NEWSLETTER—JANUARY 2015

An Affiliate of The National
Alliance on Mental Illness
and NAMI FL
HERNANDO COUNTY
P.O. Box 5613 Spring Hill Fl 34611 (352) 684-0004 www.flnamihernando.org
NAMI is your community mental health resource, advocating for those without a “voice”
NEWSLETTER—JANUARY 2015
FOOD vs FEELINGS - New year—new eating patterns….Now
that we are getting ready to start a new year maybe it is time
that we begin new thoughts about eating.
Eating to soothe emotional distress doesn’t help in the
long run, but THESE STRATEGIES WILL! By Kelly Enger.
Wayne learned to “eat his feelings” at an early age. He was
bullied on the playground and had a grocery store and donut
shop right down the street. He found that high-fat, high-sugar
foods helped relieve the stress he experienced both at school
and home. Eating was the only thing that seemed to make him
feel better. He hid food under his bed, in his closet and even
in the garage, eating it all in secret. By the time he was an
adult and diagnosed with depression, he knew every local fast
menu. His weight skyrocketed, which only fed his depression.
Man people turn to food to try to manage feelings like anger,
boredom, anxiety and loneliness. However, short-term pleasure is often offset by long-term results like shame, weight gain
and worse overall health.
It is a normal reaction to reach for food when we’re unhappy or stressed. We learn from the moment we’re born that
food is comforting and will be soothing, and a socially acceptable way to soothe ourselves. Poor eating can go back to issues
in childhood to a history of trauma, abuse or neglect. Foods
high in sugar and fat light up the brain’s reward enters and
give us a feeling of calmness or comfort that people long for
but sweets work quite effectively at numbing feelings or pain
and loneliness. Breaking the habit of reaching for food when
you are feeling uncomfortable, sad or anxious takes a twopronged effort—dealing with root causes (Cont. on page 5)
Rita Tice, Executive Director
BOARD OFFICERS
Dawn Wever, Acting President
Lori Morrison, Treasurer
Anne Marquis, Secretary
SUPPORTING BOARD
Jack Kristofik
David Lambert
Judith Magnon
Kenna Marriott
Dave Mickelson
Michelle Noberini
Gina Prespare
Rose Provitere
Sarah Sirina
Debra Steele Thompson
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Shanhra Anderson
Mariann Eckman
Diane Rowden
Maureen Soliman
Judy & Bill Thompson
NAMI HERNANDO is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization whose Mission Statement is: To promote mental health awareness in our community through education, support, advocacy and outreach while improving the quality of life toward recovery for all who are living with
mental illness, their families and their supporters.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE STRAIGHT DOPE ON DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
TUESDAY, JANUARY 13 AT 6:30 PM
NAMI CENTER—10554 SPRING HILL DRIVE
No reservations are required but we always have a full house when Mr.
Fox gives his talks. It is the best I have ever seen so plan to attend now!
MATTHEW FOX
NEW JANUARY CLASSES: If you wanted to attend the Family to Family, Peer to Peer and NAMI
Basics Classes that have just finished and they were full or already started, get your name in to reserve
your spot for the free January classes. The Peer to Peer will begin again January 7th to March
11th—6:30 to 8:30 PM.. The Family to Family will begin January 15 to April 2nd at 6:30—8:30
PM. Both classes meet once a week for 2 hours. See page 7 for more info.
MAY 16, 2015—DANCING WITH THE LOCAL STARS—Our next fund raiser will be on May
16, 2015. May is Mental Health Month. The event will be at Silverthorn Country Club. Senator
Milton Simpson will be our guest speaker. Mark your calendar now for this special evening. More
information coming in February newsletter.
CHRISTMAS PARTY—A special thanks to all those who helped organize the party, especially
Anne and Dennis Marquis who cooked for three days and then served everyone! Many of the family support group brought in salads, cookies and other wonderful food items. Thanks to you all!
NAMI 2015 YEAR AT A GLANCE
THANK YOU—MONTHLY DONATION
PEER TO PEER CLASS STARTS—JAN. 7th
EVENING SPEAKER, MATT FOX—JAN. 13th
Spring Hill Community Association—
$7,500.00
FAMILY TO FAMILY CLASS STARTS—JAN. 15th
Harry and Beth Donaldson $100
NAMI BASICS STARTS—APRIL 13th
First United Methodist Church $50
FUND RAISER WITH SENATOR SIMPSON— 5/16
Yayoi Saikawa Neale $65
GOLF TOURNAMENT—EARLY OCTOBER
Lori Morrison, Robinson & Co. Accounting
FREE ART CLASSES—EVERY OTHER THURS.
BOWLING—EVERY SUNDAY—2:00 at
YEARLY EDUCATIONAL PARTNER
Spring Hill Bowling Lanes—Commerical Way
West Bridge $1,000
Check web for more info: www.flnamihernando.org
Peer-to-Peer
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FIND HELP.
Peer-to-Peer is a FREE, unique, and experiential
learning program for people living with a serious mental
illness who are interested in establishing and
maintaining their wellness and recovery.
FIND HOPE.
What Do Participants Learn?
 How to prevent
relapse
 How to improve
quality of life
 Coping skills
 Exercises to calm
thinking
 Skills for working
with providers
and the public
 How to protect
your interests
Registration and Pre-Screening Required!
Classes begin soon!
Register today!!!!
10 Weeks – 10 Sessions
Support Groups
Mon. evening
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Wed. afternoon
3:00 – 5:00 PM
DATE:
January 7, 2015 - March 11, 2015(Wednesday)
TIME:
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: NAMI Beautiful Mind Center
10554 Spring Hill Drive
CONTACT: NAMI Office 352-684-0004
TEACHERS: Marie Goodwyn and Shelley Westrater
Please visit www.flnamihernando.org for more information.
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FOOD VS FEELINGS (Continued from page 1)
BEAUTIFUL MIND CENTER EVENTS
10554 Spring Hill Dr.
And substituting alternate behaviors. Here are five strategies that can help:
Spring Hill, fl. 34608 (352) 684-0004
1) Face those feelings—Instead of “stuffing your feelings”
under an avalanche of food, break the pattern by being
willing to recognize the unpleasant emotions you are trying
to numb so that you can “feed yourself with compassion”
not chocolate bars.
SUPPORT GROUPS/CLASS
Meetings at the Center
2) Tap into hunger—Pay close attention to your physical sensations so that you are eating only when you’re hungry. You need to trust your body to tell you when you are
hungry and full. It will also help you realize when to put
down your fork! Intuitive eating means that when you are
not hungry and you want to eat, you must ask yourself what
you really need. Look for a diversion. Maybe it is journaling, turning on some soothing music or a good comedy or
since your body doesn’t really know if it is hungry or
thirsty, drink a large glass of water.
Wednesday afternoon 3 to 5 pm
3) Distract Yourself—Physical activity can be an effective distraction—a walk around the block instead of into the
kitchen. Regular exercise boosts mood and lessens symptoms of depression and anxiety. Craft activities are often a
diversion. Deep breathing and visualization techniques can
also keep you from reaching for the chocolate.
Contact office 684-0004
4) Find other joys—Start a list of activities that make
you happy and give you satisfaction, then look for ways to
incorporate them into your routine. Spend time with someone whose company you enjoy. It only takes a few minutes
of doing something else to get your mind off of the food.
5) Eat right—Foods we turn to for comfort tend to be
high in carbohydrates and the unholy trinity of poor diet;
saturated fats, salt and sugar. Apparently our brains are
wired to desire foods loaded with fat and calories because
those foods were most efficient at keeping our ancestors
alive during times when food was scarce, which is rarely
the case now days. Eating balanced meals regularly will
help the medications work better. Aim for a diet that contains lean protein, whole grains, healthy fats with a variety
of fruits and vegetables.
Consumer Support Group
Monday evening 7 to 8:30 pm
Family Support Group
Wednesday Afternoon 3-5 pm
Wednesday Evening 7-8 pm
FREE CLASSES
“Family to Family —1/15/15
12 Week CourseRegistration required
Judy and Bill Thompson presenters
Peer To Peer Class 1/6/15
Recovery Education Classes
Registration Required
Contact Office 684-0004
Marie & Shelley presenters
Nami Baiscs Class April 2015
For parents of children under 18
Contact office to register
Adela and Dawn B. presenters
ART CLASSES
Every other Thursday 1:00 to 3:00
Check calendar for dates
Debra at 352-238-3201
SPEAKERS BUREAU
To schedule a speaker for your organization, call the office Monday Thursday 9-3 at 352-684-0004
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SPRING HILL
COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
DONATED
$7,500.00
TO
NAMI HERNANDO
The Spring Hill Community Association sold
the Lake House to the county and donated
the proceeds to 10 non-profit organizations in the county. We were so honored
to be one of them and our sincere gratitude goes out to the organization!
UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS
December—No board meeting
January 19
February 16
March 16
April 27 (Annual meeting & elections)
NAMI BOWLING—SPRING HILL LANES
EVERY SUNDAY– 2:00 PM
Contact: Richie @ 516) 449-5369
GAME
HIGH AVG.
HIGH SERIES
Mike P 151
Mike P 114
Mike P 390
Jon M 144
Jon M 110
Jon M 383
John G 122
John G 110
John G.330
Shaun
92
Shaun
73
Shaun 237
136
Luke
105
Luke
Luke
346
GAMES ARE $1.25 AND SHOES ARE FREE
TEACHERS WANTED FOR TRAINING AT NAMI CENTER—Volunteer positions

Parents & Teachers as Allies—Must be current or former educational professional with some experience in
living with or having mental illness.

NAMI Basics—Must be parents or caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illness under the
age of 18.

NAMI Homefront—NEW PROGRAM—Must be a family member, partner or caregiver of a Service Member
or Veteran living with mental illness.

Ending the Silence –Two persons team. One whom is a young adult living in recovery with a mental illness
and any adult living in recovery or family member of an individual living with mental illness.
Training will be paid for by NAMI Hernando. All must have family members that experienced mental illness and
commit to presenting at least two classes. Contact the office 352-684-0004.
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
NAMI PEER TO PEER CLASSES– JANUARY 7

NAMI BASICS CLASS—APRIL 13

FAMILY TO FAMILY– JANUARY 15
PEER TO PEER CLASS: This is a 10 week course which meets once a week. The focus is on a holistic approach to recover, using a combination of lectures, interactive exercises and stress management techniques.
AS the name suggests, it is taught by trained “mentors” who are successful at living with and managing their
own mental illness. Attendees share experiences with peers who are working toward recovery and gain a
deeper insight into mental health. Registration is required and class size is limited for this FREE course.
NAMI BAISCS CLASS: This course presents the fundamentals of caring for you, your family and your child
under the age of 18 with mental illness issues. This is a 6 week course and is taught by trained parents or
caregivers of children who developed symptoms of mental illness. Participants are introduced to the stages
of emotional reactions of the family to the mental illness including crisis, shock, denial, grief and acceptance. They are given tools to use, even after completing the program that will assist in making the best
decisions for the care of the child.
FAMILY TO FAMILY: This is a 12 week course for family caregivers of individuals with moderate to severe
mental illness. Attendees learn about the many forms of mental illness, medications and effective treatments; problem solving, listening and communication techniques; handling crisis and relapse; locating support and services within the community and caring for the caregiver.
All NAMI educational programs are nationally recognized by experts as significantly improving abilities of
family members and individuals living with mental illness and demonstrating the value of free, community
based self-help programs as a “complement” to professional mental health services. All classes and course
materials are free and open to the public. REGISTER NOW!!
2015 MEMBER APPLICATION: Your dues help maintain our Center and help State/National programs
Please Mail To: NAMI HERNANDO— P.O. BOX 5613, SPRING HILL, FLORIDA 34611
Providing the following information will help us ensure funding that will allow us
to continue providing free services to Consumers and Family Members!
Gender: Male / Female
Birth date _______ /_______ /_____
Date____________________
Month
Full Name________________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________
Race:
City __________________State________ Zip Code______________
Black
Home Phone_____________________________
Cell Phone_______________________________
day
year
Hispanic White
Other: _____________
Dues Enclosed:
Email___________________________________
Consumer $3
How did you hear about us?_______________________________
(only for Consumer members with very limited income)
_______________________________________________________
Family Member $35.00 per year
Are You a……...
 Business Member $100 per year
Consumer

Family Member

Friend of NAMI

Other:_________________________________
Donation: $________________
Thank you for your continued support!