Dbsalliance

Dr. Priscilla Ridgway of the Yale Center for Recovery and Community Health and co–author of 'The Pathways to Recovery' workbook speaks with DBSA's Lisa Goodale about recovery and the recovery movement.

Certain words and phrases used by doctors and providers simply set many consumer's teeth on edge. So says DBSA's Director of Training Matt Mattson, who talks about "The Seven Dirty Words" that hinder patient/provider partnerships.

Being a mental health advocate doesn't mean you have to quit your job and rush to Washington, D.C. Gloria Pope, DBSA's director of advocacy and public policy, explains the basics of advocacy and what you can to do to help improve the lives of people living with mood disorders.

Lana Castle, author of Finding Your Bipolar Muse, speaks with DBSA's Cindy Specht about mood disorders and creativity. Do creativity and mental illness truly go hand in hand as many people believe? Do psychotropic medications cause creative droughts? Tune in and see what Ms. Castle has to say.

Ross Szabo is the Director of Youth Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign. He has a vast amount of experience in dealing with and educating others about mental health. Ross was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with anger control problems and psychotic features at age 16. He was hospitalized for wanting to take his own life in high school and had to take a leave of absence from college due to bipolar disorder. He eventually returned to American University and graduated cum laude with a degree in psychology. He is the only person in the country who has spoken to over half a million young people about mental health issues in the past 5 years and has a book titled, "Behind Happy Faces; Taking Charge of Your Mental Health," published in August of 2007.

Joan Esnayra, Ph.D. is President and founder of the Psychiatric Service Dog Society. A recipient of the 2006 Eli Lilly 'Welcome Back Award' in Primary Care, Dr. Esnayra has spent the past ten years pioneering the 'Psychiatric Service Dog' therapeutic model. Building upon her analytical training as a scientist, and her insights as a mental health consumer, Dr. Esnayra and members of her online community identified over 30 tasks or functions that Psychiatric Service Dogs may be trained to provide to their owners who are disabled by refractory symptoms of severe mental illness.

While the under—and misdiagnosis of mental illness is common in the general population, it's even more frequent in the African American community. Disparity in access to mental health care plays a significant role, but it's just one of several factors in the underdiagnosis of mental illness for African Americans. Listen to Dr. Bergeson and Dr. Lawson speak about the latest information, research and treatment of mood disorders in the African–American community.

Kristin Finn was inspired to write her first book after searching for practical information and guidance on managing her disorder ─ from preconception through postpartum. Fortunately, she kept a detailed journal, and is able to share her insights written from the unique perspective of someone who lives with a medical illness, particularly bipolar disorder.

"Relationships & Mood Disorders" features Dr. Brenda Shoshanna—psychologist,therapist, mediator, author and speaker. Dr. Shoshanna offers counseling and relationship mediation, helping to resolve conflicts constructively and discover creative solutions.Her work integrates psychology, spirituality and everyday life. The relationship expert on iVillage.com, Dr. Shoshanna speaks on all aspects of relationships,balance, transition and living life to the fullest and is dedicated to discovering and developing the best in herself and others. She has been in private practice as well, for over 25 years in Manhattan, and also conducts sessions via telephone all over the country. Her latest book, The Anger Diet (Thirty Days to Stress–Free Living), was named best book of the year in spirituality by Spirituality and Health Magazine. Visit Dr. Shoshanna's website, www.drshoshanna.com, to learn more.

Mitch Golant, PhD, is a licensed psychologist whose book What to Do When Someone You Love is Depressed offers guidance to friends and family on how to keep their own spirits up while at the same time doing what's best to help a loved one who's living with depression. The subjects he addresses include how to maintain intimacy and communication, what to do when someone threatens suicide, the role and limits of medication, the link between depression and chronic illness and how to handle specific challenging situations. Dr. Golant is also Senior VP of Research & Training for The Wellness Community (TWC), an international nonprofit that provides free support, education and hope to people with cancer and their loved ones at over 100 locations worldwide. Dr. Golant is widely recognized as a pioneer in the use of information technology in cancer education and support through online support groups. He has facilitated over 4,500 support groups for people with cancer and trained over 350 professionals in TWC's Patient

Melvin McInnis, MD, FRCPsych, is the Thomas B and Nancy Upjohn Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression, Professor of Psychiatry with the Department of Psychiatry and Depression Center at the University of Michigan. Dr. McInnis is an established and internationally renowned researcher in the genetics of bipolar disorder. He has published widely in the field and is an active participant in one of the largest and longest standings collaborations in BP disorder that began as the NIMH Genetics Initiative for Bipolar Disorder. This endeavor (known colloquially as the "G11") now consists of a collaboration between 11 universities within the USA and is dedicated to the genetics of BP disorder. Dr. McInnis' involvement began as a fellow genetics in 1989, at the time the collaboration between the 4 founding sites. Dr. McInnis has a relatively rare combination of research and clinical experience. He has extensive laboratory leadership experience in a molecular genetics laboratory as well as experience in

"Laughter is the Best Medicine" features David Granirer—counselor, stand–up comic and author of The Happy Neurotic: How Fear and Angst Can Lead To Happiness and Success. In his book, David challenges some very popular new–age thinking by proposing that negative, rather than positive thinking, is crucial for success. David is also the founder of Stand Up For Mental Health, a project teaching comedy to individuals living with mental illness as a way of building confidence and fighting public stigma. Learn how his students have found new passion and purpose on their road to recovery by learning stand–up comedy…who knows…perhaps maybe even you?! Visit www.standupformentalhealth.com to learn more about David and his work with Stand Up for Mental Health. Visit www.DBSAlliance.org/comedy2008 to learn how you might become a student and showcase your comedic talent at the DBSA 2008 National Conference this September in Norfolk.

Want to learn more about DBSA's online, real–time groups? Join us for this interactive chat! Online support groups are "a necessary part of our commitment to bring support to everyone who wants it, no matter where they are or how they need it," says Elizabeth Siegel, DBSA's Chapter Relations Manager who currently oversees the online support groups' operation. "We are the only organization offering this kind of virtual, real–time peer support to people with mental illness." One of the benefits of online support groups (OSGs) is the support it offers to all of those who don't have access to DBSA's local support groups, either because they live too far away or have limited mobility, or because they wish to remain anonymous. One of the challenges that OSG participants face in their text–only world is how to communicate the nonverbal expression that face–to–face groups might take for granted—a simple nod of support or a smile, for example, as someone tells his or her story. Find out how OSG participants and facili

Description Stephen Propst is Chair of the DBSA Board of Directors, president of DBSA Metro Atlanta and is an active voice on radio, television and in print. His Mind Over Mood column appears regularly in bp Magazine. He is a writer, a conference speaker and a consultant to families and patients who seek to successfully confront mental illness and have meaningful lives. Stephen holds an MBA from Michigan State University and previously worked in the hotel/restaurant field.

In this podcast, Gail Cutler of Rebecca's Dream speaks with Julie A. Fast, author of Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder and Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner, about why family support is crucial to recovery for those living with depression or bipolar disorder. This intimate conversation offers insight to both consumers and families, underscoring the importance of communication and understanding to create a supportive environment for loved ones with mood disorders. Rebecca's Dream is an organization founded by Gail and Norman Cutler in memory of their daughter, Rebecca Cutler. In addition to this podcast, Rebecca's Dream is the sponsor of "At Home with Wellness: Families and Recovery," a workshop scheduled for Friday, September 12, during the DBSA 2008 National Conference in Norfolk, Virginia.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. It is affecting a never–before–seen number of U.S. military who are traumatized by combat experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. In this podcast, DBSA speaks with Laura Prescott, Executive Director and Founder of Sister Witness International and Advisory Board Member of Mental Disability Rights International. Laura offers a general overview of PTSD for anyone who has endured the horrors not just of war but also of abuse or a terrible accident

Dr. Joseph Calabrese speaks with DBSA's Dr. Daniels about the differences, in terms of symptoms and treatment, between depression and bipolar disorder, especially bipolar II disorder. He explains the subtle symptoms of hypomania (bipolar II disorder's "mild high"), which is often overlooked by both mental health professionals and individuals living with the illness. He also addresses the several elements of treatment, including medication (traditional antidepressants versus mood stabilizers) and the importance of mood tracking, as well as family and peer support. Dr. Calabrese has written more than 200 scientific publications focusing on bipolar disorder and has presented his research on this illness and other psychiatric conditions to medical students and physicians in 11 different countries. In 2004, he received the National Alliance for Research Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) Lifetime Achievement Award for Psychiatric Research in mood disorders and was chosen by psychiatry residents as "Best Teacher

Darby Penney speaks with DBSA's Cindy Specht about "The Suitcase Project" (www.suitcaseexhibit.org) which documents the lives of a dozen patient residents at the Willard State Hospital in New York and her book, The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic, profiling the individuals featured in the exhibit. She explores both the tragedy of their stories and the catharsis that comes from giving them a voice…finally.

DBSA's Jim McNulty interviews SSA Ticket to Work (TTW) Program Specialist Sallie Rhodes and David Jones, an account manager for TTW Recruitment & Outreach, specializing in mental health, about this program—how it works and what it has to offer. The TTW program is free and helps those eligible for SSDI or SSI benefits to enter, or re–enter, the workforce. This podcast addresses the following: what type of employment and job search services/supports are available; what an Individualized Work Plan is; whether TTW affects disability benefits, health insurance coverage, and Medicaid or Medicare; the Social Security Administration's 2009 hiring project; and more.

DBSA's Karen Kraft speaks with freelance writer Michelle Roberts and Skip Treaster about bp Magazine's Winter 2009 cover story, "Making Amends, Asking Forgiveness." Skip was one of the people Michelle profiled in this article which explores the difficult and yet healing, transformative process that individuals go through to repair relationships wounded in the wake of a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder. Michelle discusses her experience as interviewer, and Skip shares his personal story of the ups and downs of making amends with his now–adult children. Read an excerpt from the article at www.bphope.com/Issue.aspx?id=25.