NAMI CARES Concern, Advocacy, Research, Education, Support
MAY 2010 |
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May is
Mental
Health Month
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MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS QUIZ
Test your knowledge of Mental Health facts.
1. How prevalent is serious mental illness in adults in the United States?
a. 1 in 43 people
b. 1 in 26 people
c. 1 in 17 people
2. Men are more likely than women to commit suicide. How much?
a. 2 times
b. 3 times
c. 4 times
3. True or False: Mental illness is caused by poor parenting.
4. One-half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by what age?
a. 14
b. 21
c. 35
5. True or False: Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada in ages between 15-44.
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For the answers to this quiz click on this link to the answer box at the bottom of this newsletter.
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NAMIDKK General Meeting
Valuable Information for Everyone
Financial Information from Social Security Administration
 | Please join us for this informative discussion with Romel Smith
from the Social Security Administration office here in Aurora.
Saturday, June 19th
9:30 am: Refreshments and Check-in
10:00 am Speaker: Romel Smith
Dunleavy-Walsh Room
Provena Mercy Behavioral Health Building
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What can You do to raise Awareness of Mental Illness?
Here are some suggestions for anyone that might be interested in raising the awareness of the general public about mental health issues.
1. Share your own stories with others. The
more that people share about their own experience with mental illness
the more people in the general public will accept people with mental
illness as part of their community.
2. Volunteer for an organization that provides support or services for people with mental illness such as NAMI.
3. Listen to others when they share their stories. Show interest and ask questions.
4. Watch your language! When speaking
about someone with mental illness use language that places more
importance on the fact that they are a person before the fact that they
have mental illness. For example: say "a person with mental illness"
rather than "a mentally ill person".
5. Speak up when you hear others equating
violence with mental illness. Substance abuse is a greater predictor
of whether someone will be violent than mental illness alone. Acts of violence are exceptional. They are a sign that something has gone terribly
wrong-often in the mental healthcare system, which even a presidential commission has called "a system in shambles."
6. Join NAMI
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Coming Events
June 14th, 2010 - Monday 5:30 pm
NAMIDKK Board Meeting
Location: Mental Health Board Room, 400 Mercy Lane, Aurora, IL
Time: 5:00PM Meal/Committees, 5:30 Meeting
Please call the office for more information (630) 896-6264
June 19th, Saturday 9:30 am: General Meeting. The speaker is Romel Smith from the Social Security Administration office here in Aurora. See announcement above for details.
July 2010 - No Board Meeting
Save These Dates:
October 9, 2010 - Walk/Run in Batavia (Previously called the Bat Run)
February 11, 2011 - Dinner/Raffle in Geneva
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Local Judge serves on Illinois Supreme Court Advisory Committee
The Honorable Judge Timothy Q. Sheldon was named to the Special Supreme Court Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning.The advisory committee was recently created by the Illinois Supreme Court for the purpose of giving recommendations to the court regarding all mental health courts in the state. Judge Sheldon hopes to improve the treatment of people with mental illness in Illinois by serving on this new committee.
Mental health courts allow judges to
provide an alternative to incarceration for people with mental illness
that are caught in the unending cycle of homelessness, hospitalization,
and jail.
Because funding for the courts has not been a priority in the past
Judge Sheldon believes that this committee is a sign that the Judicial
system may be ready to put more emphasis on the need for services for
people with mental illness.
Judge Sheldon was honored in February at the NAMIDKK dinner/raffle for his work with the Kane County Mental Health Court. This court was one of the first in the state of Illinois. He will bring his experience running the local court to the committee, providing advice about creating a special kind of environment that works with mental health courts throughout Illinois.
NAMIDKK congratulates the Honorable Timothy Q. Sheldon on the appointment to this committee.
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Fast Facts
In the United States alone, approximately 24 percent of inmates live with serious mental illness. 70% of youths in the juvenile justice system also experience mental health disorder, with 20% experiencing disorders so severe that their ability to function is significantly impaired.
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Readers' Corner
SHUTTER ISLAND: THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE
When I read Dennis Lehane's mystery/thriller some years ago, I hoped that it would never become a movie. I thought it would increase the stigma of mental illness as it depicted stereotypes of the mentally ill from the past. Set in the 1950s, the location is an asylum for the "criminally insane" on a mysterious island, isolated from the mainland during a hurricane. References to the ominous "Ward C" hint of surgical procedures for untreatable patients. Delusions, flashbacks, clinical depression, mania, PTSD: they are all there as part of the unfolding plot. The clever twist ending reveals an upsetting conclusion. Perhaps fortunately, the movie version of Shutter Island fails to deliver the power of the book, but still may reinforce stereotypes of the mentally ill.
Director Martin Scorsese faithfully follows the book's plot while he shows us deranged, leering patients and hints at the "insane asylum/mad scientist" horror films typical of the 1930s and 1940s. The story begins with U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) arriving on an island to search for a missing patient. Are Ben Kinsley, the hospital director, and Max von Sydow, his German colleague, "mad scientists"? DiCaprio runs around the hospital and the entire island during a violent storm/hurricane and encounters deranged, leering patients, but it all seems rather pointless. The characters do not engage our emotions, the flashbacks are overlong, and the artificial quality of the whole proceeding is its most memorable aspect. The movie does not, to me, reinforce the stigma of mental illness due to its failure to engage us emotionally, but it still presents mentally ill individuals and those who treat them in a negative light.
The unstated moral of Shutter Island, book and movie, which in my opinion should be emphasized in any discussion of these works: untreated mental illness can result in tragedy.
Phyllis Graeser
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Ride in Kane
Transportation for People that are elderly or disabled
A service is available for a small fee to those that qualify for rides in Aurora Township. Please contact the Director of Transportation at 630-892-1999 for registration or additional information on qualifications for this service.
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America's Mental Health Channel
Schizophrenia from the InsideLooking for information on mental illness? Healthyplace.com offers TV programs on various aspects of mental illness. One of the most interesting is an interview with Kristin Bell, who describes what it's like to live with schizophrenia and how she came to be able to successfully manage her symptoms. Just a sample of some other information offered at this web site:4 Ways to stop ADHD OvereatingAuditory Hallucinations: What's It Like Hearing Voices?Seriously Mentally Ill Are Three Times More Likely To Be Imprisoned Than Hospitalized, Report Finds NAMI: Greater Research Is Needed For Mental Illness; Along With Federal Action To Offset State Mental Health Crisis And End Disability Backlog
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NAMI National Convention
Celebrating the Fourth
In Our Nation's Capital!
What better place to celebrate the Fourth of July than in our
nation's capital! Washington's celebration of Independence Day - known
locally as A Capitol Fourth -- opens with day-long performances on the
National Mall by some of the country's top musicians and ends with a
spectacular fireworks display over the Washington Monument accompanied
by a live performance by the National Symphony Orchestra. And, it's ALL
FREE! (The line-up of performers hasn't been announced yet but we'll
share it with you as soon as it is.)We've planned our 2010 NAMI Annual Conventionprogram to end on the
evening of July 3rd (with our annual banquet) which gives you all day
on the Fourth to enjoy the sights and sounds of one the country's best
celebrations. And, the Hilton's discounted NAMI convention hotel rates
of $155/single and $165 double are good through July 6. So, make your
travel plans now and join us in Washington, DC!Back to Top
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Mental Health Council
Message of the Month
May 2010
Celebrate Children's Mental Well-being
Mental health problems are painful-emotionally, spiritually and socially- especially for children and adolescents. Words that make fun of mental health create a sense of shame, feelings of guilt and loss of self-esteem. Children and adolescents exposed to such a negative view of themselves feel rejected, lonely and isolated. For a child with a mental health problem, this "stigma" is often the greatest barrier to a complete and satisfying life.Find out how you can support children's emotional health and well-being and read the entire article at the Kane County Mental Health Council website.Back to Top
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Health Fair at Sandwich Hospital
Let's Play!
Valley West Community Hospital, part of the KishHealth System, will sponsor the Valley West Wellness Fair. Kicking off the annual Freedom Days celebration, the Wellness Fair is Thursday, July 1, from 1 - 4 p.m., on the north campus of Valley West Community Hospital in Sandwich.
The Wellness Fair is open to the public with no admission charge and free parking. The event is designed to share health, safety and wellness information with the community. Last year approximately 2,000 people attended.
This year's theme is Let's Play! They will focus on the health benefits of becoming and staying active as a family. Studies have shown that children who develop healthy habits when they're young carry those healthy habits into adulthood. Most booths will have interactive activities, give-a-ways and product demonstrations to compliment the focus and the fair atmosphere. Please stop by the NAMIDKK booth at the fair and say hello.
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Educational Programs
Helping schools reach out to children with mental illness
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PARENTS AND TEACHERS AS ALLIES:
Parents and Teachers as allies was created to help families and school professionals identify the key warning signs of early-onset mental illnesses in children and adolescents in our schools. The program is intended to provide an educational tool for advancing mutual understanding and communication between families and school professionals. This program is designed for two-hour teacher in-services, parent PTA sponsored evenings, and mental health professional classes.
RED FLAGS:
Red Flags is a depression awareness program for middle school students. It is generally taught in health classes and takes 3-5 class periods. The teacher can choose between 2 DVD's: "Claire's Story," or "Thick'n Thin," a more recent story of teenage depression. Two additional DVD's go with the program, as well as suggested class activites, information on mental illness and discussion topics.
ENDING THE SILENCE:
Ending the Silence is a high school health class presentation, typically presented during the mental health portion of the curriculum. This interactive program teaches the basic signs and symptoms of mental illnesses in teenagers, presents personal stories to reduce stigma, and provides many resource materials for students.
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Answers to the Mental Health Awareness Quiz
1. c. One in four adults-approximately 57.7 million Americans- experience a mental health disorder in a given year. One in 17 lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder1 and about one in 10 children live with a serious mental or emotional disorder. (National Institute of Mental Health. NIMH: The numbers count- Mental disorders in America. National Institute of Health. Available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm.)
2. c. Men tend to assume full responsibility for their grief and suppress emotions that they think can be taken as a sign of weakness. Studies show that this suppression can increase the time it takes to grieve and lead to complications such as escalating anger, aggressiveness and substance abuse. To combat their feelings, men often become involved in risk-taking and addictive behaviors. These coping strategies, while superficially "effective" at first, do not keep depression at bay for long and often the result is suicide.
Depression in men can have devastating consequences. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that men in the United States), are about four times more likely to commit suicide then women. Men are also more likely to use methods that are more lethal (such as guns), act faster on suicidal thoughts and show fewer warning signs (such as talk of suicide). (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury
Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System
(WISQARS) : www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqar)
3. False. There was a time when people believed that mental illness came from a variety of causes including bad parenting, demon possession, and weakness of character. Over the years researchers have arrived at different conclusions...that mental illness does not have a single cause but is a combination of several factors including environment, stressors, and heredity.
4. a. One-half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, three-quarters by age 24.6 Despite effective treatments, there are long delays-sometimes decades between the first onset of symptoms and when people seek and receive treatment. (Kessler, R., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas,& Walters, E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, June 2005, 593-602.)
5. True. Major depressive disorder affects 6.7 percent of adults, or about 14.8 million American adults.1 According to the 2004 World Health Report, this is the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada in ages between 15-44. (NIMH: The numbers count-Mental
disorders in America." National Institute of Health. Available at
www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm. [Citing 2004 World Health Report
Annex Table 3 Burden of disease in DALYs by cause, sex and mortality
stratum in WHO regions, estimates for 2002. Geneva: World Health
Organization].)
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NAMIDKK
Vision Statement
VISION: NAMI-DKK is dedicated to the eradication of the stigma of mental illness by
improving the quality of life of all those striving for mental health wellness.
NAMIDKK
Mission Statement
MISSION: The mission of NAMI-DKK is to advocate, educate
and support persons, family members and communities dealing with mental health
issues
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Support Groups
NAMI-DKK FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS
(No charge, no reservations needed)
These support groups provide relevant information, valuable
insight, and the opportunity to engage in support networks. The groups are lead by family members
that have been trained in classes provided by NAMI Illinois.
Aurora:
3rd Tuesday of
the month,
from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
The McDermott room, Provena Mercy Hospital (lower level),
in Aurora.
630-761-6971 (Buzz Hays)
DeKalb:
This support group is not currently meeting. Please contact
our NAMI-DKK office at (630) 896-6264 for the latest information.
St. Charles:
1st Thursday of the month at
7 p.m.
The Congregational
United Church of Christ, 40W451 Fox Mill Blvd. St. Charles, IL. (To get there, go west on Route 64 to
Fox Mill Blvd. and turn left. The
church is south of Fox Mill on the left. The entrance is on the south corner from the parking lot.)
630-584-7481 (Lynette Niequist)
NAMI-DKK CONNECTIONS RECOVERY GROUPS
(No charge, no reservations needed)
Currently the NAMI-DKK Connections Recovery Groups are not
meeting.
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OTHER AREA SUPPORT GROUPS
KENDALL COUNTY SUPPORT GROUPS:
The Kendall County Health Department provides the following
support groups lead by mental health professionals. For further information please contact the KCHD Admissions
Coordinator, Rhonda at (630) 553-9100 X8053
· Life Strengths: Peer
Support for those dealing with chronic mental illness.
· Understanding your
Diagnosis: Family support and for those individual(s) working towards mental
health recovery.
. Dual Diagnosis Group: Treatment for those individuals
addressing both substance abuse and mental health issues.
NAMI DUPAGE COUNTY SUPPORT GROUPS:
NAMI DuPage has several support groups that are open to
anyone no matter where you live. There is no charge for these groups. To find out more about these groups and where they meet you
can go to: http://www.namidupage.org/support/support-groups
NAMI BARRINGTON SUPPORT GROUPS: NAMI Barrington has two family support groups that are open to
anyone no matter where you live. There is no charge for these groups. To find out more about these groups and where they meet you
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Consumers' Corner
Calling all consumers!
We would love to have contributions for our newsletter from Consumers that would like to share personal stories, poetry, ideas that have helped you make it through the rough times, or any creative work. If you would like to contribute visual art please contact Nina for details on how to do that.How do you feel about the word "Consumer"? That is the word used by NAMI to indicate a person with a mental illness. Does that word work for you? Do you have an idea for another word that might indicate who you are, yet do it in a positive way? Let us know what you think. Please send your ideas to Nina and she will pass that information on to our Board for consideration. Back to Top |
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Resources
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Volunteer Opportunities
Do you want to help?
NAMIDKK would love to be doing more but there is just not enough time in our days to do everything we think of. If you have an hour or more to help us out we would be glad to hear from you. For some things you do not even need to come into our office to help. If you can help us returning phone calls we will provide training and resource materials. If this is something you would like to do, please contact Elaine at 630-377-1563 or epmulligan1@gmail.com.Your help as volunteers would increase our ability to help improve the quality of life for individuals with mental illness and their families. We need: a grant writer, a publicity coordinator, speakers bureau volunteers, help line call takers, dinner/raffle help, more people for our educations programs, someone to join NAMI National's Stigma Buster Alert program, people to help update resource information, as well as newsletter submissions. |
Membership BECOME A MEMBER OF NAMI DEKALB, KANE SOUTH & KENDALL COUNTIES
NAMI DKK is a nonprofit organization affiliated with NAMI - The National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Membership includes: Membership in Illinois and National NAMI
NAMI National's publication Advocate (quarterly)
NAMI Illinois' publication Stateline (quarterly)
NAMI DKK CARES email Newsletter (monthly) New members receive a welcome packet and our NAMI-DKK Handbook (when available). Please complete the information below and mail your check or money order to NAMI-DKK 400 Mercy Lane, Aurora, Illinois 60506 Name:___________________________ Address:_________________________ City:_____________Zip:_____________ Telephone (s):_____________________ Email (s): ________________________ Individual: $30/year _______ Advocate: $100/year _______ Lifetime: $500 _______ Written Newsletter Only _______ ($10 suggested donation) Open Door $3/year _______ (Those with limited means/fixed incomes are invited to join at this reduced rate) Donation Only $ _______ Total Enclosed: $ _____________ Note: Membership and donations are tax deductible. Back to Top
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Forward This Newsletter
PLEASE PASS THIS ON
If you know someone that might benefit from getting this newsletter you can use the link below to forward this newsletter to them. If they enjoy it and want to get it all the time they can subscribe, but only if they want to. They will not be automatically put on our mailing list.
The newsletter is a great way to keep up with what is going on with NAMIDKK, find resources, and learn about ways you can help.
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About Us
NAMIDKK can be reached by
phone: 630-896-6264
fax: 630-896-6365
email: info@namidkk.org
mail: 400 Mercy Lane
Aurora, IL 60506
website: namidkk.org
NAMIDKK is an affiliate of a national network of NAMI groups all over the world. The national website
has many resources for both consumers and families, educational
information about mental illness and treatments, and the latest news
concerning our issues. NAMI Illinois is the state organization
that can direct you to local events and groups as well as keeping us
updated about what is happening in our state. The state website also has resources and links to other organizations.
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NAMIDKK Board of Directors
Phyllis Graeser - President Nina Finch - Vice President Jack Hazel - Vice President Walter Deuchler - Treasurer Mary Ihnenfeld - Secretary Suzanne Deuchler Denise Edwards Bethany Genenbacher Regina Harris Jim McNish Elaine Mulligan Betty Schoenholtz Jennifer Wilcox Legal Advisor: Alschuler, Simantz & Hem, LLC - Jan OPittman, Legal Assistant Accountant: Borhart, Spellmeyer & Co. Back to Top |
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