Monthly Archives: September 2015

Free Open Mind Lecture October 6 About The Stigma of Mental Illness

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U.C. Berkeley Professor of Psychology Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, will return to the Open Mind event coordinated by the Friends of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior at UCLA. Professor Hinshaw will speak about the stigma of mental illness: personal, family and policy perspectives. Professor Hinshaw is the author of seven books, including The Mark of Shame, The ADHD Explosion and The Triple Bind: Saving Our Teenage Girls from Today’s Pressures.

Admission is free, but reservations required. RVSP HERE.

Professor Hinshaw is a leader in the field of developmental psychopathology and one of the foremost experts on ADHD in the country. He serves as the Vice-Chair for Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A former president of the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Professor Hinshaw is currently the editor of the highly regarded Psychological Bulletin.

The Friends of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing state-of-the-art research and treatment for illnesses of the mind and brain.

Suicide: Risk Factors

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Research has found that about 90% of individuals who die by suicide experience mental illness. But mental illness is only one of the risk factors associated with suicide. There are a number of other things, all important to recognize, that may put a person at risk of suicide.

The following list is not comprehensive, meaning it is not necessarily a list of “all” possible risk factors. Nor is it a list of necessary conditions. A person may have just one or two of the following risk factors, or none, and still be at risk. But based on what is known, the following list does include some of the things that may put a person at risk:

  • A family history of suicide.
  • Substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol can result in mental highs and lows that exacerbate suicidal thoughts.
  • Intoxication. More than one in three people who die from suicide are found to be currently under the influence.
  • Access to firearms.
  • A serious or chronic medical illness.
  • Gender. Although more women than men attempt suicide, men are four times more likely to die by suicide.
  • A history of trauma or abuse.
  • Prolonged stress.
  • Isolation.
  • Age. People under age 24 or above age 65 are at a higher risk for suicide.
  • A recent tragedy or loss.
  • Agitation and sleep deprivation.

Get more information at the NAMI National Web Site.

Related articles

DBT Families and Friends Program -Harbor UCLA Medical Center

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If you have taken Family to Family and want to learn more or were unable to enroll in the current Family to Family Program please consider enrolling in the Dialectical Behavior Program for family members offered through Dr. Dorit Saberi at Harbor UCLA Medical Center on Monday afternoons from 3:30 to 5:00 PM starting in October.

Please contact Dr. Saberi at (310) 222-1724 for more information.

Suicide: Is There Imminent Danger

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Any person exhibiting these behaviors should get care immediately:

  • Putting their affairs in order and giving away their possessions
  • Saying goodbye to friends and family
  • Mood shifts from despair to calm
  • Planning, possibly by looking around to buy, steal or borrow the tools they need to commit suicide, such as a firearm or prescription medication

If you are unsure, a licensed mental health professional can help assess risk.

See more at the NAMI National Site.

Related articles

Encourage Mental Health Reform Legislation

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NAMI South Bay asks that you call upon your Senators Boxer and Feinstein to co-sponsor The Mental Health Reform Act of 2015 (S 1945). And, ask your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor the The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (HR 2646).

With your voice added to thousands of others, we can bring national attention to the need for mental health reform.

Email, Call and Tweet your member of Congress.

NAMI Walks — Japanese Speaking Support Group — NAMI South Bay

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JSSG NAMIWALKSNAMI Walks は、精神障害の事を広く一般市民に広く知ってもらい、又基金を集める事を目的としてアメリカ全土５１州９２箇所で年に１度同時期に開催されます。JSSG (Japanese Speaking Support Group)は、精神障害者をサポートするアメリカ最大の非営利団体であるNAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) の支部NAMI South Bayの傘下にあり、南カルフォルニアで唯一の日本語で悩みを分かち合い支え合う事の出来るグループです。NAMIWalksで集められたお金は、精神障害を持つ当事者やその家族の為に、NAMIの主催するさまざまな無料サービスやプログラムに使われます。

＊日時:　10月3日（土）2015年　午前８時受付開始　午前１０時出発
＊場所：Grand Park/ Event Lawn (between Spring and Broadway)
＊距離：5k (3.2miles)

参加費は無料

寄付も募っております。参加／寄付のお申し込みは、下記迄お願い致します。

(1) クレジットカードでの寄付
www.namiwalks.org/losangelescounty2015   Donate Now→Team search→私達のﾁｰﾑ名である
NAMI South Bay Japaneseを入力→Donate to team→必要事項入力→Continue→Complete

(2) チェック（小切手）での寄付
Payable to:  NAMIWalks LAC
メモに私達のﾁｰﾑ名である NAMI South Bay Japanese と必ずお書き下さるようにお願い
いたします。
チェックの送り先：

NAMIWalk Los Angeles County
3250 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1501
Los Angeles, CA  90010

お問い合わせ先：

NAMI South Bay ／JSSG (Japanese Speaking Support Group)

植木チアキ　310-372-0981,   uekichiaki@hotmail.com
Agustsson たか子       310-882-0333,   tomandtakako@gmail.com
(ｵｰｶﾞｽﾄｿﾝ)

See also the Japanese Support Group Site

Suicide: Know the Warning Signs

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suicide signs Dollarphotoclub_79868445Each year more than 34,000 individuals take their own life, leaving behind thousands of friends and family members to navigate the tragedy of their loss.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among adults in the U.S. and the 3rd leading cause of death among adolescents.

Suicidal thoughts or behaviors are both damaging and dangerous and are therefore considered a psychiatric emergency. Someone experiencing these thoughts should seek immediate assistance from a health or mental health care provider.Having suicidal thoughts does not mean someone is weak or flawed.

Following are Seven Warning Signs

  • Threats or comments about killing themselves, also known as suicidal ideation, can begin with seemingly harmless thoughts like “I wish I wasn’t here” but can become more overt and dangerous
  • Increased alcohol and drug use
  • Aggressive behavior
  • Social withdrawal from friends, family and the community
  • Dramatic mood swings
  • Talking, writing or thinking about death
  • Impulsive or reckless behavior

See more at the NAMI National Site.