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. 2 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 3 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. 4 5 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 6 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. 7  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!