Welcome
to DBSA Princeton
We are a mood-disorder
self-help support group affiliated with the Depression and Bipolar Support
Alliance (DBSA). The mission of DBSA is to improves the lives of people
living with mood disorder, and their loved ones.
Group meetings are held
every Tuesday and Wednesday at Lambert House, University Medical
Center at Princeton. Meeting times are 7:30 pm to 9:15 pm.
No pre-registration required. Please see our brochure (Adobe PDF file).
About Our Peer Support Meetings
We start with a "check-in" where members are free to share, or not, how they are doing and raise topics for discussion. Other than giving your first name, you are not required to say anything. We then discuss the topics that were introduced. The discussion is confidential to that particular meeting.
Meetings are led by trained facilitators who run the meeting and participate in the discussion just like any other member. We usually have about 30 attendees on Tuesdays, which we split into multiple discussion groups when we can. The Wednesday group is much smaller.
At our meetings, members help each other by sharing their knowledge and experiences. You may or may not feel your issues are addressed at the meeting, but you can still benefit by knowing there are others in similar situations, and from the support of others at the group.
Directions
From Nassau St. in
Princeton, proceed down Witherspoon St. Turn right onto Franklin Ave. as
you approach the hospital. Lambert House is at the first corner on the
left. Ample parking is available on Franklin Ave. as well as in the
parking lot across Franklin Ave. from Lambert House. Click
here for a Yahoo map pinpointing our location (“A” marks the
spot).
Please visit our links page for useful resources.
Our peer group meetings
are:
-
led by "peer" trained
facilitators (peer = other patients with a mood disorder )
-
welcome family and
friends with or without the person with the mood disorder
-
free of charge and no
pre-registration required *
-
host educational
meetings usually with lectures by doctors or other health professionals
-
provide literature,
including brocures published by the DBSA
national organization
-
NOT
a therapy group led by a mental health professional and do NOT give
advice - we just share mutual experiences to educate and support each
other.
-
Recovery-oriented; we
discourage "pity-parties"
Mood disorders can
often be controlled by
medication. In addition, psychotherapy can be very helpful. Many people
have been successfully stabilized on medication and lead normal lives,
and participate in our support group to help others. Support groups
help during recovery. "You are not alone, we can help".
About Depression & Mania:
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.
* Voluntary donations are welcome, to defray
costs of ordering brochures, making photocopies and other such
expenses. We do not make a collection during the meeting. You can
approach the facilitator if you wish to contribute. |
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Speakers:
July 14, 2009:
In Our Own Voice by NAMI Mercer ( Details )
August 11, 2009:
Employment and Workplace Issues with Elizabeth Zuckerman. ( Details )
September 8, 2009:
Ask the Doctor with Ricardo Fenandez.
( Details )
October 13, 2009:
Metabolic Syndrome and Mood Disorders with Lisa Motavalli.
( Details )
November 10, 2009:
Sleep and Mood Disorders with Marcella Frank.
( Details )
December 8, 2009:
Ask the Doctor with Dr. Anne Rochford.
( Details )
Nutrition Speaker
Ellen Cottone, Registered Dietician, gave a much appreciated presentation on Nutrition and Mental Health on May 12, 2009. You can get her hand out here (Adobe PDF document).
Meditation Speaker
Beth Evard, who has been introducing Insight Meditation to our group, holds free open-house meditation
sessions at the Princeton Center for Yoga and Health
(you may make a donation to the PCYH for the use of their
facilities). The next Saturday sessions will be from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM on:
June 20, 2009
July 11, 2009
August 22, 2009
September 19, 2009
October 10, 2009
November 14, 2009
December 12, 2009
The PCYH is on Route 518 in Montgomery. Their web site provides directions.
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