Vol 33, Issue 1 NAMI OF MIAMI NEWS January 2012
NAMI OF MIAMI - 5711 SOUTH DIXIE HIGHWAY, MIAMI, FL 33143 Ph(305) 665-2540 Fax (305) 665-2540
Email namiofmiami@aol.com
GENERAL MEETING
MONDAY JANUARY 23, 2012 7:00 P.M.
COCONUT GROVE SAILING CLUB - 2ND FLOOR
2990 SOUTH BAYSHORE DRIVE - MIAMI
ACCESSING THE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT SYSTEM
The January general meeting will be a presentation on how to access the mental health treatment system. Many folks do not know to navigate the system and our panel of experts will show the way.
The speakers will be Adilen Cruz, Adult System of Care Manager and Pamela Ford, Peer Service Coordinator, both of the South Florida Behavioral Health Network, and Mitchell Horwich , Esg., an outstanding attorney in the field of Social Security benefits for individuals with disabilities as well as guardianship, and wills, trusts and estate planning with emphasis on persons with disabilities.
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Refreshments and socializing will begin at 7 PM and the presentation at 7:30. Pertinent questions will be entertained during the presentation and there will be a question and answer period following the presentation.
NAMI's New Family Guide on Integrated Care is Available
NAMI has developed a new family guide on Integrating Mental Health and Pediatric Primary Care. The guide provides families with practical information on how to become more involved in the integrated care movement to improve the quality of care that their child receives.
Integrated care refers to the practice of incorporating mental health care into primary care settings and primary care into mental health and substance abuse care settings. Interest in mental health and primary care integration is growing and many communities have begun to pilot innovative approaches to integrated care that promise to provide higher quality, comprehensive and coordinated care for youth and their families.
Integrated care presents youth and families with unique opportunities to actively participate with both primary care and mental health providers in the integration of their care. This guide informs families about what integrated care means, the benefits of integrated care, what it looks like in practice, how it impacts youth and families and what they can do to become involved in the movement toward integrated care.
To order a free hard copy of the guide, please email Dana Markey, Program Manager, at danac@nami.org. If you would like bulk orders of the guide, please email Dana with your request as well. The family guide can also be accessed online at www.nami.org/primarycare .
DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION IN BIPOLAR DISORDER AND UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION
New study shows breakthrough results for treatment of bipolar disorder and unipolar depression (major depressive disorder) with deep brain stimulation (DBS). The findings show long term abatement of symptoms in treatment-resistant patients. DBS is a groundbreaking option for these severely depressed patients who have failed to respond — or failed to maintain a response — to other forms of treatment and therapy.
Scientific Council Member Helen Mayberg, MD and colleagues led the pioneering work. The new studies included patients with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder (nearly all prior studies of DBS in depression have involved patients with major depressive disorder only). The treatment-resistant patients were implanted with two thin wires on each side of the brain and into the neck – similar to a pacemaker – and were delivered pulses to the parts of the brain that control mood. All but one of twelve patients who reached the two-year point in the study had completely shed their depression or had only mild symptoms. Dr. Mayberg states: “We were particularly happy to see that bipolar patients responded as well as unipolar patients [with major depressive disorder] because bipolar disorder is notoriously hard to treat.” [from bbrfoundation.org]
OTHER BIPOLAR DISORDER TREATMENT
If you're still living with symptoms of bipolar disorder, you should know that many people with the condition are able to manage their symptoms. Feeling better often involves a combination of education, medication, and therapy, including psychotherapy, or "talk therapy." There are a number of different medications that have been shown to be effective in people with bipolar disorder, including Seroquel XR.
BIPOLAR DISORDER MEDICATION
Your doctor can tell you what kind of improvements and potential side effects you may expect with SEROQUEL XR. It may take some time before you start to feel better, but by finding a treatment that works for you, and taking it as prescribed, you can work toward getting back to the things you once enjoyed.
PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER
Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) can make it easier for patients and families to better cope with disturbing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with bipolar disorder. Talk therapy focuses on several important aspects of bipolar disorder management, including
1) Recognition of and treatment for recurrent mood episodes;
2)Management of stress, interpersonal/family issues, and regularity of daily activities;
3)Development of problem-solving skills. [FROM WWW.SEROQUELXR.COM]
CONSUMER CORNER
BY LUCRECIA BERZANSKI
There are things we don’t quite understand in this world - 9/11. However we don’t see the bigger picture. Only God does. Soooo.. What happens? We look beyond, we learn we need to trust, we learn we need to go on till (the end of the age). We have fun in the meantime trying to make light of things. We need to laugh - because a lot of it doesn’t make sense.
So we deal with schizophrenia, a totally self destructive illness left unchecked, and bipolar where emotions fly off the handle at the confusion and frustration in life.
With little help we survive it knowing that there is a power greater than ourselves which is love and guidance. Where pills and medication alone don’t do it, where suffering takes on deeper meaning. The mentally ill called for a big purpose we don’t yet understand.