar - Tue. April 27 - 2:00 PM EDT [In Conversation With Series] The Social Justice Movement of Peer Support IBPF Webinar - Tue. April 20 - 3:00 PM EDT GRAPES A tool for maintaining mental health in everyday life and challenging times May 6, 2021: Fourth Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium NCOA Learning: 2021 Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day News from National DBSA The National DBSA has a very active social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and you are encouraged to follow these channels for a range of excellent resources and information: https://www.facebook.com/DBSAlliance https://www.linkedin.com/company/depression-and-bipolar-support-alliance-dbsa-/ https://twitter.com/DBSAlliance Some recent postings have included: Recognizing the early signs of a mood disorder - Young Adult Council - DBSAlliance Clinical Research Stakeholders Join the STARR Coalition to Highlight Critical Mental Health Research How to Get Out of Bed When Depression Is Keeping You Down Links National DBSA Covid-19 Resources National Institute of Mental Health Covid-19 Resources Managing Grief During a Pandemic (Facebook) Handling Bipolar Symptoms While Isolating National DBSA Wellness Wheel New report from BBRF and JAMA: A Close Look at How COVID-19 Infection Can Damage the Brain ASFP: Will Suicide Rates Go Up Because of the Pandemic? ‘Nobody Has Openings’ - Recent New York Times article: Mental Health Providers Struggle to Meet Pandemic Demand Article on Accelerated rTMS - Brain & Behavior Research Foundation: In Major Depression, Accelerated rTMS Brain Stimulation Shows Promise Study Links PTSD Stress To Cortical Thinning and Shorter Expected Lifespan From Healthy Place: How to Forgive for Your Emotional Health New York Times Article on TMS and Deep-Brain Stimulation: A Better Way to Zap Our Brains Videos Major Depressive Disorder: https://www.neurocarelive.com/app/mdd-2020 Insomnia: https://www.medlive.com/app/insomnia/ Recent articles from BP Magazine (BP Hope) 10 Things NOT to Say to Someone with Bipolar Zack McDermott on His Memoir and His Mom Managing Bipolar with Our Sacred Daily Rituals 10 Solutions To Your Exercise Excuses Marriage Advice from a “Bipolar Wife” Managing My Irritability Before Depression & Mania Take Hold 6 Ways to Cope When Bipolar and Anxiety Overlap The Partnership Pact: How One Couple Prioritizes Love Through Bipolar What I Wish Family & Friends Knew About Bipolar Miss Utah USA, Rachel Slawson, on Mental Wellness Bipolar & Identity: Living Beyond the Label David Chang: Recipe for Change The Key to Lifting Bipolar Depression 3 Ways to Help Family Become Better Caregivers 10 “Excuses” We Tell Ourselves about Bipolar Medication Contributions to DBSA Donations to the National DBSA may be made through the website: Donate to DBSA National . The DBSA NCA homepage has a donation link 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. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact us via email or our dedicated line, 240-780-8706. In Health, The DBSA NCA Web Team