Friday Five: Facts About Veterans and Mental Health

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- Recent studies tell us that nearly a third of veterans who seek care through Veterans Administration (VA) health centers receive mental health diagnoses.

- Almost one in five veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq will experience mental illness.

- Approximately 30 percent of veterans treated in the veterans health system have depressive symptoms, two to three times the rate of the general population.

- More Vietnam veterans have now died from suicide than were killed directly during the war.

- Approximately 40 percent of homeless veterans live with mental illnesses.

After all our veterans have done for us, it is important that they be supported when dealing with mental illness. Visit NAMI National's Veterans Resource Center  for more information about resources for veterans and their families.

For more information about mental health in southwestern Pa. be sure to visit NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania online and keep up with our blog with a subscription to our RSS feed!

Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Friday Five: Facts About Postpartum Depression

- Depression after pregnancy is called postpartum depression.

- Depression after pregnancy occurs more often than most people realize. Approximately 15 percent of women experience significant depression following childbirth. The percentages are even higher for women who are also dealing with poverty and can be twice as high for teen parents.

- It is hard to recognize or identify postpartum depression. A new mother might not recognize depression or anxiety because she is tired, overwhelmed or simply adjusting to life with a baby. It is common to think that these feelings are just part of being a new mother. Postpartum depression is temporary and treatable, so it's important to notice the symptoms and get professional help if necessary.

- Symptoms can start anytime during pregnancy or the first year postpartum. They differ for everyone, and might include the following:

• Feelings of anger or irritability

• Lack of interest in the baby

• Appetite and sleep disturbance

• Crying and sadness

• Feelings of guilt, shame or hopelessness

• Loss of interest, joy or pleasure in things you used to enjoy

• Possible thoughts of harming the baby or yourself

- Risk factors for postpartum depression can include:

• A personal or family history of depression, anxiety or postpartum depression

• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD or PMS)

• Inadequate support in caring for the baby

• Financial stress

• Marital stress

• Complications in pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding

• A major recent life event: loss, house move, job loss

• Mothers of multiples

• Mothers whose infants are in Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU)

• Mothers who’ve gone through infertility treatments

• Women with a thyroid imbalance

• Women with any form of diabetes (type 1, type 2 or gestational)

(This week's Friday Five information was taken from the Postpartum Support International website. For more information about mental health, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.)

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Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Friday Five: The Trevor Project

- The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning) youth.

- The Trevor Project Mission: The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LGBTQ youth by providing life-saving and life-affirming resources including our nationwide, 24/7 crisis intervention lifeline, digital community and advocacy/educational programs that create a safe, supportive and positive environment for everyone.

- The Trevor Project Vision: A future where the possibilities, opportunities and dreams are the same for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

- History: The Trevor Project was founded by writer James Lecesne, director/producer Peggy Rajski and producer Randy Stone, creators of the 1994 Academy Award®-winning short film, Trevor, a comedy/drama about a gay 13-year-old boy who, when rejected by friends because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life. Read more about the film here; additional information about the history of the organization can be found here.

- The Trevor Project operates three core program areas in order to provide resources for LGBTQ youth and to create safe, accepting and inclusive environments for all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The three core program areas are "We Save Lives", "We Build Community" and "We Change Society and Culture".

(This week's Friday Five information was taken from The Trevor Project website. For more information about mental health, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.)

Friday Five: Key Skills for Raising Your Emotional Intelligence

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According to Helpguide's Emotional Intelligence information sheet, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is "the ability to identify, use, understand and manage your emotions in positive and constructive ways. It's about recognizing your own emotional state and the emotional states of others. Emotional intelligence is also about engaging with others in ways that draw people to you."

Helpguide recommends working on five key skills to raise your emotional intelligence:

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 1: The ability to quickly reduce stress.

The first key skill of emotional intelligence is the ability to quickly calm yourself down when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Being able to manage stress in the moment is the key to resilience. This emotional intelligence skill helps you stay balanced, focused and in control–no matter what challenges you face.

Develop your stress busting skills by working through the following three steps:

* Realize when you’re stressed – The first step to reducing stress is recognizing what stress feels like. Many of us spend so much time in an unbalanced state that we’ve forgotten what it feels like to be calm and relaxed.
* Identify your stress response – Everyone reacts differently to stress. Do you tend to space out and get depressed? Become angry and agitated? Freeze with anxiety? The best way to quickly calm yourself depends on your specific stress response.
* Discover the stress busting techniques that work for you – The best way to reduce stress quickly is through the senses: through sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. But each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find things that are soothing to you.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 2: The ability to recognize and manage your emotions.

The second key skill of emotional intelligence is having a moment-to-moment awareness of your emotions and how they influence your thoughts and actions. Emotional awareness is the key to understanding yourself and others.

What kind of a relationship do you have with your emotions?

* Do you experience feelings that flow, encountering one emotion after another as your experiences change from moment to moment?
* Are your emotions accompanied by physical sensations that you experience in places like your stomach or chest?
* Do you experience discreet feelings and emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, joy, each of which is evident in subtle facial expressions?
* Can you experience intense feelings that are strong enough to capture both your attention and that of others?
* Do you pay attention to your emotions? Do they factor into your decision making?

If any of these experiences are unfamiliar, your emotions may be turned down or turned off. In order to be emotionally healthy and emotionally intelligent, you must reconnect to your core emotions, accept them, and become comfortable with them.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 3: The ability to connect with others using nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal communication is the third skill of emotional intelligence. This wordless form of communication is emotionally driven. It asks the questions: “Are you listening?” and “Do you understand and care?” Answers to these questions are expressed in the way we listen, look, move and react. Our nonverbal messages will produce a sense of interest, trust, excitement and desire for connection–or they will generate fear, confusion, distrust and disinterest.
Part of improving nonverbal communication involves paying attention to:

* Eye contact
* Facial expression
* Tone of voice
* Posture and gesture
* Touch
* Timing and pace

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 4: The ability to use humor and play to deal with challenges.

The ability to deal with challenges using humor and play is the fourth skill of emotional intelligence. Playful communication broadens our emotional intelligence and helps us:

* Take hardships in stride. By allowing us to view our frustrations and disappointments from new perspectives, laughter and play enable us to survive annoyances, hard times and setbacks.
* Smooth over differences. Using gentle humor often helps us say things that might be otherwise difficult to express without creating a flap.
* Simultaneously relax and energize ourselves. Playful communication relieves fatigue and relaxes our bodies, which allows us to recharge and accomplish more.
* Become more creative. When we loosen up, we free ourselves of rigid ways of thinking and being, allowing us to get creative and see things in new ways.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 5: The ability to resolve conflicts positively and with confidence.

The ability to manage conflicts in a positive, trust-building way is the fifth key skill of emotional intelligence. Successfully resolving differences is supported by the previous four skills of emotional intelligence. Once you know how to manage stress, stay emotionally present and aware, communicate nonverbally and use humor and play, you’ll be better equipped to handle emotionally-charged situations and catch and defuse many issues before they escalate.

Tips for resolving conflict in a trust-building way:

* Stay focused in the present. When we are not holding on to old hurts and resentments, we can recognize the reality of a current situation and view it as a new opportunity for resolving old feelings about conflicts.
* Choose your arguments. Arguments take time and energy, especially if you want to resolve them in a positive way. Consider what is worth arguing about and what is not.
* Forgive. If you continue to be hurt or mistreated, protect yourself. But someone else’s hurtful behavior is in the past, remember that conflict resolution involves giving up the urge to punish.
* End conflicts that can't be resolved. It takes two people to keep an argument going. You can choose to disengage from a conflict, even if you still disagree.

(This week's Friday Five information was taken from Helpguide's Emotional Intelligence information sheet. For more information about emotional and psychological health, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.)

Friday Five: Facts About Schizophrenia

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- Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe and disabling brain disorder that has affected people throughout history. About one percent of Americans have this illness.

- People with the disorder may have a variety of symptoms, including hearing voices, paranoid thoughts, hallucinations and/or disordered thinking.  Symptoms vary from person to person. 

- Schizophrenia affects men and women equally. It occurs at similar rates in all ethnic groups around the world. Symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions usually start between ages 16 and 30. Men tend to experience symptoms a little earlier than women. Most of the time, people do not get schizophrenia after age 45. Schizophrenia rarely occurs in children, but awareness of childhood-onset schizophrenia is increasing.

- Experts think schizophrenia is caused by genetic and environmental factors.  Because the causes of schizophrenia are still unknown, treatments focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Treatments include antipsychotic medications and various psychosocial treatments.

- The outlook for people with schizophrenia continues to improve. Although there is not yet a cure for schizophrenia, treatments that work well are available. Many people with schizophrenia lead meaningful lives in recovery.

(This week's Friday Five facts are taken from the National Institute of Mental Health's Schizophrenia booklet. For more information about Schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.)

Friday Five: Facts About Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living through a dangerous event. When in danger, it’s natural to feel afraid, and the body makes changes (often referred to as a "fight-or-flight" response) to defend against the danger or to avoid it. With PTSD, this reaction lingers, leaving people with the disorder feeling stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger.

- PTSD can happen after living through something upsetting or dangerous. This can include:
~ being a victim of or seeing violence
~ the death or serious illness of a loved one
~ war or combat
~ car accidents or plane crashes
~ hurricanes, tornadoes or fires
~ violent crimes (robberies or shootings)

- Symptoms of PTSD can include:
~ bad dreams
~ flashbacks
~ scary thoughts you can't control
~ staying away from places and things that remind you of what happened
~ feeling worried, guilty or sad
~ trouble sleeping
~ angry outbursts
~ thoughts of hurting yourself or others

- PTSD can happen to anyone at any age. Children get PTSD too, and may show other symptoms, including:
~ behaving like they did when they were younger
~ being unable to talk
~ complaining of stomach problems or headaches
~ refusing to go places or play with friends

- PTSD can be treated. Treatment may include "talk" therapy and/or medication, and can take 6 to 12 weeks or longer to complete. Treatment is not the same for everyone.

(This week's Friday Five facts are taken from the National Institute of Mental Health's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder booklet and definition sheet. For more information about PTSD and other mental illnesses, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.)

Friday Five: Facts About Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

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- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning and the individual's sense of self-identity.

- While less well known than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, BPD is more common, affecting two percent of adults, mostly young women. Patients often need extensive mental health services and account for 20 percent of psychiatric hospitalizations. Yet, with help, many improve over time and are eventually able to lead productive lives.

- While a person with depression or bipolar disorder typically endures the same mood for weeks, a person with BPD may experience intense bouts of anger, depression and anxiety that may last only hours, or at most a day.  These may be associated with episodes of impulsive aggression, self-injury and drug or alcohol abuse.

- People with BPD often have highly unstable patterns of social relationships. While they can develop intense but stormy attachments, their attitudes towards family, friends and loved ones may suddenly shift from idealization (great admiration and love) to devaluation (intense anger and dislike). Thus, they may form an immediate attachment and idealize the other person, but when a slight separation or conflict occurs, they switch unexpectedly to the other extreme and angrily accuse the other person of not caring for them at all.

- Treatments for BPD have improved in recent years. Group and individual psychotherapy are at least partially effective for many patients. Within the past 15 years, a new psychosocial treatment termed dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was developed specifically to treat BPD, and this technique has looked promising in treatment studies.

(This week's Friday Five facts are taken from the National Institute of Mental Health's Borderline Personality Disorder fact sheet. For more information about BPD and other mental illnesses, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.)

Friday Five: Facts About Aging and Depression

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- The risk of depression in the elderly increases with other illnesses and when ability to function becomes limited. Estimates of major depression in older people living in the community range from less than one percent to about five percent, but rises to 13.5 percent in those who require home healthcare and to 11.5 percent in elderly hospital patients.

- An estimated five million have subsyndromal depression, symptoms that fall short of meeting the full diagnostic criteria for a disorder.

-  Depressive disorder is not a normal part of aging. Emotional experiences of sadness, grief, response to loss and temporary “blue” moods are normal. Persistent depression that interferes significantly with ability to function is not.

- Health professionals may mistakenly think that persistent depression is an acceptable response to other serious illnesses and the social and financial hardships that often accompany aging - an attitude often shared by older people themselves. This contributes to low rates of diagnosis and treatment in older adults.

 - Depression can and should be treated when it occurs at the same time as other medical illnesses. Untreated depression can delay recovery or worsen the outcome of these other illnesses.


(This week's Friday Five facts are from the National Institute of Mental Health's "Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts" fact sheet. For more information about depression and other mental illnesses, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.)