About Us______

We are a self-help support group affiliated since 1986 with the highly respected Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. DBSA is in almost all states. We were New Jersey's first.

People who are diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder (manic depression) and their families are welcome. Our goal is to provide information about diagnosis and treatment of this biochemical disorder. Mood disorder can often be controlled by medication. In addition, psychotherapy can be useful. Many people have been successfully stabilized on medication and lead normal lives.

Common possible symptoms of depression include:
• changes in appetite
• decreased or increased sleeping
• loss of energy and motivation
• inappropriate or exaggerated feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, impending disaster or doom
• exaggerated feelings of guilt
• unexplained aches and pains or ailments

Common possible symptoms of mania include:
• impaired judgment
• high energy level and increased activity/talking
• significant decrease in sleeping
• inflated self esteem (grandiosity)
• extreme irritability and/or restlessness

Other symptoms are possible. No one symptom determines the disorder. A psychiatrist or psycho pharmacologist should be consulted for an evaluation.

We provide educational meetings usually with lectures by doctors or other health professionals. Peer support sessions provide groups where experiences, problems and solutions as well as mutual support are shared.

We have an audiotape library of many of our past speakers. We have a literature librarian at meetings. We can provide 2 excellent newsletters, one of which contains the latest research.

Two-thirds of people with mood disorder are not getting any help or they may not be receiving the proper help. We are happy to talk to new callers. We feel we can lead people to good help and offer good support as well.