Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance National Capital Area Chapter Weekly Update April 17, 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 Google Calendar Link https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=c_jf01i5oim3ibbt9g36ku0ujjf4%40group.calendar.google.com &ctz=America%2FNew_York 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 Google Calendar Link https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=c_2aih6ldtp0cojm4h58glb3h3ho%40group.calendar.google.com &ctz=America%2FNew_York News, Events, and Resources In Person Meetings Note that our chapter now has three different in-person peer support groups taking place. Two are on Thursday evenings, and operate in parallel with the 7:00 PM ET virtual Thursday group, which continues as before. The meeting at the Oxon Hill UMC at 6400 Livingston Road is also at 7:00 ET. The meeting at Foundry UMC at 1500 16th St NW in DC is moving its start time to 7:15 PM ET starting this week. This is being done because parking is now largely restricted on 16th Street, NW, until 7:00 PM. A 7:15 start will allow participants to park there. (The group finishes by 8:45, and the church closes at 9:00.) The Beltsville group has opted to move to a hybrid meeting structure. It will continue to meet virtually at 7:00 PM ET on the second Monday of each month. Its meeting on the fourth Monday of the month, also at 7:00 PM ET, will now be in-person at the Emmanuel UMC at 11416 Cedar Ln, Beltsville. The Montgomery County peer support group is still considering when it may return to in-person meetings. — DBSA NCA Seeking Volunteers for Sound Mind Event April 20 The Chapter has been invited to host an information table at Sound Mind's Road to Recovery program at the Black Cat on the evening of Wednesday April 20 at 6:30. Sound Mind brings together musicians, music lovers, and forward-thinking organizations to build community and open dialogue around mental health - leveraging the power of music to catalyze social change. The concert on April 20th will feature Indigo De Souza, an American singer-songwriter from Asheville, North Carolina. This is an excellent opportunity for DBSA to get its message out into the community and the first of what we hope will be additional opportunities to let people know about the life saving work we do. We are looking for two volunteers to help staff the table; please contact Eric Scharf at
[email protected] for more information. — Online Events From International BiPolar Foundation, a webinar, Tuesday April 19 at 2:00 PM ET on "Resiliency Strategies For Recovery From Serious Mental Illness" https://ibpf.org/resiliency-strategies-for-recovery-from-serious-mental-illness/ From the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, two upcoming virtual events: Tuesday April 19, 7:00-8:30 PM ET, "More Than Sad: Parent Education" https://ncacmts04192022.attendease.com/ Sunday April 24, 4:00-5:00 PM ET, "Talk Saves Lives" https://ncactsl04242022.attendease.com/ — From DBSA National Survey on Older Adults Living with Depression AND Chronic Physical Health Condition(s): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/depressionANDhealth — Articles From Kasley Killam, who gave a talk to our chapter in December 2020 on loneliness and social connection, a link to a Psychology Today article: Did People Get Lonelier During the Pandemic? Creating the Conditions for Social Well-Being - Social Health Labs Resolving Relationship Roadblocks—Together | bpHope.com The Bipolar Trickster | bpHope.com Why I Save My New Year's Resolutions for Spring | bpHope.com Real Advice from Real People Living with Bipolar | bpHope.com Boundaries & Bipolar: How to Lay Down Limits | bpHope.com In Pursuit of Pleasure: Planning for Impulsivity | bpHope.com 7 Tried-and-True Ways to Manage Depressive Thoughts | bpHope.com 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] . Contributions to DBSA Donations to the National DBSA may be made through the website. https://www.dbsalliance.org/ 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 voicemail line, 240-780-8706. In Health, The DBSA NCA Web Team
