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New Local:  Emotions Anonymous  Support group

This support group is based on Twelve Step Organization, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous.  Fellowship is composed of people who come together for a weekly meeting for the purpose of working toward recovery from emotional difficulties.  This can include depression, anger, broken or strained relationships, grief, anxiety, low self-esteem, panic, abnormal fears, resentment, jealousy, guilt, despair, fatigue, tension, boredom, loneliness, withdrawal, obsessive and negative thinking, worry, compulsive behavior and a variety of emotional issues.  Meetings begin on Thursday, 8/13/2009.  Meetings are every Thursday, from 6-7:00 p.m. at 207 West Jefferson Street, #501 downtown Bloomington.

New Local:  Survivors of Suicide Group

This support group is for those who have lost friends and loved ones to suicide.  Contact Lynn Willard for date and time of meetings.

Where:  ABC Counseling and Family Services

              705 E. Lincoln Suite 303

               Normal, IL

             Contact Person: Lynn Willard     phone: 309-451-9495  

                  or    E-mail: lwillard@abccounseling.org

NEW WEB SiTE -  Fighting stigma:  Bring Change 2 Mind

Award winning actress Glenn Close on NBC nightly news discussing the effect bi-polar mental illness has had on her sister:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/33625678#33869188

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/33625678#33625678

Washington, D.C.—Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is Oct. 4-10, 2009 and as part of its observance, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is calling attention to a program now airing on PBS, Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness.

Observed annually the first full week in October, Congress established MIAW as a time to raise public awareness of serious mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Other diagnoses include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder.

• About 60 million Americans experience mental health problems in any given year. One in 17 lives with the most serious conditions. Less than a third get treatment.
• Half of all lifetime cases begin by age 14, but 10 or more years may pass between onset of symptoms and getting help.

“The first step in combating mental illness is education,” said NAMI Executive Director Michael J. Fitzpatrick.

•      Learn about symptoms that are warning signs.
•      Learn about different diagnoses and courses of treatment.
•      Discuss any concerns with a doctor.

Early identification is often the key to recovery. Treatment may involve combinations of medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy (“talk therapy”), peer support groups or community services. Diet, exercise, sleep and social support networks also play a role.

“As a society, we also need to strengthen the mental health care system and put an end to the stigma,” Fitzpatrick said.

Many PBS stations nationwide will begin airing Minds on the Edge, produced by Fred Friendly Seminars, Inc., during MIAW. The program explores the medical, legal, and personal dimensions of that broader challenge.

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS

“Minds on the Edge is perfect for public education,” said Fitzpatrick. “The program brings together some of the best minds in the nation for a fast-paced, lively discussion. It includes realistic scenarios of what can happen to anyone at any time.”

In the program,12 experts—including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Nobel Prize-winning neurologist Eric Kandel and  law professor Elyn Saks, who lives with schizophrenia and recently was honored with a $500,000 “genius grant” from the McArthur Foundation—are forced to “role play” and confront assumptions in order to define issues and solutions.

December Adult "Ask the Doctor" Call with Guest Xavier Amador

Save the Date: Friday, December 4, 2009

Please join us for our monthly adult issues conference call with NAMI's Medical Director Dr. Ken Duckworth and guest Xavier Amador. Dr. Amador is an internationally sought-after speaker, clinical psychologist, and a professor at Columbia University, Teachers College, in New York City. He is the Founder and Director of the LEAP Institute and author of eight books including the national best seller "I'm Not Sick, I Don't Need Help!"

He will discuss "People Living with Serious Mental Illness that are in 'Denial' and Refuse Treatment"

The call is toll free and scheduled from 11-12:30 Eastern Time on Friday, December 4th. To access the call, please dial 1-888-858-6021; participant code 309918#. This call can be made from any phone.

If you have any questions, please contact Bianca Ruffin via e-mail.

The current Livingston/McLean NAMI newsletter is available in pdf form at the bottom of this page under Relate Files.

Related Files

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