NAMI COBB

NAMI Cobb

2017 Leadership Team

Interim President / Communications

Greg Ausham

gregausham@yahoo.com

2nd Vice-President / Outreach

Linda Akanbi akanbil@comcast.net

Secretary - Nancy Spetnagel

secretary.namicobb@gmail.com

Treasurer and Parliamentarian– Paul Wiser

namicobbtreasurer@gmail.com

Membership Chair—

Advocacy Chair—Sylvia Oliphant

Sao66@yahoo.com

CIT/Newsletter Editor – John Avery

namicobbnewsletter17@gmail.com

Website Management Chair: Tim Link

Allen Spetnagel

website.namicobb@gmail.com

Education Chair— Rachel André Glenn

namicobbeducation@gmail.com

Programs Chair—Neill Blake

programs.namicobb@gmail.com

Hospitality Chair – Debra Howard

hospitality.namicobb@gmail.com

Website: www.namicobb.org

Email: NAMICobb1@gmail.com

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 “Mindfulness and Mental Health”

3 NAMI Cobb News

4 Training to Become a NAMI Cobb Program Leader or Presenter

5 13th Annual NAMI Walks Georgia

6 EAST COBBER Parade

7 One-day BPD (Bi-Polar Disorder) Conference

8 Kroger Community Rewards Re-Enrollment

9 Recognizing the Symptoms of Bipolar for Proper Treatment

12 Meeting and Membership Information

Newsletter Date

Volume 1 Issue 1 AUGUST 2017 FRESH START

August Education Meeting

NAMI Presents: “Mindfulness and Mental Health” Thursday, August 17, 2017, 7-9pm

Marietta Square Turner Chapel Room 187

492 N. Marietta Pkwy, Marietta 30060

Page 2 Fresh Start

NAMI Cobb Presents: “Mindfulness and Mental Health” Thursday, August 17, 2017 , 7-9pm

Marietta Square Turner Chapel Room 187 492 N. Marietta Pkwy, Marietta 30060

Facilitator: Mark Dannenfelser, MA, MPS, LPC

Description of the Program The 2 hour program will describe mindfulness as a way to help enhance mental health by cultivating self awareness, mental clarity, and empathy, leading to increased resilience, less unproductive stress, and more engaged relationships. Mindfulness has been shown to decrease anxiety and depression and positively impact addictions. Mark is founding director of the Mindfulness Center of Atlanta and is a licensed professional counselor, specializing in the treatment of post- traumatic stress disorder, chronic stress, anxiety and depression, and addiction. He is adjunct lecturer in the graduate division of theology at Spring Hill College. Mark is the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University lecturer on Centering Prayer. He is a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200). In addition to achieving the master of psychology and the master of theology degrees, Mark has completed the MBSR teacher development intensive training program taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Saki Santorelli and senior staff from the Center for Mindfulness (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and is a CFM Qualified Teacher of MBSR. He has also completed training in the Mindful Schools Curriculum, Yoga Therapy in Cancer & Chronic Illness Professional Training with Integral Teachers Yoga Association, and Clinical Training in Mind-Body Medicine, by Herbert Benson, MD at the Mind/Body Medical Institute.

Facilitator Profile: Mark Dannenfelser, MA, MPS, LPC 2801 Buford Highway Suite T-60 Atlanta, Georgia 30329 mark@markdannenfelser.com mindfulnesscenteratlanta.com 404.825.4773

Quotes From Past Participants “Mark is a wonderful leader and this retreat made me feel love, happiness , awareness and humility. I would recommend it to anyone looking to make a positive change in their life.” - Diane (Digital Sales Manager) “I learned how to simplify my life and live in the present. With daily mindfulness meditation the stressors of life just roll off me now.” -Kelly (Teacher)

“I was introduced to tools that helped me heal myself.” -Paul (IT Business Analysts) “I was able to learn how to quiet my mind and lower my stress level daily. What a gift!” -Laura (CEO, Consulting Firm)

Fresh Start Page 3

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: pminer@bellsouth.net 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.

Nami Cobb and CIT Training

Two recent CIT classes graduated from one Marietta PD and one from Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.

Did You Know?

Every month, representatives of NAMI Cobb go to Ridgeview Institute to

meet with family members who are attending the Family Workshop. These

families all have a loved one in the hospital. For some, it is their first

experience with mental illness. For others, their relative has been living

with a mental health condition for some time. Often, many of the families

have not heard of NAMI.

The purpose of the NAMI Cobb representatives at Ridgeview Institute is

to educate the families about NAMI's signature programs, such as our free

Family-to-Family class for caregivers as well as our free weekly

Support Groups that meet locally.

If you are a family member caregiver and have completed the Family-to-Family

class or regularly attend the Family Support Group and would like to represent

NAMI at the Ridgeview Family Workshop, please contact Neill Blake

at programs.namicobb@gmail.com.

Pictured are NAMI Cobb volunteer

representatives: Tom Hutchins,

Shevander Dykes and Cassie

Hutchins.

Page 4 Fresh Start

Training to Become a NAMI Cobb Program Leader or Presenter Are you interested in becoming a presenter or Program Leader for NAMI Cobb? Training is offered at no charge; email NAMI Cobb Programs Director, Neill Blake, of your interest at

mailto:programs.namicobb@gmail.com

• NAMI Basics Teacher o 2017: August o 2018: January

o NAMI Basics Teacher Application

• NAMI Connection Support Group Facilitator o 2017: Aug 5-6

▪ NAMI Georgia, 4120 Presidential Pkwy, Ste 200, Atlanta, GA 30340 o 2018: Feb 2-3, May 5-6

o NAMI Connection Support Group Facilitator Application

• NAMI Ending the Silence Presenter o 2018: April

o Ending the Silence Presenter Application

• NAMI Family Support Group Facilitator

o 2017: Oct 21-22 o 2018: Feb 10-11

o Family Support Group Facilitator Application

• NAMI Family to Family Teacher o 2017: Aug 4-6

▪ Location: NAMI Georgia Office, 4120 Presidential Pkwy, Ste 200, Atlanta, GA 30340 o 2018: Jan 5-7

o Family to Family Teacher Application

• NAMI Homefront Teacher o 2017: Nov 4-5

o Homefront Teacher Application

• NAMI In Our Own Voice Presenter o 2017: September 9-10

▪ Location: NAMI Georgia Office, 4120 Presidential Pkwy, Ste 200, Atlanta, GA 30340 o 2018: Feb 17-18

o In Our Own Voice Presenter Application

• Parents and Teachers as Allies Presenter o 2017: June 29

▪ Location: NAMI Georgia Office, 4120 Presidential Pkwy, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA, 30030 o 2018: April

o Parents and Teachers as Allies Presenter Application

• NAMI Peer to Peer Mentor o 2017: October o 2018: March

o Peer to Peer Mentor Application

• NAMI Smarts o 2017: Sep 16-17

o NAMI Smarts Teacher Application

Policies Agreement Form

NAMI-Signature-Policies-Agreement

Fresh Start Page 5

Saturday, October 7, 2017 Grant Park, Atlanta

Checkin 9:00am Walk Start: 10:30am 5K

5k

13th Annual NAMI Walks Georgia Honorary Co-Chairs:

Senator Renee Unterman, Health and Human Services Committee Brenda Wood, Retired 11 Alive Anchor

Join NAMI Cobb Team Stigma Busters as a Walker by visiting the NAMI COBB WEBSITE at www.namicobb.org or become a Sponsor by contacting namicobbwalk@gmail.com

Distance: 5k (3.1miles) Team Goal: $11,000

Come out to cheer, bring posters, come out to walk in solidarity, be a voice in the Cobb Community to “Stomp Out the Stigma”. All walkers will receive a team dry-fit T-shirt with the NAMI Cobb, Stigma Buster Logo, AND, in addition, team members raising $100 or more in donations will receive a NAMI Walks Georgia T-shirt the day of the event…and other Great Incentives.

Page 6 Fresh Start

NAMI Cobb will be walking in the EAST COBBER Parade

You are invited to join us as we walk in solidarity to STOMP OUT THE STIGMA.

(A great way to TRAIN for the upcoming NAMI Georgia Walk in October)

Bring your smiles, wear green or an old NAMI Walks Tshirt and bring posters letting Cobb know why

you are walking. Afterwards we will all gather at the NAMI Cobb Tent at the Festival for refreshments.

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2017

Official Parade Start: 10 a.m. start

RSVP Attendance to namicobb1@gmail.com

Parade Route: The 1 mile EAST COBBER parade will still begin at 10am in the Mount Bethel Elementary

School parking lot, travel south on Johnson Ferry Road, and turn left onto Olde Towne Parkway.

Festival Site: The EAST COBBER Festival will be held in the south parking lot of Johnson Ferry Baptist

Church immediately following the EAST COBBER parade. From 11 a.m.—3 p.m., the free Festival will feature

arts and crafts, local businesses, food concessions, carnival games, and an entertainment stage.

Fresh Start Page 7

SAVE THE DATE

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 One-day BPD (Bi-Polar Disorder) Conference

CE units applied for with GSCSW and GA LPCA

Skyland Trail Dorothy C. Fuqua Center 1961 North Druid Hills Rd., Atlanta, Georgia

* Presentations will focus on early diagnosis, intervention and treatment for BPD. Join this important

discussion! * DBT Therapist Q & A Panel

* Lunch will be provided * Mark your calendars now!

www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com

ONE DAY CONFERENCE - SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

8:00 am - 9:00 am Registration & Coffee

9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Agenda as outlined below

SPEAKERS AND TOPICS:

Perry Hoffman, PhD - President & Co-Founder National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder:

"Early Detection & Prevention of BPD - Bridging the GAP"

Kimberly Vay, EdD - "The Power of Validation: Making sense of your Loved One's Emotions AND Handling your

Own Emotions"

Cynthia Ramirez, PhD - Clinical Research Study: "Involving Caregivers in DBT Skills Training for Adolescents"

Nina Wolverton MA, LAPC, LAMFT - "In this Together . . . The Healing Power of Multi-Family Groups"

Jamie Bray, LCSW - "Teaching DBT Skills in Elementary & Middle Schools"

Jenny Milkey - BPD Consumer in Recovery - "Linguistics of Learning to Live"

Marnie & Orlando Marra - "Turning Point . . . A Message of Hope for Parents"

THE CONFERENCE WILL ALSO FEATURE AN OPEN DISCUSSION and Q & A SESSION WITH THERAPISTS

Continental Breakfast & Lunch will be Provided

Limited Space - Register early

$85 for Professionals (4 CE credits applied for with GSCSW & GA LPCA)

$45 for Family & Friends

Page 8 Fresh Start

Subject: Kroger Community Rewards Re-Enrollment - #27860

Good afternoon, Kroger’s Atlanta Division customers and associates are eligible to re-enroll in the Kroger Community Rewards program. Customers and associates can designate reward points you earn to the participating schools, charity or organization of your choice by using your Kroger Plus Card. Organizations and schools do not need to enroll each year, but ***each Kroger shopper is required to re-enroll his or her Kroger Plus Card on an annual basis. Re-enrollment is now, and dollars accumulate for your choice of charity beginning August 27, 2017. Please visit www.krogercommunityrewards.com Kroger Community Rewards Re-enrollment starts today, Tuesday, August 1, 2017 WHAT

· The Kroger Community Rewards (KCR) program is evaluated annually, and the time for Kroger Plus Card holders to re-enroll is now. The Atlanta Division launched the program in September 1, 2013 and Card holders must re-enroll to begin accumulating dollars for their schools, charities, and organizations starting August 27, 2017. This year, Kroger is proud to donate $500,000 to local schools and nonprofits through this Kroger Plus Card based fundraiser.

WHO

· All organizations that have already signed up for Community Rewards DO NOT have to enroll again. Once an organization is signed up for the program they continue to be active. · An organization’s enrolled members and supporters DO have to re-enroll every August. They will not have to set up a new Kroger.com account only link their card again to the organization of their choosing.

WHEN

• Now through August 26, 2017 customers may re-enroll. Their current selection will not be affected

and continue to earn rewards through the end of this program year.

• Their re-enrollment organization will start earning for the new program year starting August 27, 2017.

WHERE

• Kroger.com/communityrewards

WHY

• Past programs of this nature tend to lose their impact over long periods of time. Participants need to

have an active role in order for the program to continue to be effective and engage our customers.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact one of the team members in Public Affairs at 770.496.7538

Fresh Start Page 9

Recognizing the Symptoms of Bipolar for Proper

Treatment Symptoms of Bipolar

Bipolar disorder has the ability to transform your life. Its symptoms can range from mild to severe, while influencing

many facets of who you are, how you behave and what you enjoy. When symptoms are mild, you can function relatively

well and maintain your routines. When symptoms are severe, they leave you feeling like someone else, in a highly

depressed or manic state.

Bipolar disorder is one of the most known and recognizable mental health issues. It may seem like this is a good thing, but

that’s not always the case. The more popularized something becomes, the greater the risk of skewed, biased and false

information on the subject. Though there are many that have a firm grasp on bipolar disorder, there are even more that

misunderstand or have been misled.

Ordinarily, this misinformation would not be a problem. After all, labeling something does not really change it. But with

bipolar disorder, there are hazards associated with lack of appropriate recognition. If you do not understand your disorder,

your symptoms (including the lesser-known symptoms of bipolar) or your triggers, you cannot treat them effectively.

Also, people that incorrectly think they have bipolar could be wasting valuable resources inefficiently.

What Bipolar Isn’t

To know what something is, it can be helpful to begin with what it is not. Bipolar disorder is not:

• Being happy one minute and sad the next. This is probably the most common misconception of the disorder.

People have typical changes in moods. Even if they are frequent or intense, this does not necessarily mean

bipolar.

• Adult ADHD. There is a lot of confusion between people with bipolar and people who have adult attention-

deficit/hyperactivity disorder combined with depression. It is true that the symptoms overlap, but the treatment is

very different.

• Only caused by alcohol and drug use. Many people with bipolar, especially before it is diagnosed, will self-

medicate with drugs and alcohol. When they become drug-free, they may be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but

this does not mean that the drug use caused the illness.

• A sign the someone will become violent. It is true that some people with bipolar disorder are aggressive or

violent, just as people with depression, diabetes or cancer can be violent. This does not mean that every person

with bipolar should be feared.

What Bipolar Is

Bipolar disorder was formerly called manic-depressive disorder. This is a very accurate description of what the disorder

is. In many ways, it is a combination of depression and mania. The difference in diagnosis depends on the degree of

symptoms and how long they are experienced.

There are three primary types of bipolar disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). This is the text

that mental health professionals use to diagnosis disorders. The first is bipolar I disorder. To receive the diagnosis, you

must meet criteria for a major depressive episode as well as a manic episode.

The second is bipolar II disorder where you must meet the major depressive episode criteria as well as a hypomanic

episode. The third is called cyclothymic disorder. With this, you will experience depressive symptoms and manic

symptoms but never fully enough to meet full criteria for depressive or manic episodes.

Bipolar I

To meet the criteria for bipolar I, a major depressive episode must occur. During this episode, you must have at least five

out of the nine depression symptoms during the same 2-week period. Symptoms include:

Page 10 Fresh Start

• Feeling depressed most of the day, almost every day. This tends to be the biggest indication to people that they

are depressed. Having a depressed mood means that you do not feel happy; you feel sad, empty or hopeless.

• Teenagers with depression may express this mood as irritability and anger. Additionally, men are more likely to

show their depressed mood is the form of anger and aggression.

• Less interest or pleasure in activities that were previously enjoyable. Did you always love going for walks or

watching the football game with your friends, but now the thought of it is unappealing? Whenever there is less

interest and pleasure, people tend to stay at home more because nothing seems worthwhile.

• Losing weight when not dieting. The DSM states that a significant weight loss is more that 5% of your total

weight in a month. If you weigh 200 lbs, you would have to lose 10 lbs in a month to meet this criterion. Some

people report increased interest in eating and weight gain during depression but the DSM only focuses on the

weight loss.

• Insomnia or hypersomnia almost every day. This item can be a bit confusing as it covers both ends of the

spectrum. If you are sleeping too much, you might have depression. If you are not sleeping enough, you might

have depression. There is no set number of hours given to say how much is too much. The best you can do is look

for changes to your typical patterns. If you usually sleep eight hours and now you’re sleeping up to 12, take note.

Similarly, if you used to sleep 10 hours and now it is down to four, contact a professional. People with depression

also tend to have difficulty falling asleep (DFA), difficulty staying asleep (SCD) and early morning awakening

(EMA).

• Motor agitation or retardation almost every day. What this means is that your behaviors are either sped up or

slowed down. People with psychomotor retardation will feel like they are moving in slow motion while people

with psychomotor agitation will experience feelings of restlessness, fidgeting and moving quickly. These changes

can affect speech to be faster or slower.

• A loss of energy almost every day. The second item on the list refers to lacking interest to complete activities,

where this item involves feeling that you do not have the energy to accomplish the behaviors that you wish. If you

find yourself unable to get out of bed or move from the couch while important tasks that you want to complete are

left undone, this applies to you.

• Feeling excessively worthless or guilty almost every day. Do you beat yourself up over past behaviors or

experiences? Do you think that you do not matter or that other people wouldn’t care if you weren’t alive? Shame

is another contributor to this part of the criteria. Guilt is feeling bad for something that you did or did not do.

Shame is feeling bad about who you are as a person. Shame is a more dangerous feeling because it is challenging

to change. People that do not like themselves or have low self-esteem fit into this category.

• Decreased ability to be decisive, think clearly and maintain concentration. This item becomes difficult when

trying to determine between depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder since poor attention and

concentration are present in each. People with depression are usually distracted due to negative thinking and

dwelling on issues of the past and this impacts their attention.

• Frequent thoughts of death, thinking you would be better off dead or making a plan to attempt suicide. Again, it

can be difficult to know what “frequent” means, but use your best judgment when deciding whether or not to

check this box.

If you met at least five of the symptoms, you can move on to the manic symptoms. To meet criteria for a manic episode,

you must experience an elevated or irritable mood, a sharp increase in energy and three of the seven symptoms for at least

a week. The symptoms include:

• Inflated self-esteem or feelings of grandiosity. You will feel self-assured, confident and like you are incapable of

being wrong.

• Decreased need for sleep. You will sleep less while not being bothered by the decrease. You will feel rejuvenated

after only two or three hours rest.

• More talkative. You will find yourself speaking more, being more open with what you say and speaking at a

quicker rate.

Fresh Start Page 11

• Flight of ideas or racing thoughts. Flight of ideas means that your thoughts will bounce from subject to subject

quickly with little follow through. Racing thoughts means that your thoughts are circling around quickly in your

mind. They are difficult to slow down or understand.

• Your attention will be poor and any new stimulus will divert your actions or thought process.

• Increased goal-directed behaviors. Here, you will do whatever it takes to accomplish the goal. You will study

three days straight for an exam, stay at the office for the weekend or go to every bar in town to meet someone to

take home.

• Increased involvement in risky behaviors. Mania has a lot to do with pleasure-seeking behaviors. You may spend

all of your money, have unsafe sex with strangers, use drugs or other dangerous behaviors in attempts to “have

fun.”

An interesting note about bipolar I is that you only need one occurrence of a manic episode to qualify. Even if your last

manic episode was 20 years ago, you will still meet these criteria.

Bipolar II

You can take what you know about depressive episodes and manic episodes and apply it to bipolar II disorder. In bipolar

II, you must meet the criteria for a major depressive episode and a hypomanic episode.

Manic episodes and hypomanic episodes differ only slightly. In a manic episode, you must experience an elevated or

irritable mood, a sharp increase in energy and three of the seven symptoms for at least a week. In a hypomanic episode,

you only have to experience these symptoms for four days.

Cyclothymic Disorder

During any year in the U.S., about 0.6% of the population currently has bipolar I disorder and about 0.8% currently has

bipolar II disorder. Cyclothymic disorder occurs at a much lower prevalence and is measured by lifetime diagnosis rather

than yearly. In the U.S., between 0.4% and 1% of people will have cyclothymic disorder during their lifetime.

Though the rates of cyclothymic disorder are low, the diagnosis remains relevant. To be diagnosed with cyclothymic

disorder, an adult must have multiple occasions of hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms over a two year

period. Although the symptoms create issues, they are not to the degree that meets the full criteria for a hypomanic or

depressive episode.

In children, the period of time is shortened to only one year. During the period, symptoms must be presents for at least

half the time. There cannot be a symptom-free period lasting more than two months.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is when your symptoms are influenced heavily by the time of year. Typically, people

will become depressed in the winter and manic in the summer.

Though this is a common problem, it is not a separate bipolar disorder. It is, though, recognized as a type or specifier of

bipolar I or II. Therefore, you can have bipolar I disorder with seasonal pattern to better describe your symptoms.

Conclusion

Knowing your symptoms and how they fit into a psychological framework is useful universally. Do your best not to jump

to conclusions. No mental health disorder is simple or clear-cut. Your depressive or manic symptoms will distort your

perceptions and self-monitoring.

Gather information from trusted supports to get a well-rounded picture of your symptoms and take your findings to a

psychiatrist. If you think bipolar disorder may be part of your life, a psychiatrist is the best person to assess, diagnosis and

treat your symptoms. It’s time to make the call.

http://bipolar.newlifeoutlook.com/symptoms-bipolar/

Page 12 Fresh Start

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 AUGUST 2017

P.O. Box 999

Kennesaw, GA 30156

TO:

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 ________________________.

Support Group Meetings

For families of those with a mental illness

1st Presbyterian Church

189 Church St

Marietta, GA

MONDAYS Time: 7-8:30 PM

Family Support Group Room 048

Connections Support Group Room 046

Contact Neill Blake at 770-427-5353 or

nhblake@earthlink.net with questions

about either support group."

Monthly NAMI Cobb General Meeting

August Educational Meeting

August 17, 2017

7:00 – 9:00 PM

Turner Chapel Room 187 492 N. Marietta Pkwy |Marietta, GA 30060

**Please mail this form along with your check to:

NAMI Cobb, P.O. Box 999 Kennesaw, GA 30156

Thank you for your membership!