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From the International Bipolar Foundation, click to visit our website


     

Greetings!

  

May was a very significant month as we celebrated Mental Health Awareness Month. In addition to our day with The Honorable Patrick Kennedy, we announced the winners of our International High School Essay Contest, posted daily interesting and important mental health facts on our FaceBook page, hosted a YSL Fashion Show to raise funds (did you know Yves St. Laurent had bipolar disorder - read about it here), and awarded the first round of Girl Scouts with their Mental Health Awareness Patch that we launched! 

We are a mighty team but cannot do it without your help. Please donate $5.00 today so we can continue offering ALL of our PROGRAMS and SERVICES free of charge to you. Click here to make a tax deductible donation  donate

To your health,

Muffy Walker

 

P.S. Feel free to also contact me at anytime Muffy

Our new mailing address: 8895 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 105-360 San Diego CA 92122  

 

 


June 4, 2012   
If you are in a crisis,
please call:
 
1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
or
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Join Our Mailing List
IBPF FREE LECTURE SERIES
video
Our Lecture Series are now available for viewing on our web site!! Click here

Date: Thursday, June 14, 2012
Speaker: Dr. Lisa Eyler
June Lecture: Brain Imaging in Bipolar Disorder: A Window onto Mind and Mood

Neuroimaging studies allow scientists to explore the inner workings of the mind and learn more about how thinking and emotional processing may be affected in Bipolar Disorder. In this talk, Dr. Eyler will explain some of the most common types of neuroimaging methods and how they work. She will then present findings from studies of individuals with Bipolar Disorder that have used these techniques to measure the integrity of brain structures and how the brain functions when challenged with emotional and cognitive tasks. Exciting future directions for the use of neuroimaging in Bipolar Disorder also will be discussed.

5:30-6:00- SOCIAL 6:00-6:45-LECTURE 6:45-7:00- Q & A  

Location: Sanford Children's Research Center, Building 12 Address: 10905 Road to Cure, San Diego 92121  

   

There will not be a July lecture.

    A special THANK YOU to Sanford|Burnham Medical Research Institute for donating the space for these lectures.
                                                                      sanford burnham

Therese's Corner  

Therese Borchard 

 


12 Ways to Manage Anxiety 

By THERESE J. BORCHARD

Associate Editor      

If your mind were a diesel engine, anxiety would be the leaded gas that was accidentally poured in and responsible for all the burps and stutters. Even more so than depression, I think, anxiety is the big disabler in my life, with a capital D, which is why I try to nip it in its early symptoms. That doesn't always happen, of course, but here are some techniques I try: Read her tips here:

International Bipolar Foundation has been invited back for the 2nd time as an official charity for the 2013 Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon & Half.
race
Please support us and our team, the Stigma Busters, by raising $15,000 between now and January! The goal of the International Bipolar Foundation is to continue to make a difference in the lives of those affected by bipolar disorder. With the help of donations from supporters such as you we will continue to see the changes and improvements.

http://www.active.com/donate/ibpf2013
                                MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS PATCH
                                  SPREADING ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Girl Scouts from around the country are learning about mental health, mental illness and stigma by completing IBPF's Mental Health Awareness patch.

The girls from Girl Scouts of Western New York (GSWNY) were really creative & made these special cupcakes as part of their celebration for achieving the patch. cupcakes
and here's The Honorable Patrick Kennedy awarding Brownies and Cadets from San Diego their patch.
kennedy gsusa
For more information on how to get your troop involved, please contact [email protected]. We'll happily ship you the patches for free.
girl scout patch



NEWS AROUND THE WORLD



The International Diploma in Mental Health Law and Human Rights is currently accepting applications for 2012 - 2013.
The Diploma, now in its fifth year, is a collaboration between WHO and the ILS Law College in Pune, India.  The course builds the capacity of students to advocate for human rights and to influence national legislative and policy and service reform in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other key international human rights standards. It is a one year Diploma and includes two residential sessions and distance learning.
Students to date have comprised health and mental health professionals, lawyers, mental health service users and survivors, government officials, social workers, human rights defenders and families and carers. The course is taught be a faculty of renowned international experts in the area.
The prospectus for the Diploma is attached. More information about the Diploma is also available at: www.mentalhealthlaw.in

CANADA:
New BC-based genetic counseling service first of its kind in the world
Canada Research Chair, genetic counsellor and CREST.BD researcher, Jehannine Austin has recently launched a provincial, psychiatric genetic counselling service in British Columbia. The Vancouver-based clinic offers free genetic counselling to individuals who live with a psychiatric diagnosis and/or their family members. This is the only clinic of its kind: no specialist psychiatric genetic counselling exists elsewhere in the world.
 
For more information on the clinic and genetic counseling visit the CREST.BD website, visit the clinic Facebook Page or contact:
Angela Inglis (Genetic Counsellor) Phone: 604-875-2000 ext 4733 Email: [email protected] 

Pfizer announces first-ever recipients of its Psychiatry Research Awards
Pfizer Canada is pleased to announce the first recipients of the Psychiatry Research Awards Program. The program, launched in May 2011, was developed to advance clinical research and patient care in psychiatry by supporting Canadian investigators in their research efforts.
Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, Scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and Rea Chair of Affective and Anxiety Disorders and Dr. Jehannine Austin, PhD, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of British Columbia will each receive $100,000 to support their research in psychiatric diseases.

"That's Just Crazy Talk": Stage Play Tackles Bipolar Stigmaplay
Seeking to address issues of stigma surrounding bipolar disorder among patients and health care providers, a group of Canadian researchers and patient advocates commissioned a play aimed at giving a human face to someone who has succeeded at living with bipolar disorder.
The result was "That's Just Crazy Talk," an hour-long, one-woman performance by actor and playwright Victoria Maxwell, which premiered in performances in Vancouver and Toronto last July, was reprised several more times last year and this year, and is now available on DVD.

UNITED KINGDOM:
Could blood test show risk of postnatal depression?

Time to Change campaign improving public's behaviour
The ground-breaking joint Rethink/Mind Comic Relief-funded mental health anti-stigma campaign, Time to Change, has resulted in improved behaviour and attitudes amonst the public towards people with mental health difficulties. here

Stephen Fry backs mental health campaign

SOUTH AFRICA
Pfizer Mental Health Journalism Fellowship Awards 2012/2013
One of the most misunderstood and least reported on areas of health writing in South Africa is that of mental health. In order to encourage more writers to become involved in this much needed area of reporting, Pfizer together with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) are offering the 'Pfizer Mental Health Journalism Awards for 2012/13'. For more info: [email protected]

TRINIDAD
Fish good for mood disorders-study
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish like salmon.
You've likely heard that fish is brain food, but you've likely not heard how wonderful it is for addressing funky moods. When studies compare the mood disorders in different countries, populations that eat the most fish have the lowest rates of depression, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, and seasonal affective disorder. These fats also seem to play a role in aggression. Young boys with lower levels of omega-3s have more temper tantrums and difficulty falling asleep. Omega-3s have also been studied as a treatment for a variety of brain-based disorders. A 2008 study found fish oil to have equal efficacy to Prozac in the treatment of depression. Eating omega-3s has also been shown to alleviate the symptoms of depression in more than 60 per cent of pregnant women.
bpmag logo
You can LEARN to cope with no side effects  
by Peter Newman
Elizabeth taught me how to cope with bipolar disorder-she was my psychiatrist until I moved from England to the United States in 1989. I'd like to think it was because she took a special interest in me, but maybe she just got tired of me turning up on her doorstep every 12 months or so in a raging manic episode. read the full article here
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Mind over mood: Rethinking relapse 
By Stephen Propst
Living with bipolar disorder is certainly no light matter. After working diligently to achieve stability, having depression or mania resurface can be very disconcerting, discouraging, and deflating. It's easy to look at having a relapse only in the negative sense, but there's an upside too!  read the rest of the article here


Online 3-Minute Mental Health Test 
M3 is an anonymous and free online mental health test 
By Marianne Favro |  test 
 
You probably already know your cholesterol and  blood pressure numbers. Now you can get your mental health number too, thanks to a new test you can take from your computer.
 
If you log onto whatsmym3.com, and answer a few questions, you will get a number to help you and your primary care physician better understand your mental health. 
It is a multi-diagnostic mental health screen designed to detect early signs of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 
 
The test was developed by a team of mental health experts and clinicians.  
In addition to your number, you also get a suggestion of whether you need to seek additional professional help. 
"I think it's a great tool for a person to discover  they might have significant mood problems or anxiety problems" said Dr. Manuj Nangia, Medical Director and Psychiatrist at San Jose Integrative Wellness Center. 
"The information might encourage someone to get help who might not otherwise seek professional help" Nangia added.  
But he added that he has concerns about the test, which gives individuals a percentage risk of them  having depression or an anxiety disorder. The test, Nangia warned, should be used as just one tool. 
"Someone having a hard day, going through a bad break up or a job loss may take the test and it could say they have a 90 percent chance of depression. I think it can scare people," Nangia said. 
The three-minute questionnaire can be done anonymously online or through a mobile device App.  WhatsMyM3 is also being used in the offices of some primary care doctors to offer earlier detection of mood disorders. 


 

                                                   CURRENT NEWS

Impact of sunlight on the age of onset of bipolar disorder   
4 of the authors are on our Scientific Advisory Board
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Researchers Crack Codes for Lithium, Electroshock
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Introduction to Integrated Physical and Mental Health Care
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CLINICAL FEATURES OF BIPOLAR DISORDER COMORBID WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS DIFFER BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
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 STUDY: Weight Gain from Antipsychotics Linked to Gene
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Is bipolar disorder specifically associated with aggression?
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 A Randomized Controlled Trial of Risperidone, Lithium, or Divalproex Sodium for Initial Treatment of Bipolar I Disorder, Manic or Mixed Phase, in Children and Adolescents
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 An MRI study of amygdala in schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorder
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 Neurocognitive functioning in patients recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder
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Differential diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder type II and borderline personality disorder: analysis of the affective dimension
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 Meta-analysis of the association between cognitive abilities and everyday functioning in bipolar disorder

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 Brain Structure Affected By Psychiatric Medications
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 New Genetic Findings: Gifts Of The MAGI In Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder
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 Off-Label Use Of Antipsychotic Medications
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 Review of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies comparing bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
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 Efficacy of pharmacotherapy in bipolar disorder: a report by the WPA section on pharmacopsychiatry
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 Effects of medication on neuroimaging findings in bipolar disorder: an updated review
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 Patients With Bipolar Depression Benefit From Ketamine Within Minutes
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JBRF Genetic Study

San Diego 

 


Please join us this Wednesday, June 6 from 1:00 - 7:00pm in La Jolla for a Jewelry Trunk Show at The Gypsy Doll Boutique see the flyer here
necklaceearring 2earring 0
A Community Forum
will be held on June 6, 2012, to discuss the impact of Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), in San Diego and neighboring counties. Join us at this free event to join your voice with ours!
The Community Forum is sponsored by the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC), and facilitated by two MHSOAC committees, the Client and Family Leadership Committee and the Cultural and Linguistic Competence Committee.
The Community Forum will be held from 2:30 to 6:00 PM.
 June 6, 2012
 Location: Hilton San Diego Mission Valley Hotel
    901 Camino Del Rio South  San Diego, CA 9210
 Phone: (619) 543-9000 (Directions only)

***** 

San Diego spoke and Fusion listened! 

We are in the process of securing our second San Diego location in the 'Fashion Valley' area. This new campus will mean that we can now serve 120 students in the San Diego area. We will keep you posted on our progress! Our second campus location will open June 18, 2012. www.fusionsandiego.com

  


About.com  


Behind the Pharmacy Counter
Michael Janflone, author of Long Sleeved Summers, talks with Andy Behrman about the stresses that affect the people who fill your prescriptions. Janflone, who became drug-addicted while he was a pharmacist, discusses why and how it happened, gives his opinions about medication culture in the U.S., and shows reasons why you must check your prescriptions when you receive them. here

All About Psychotic Symptoms

Antifungal Drugs and Psych Meds - Watch for Interactions
THE BOOK CORNER


Fall Girl 

Annabelle Jones has always taken her bipolar brother under her wing, but after years of acting as his personal disaster janitor she finds herself rebelling against her lifelong compulsion to take responsibility for his actions and fix all his mistakes. Unfortunately, the more she rebels the more personal it becomes, especially when his actions start to affect her own future.  fall girl

The struggle between letting her brother deal with his own consequences and fixing just one more thing for him pushes and pulls at Annabelle as each mistake he makes lands her further and further from the life she's always known and crushes all hopes of the future she has planned. If the decision she makes about whether or not to play clean up crew for his most recent disaster fails to produce the results she needs most, life as she knows it will be forever changed. But maybe ... just maybe, letting him take the fall for his screw ups this time might turn out to be the best thing that's ever happened to her.


guardiansThe Guardians - An Elegy
Harris Wulfson died July 23, 2008. He had walked for some 10 hours from midtown in New York City to the Riverdale Metro-North train station (north of Manhattan), where he jumped before an oncoming train to his crushing death.

His loss is beyond measure to family and friends who loved him and relished his abundant talent, energy and quirkiness. Because his death was from suicide while in the throes of an acute psychotic illness, likely bipolar disorder, his death is yet another preventable tragedy. the rest of the review here 

wrightslaw
Dear Friend & Advocate

You want to master the information about your child's test scores before the next IEP meeting! Why? Because the numbers from tests do not lie!
When you understand your child's test scores, you'll be able to use information from objective tests to track progress and make decisions about your child's program.
In this issue  of the Special Ed Advocate, you will learn how to use psychological and educational achievement test scores to measure your child's educational growth. Learn how to use data to be prepared for the IEP meeting.
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A comprehensive evaluation will provide accurate information about your child's disability, strengths, weaknesses, & needs. The evaluation should identify your child's problems and include a plan to address these problems.
What does a good evaluation look like?
How do you choose an evaluator?
Why is a comprehensive evaluation so important?
In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate, you will learn what the law requires for evaluations, the benefits of a comprehensive evaluation, and how to find an appropriate independent evaluator.
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Tests are essential to measure progress and learning. Before educators can design an effective remedial program for your child, they must understand the exact nature of your child's weaknesses. We use evaluations to discover learning problems and measure how students are learning and achieving.
In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate, you will learn about educational achievement tests, what different tests measure, and what the test results mean. Get information about commonly used tests of reading skills and written expression.
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Does the school presume your child is "unteachable" because he is having difficulty learning to read? Reading is a learned skill. For many children, reading is not a natural skill that develops as they mature. Children do not learn to read with "support" in the classroom. They learn to read with direct, specific, and intensive reading instruction.
In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate, you will learn how to prevent reading failure and the importance of implementing research based reading instruction. You will also find a comprehensive list of resources about how children learn to read.

Welcome Sara Berelsman, our newest blogger    

 sara
Sara Berelsman has an MA in literature from Eastern Michigan University and spent several years teaching college English, literature, and psychology courses.  She now lives in Ohio, in a tiny town which is basically a giant cornfield.  This turned Sara into an alcoholic, which led to the discovery of her bipolar diagnosis.  She writes two regular columns for the local newspaper and is also a contributor to the blog Living Sober Sucks (but living drunk sucks more).  She enjoys reading, forcing herself to exercise, and spending time with her husband, Andy, who is a firefighter, and their two daughters, Adele and Eleanor.  She is currently working on a memoir.  

NEWS FROM NAMI, DBSA, & SAMHSA  

NAMI:
Topic: Overview of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan and a QPR training for Suicide Prevention: A presentation by Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP).
Thursday, June 7, 2012   ▪   6:30 - 8:00 p.m.   University Christian Church,
Friendship Hall 3900 Cleveland Ave. San Diego, CA 92103

2012 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award Winners
 The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has honored 17 doctors as "Exemplary Psychiatrists" at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual conference in Philadelphia. "We are proud to honor these psychiatrists for their exceptional dedication to people living with mental illness," said NAMI Executive Director Michael J. Fitzpatrick.
NAMI honors 17 exemplary psychiatrists: here

DBSA:

   
DBSA Presented the 2011 Klerman Awards to Three Outstanding Researchers 
Dr. John Greden, Executive Director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center and the Rachel Upjohn Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences in the Department of Psychiatry accepted the 2011 Klerman Senior Investigator Award. The 2011 Klerman Junior Investigator Award went to two clinicians: Dr. Amy Kilbourne, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan and Associate Director of the VA Ann Arbor National Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center (SMITREC) and Dr. Tina Goldstein, Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
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DBSA 2013 National Conference 

June 15-17, 2013, Miami, FL  

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SAVE THE DATE

    

 
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The California Network of Mental Health Clients (CNMHC)  
Far South Region Client Educational Forum
Thursday, June 14 & Friday, June 15, 2012
Location: George Barnes Tennis Center
4490 West Point Loma Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92107
Register Online at:
www.californiaclients.org
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5th National Conference on Behavioral Health for Women & Girls 
Health, Empowerment, Resilience & Recovery
July 17-19, 2012 San Diego Marriott
http://www.mhssamhsawcof.com/
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Mental Health Conference 2012 - LONDON June 20 & 21
 
www.govknow.com
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Implementing the Mental Health Strategy - LONDON
July 11, 2012 
http://bit.ly/wuBuxk
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WEBINAR with Dr. Joseph Calabrese
July 11, 2012, 9:00am (PST)
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Schizophrenia & Related Disorders Alliance of America (SRDAA) Conference 
May 12 Detroit
September 29 Houston
contact [email protected]
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NAMI NATIONAL CONVENTION REGISTRATION

NAMI FaithNet will be offering workshops at NAMI national convention in Seattle, WA, Wednesday, June 27-Saturday, June 30, 2012.  The theme is Think Learn Live: Wellness, Resiliency and Recovery.  There will be workshops available from NAMI FaithNet.   For registration details, go to: http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=convention
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Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health
September 15,2012
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DBSA 2013 National Conference 

June 15-17, 2013, Miami, FL   

 

 
  

 

  


About the International Bipolar Foundation
 
International Bipolar Foundation is a not for profit organization based in San Diego whose mission is to eliminate Bipolar Disorder through the advancement of research; to promote care and support services; and to erase associated stigma through public education.
IBPF
Visit us online for more information: www.internationalbipolarfoundation.org
OFFICE:
11622 El Camino Real, Suite 100  San Diego, CA 92130
p: (858) 764-2496  f: (858) 764-2491
MAILING ADDRESS:
8895 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 105-360  San Diego, CA 92122
We have a new Community Page on FaceBook.

Please join us on Facebook and "Like" us and help us spread the word.
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A Word About Funding

 

Please note that International Bipolar Foundation does not represent any pharmaceutical company or give any speeches for a pharmaceutical company nor does our site receive advertising dollars from any company.