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In Mood Rings
IN Mood Rings provides opportunities for you to connect with your peers and offer support, encouragement and advice. We hope every time you visit, you find hope, support and the strength to live your dreams and goals.
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Peer Support
Friendships are vital for wellbeing, but they take time to develop and can’t be artificially created. Good friends are good for your health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times.
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The Bell Story
In 1950s, the National Mental Health Association issued a call to asylums for their discarded chains and shackles. At at the McShane Bell Foundry, MHA melted down these inhumane bindings and recast them into a sign of hope.
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Welcome to INMoodRings.org
Connect with your peers and friends for encouragement and advice.
IN Mood Rings is an online community developed by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Indiana (DBSAI) for people and families dealing with any type of mood disorder or substance abuse issue. It's designed to connect members to important resources as well as to provide emotional support, education and inspiration for all people dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues. INMoodRings.org is an online community that will help members find ways to be pro-active with mental health, stay strong and achieve goals by connecting people of similar interests with peer support groups and by building communities of information for sharing resources while making meaningful friendships and supportive relationships. Everyone with a mood disorder or substance abuse issue deserves to feel hopeful, supported and encouraged to love who they are.
INMoodRings.org provides opportunities for members to build their own social connections. We hope every time you visit the INMoodRings.org community, you find hope, encouragement, support and the information necessary to live your dreams and goals. To become a member, you must register and create an account.
IN Mood Rings Blog
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Coping with Depression in the New Year
Going into a New Year is always associated with resolutions and fresh starts. However, it can be a struggle for people coping with depression at this time; "snapping out" of their condition is not as easy and quick as a burst of New Years Eve fireworks. Whether you are helping others or yourself cope with depression, here are some helpful tips Helping Other Cope With Depression: - Offer emotional support, understanding, patience, and encouragement. - Talk to him or her, and listen carefully. - Never dismiss feelings, but point out realities and offer hope. - Never ignore comments about suicide, and report them to your loved one's therapist or doctor. - Invite your loved one out for walks, outings and other activities. Keep trying if he or she declines, but don't push him or her to take on too much too soon. - Provide assistance in getting to the doctor's appointments. - Remind your loved one that with time and treatment, the depression will lift. Helping Yourself Cope With Depression: - Do not wait too long to get evaluated or treated. There is research showing the longer one waits, the greater the impairment can be down the road. Try to see a professional as soon as possible. - Try to be active and exercise. Go to a movie, a ballgame, or another event or activity that you once enjoyed. - Set realistic goals for yourself. - Break up large tasks into small ones, set some priorities and do what you can as you can. - Try to spend time with other people and confide in a trusted friend or relative. Try not to isolate yourself, and let others help you. - Expect your mood to improve gradually, not immediately. Do not expect to suddenly "snap out of" your depression. Often during treatment for depression, sleep and appetite will begin to improve before your depressed mood lifts. - Postpone important decisions, such as getting married or divorced or changing jobs, until you feel better. Discuss decisions with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation. - Remember that positive thinking will replace negative thoughts as your depression responds to treatment. - Continue to educate yourself about depression. ...
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Study Finds Mental Health Providers Not Well Prepared for Military Veterans - from Medical News Today
Most community-based mental health providers are not well prepared to take care of the special needs of military veterans and their families, according to a new study by the RAND Corporation that was commissioned by United Health Foundation in collaboration with the Military Officers Association of America. The exploratory report, based on a survey of mental health providers nationally, found few community-based providers met criteria for military cultural competency or used evidence-based approaches to treat problems commonly seen among veterans. "Our findings suggest that community-based mental health providers are not as well prepared as they need to be to address the needs of veterans and their families," said Terri Tanielian, the study's lead author and a senior social research analyst at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "There is a need for increased training among community-based providers in high quality treatment techniques for PTSD and other disorders that are more common among veterans." Although the Department of Defense and Veterans Health Administration in recent years have increased employment of mental health professionals, many veterans may seek services from practitioners in the civilian sector, often because they are located closer to their homes. In addition, policymakers have expanded veterans' access to community-based health providers as a way to meet demands, given capacity constraints in the VA health system. "Our veterans have served and sacrificed for our nation and deserve the very best care," said Kate Rubin, president of United Health Foundation. "We hope this study will focus attention on the opportunity that exists to better prepare our mental health workforce to meet the unique needs of veterans and their families." Recent military veterans are more likely than the general population to suffer from major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorders, two conditions prevalent among those who have deployed to battle zones. RAND researchers surveyed a convenience sample of 522 psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers and licensed counselors to determine whether they used evidence-based methods to treat major depressive disorder and PTSD, and whether they had the training needed to be sensitive to the needs of veterans. Just 13 percent of the mental health providers surveyed met the study's readiness criteria for both cultural competency and delivering evidence-based care. Providers who worked in community settings were less prepared than providers who are affiliated with the VA or military health system. Only one-third of psychotherapists reported receiving the training and supervision necessary to deliver at least one evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD and at least one for depression. While 70 percent of those providers working in a military or VA setting had high military cultural competency, only 24 percent of those participating in the TRICARE network, the Department of Defense's health insurance program, and 8 percent of those without VA or TRICARE affiliation met the threshold for cultural competency. "Veterans and their family members face unique challenges, and addressing their needs requires understanding military culture as well as their mental health challenges," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, president of the Military Officers Association of America. "It's crucial that our civilian mental health providers acquire the training and perspective they need to guide their practice in the care of our military and veteran population." The study recommends that organizations that maintain registries or provider networks include information about mental health practitioners' ability to properly treat the special needs of military and veteran populations. In addition, researchers encourage policymakers to expand access to effective training in evidence-based treatment approaches and to create incentives to encourage providers to use these strategies in their routine practice. If you are a veteran or would like resources for veterans, please check out these sites: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/employment-resources.html (employment resources) http://www.va.gov/homeless/resources.asp (resources for homeless vets) http://www.nami.org (resources for mental health) http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/GetHelp/ResourceLocator.aspx (veterans crisis line 1-800-273-8255 press#1) ...
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Managing chronic pain and its consequences
I thought others may find this article from the Mayo Clinic helpful. More information at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/pain-and-depression/faq-20057823 Is there a link between pain and depression? Can depression cause physical pain? Answers from Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. Pain and depression are closely related. Depression can cause pain — and pain can cause depression. Sometimes pain and depression create a vicious cycle in which pain worsens symptoms of depression, and then the resulting depression worsens feelings of pain. In many people, depression causes unexplained physical symptoms such as back pain or headaches. This kind of pain may be the first or the only sign of depression. Pain and the problems it causes can wear you down over time, and may begin to affect your mood. Chronic pain causes a number of problems that can lead to depression, such as trouble sleeping and stress. Disabling pain can cause low self-esteem due to work, legal or financial issues. Depression doesn't just occur with pain resulting from an injury. It's also common in people who have pain linked to a health condition such as diabetes or migraines. To get symptoms of pain and depression under control, you may need separate treatment for each condition. However, some treatments may help with both: Antidepressant medications may relieve both pain and depression because of shared chemical messengers in the brain. Talk therapy, also called psychological counseling (psychotherapy), can be effective in treating both conditions. Stress-reduction techniques, physical activity, exercise, meditation, journaling and other strategies also may help. Pain rehabilitation programs, such as the Pain Rehabilitation Center at Mayo Clinic, typically provide a team approach to treatment, including medical and psychiatric aspects. Treatment for co-occurring pain and depression may be most effective when it involves a combination of treatments. If you have pain and depression, get help before your symptoms worsen. You don't have to be miserable. Getting the right treatment can help you start enjoying life again. With Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. ...
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Bipolar Survey
DBSA wants to hear from you. Take the parent/caregiver survey. Greg Simon, MD, MPH Ask the Doc: Do I Have Bipolar Disorder? Q. Question: I have severe depression, but I've often wondered if I have bipolar. My mood constantly changes. One minute I'm fine, the next I'm crying my eyes out. I snap over things I shouldn't get mad over. A. : Your question is a very important one, but it’s not an easy one to answer. As you may know, surveys of people living with bipolar disorder find that many people experience severe symptoms for 10 years or more before receiving a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. In many cases, people receive years of treatment for depression before someone realizes that depression is really part of bipolar disorder. The “textbook” picture of bipolar disorder includes clear manic episodes with euphoria or elevated mood. That kind of bipolar disorder is easier to recognize. But most people with bipolar disorder don’t experience that “textbook” picture. It’s more common to experience mixtures of symptoms (feeling depressed while also feeling increased energy, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep). Or people may experience more rapid mood shifts between feeling depressed and slowed down to feeling irritated and speeded up. Those more mixed or rapidly changing types of bipolar disorder are not as easy to recognize. There are some things that should make us think more about bipolar disorder (instead of just unipolar depression): a family history of bipolar disorder, experiencing rapid mood shifts, and not seeing benefit from several different antidepressant medications. Information from family members or friends is often helpful. They may be able to see patterns over time: periods of increased energy, decreased sleep, or appearing speeded up. DBSA has online tools that can be helpful. Our Wellness Tracker can help you to keep track of things that might indicate bipolar disorder: not needing to sleep, feeling irritable or speeded up, doing impulsive things (like over-spending or driving too aggressively). Using that tool—and bringing it with you when you visit your doctor or therapist—can really help you to make better decisions about next steps. Greg Simon, MD, MPH, is a psychiatrist and researcher at Group Health Cooperative at the Center for Health Studies in Seattle. His research focuses on improving the quality and availability of mental health services for people living with mood disorders, and he has a specific interest in activating consumers to expect and demand more effective mental health care. Got a nagging question you want to ask a doc? Submit your questions online for a chance to get the answer. Check the next DBSA eUpdate to see if your question was chosen. In the meantime, take a look through our Ask the Doc feature page, a comprehensive archive of past Ask the Doc features which may already be home to the answers you seek. ...
David Berman
Going into a New Year is always associated with resolutions and fresh starts. However, it can be a struggle for people coping with depression at this time; "snapping out" of their condition is not as easy and quick as a burst of New Years Eve fireworks. Whether you are helping others or yourself cope with depression, here are some helpful tips
Helping Other Cope With Depression:
- Offer emotional support, understanding, patience, and encouragement.
- Talk to him or her, and listen carefully.
- Never dismiss feelings, but point out realities and offer hope.
- Never ignore comments about suicide, and report them to your loved one's therapist or doctor.
- Invite your loved one out for walks, outings and other activities. Keep trying if he or she declines, but don't push him or her to take on too much too soon.
- Provide assistance in getting to the doctor's appointments.
- Remind your loved one that with time and treatment, the depression will lift.
Helping Yourself Cope With Depression:
- Do not wait too long to get evaluated or treated. There is research showing the longer one waits, the greater the impairment can be down the road. Try to see a professional as soon as possible.
- Try to be active and exercise. Go to a movie, a ballgame, or another event or activity that you once enjoyed.
- Set realistic goals for yourself.
- Break up large tasks into small ones, set some priorities and do what you can as you can.
- Try to spend time with other people and confide in a trusted friend or relative. Try not to isolate yourself, and let others help you.
- Expect your mood to improve gradually, not immediately. Do not expect to suddenly "snap out of" your depression. Often during treatment for depression, sleep and appetite will begin to improve before your depressed mood lifts.
- Postpone important decisions, such as getting married or divorced or changing jobs, until you feel better. Discuss decisions with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation.
- Remember that positive thinking will replace negative thoughts as your depression responds to treatment.
- Continue to educate yourself about depression.
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