Secret Side of Anger

September 13, 2011—We create anger internally. And what we create we can control. The root causes of anger are hurt, fear and frustration. “Heal these, and the anger never manifests,” says Janet Pfeiffer, our speaker at tonight’s meeting. Ms. Pfeiffer is President of Pfeiffer Power Seminars and the author of The Secret Side of Anger.

Being hurt causes us to feel powerless, so we get angry to restore a sense of feeling powerful. Fear leads to anger out of the feeling of helplessness that comes from a lack of trust in others—and ourselves. “If I’m confident, I don’t feel fear,” affirmed Ms. Pfeiffer. Frustration comes from trying to control—and the need to control—what you can’t. Rather than become angry, we have to know when to stop and say “enough!”

So how do you avoid becoming angry? By controlling how we respond to these triggers. That change begins with our thoughts and ends with better outcomes in a method Ms. Pfeiffer calls “TECO Magic.” Thoughts generate Emotions which lead to Choices that result in Outcomes. Change the thoughts, and everything else changes as well. Ms. Pfeiffer declared that “your personal power comes from your ability to choose your thoughts.”

Find an appropriate time to talk with those who hurt you. Explain how you are affected and come to an agreement about what each of you must do to avoid future hurt. Failing that, remove yourself from the situation (job, relationship, etc),…or accept things as they are.

Ms. Pfeiffer stated that anger is not always bad. “You can take anger and channel it into something productive—a constructive change.” But anger is inappropriate when used to do harm.

Beat Back Your Stress

April 18, 2011—“It is the way we think about things, and the way we react to how we think”, says Cindy Haines, "that causes us stress". Dr. Haines, a psychologist with Stress and Anxiety Services of New Jersey, presented at our April 12 meeting on “Anxiety and Wellness”. Such thinking leads to a vicious cycle, with our automatic negative thoughts increasing our stress and the stress causing us to have more severe automatic thoughts. All or nothing thinking, mind reading, and fortune telling are examples of cognitive distortions that can cause a physical reaction as real as a punch in the stomach.

How to break the cycle? Challenge those thoughts with reality checks. What is the likelihood that the imagined worst will happen? Even if it does, are the consequences so irreparable? Think of what you can do about it. Reality checking breaks the cycle by putting you back in control.

So you are stressed. Take a deep breath? Not such a good idea, asserts Dr. Haines, as that can lead to hyperventilation and magnify the stress. Instead, take normal, regular breaths (perhaps slightly deeper) and turn to relaxing thoughts, or count if that works better. Sensory grounding, taking an object and spending a few minutes to describe it tactilly, visually, and aurally, will help bring you back to reality and allow you to work towards resolving the problem.

Anxiety, though always a stress on the body, is not necessarily bad. Good anxiety helps us to overcome challenges as in “I need this push to succeed”. Bad anxiety, in contrast, makes us feel lousy.

Anxiety is a fear of fear. Challenge that fear, and find your way to a more healthy and helpful state of mind.

Manage Your Life—Don’t Let It Manage You!

February 9, 2011—At last night’s meeting, Carol Rickard, LCSW, laid out her Wellness Blueprint—a set of tools to reclaim and rebuild your life from depression. Those who believe that medication on its own is sufficient, reckons Carol, are mistaken. Essential it may be, but relying on medication alone to bring you wellness is like expecting to maintain your balance on a chair—with three legs missing. You must build a foundation—add legs to the chair—to maintain balance.

Adding outpatient follow-up, sobriety, and structure to your life can complete the foundation, but the more supports you employ the better. Nutrition, exercise, support (from loved ones and friends), socialization, coping skills, communication, spirituality (anything that creates a sense of peace), leisure, acceptance, and self esteem can be employed to lay a solid foundation for wellness.

Stress, when it piles up, becomes overwhelming. Deal with it by giving yourself permission to feel as you do and then act: seek help, prioritize and be realistic.

Healthy Mind, Healthy Body: Have It Your Way

December 16, 2010—The Standard American Diet, SAD, says Dr. William Hayes who presented 21st Century Nutrition at our December speaker meeting, could hardly be formulated better to enhance one’s chance of developing a depressive disorder, in addition to being responsible for the explosion of obesity and type 2 diabetes in our population. Not to mention our increased risks of having a heart attack or stroke, and of developing colon cancer. How did we achieve this unhappy result?

Politics and marketing. That the US Department of Agriculture food pyramid emphasizes dairy products is a consequence of the strong representation of dairy interests in Congress. Cow milk is the perfect food—for calves. For the rest of us, Dr. Hayes says, there are better sources of nutrition. Green leafy vegetables, for example, are a superior source of calcium.

The ready availability of fast and junk foods, and increasing portion sizes that emphasize fats and carbohydrates, have shepherded us along an unhealthy path. Remember when juice was commonly served in diminutive juice glasses? Not, it seems, unless you’ve been around more than a few decades.

What is the better way? Proper nutrition and lifestyle brings improved health and mood. Diet should emphasize vegetables, fruits and whole grains while avoiding saturated and trans fats. Your primary source of proteins should be beans and legumes, not meat. Omega-3 fatty acids, from fish or supplements, have proven benefits. Exercise and the practice of stress reductions techniques, such as yoga and mindfulness meditation, are lifestyle choices that help with health and mood.

Avoid junk food and eat at home where you control the ingredients, asserts Dr. Hayes, to advance to a sounder mind and body.

SSI/SSDI and Employment: Making Your Benefits Work

August 12, 2010—We were honored to have Huntley Forrester help us understand and distinguish SSI and SSDI, and the allowances Social Security makes to allow you to work and keep your benefits. Mr. Forrester, who spoke to our chapter on August 10, is a Project Director of NJWINS (New Jersey Work Incentive Network Support), whose mission is to enable beneficiaries with disabilities to make informed choices about work. Social Security wants you to work, if you can, and funds NJWINS to help you work and keep your benefits to the maximum extent allowed.

NJWINS assists persons receiving benefits from two Social Security programs, SSI and SSDI. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is based on disability and financial need. No work history is required, but to collect your financial resources must be below a limit ($2,000 if single). Any income from work may reduce your benefit.

You are entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if you once worked and have become disabled. The amount you receive depends on your work history. There is no means test. Even Microsoft’s Bill Gates, explained Mr. Forrester, can collect SSDI should he become disabled. The incentive programs for SSDI allow you to work and keep your full benefits for months regardless of income, and continue to receive benefits in part or in full for up to an additional three years depending on how much you make.

If you are collecting SSI or SSDI, and would like to work, visit njwins.org where you can find out who to contact, based on your county of residence, for assistance. You can also refer to the Social Security web site for information about SSDI and SSI.

NAMI Presents In Our Own Voice

August 10, 2010—We were pleased to welcome a NAMI Mercer In Our Own Voice (IOOV) presenter at our July 13 meeting. IOOV is a public educaton program where speakers living with a mental illness share their personal stories of illness and recovery.

Our presenter spoke to dealing with bipolar disorder from his perspective—that of an addict of 35 years—which included 1. Introduction and Dark Days, 2. Acceptance, 3. Treatment, 4. Coping Skills, and 5. Sucesses, Hopes & Dreams. A question and answer session followed the presentation. This was the presenter's second year in a row with us—he’s a true role model and great speaker!

Exercise and Mood Disorders

May 30, 2010—Jack Stolte of Capital Health spoke about exercise and mood at our May 25 meeting. Jack, an Exercise Physiologist as well as an Exercise Specialist, gave us an overview on the importance of exercise with the focus on why it’s more about a life change: doing something you like by starting slowly (with your doctors approval) and building up to 2-½ hours a week aerobically with strength training 2–3 times a week. Stretching, proper breathing and keeping hydrated are all key to your exercise routine. Setting goals and exercising with someone will help you keep track of your progress as well as making it more enjoyable.
     Data from epidemiological studies suggest an association between physical activity and reduced levels of depression. This is not, however, conclusive because studies done to date are hampered by small sample size, poor definition and assessment of depression, and insufficient follow up of participants. Well-designed clinical trials are needed to define the type, frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise that is most affective in alleviating depressive symptoms.
      Jack answered questions from the group’s participants as we went along. He gave us literature on exercise & mood with a page devoted to the benefits of daily physical activity.

Meds for the Mind: A Drug Researcher's Perspective

April 14, 2010—Last night we were honored to have Ildiko Antal, PhD, present on psychiatric medications: how they are discovered and what is known about how they work. Dr. Antal has devoted her career, mostly with Bristol-Myers Squibb, to the development of medications for disorders of the central nervous system.
      A challenge in developing psychiatric medications is finding the best candidates for a clinical trial. Compounds that are identified to be promising must be tested in animal studies to gauge effectiveness and toxicity. Physical effects, for example blood pressure, can be directly measured. This is not so for psychological effects. As Dr. Antal put it, "You can't ask a rat if he is anxious or depressed." It can take a decade for the rare compound that is approved as a medication to go through the entire process from discovery through clinical trails.
      Medications that affect mood are known for their body weight and sexual effects—for good reason. Dr. Antal revealed that all three, mood, appetite and sex drive, follow similar neurological pathways in the brain. This is what makes discovering a safe medication that helps mood without adverse appetite or sexual effects so challenging. With regard to weight, Dr. Antal noted that chewing sugar-free gum has been shown to reduce appetite and, therefore, helps to control weight gain.
      Medications must be at a threshold level in the body to be effective. If below that level, they can not work. This is why it is important to take medications as prescribed. Lowering the dose or frequency of taking a medication on your own risks releasing your illness from control.
      Dr. Antal views being on medication for a chronic mental disorder as no different than for other lifelong ailments. Many patients with high blood pressure or diabetes accept that they must take medication for the rest of their lives; it is better than the alternative. A mental disorder is a disease of the body no different from others except that the organ system affected happens to be the brain.
      Drug interactions are a serious concern. That is why all your prescribing doctors, and your pharmacist, need to know all medications you are taking. For example, caution is required for medications that have conflicting metabolic pathways through the liver as this could lead to unexpectedly high, or low, blood levels for such drugs.
      What does the future hold for the development of effective medications with less severe side effects? We need animal models that are better at predicting the effects of potential drugs on humans. And the holy grail is to figure out how ECT, an often effective treatment for persons with drug resistant depression, works so the effect can be mimicked in medication.

DBSA Princeton Walks Again

March 28, 2010—Once again DBSA Princeton is walking in support of NAMI Mercer. Their third fundraising walk will be in Washington Crossing State Park on May 22. So far we have raised $380. To donate, please visit the DBSA Princeton Team Page. May 26 update—We have raised $1,419 for NAMI-Mercer.

National Recognition for DBSA Princeton

March 13, 2010—The DBSA national office has awarded our chapter the DBSA Small Chapter Service Award for 2009. Chapter service awards, according to DBSA, are given annually "to recognize the exceptional accomplishments of our affiliated chapters." Two of the four award recipients for 2009 are in New Jersey, as our sister chapter, DBSA Succasunna, was awarded the Chapter Professional Advisor Service Award. The awards will be presented at DBSA's 2010 Annual Conference on April 29.
      In her award letter, Ingrid Deetz, Director of Chapter Relations for DBSA, stated that there were "many submissions this year, all outstanding, making the final decision very difficult." Ms. Deetz went on to write; "We particularly enjoyed learning more about the best practices the chapter is building, including facilitator training and new member packets, as well as your growth in numbers and services."
      The winning chapters will receive an award check of $500 later this year. They are also eligible to recieve reimbursement of travel costs up to $750 so that a member can attend the conference and receive the award.

Nathan Speaks

March 13, 2010—Dr. David Nathan, our chapter's professional advisor, presented at our March 9 meeting. He gave us an overview as to how a patient is evaluated, including a walk through of how doctors structure their notes. This was followed by an “Ask the Doctor” session. The evening was very informative.

Lazaruses Rise to the Occasion

February 10, 2010—Our guest speakers last night, Dr. Clifford Lazarus, psychologist, and Ms. Donna Astor-Lazarus, social worker, gave a dynamic and very well received presentation on the forms of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), their development and application. Dr. Lazarus’s father, Dr. Arnold Lazarus, pioneered several of these therapies, including multimodal therapy. He coined the term behavior therapy for these then innovative methods that have since displaced Freudian psychoanalysis in the practices of most therapists.
      Ms. Lazarus led us through a mindfulness exercise to illustrate its importance for promoting well-being by enhancing self-awareness to reduce anxiety and stress. Being mindful, bringing focus to the present whether that be your breathing, an activity or sensing your environment, helps us let go of the temporal annoyances that we all must endure in life.
      Dr. Lazarus addressed the importance of not requiring perfection in ourselves. “Shoulding” and “musturbating”, terms coined by Dr. Albert Ellis who created Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, when we fall short of unrealistic expectations is harmful and unnecessary.
      Dr. Lazarus has co-authored, with his father, popular psychology books and articles. In one such article, Be Your Own Shrink, which appeared in the November 2000 edition of Psychology Today, they present solutions to 10 emotional problems you can apply on your own, no therapist needed.

Officers for 2010 Selected

January 8, 2010—The Board of Directors met on January 5 to elect officers for 2010 and complete our submission for re-affiliation with our parent organization, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Elected were David as President, Emily and Bob as Co-Vice Presidents, Mark G and David as Co-Secretaries, and David and Mark S as Co-Treasurers.

Board of Directors for 2010 Elected

December 16, 2009—Our annual membership meeting was held in conjunction with our peer support group meeting on Tuesday, December 15. The purpose of the meeting was to elect our group's Board of Directors for 2010, get feedback from the membership, and to share and socialize with refreshments.
      There were 11 candidates for eight available positions, an outstanding showing of support and involvement by the members of the group. The members elected to the board are Bob, Cindy, David, Emily, Mark G, Mark S, Raph and Susan. The board will meet on January 5, 2010 to elect officers for 2010 and complete paperwork for annual re-affiliation with the national DBSA organization.

Speakers on Sleep and Metabolic Syndrome/Cardivascular Disease

December 1, 2009—Our group was honored to host speakers over the last two months on topics of particular importance to the health and well being of persons with mood disorders.
      On November 10, Dr. Rochelle Zozula, psychologist, spoke on Sleep Disorders. Dr. Zozula specializes in behavioral sleep, one of only three such specialists in New Jersey.
      There is a high correlation between psychiatric disorders and sleep disorders—little wonder as sleep is essential to the proper functioning of the brain. For example, falling into a pattern of early awakenings may indicate an oncoming depressive cycle for those diagnosed with major depression. And a return to normal sleep patterns indicates remission.
      Dr. Zozula says a brief mid-day nap, when the body tends to have a "post lunch dip" (which is not related to what you eat, but rather a natural decline in the core body temperature), is fine provided it lasts no more than 20 to 30 minutes. More than that and it may become disruptive to your sleep cycle. For example, if you suffer from chronic insomnia, the nap may be counter-productive to getting a full night's sleep.
      On October 13, Dr. Lisa Motavalli, cardiologist, spoke on Mood Disorders, the Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Diseases. It is well known that metabolic syndrome, a collection of risk factors including obesity, high triglycerides (a type of fat) and insulin resistance, is common among persons with mood disorders. Less well known is the association of mood disorders with cardiovascular disease, a disease that can lead to heart attacks. Thus it is especially important for persons with mood disorders to control their weight, eat healthfully and exercise regularly.

Ask the Doctor with Dr. Ricardo Fernandez, psychopharmacologist

September 26, 2009—Dr. Fernandez attended our September 8 meeting for "Ask the Doctor." His extensive and detailed knowledge of psychiatric medications plus his ability to convey that knowledge in an understandable and entertaining way was greatly appreciated by those in attendance. This was Dr. Fernandez's second appearance before our group; he previously spoke at our February 10 meeting. Dr. Fernandez also gave a more formal presentation at DBSA New Jersey's Third Annual Conference on May 16. You may download and view the slides he used for his talk at the conference in Adobe PDF format or as a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. If you don't have PowerPoint, you can view the latter with the Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer (Windows computers only).

Guest Speaker, Ms. Elizabeth Zuckerman, Attorney at Law

August 16, 2009—Ms. Elizabeth Zuckerman of Zuckerman & Fisher, L.L.C. gave a well received presentation on employment and workplace issues to our group on Tuesday, August 12. She explained what our rights are as employees under state and federal law. Though employees are not required to disclose any information to their employers about their medical condition, it is advisable to do so if you would like "reasonable accommodations" (e.g., adjustments in work environment or schedule) to be made under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employers subject to the ADA (private employers with less than 15 employees are exempt) must make an effort to work out with you what those accommodations will be. Also, you are not obligated to disclose your condition during the hiring process if the condition would not prevent you from doing the job, but should do so after you are hired if you have a need for accommodations. Please check Workplace Fairness on our Links page for useful resources on the web.

DBSA Princeton achieves tax exempt status

August 16, 2009—DBSA Princeton is now a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under federal IRS rules. This means that our group may accept tax-deductible donations from individuals and may apply for and receive grants that are available to tax-exempt organizations. To make a tax-deductible donation to our group, please see our donate page.

DBSA Princeton has also been granted an exemption from the New Jersey sales tax. We do not have to pay the tax on any purchases made for our organization.

Wednesday Night Peer Group Meetings Return

June 24, 2009—DBSA Princeton is pleased to announce the return of Wednesday night peer group meetings. The Wednesday night meetings are being reinstated because our Tuesday meetings have been overly successful, drawing about 30 attendees most weeks over recent months. It is hoped that the availability of an alternative night will draw some members away from the Tuesday group, but there is no guarantee that will happen as anyone may attend one or both meetings during the week.

The Wednesday meetings begin July 1, 2009, and will be at the same location and time as the Tuesday meetings: Lambert House, University Medical Center at Princeton from 7:30 pm to 9:15 pm. Due to scheduling conflicts, however, three Wednesday meetings during 2009 will be held in the conference room next to the hospital cafeteria. Those dates are August 12, September 23 and November 18.

During 2006, the group met weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This practice ended by 2007 as the group went through a period of transition. Dr. David Nathan, our medical advisor, got the room for Wednesday night meetings restored to us with the helpful cooperation of Bruno DiDonato and his staff at the hospital.

DBSA Princeton supports the NAMI Mercer Walk

DBSA Princeton was out in force with 15 participants in the NAMI Mercer 5k walk held at the Educational Testing Service in Lawrenceville, NJ on Saturday, May 30, 2009. This was NAMI Mercer's second fundraising walk. As of June 9, we raised $870 for NAMI Mercer, far exceeding our goal of $250. To see who walked, visit our team page.

DBSA Princeton members kick off the first NAMI Mercer walk, October 7, 2007

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).

Family and Friends Meeting

Our pilot Family and Friends meeting of April 14 was a success with nine family members participating. Amandalynn Salzman, a Family Specialist with the Intensive Family Support Services program of Greater Trenton Behavioral Health-Care, provided much appreciated support and guidance. Due to space constraints at the hospital and the need to expand to, and provide facilitators for, a second meeting night to accommodate growth in the peer support group, we will not be holding additional family and friends meetings at this time.

Guest Speaker Dr. Ricardo Fernandez, Psychopharmacologist

Dr. Ricardo Fernandez of Princeton Family Care Associates addressed our group on February 10, 2009. His presentation focused on mood disorders and their treatment with medication, and was very responsive to members' questions, staying well after the meeting was over to continue talking with members. He distributed a flyer on bipolar disorder which is available for download (Adobe PDF file).

Happy Birthday DBSA Princeton!

Our February 3, 2009 meeting was on the fifth anniversary of DBSA Princeton which first met on February 3, 2004. The group was started by Sekhar Subramani and several other dedicated members of the DBSA Middlesex group. Dr David Nathan, a Princeton Psychiatrist, was instrumental in getting the group started. We celebrated our anniversay at our February 17 meeting (postponed from February 3 because of low attendance due to the winter storm).

Board of Directors Meeting

The Board of Directors met on January 13, 2009 to elect officers for the year, complete our re-affiliation application with DBSA, and conduct other business concerning the group.

Officers for 2009 are David and Susan, Co-Presidents, Bob and Emily, Co-Vice Presidents, Anthony and Fran, Co-Secretaries, and David and Irving, Co-Treasurers.

We decided to permanently change the ending time of our meetings to 9:15 PM starting March 2009. Since November, we have been ending the meetings at 9:00 PM as an experiment. We will continue to conclude our meetings at 9:00 PM through February. Previously, the meetings had run to 9:30 PM.

We decided to create welcome packets to distribute to new members of the group. A committee was appointed to work out the details.

We also decided to make comment cards available to members, old and new alike, to get anonymous, and honest, feedback on how the group is doing and how it can be improved. A committee was appointed to create the cards with input from all board members.

Annual Membership Meeting

Our annual membership meeting was held on December 23, 2008. The purpose of the meeting was to elect our Board of Directors for 2009 and to get feedback on the group from members.

Our by-laws allow for up to eight members of the board. As we had exactly eight group members volunteering, all eight were elected by acclamation. The board members for 2009 are:

Anthony
Bob
David
Emily
Fran
Irving
Susan
Theresa

When members were asked to comment on the group, Irving took the opportunity to thank the facilitators for keeping the group going though a difficult period, that started during the fall of 2007, during which the group's continued existence was in question; his sentiment was widely shared by the members present. Thank you, Irving. That the group survived and is thriving is a credit to the members who continued coming and contributing, and the many new members who have since joined. The strength of the group is well reflected by the fact that eight members have volunteered to fill all eight available board positions.

The board will meet on January 13 at 6:30 PM, before the regular support group meeting, to elect officers for 2009, complete paperwork for our annual re-affiliation with the DBSA national organization, and conduct any other business that is presented by members of the board or other group members. Members are welcome to attend and present any issues or ideas they may have to the board.

Incorporation as a Non-Profit Organization

We received written confirmation in December 2008 that we became incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of Illinois as of June 2008. We are incorporated in Illinois because we applied through the DBSA national organization, which is in Chicago, and they handled all the paperwork for us. Our certification as a 501(c)3 organizaion, which will allow us to accept donations that donors can exempt from the Federal Income Tax, is pending with the IRS.

Newsletters

June 22, 2010

March 9, 2010

December 1, 2009

September 8, 2009

June 2, 2009

March 24, 2009 (April 7 update)

January 20, 2009 (February 14 update)

November 18, 2008

September 16, 2008

August 5, 2008