Ceremony of Hope Sponsored by Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
The event, conducted at 1701 Commerce Street at 5:45 p.m., is sponsored by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA).
The purpose of the gathering, made up of mental health consumers, families, community members, and professionals among other parties, is to celebrate achievements and share inspirations with one another while honoring those who have lent support. There will be live music, speakers, and readings at the free event which requires no registration.
According to the DBSA the healthiest thing you can do for yourself when and/or after experiencing a trauma is to acknowledge your feelings and talk about it, while also seeking help. The DBSA’s website, dbsalliance.org, encourages people recovering to stick to their daily routine, continue taking medications, stay active, do volunteer work, do things you enjoy, and attend support groups if needed. It is also time when it comes to children to create time for family events.
DBSA, the largest patient-directed organization, has over 1,000 support groups which provide acceptance and understanding in times of need.
You can donate online at the DBS website, find a group near you, or volunteer. There are also forms, information, and other materials to download on the site. Recently a new advocacy center was added and you can order books at the online store. There is also an online survey available. All information on the site is the most up-to-date and scientific.
There are many ways to volunteer to help spread the word about DBSA such as distributing brochures, handing out literature, organizing a fundraiser, making materials available at your local libraries, writing letters to the editor and Congress, referring others to the organization, and giving of your talents on a volunteer basis.
According to a recent article in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine publication a study commissioned by the American Psychiatric Association has found that light therapy helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). In the study patients were exposed to earlier dawn light to stimulate the brain. Findings showed that this made a difference in depression patients. There were four different categories used in the study regarding light and age groups participating were 18-65.
The results of the study showed that light therapy was as effective as anti-depressants when treating depression. According to the doctors conducting the study, follow-up studies were important when doing studies such as this one.
For more information on DBSA call 800-826-3632 or email programs@dbsalliance.org.
