march 2017 fresh start...2017/12/03 · 11 meeting and membership information newsletter date 2017...
TRANSCRIPT
NAMI COBB
NAMI Cobb
2017 Leadership Team
Interim President / Communications
Greg Ausham
2nd Vice-President / Outreach
Linda Akanbi [email protected]
Secretary - Nancy Spetnagel
Treasurer and Parliamentarian–
Paul Wiser [email protected]
Membership Chair—Robert Gray
Advocacy Chair—Sylvia Oliphant
CIT/Newsletter Editor – John Avery
Website Management Chair: Tim Link
Fundraising Chair—Reina Panataleon
Past President—Neill Blake
Website: www.namicobb.org
Email: [email protected]
Mailing address:
NAMI-Cobb
P.O. Box 999
Kennesaw, GA 30156
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
1 Monthly Meeting
2 Educational Series Speaker
3 NAMI Cobb News
5 6 Little Known Truths About Psych Medications
9 Be patient with that friend who always cancels
9
10
11 Meeting and Membership Information
Newsletter Date Volume 1 Issue 1 March 2017 FRESH START
Education Meeting / Speaker’s Bureau
Next meeting will be March 16, 2017
7-8:30 PM Turner Chapel Room 182
492 N. Marietta Pkwy, Marietta 30060
Education Speaker Series Presents:
Empowerment through Employment: Working with a Disability
Cole Chase, MS, CRC Vice President, Vocational Rehabilitation
Mr. Cole Chase is the Vice President of Vocational
Rehabilitation Services for Nobis Works. In this role, Cole plans, directs, and coordinates the operations and activities of
the Rehabilitation Department.
Page 2 Fresh Start
Fresh Start Page 3
President’s Letter
As we expected, the ongoing health care debate is the subject that everyone is concerned about. It is the number one story on all cable news channels and the top of the list of what the media refers to as water cooler discussions.
NAMI has already started fighting in order to protect mental health coverage for millions of Americans.
The CBO report released on the American Health Care Act (AHCA) which has been introduced to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), estimated that 24 million Americans would be taken off coverage within ten years.
NAMI has issued a statement that it is “concerned because the bill goes much further than addressing the health insurance market. Instead, it strips funding from Medicaid, the most significant provider of mental health services for Americans with mental illness.”
We must be vigilant and forceful in keeping health coverage for mental health. The irony of losing coverage is that many of those needing treatment will end up getting even more costly care by ending up in emergency rooms, hospitals and jails.
Call or write your U.S. Representative and our two U.S. Senators to express your concerns. Greg Ausham Acting President/1st VP NAMI Cobb
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Due to some changes in the future, the Leadership Team elections normally held in March are being
delayed until the May Educational Meeting. More information about the elections will be in upcoming
newsletters and Constant Contact announcements.
NAMI Cobb will be going through some changes in the next couple of months and membership input will
be needed to make some very important decisions for the future of our affiliate.
NAMI Cobb is in need of volunteers who would like to participate and be a part of the future of NAMI
Cobb, so, if you are interested or would like to make a difference, please contact any Leadership Team
member for more information on current and future needs, and how you can help.
More information about upcoming volunteer opportunities and leadership positions will be in the April
newsletter. It will be very important that everyone attend the April Education Meeting as all of these
topics will be outlined and discussed.
Page 4 Fresh Start
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NAMI Cobb News
NAMI Connections Weekly Support Group
Our NAMI Connections Support Group for persons with a mental health diagnosis continues to meet every Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 046 at First Presbyterian Church located at 189 Church Street in Marietta. We have a good core group of people who are committed to living in wellness - please come join this drop-in group any Monday or every Monday! Contact Paul Miner: [email protected] for more information.
Weekly Family Support Group
Our Family Care and Share Support Group is a drop-in group for family members and caregivers for someone with a mental health diagnosis. The group meets every Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 048 at First Presbyterian Church, 189 Church St in Marietta. If your family member is in crisis, come any or every Monday to receive support from others. And if your family member is doing well, please come to give your support and share your experiences with others! Contact Greg Ausham at 330-801-0328, Susie Allen at 770-565-4335 or Sylvia Oliphant 678-471-5907 for more information.
http://namiga.org/2017annualconference/register-2017-nami-georgia-annual-conference/
Fresh Start Page 5
Ending the Silence Presentation at Hillgrove High School on January 20th.
We spoke to over 300 students.
Page 6 Fresh Start
6 Little Known Truths About Psych Medications From Shasta
County Brave Faces Advocates
The Brave Faces and Voices project began in 2012 as a way for Shasta County residents to reduce stigma and
shame associated with mental illness and suicide by telling their inspiring stories of recovery. Nearly 30 people
have bravely come forward to share their experiences with the goal of debunking pervasive misconceptions that
prevent people from seeking help and support.
Truth 1: Medications Work Differently On Different People.
James Herington, Burney resident: I don’t think it’s a good idea to rely on a diagnosis from a family
physician who isn’t a trained psychiatrist. When I lived in Boise, Idaho, a family physician put me on a lot of different
medications that had some horrible side effects. It wasn’t until I met with a psychiatrist in Burney that I was able to get
something helpful. Today, I’m taking Prozac and Wellbutrin (an anti-depressant), and they’re working well for me. I
believe in doing a lot of research on medications because they can change the chemical balance in your brain. Also, really
quiz your pharmacist about them because the instruction booklets don’t always tell you everything you need to know.
Sherry Morgan, Redding resident: Figuring out what medications work for you can be a trial and error process. People
don’t realize that sometimes it requires six to eight weeks of regularly taking a medication for your system to adjust to it
and to figure out if it works. I can understand why people may get frustrated.
Chris Stampfli, Redding resident: One time I was picking up my prescriptions, and the pharmacist lectured me about
taking too many medications. He didn’t understand why they were prescribed by my psychiatrist because sometimes
drugs will be used in ways that aren’t commonly labeled. The drug I take for my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, for
example, is usually prescribed for anxiety. It really helps with my compulsions and eating disorder because, for me, it’s
anxiety that’s causing those symptoms.
Truth 2: Medications Aren't A Magic Cure
James Herington: A medication might help with symptoms, but if your problems are deeper than that, you probably have
other work to do and need to develop other tools as well. I keep up with all my appointments with therapists, and I have
developed other self-care techniques like prayer and pursuing my education at Shasta College.
Mary Graham, Montgomery Creek resident: You have to be careful. Medications do help a great deal
with mental illness, but people get in trouble if they think everything is going to be just fine. Recovery is hard work and
ongoing. Things can happen in your life that provide extra challenges, and you have to be prepared with the right tools to
handle them. Today, I’m on Prozac and Geodon (a drug that treats symptoms of bipolar), and they’re working very well. I
Fresh Start Page 7 feel much calmer, but it takes a while to get used to them. You just have to be patient and go through the motions and
keep trying. Hill Country Community Clinic, where I go for care, is an amazing place that provides a lot of support.
Sherry Morgan: I thought taking medications would be the answer I was looking for, but they weren’t. They helped for
the voices I was hearing, but you have to work on yourself and your situation. I still have to challenge and talk back to the
voices and use other tactics beyond medications to control them. I’ve had some periods where life has hit me hard, and
I’ve had to deal with a bunch of stuff, like stress and grieving. Recently, I just had a knee surgery, and I haven’t been able
to work and get out in the community, which is tough. You need to have more tools than just your medications to handle
those things.
Truth 3: The Side Effects Can Be Serious
Carrie Jo Diamond, Redding resident: The side effects are real. For me, they’ve led to weight gain, which can cause
other mental health issues. I noticed after I was able to wean off lithium with my doctor’s help, it’s a lot easier for me to
remember things and to pull things out of my head.
Donald Jacobs, Redding resident: I was on Zyprexa (a drug used to treat schizophrenia or bipolar) at one
point, and that was scary because the drug made it hard for my body to cool down when I was exercising. That didn’t
seem like it would be good for my long term health, so I worried about it. Other meds I took had a lot of severe side
effects. Some increased the amount I slept. I’ve had dry mouth and drooling issues due to psych meds. The drug I’m
currently on caused urinary tract infections until I lowered the dose with my doctor’s help. I think one drug even caused
me to be incontinent. Sometimes, if you’re taking several medications, it can be difficult to tell which med is causing
which side effect.
Sherry Morgan: I understand why some people would rather not take their medications than deal with the side effects.
Because of meds, I’ve had to deal with dry mouth, shakiness, collapsing and, unfortunately, constipation. I stopped taking
some drugs because of health concerns, like Amitriptyline (an anti-depressant) which can cause dementia. The important
thing is to go off medications slowly with the help of a doctor.”
Truth 4: Starting Medication Can Be Scary; Some People Fear Their Personalities Will Change
Carrie Jo Diamond: Even if you’re in an unhealthy state, it can be hard to accept when you’re diagnosed
and prescribed a medication. When I was diagnosed with bipolar, I faced some internal stigma. The medication
represented this label that someone had put on me. I thought the medications were going to change me and shift my
reality. I know I was concerned I would be less of a creative person. And for some people it does cause a shift in their
personality, and sometimes friends and family will point it out to you, which doesn’t make it easier.
The important thing is to give the medications time to work and if you’re taking the medications consistently and going to
therapy as well, you can bet better.
Page 8 Fresh Start Donald Jacobs: I’ve been on a lot of different medications since 2003 to help with my auditory hallucinations and other
issues. I really didn’t know what was going to happen to me when I started, and at first I really couldn’t function that well
during the day because the medications were so sedating.
All I really take now is a big shot of Abilify (a medication for schizophrenia) at the beginning of the month. It’s a mood
enhancer or stabilizer. But now that I’m living more independently, I’m working with my doctor to wean off the
medication because we really don’t know what the long term side effects can be.
Truth 5: The Process For Finding The Right Med Can Be Long And Hard
Mary Graham, Montgomery Creek resident: When I started out with medication, I was allergic to many of them, and I
didn’t have a great relationship with my first doctor. He was pretty intimidating, and I didn’t stick up for myself. Instead
of taking me off one medication and trying another one, he’d keep adding a new med to my cocktail, and it messed with
my head. I was taking six anti-depressants, but I was more depressed than ever and frustrated because the pills weren’t
working. Eventually, they connected me with a telepsychiatrist from Davis, and after three appointments he got me on a
medication that worked for me.
Sherry Morgan: Because of my illness (schizoaffective and bipolar), I was confused and thought I had only one doctor,
even though I was going to see several of them. At some point I was taking 36 medications, and I nearly died from
overdoses. Eventually, I got connected with the STAR (Shasta Triumph and Recovery) team at Shasta County Mental
Health, and my nurse Teri went through my big bag of meds, called every doctor and got me down to a manageable
number of medications.
Chris Stampfli: My adjustment period took more than a year. I had to be very patient. At times, I wanted
to throw all the medications in the trash because I felt so horrible, but I knew my doctor and I needed to find a drug that
worked for me and preserved my quality of life.
I recently had to re-evaluate my medications because I’ve started aggressively treating my Multiple Sclerosis, which can
cause additional reactions or side effects with the psych meds. And that can be a complication for people who have
serious physical health issues as well as mental health issues that require medication. A goal of mine is to slowly get off
my medications for depression, and my doctor and I are tapering it off slowly.
Reality 6: Stigma Is Huge; Taking Psych Meds Doesn't Mean You're Dangerous or "Crazy"
Chris Stampfli: There’s a lot of stigma internally and socially. One thing I’ve experienced is people assume taking
medications means you’re weak, or you failed trying to beat your illness through will power. In my case, I’ve done
everything I possibly could to cope with my mental illness, and I realized that medication is another tool I need in my
toolbox.
I’ve also had people question my medications and assume I’m just following my doctor’s orders blindly with no agency.
They say, “Why do you let the doctors jerk you around and change medications?” I have to let them know I’m being
careful and deliberate about the decisions I make.
Carrie Jo Diamond: I encounter stigma all the time. If people know you’re taking lithium, they probably figure out you
have been diagnosed with bipolar and might have stereotypes associated with that. The drugs themselves can make you
Fresh Start Page 9 sound scary; I’m taking an anti-psychotic which helps reduce my hyper-vigilance which comes from my Post-Traumatic
Stress Syndrome. It’s not because I’m suffering from psychosis or dangerous, which people may think.
It can be hard when you’re in a romantic relationship. When you’re taking handfuls of pills in the morning, you’re going
to have to explain to your boyfriend or girlfriend what they are. I’ve actually had girlfriends tell me to stop taking my
medications because they didn’t think they were helping.
Donald Jacobs: If someone is using a medication that works for them people should be more comfortable around them,
not scared. They’ve come a long way with a lot of the newer medications. When I was off my medications in the past, I
would have had impulses that could lead to violence or self-medication with drugs or alcohol. With the help of
medications, I’ve been pretty stable for three years now, and it’s a good time to start reducing my reliance on them.
The Brave Faces:
Mary Graham is a Montgomery Creek resident and volunteer at the Circle of Friends Wellness Center in Burney. She
enjoys photography and taking care of her grandchildren. She speaks for Brave Faces and Voices about her experiences
with severe depression and bipolar symptoms.
Chris Stampfli is a local mental health advocate, member of the MHSA Academy and former counselor for troubled youth
and special education teacher’s aide. Chris has lived in Redding since 2006 and speaks for Brave Faces and Voices about
their experiences with OCD, depression, anxiety, self-harm and many other topics.
Donald Jacobs is a group facilitator and peer support specialist for the Olberg Wellness Center in Redding. He speaks for
Brave Faces and Voices about his experiences with schizophrenia, substance abuse disorders and long-term
hospitalizations.
James Herington is a Burney resident, a volunteer at Circle of Friends Wellness Center and a Shasta College student,
focusing on psychology. He speaks regularly for Brave Faces and Voices about his experiences with mental health
challenges and his recovery.
Carrie Jo Diamond is a community organizer, Community Health Advocate for Shasta County HHSA, and the executive
Director of the NorCal OUTreach Project, a non-profit dedicated to building respect and services for the Redding LGBTQ
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) community. She is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and speaks
throughout the community about her experiences with PTSD, bipolar and OCD.
Sherry Morgan is a Redding resident and group facilitator at the Olberg Wellness Center. She speaks regularly with
Brave Faces and Voices about her recovery, treatment and mental health challenges.
Page 10 Fresh Start
Be patient with that friend who always cancels –
they might have social anxiety
Duncan Lindsay for Metro.co.ukWednesday 22 Feb 2017
We all have that one friend who we make plans with that never seem to materialise.
They accept every invite, seem to be enthusiastic about their attendance and then, right at the last minute, their
excuse will arrive like clockwork.
One of the kids is ill. My parents have come round. I’ve had to work late. Or the old classic, ‘family stuff’.
I’m that friend – and I want all of the people whom I drive mad with this behaviour to know that I’m not being a dick and
I am not taking their friendship for granted.
Sometimes – in fact, most times – I just find social situations too intimidating to engage with.
It’s not that I don’t want to go to parties, have drinks out with colleagues, go to dinner with friends or head to gigs, plays,
comedy clubs and other entertaining events.
On paper, they sound like great fun – and, knowing that I have enjoyed myself massively at these kinds of things before, I
will accept an invitation.
Fresh Start Page 11 And when I accept any invitation, I fully intend to go along.
Part of me has said yes because I don’t like having that reputation as the friend or colleague that never goes to anything.
But the rest of me genuinely thinks it sounds great.
As time goes on and the event gets closer though, my anxiety replaces my enthusiasm and I am filled with a lot of dread.
Anxiety simply loves f**king around with thoughts and suddenly the last thing I am thinking is how much I am looking
forward to seeing everyone and enjoying their company.
Other thoughts take over like ‘I’ve only been invited because people were being polite’ and ‘does anyone actually want
me there?’
Worries about awkward silences and cringe small talk dominate my brain and even things such as personal appearance,
what to wear, how I will look in photos and whether I will be judged on what I choose to eat and drink combine to
suddenly make this all seem like a really, really bad idea.
There are occasions when I push through all of this and end up making it out.
And, by and large, I end up having a pretty decent night, save for a few exceptions. But anxiety doesn’t listen to logic and
I have found myself on the brink of panic attacks hours before I am meant to be meeting up with people.
Easier, then, to cancel. But that comes with its own problems. Then the guilt creeps in that I’ve let people down and I
worry people think that I’m either boring (okay, I am a little bit) or that I’m just downright rude. Sometimes, there’s even
a bit of FOMO. (Fear Of Missing Out, btw)
I know – and my friends know – that my excuse about my cat being unwell is utter bullshit. But what I know and my
friends don’t necessarily is that I am not attending purely on the basis that my anxiety won’t allow me to.
And when friends get frustrated at people who have these struggles, it just adds another layer to the fear of going out
which makes us even more unlikely to brave it next time.
Of course, friends are rarely going to know the cause but it’s worth bearing in mind that when there is a pal who regularly
doesn’t attend social gatherings, there could be something more to it and a bit of patience and understanding can go a long
way.
I am a person who can come across as confident and easygoing in situations I am comfortable with.
Anxiety isn’t always something that is there 24/7 – it can strike without warning and sometimes, it can leave you well
alone.
But as someone whose ultimate terror is the doorbell buzzing without warning, who wants to put their phone through a
blender when an unknown number pops up and who can retreat to their bedroom for days after an unpleasant comment
online, social situations can be a big challenge.
It is almost always the build up that is worse than the actual event itself – I love the people in my life and spending time
with them; it is my own self doubt and fear of coming across badly that seems to prevent me from going along rather than
anything negative towards the people I will be with.
Put simply, cancelling is just the easiest way and often feels like an enormous relief.
Page 12 Fresh Start Remaining in my safe bubble every time, is a pretty tempting concept although my desire to not be that person means that
I will continue to accept invites and strive to try and actually go.
There are certain things that friends can do to support someone they might think is facing social anxiety over joining them
for parties or nights out.
Additionally, although it might seem kinder to stop inviting people who never attend because you think you are just
pestering them with things they don’t want to go to, it could make things worse to exclude someone from the group as that
could confirm the worries which are stopping them attending in the first place.
It’s annoying and frustrating when a friend often cancels last minute. But if social anxiety is stopping them from joining
you, you can guarantee it feels even worse for them.
http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/22/be-patient-with-that-friend-who-always-cancels-they-might-have-social-anxiety-
6463202/
Thank you so much for your interest in joining NAMI Cobb Affiliate! Please complete the form below, and mail this with your check made out to
NAMI Cobb. (If you wish to pay by credit card, go to www. nami.org and click on “Become a Member”. You will start receiving our monthly
electronic newsletter within the month. You are also invited to attend our monthly education and support meetings at St. James Episcopal Church in
Marietta, 161 Church St. NE, on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30pm (there is a time to look at resources and brochures at 7pm). You are not
alone. Come join us.
NAMI Cobb March 2017
P.O. Box 999
Kennesaw, GA 30156
Yes, I would like to join NAMI Cobb of Georgia! Date:____________________
New
Renewal
$3 Financial Hardship Membership
(Please note there has been a slight increase in membership fees nationally).
___________Donation (I would like to give an additional donation
to support NAMI-Cobb programming and outreach) Name(s):______________________________________
Address:______________________________________
_______________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________
Email: _______________________________________
I am interested in volunteering. My skill is ________________________.
Monthly NAMI Cobb General Meeting
Next Educational Meeting
March 16, 2017
7:00 PM Networking/Social
7:30 PM Program
**Please mail this form along with your check to:
NAMI Cobb, P.O. Box 999 Kennesaw, GA 30156
Thank you for your membership!