NAMI Blog Repost

Kristen's Story It's hard to believe that 2013 is almost over. For me, 2013 was an awesome year: I finished college, I applied to start graduate school, I returned to full time employment, I got engaged, I turned 30, and, well, I'm alive. I really never thought I'd be able to say that: I'm thirty and I'm alive. For most people this isn't a big deal. For me, it's groundbreaking. My mother has always told me that "fear is a powerful motivator." She's right. However, I've also learned that hope is a powerful motivator. And, while I have a wonderful support system, hope came for me in the form of NAMI NJ. We often hear how NAMI NJ can save families and how it helps parents and their ill children (or vice versa) and gives them a way to open a much-needed (and very, very hard) dialogue. For me, it was a little different. I became ill young. Elementary school young. My parents, being the proactive, supportive parents they are, sought the best of care for me. Suicidal at eight, cutting myself by twelve, by the time I hit high school I was already diagnosed with major depression. As I got older, major depression became bipolar II. As I got even older, I was finally diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. However, I was lucky. My parents, not wanting to limit me, never told me I was "sick" or "disabled." This is not to say that I did not know why I went to the psychiatrist every week or why I took medicine every day, it is simply that my parents refused to tell me that there were things of which I was not capable because I lived with mental illness. They treated me, and pushed me, as if I were any other child-as if I were "normal." How NAMI Has Helped When I came to NAMI NJ I already knew about, and, for the most part, accepted, my illness. I knew that I'd be on a cocktail of meds and in therapy the rest of my life. The problem was: I was unsure of how long that life would be. I had been early decision at Columbia University. I had been a supervisor in a distribution center with a sizable staff under me. I was no longer any of these things. By 27 I was divorced and on Social Security Disability. I had even begun to say that I was "disabled." I had already learned to start to doubt my experiences-what I heard, what I felt, what I perceived. I had also, however, begun to doubt my existence and whether I mattered. As I sat at home on the couch (I no longer left the house for work or school so I no longer left the house) my mother said to me, "Honey, I love you, but get off my couch. Go do something, anything." I had read about NAMI and so I sent an email to NAMI New Jersey (secretly hoping no one would answer). Lo and behold, my email was returned in a matter of hours. My simple email inquiring about volunteering opportunities was met with, basically, "Great! We're hosting our Kick-Off Luncheon this weekend. You can start tomorrow!" So, for the first time in I don't know how long, I ventured out of my house, totally alone, to meet some people I had never even spoken to on the phone, let alone seen in person, before. To say I was nervous is an understatement. I honestly don't know how I got out of the car or made it up the stairs. But I'm glad I did. What started out as helping put decorations on tables soon became helping plan the NAMI New Jersey Walk since it is held in my home county. This led to my not only joining my local affiliate but to today being on the its board, leading the NAMI Connection group, and being an In Our Own Voice presenter. This also, coincidentally, led to an internship in the state office. I started slowly at ten hours a week. I'm now in the office forty hours a week as a full-time employee. And, believe it or not, I love going to work-which I never thought I'd be able to say again. As I said, NAMI NJ has given me hope. I had never before met anyone else, outside of the hospital, who had mental illness. I had never met anyone else with scars on her wrists and arms or who could tell me that he heard things too. I learned that while I may be different, it's who I am as a person, and not my diagnosis, that makes me unique. And, most importantly, I learned that I really could have a future-with a family and a job and plans. I learned that I no longer wanted to die. While I'm still motivated by fear-I take my daily meds and go to my weekly therapy because I am scared to go through another psychotic break-I'm more motivated by hope. And NAMI.

Seen some research and DSM-5

Genome studies currently as well as DSM-5 and TRoC discussions. 

At NAMI NJ Annual Conference

Greetings from the NAMI NJ Annual Confeence at the Crown Hotel in Monroe. 

Today is going to be a productive day of speakers, fighting stigma and advocacy. 

I'll post updates as they happen throughout the day. 

NAMI.ORG Interview Repost

Helping Your Child Stay Organized and Handle Adversity By Brendan McLean, NAMI Communications Manager The Sensory Child Gets Organized: Proven Systems for Rigid, Anxious, or Distracted Kids By Carolyn Dalgliesh Purchase For Carolyn Dalgliesh, it was learning how to take the ideas and strategies that she gained from doctors and applying them in day-to-day activities at home. Doing so helped ensure that everyday challenges with her son, such as doing homework, eating dinner or going to bed, were met with as much preparedness as possible. Many parents with children affected by illnesses such as ADHD, OCD and anxiety, often face many challenges in learning how help their child, much like Dalgliesh experienced with her son. Carolyn Dalgliesh took the strategies that she found beneficial in her experience with her son, and turned them into a book to assist others. In The Sensory Child Gets Organized: Proven Systems for Rigid, Anxious, or Distracted Kids, Dalgliesh provides a straightforward guide for parents to help their children. While not a mental health professional, she draws on her own personal knowledge as a mother and as a professional organizer to provide suggestions to parents of sensory children, a term she uses to describe children with ADHD, anxiety disorders, sensory processing disorder, autism spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder. I spoke with her recently about her organization strategies, methods of parenting and what it’s like to be parent of a sensory child. You use the term “sensory children” to group children with illnesses like sensory processing disorder, ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD and autism spectrum disorders. How did you decide on this term to encompass all of these conditions? I think I really did it based on my own experience but also from what I learned as I was starting to work with families. One of the first signs of either developmental delays or behavioral issues beginning to manifest for a lot of kids is by the way they process information through their senses and how it was really impacting how they were experiencing their days and the world around them. So I really wanted to start where I thought many parents would be starting, which was that first experience of noticing something was a little different with their child. And, and that often came through how they were processing the world around them. As a parent of a sensory child, how did your own experiences help guide you in writing the book? The first time I came across the topic was with my own son. When he was around two we started noticing developmental delays and started the process of getting evaluated. One of the first names that got mentioned to us was sensory processing disorder. For each kid it’s different, but we could just see that in a big, busy place it was really overwhelming for him. He didn’t know what to look at first or how to break down information that was coming at him visually or aurally. I took my experiences and knowledge and thought they might be able to help other parents navigate the difficulties that I had. Are there any particular sources that you’ve drawn upon to help form your own ideas about how to parent a sensory child? For me it was a couple of things. It was definitely my own experience and my own total lack of understanding. My own child was a high functioning child so we were not really eligible for a lot of services. I just remember having speech and occupational therapy once a week and I would just pepper the therapists with questions. It wasn’t really about the therapy, it was about everything else in our day: how could I get him to a birthday party, how could I cut his fingernails, how could I get him to sit at the dinner table. There were many things that I found counterintuitive to what I thought parenting would be. 5As I was learning to understand what life would be like as a parent to my son, I realized that although I was incredibly organized, I wasn’t organized in a way that made sense to him. I was rigid and distracted in my own way and what I really had to do was understand what I could do to support him. That was really tough for my brain. I had to redefine not only what organizing looked like, but parenting as well. For parents discovering that they have a sensory child, what are some of the steps they can take to help their child? I think the most important step is to really redefine parenting. There was a lot that was just very different in the way I thought about parenting and the way it turned out to be. Personally, I had to consciously make that shift. The other part for me I would say is learning to objectively observe your child. We’re so close to our kids, but if we’re too close and too judgmental we really lose the ability to advocate for them. It’s such a hard shift but to me that is one of the most helpful things. You’re really able to learn valuable information about how to support them. The other thing is to constantly prioritize what their needs are. Every day you may have to sit down and think about your biggest challengesand then you maybe pick one to work on. You need to have a plan. There are many other challenges that parents may face as they continue to try and provide for their child. What would you tell a family that is struggling to make progress or has hit a roadblock? There are two things that I think are really powerful. One, you can learn as much from when everything goes wrong as you can from when it goes kind of right. So those times that you have with your child when it’s a train wreck are actually the times when you can get your ‘aha’ moments, which really change your experience the next time. The other thing is that for many sensory kids, their profile is consistently inconsistent and that’s one of the hardest things for a parent to understand. Some parents will get into a softer cycle of behavior and think that everything is fixed, that their kid is all better, and then they get kind of slapped in the face when the cycle changes. Understanding that there is this cyclical nature to the symptoms and challenges that many sensory kids have is a very helpful thing for parents to understand. You talk about two different teams that help provide support for the child. One is essential clinical support and the other is the team at home. How does the support they offer differ and how do they interact with one another to ensure the child gets the care and attention they need? The clinical support is so helpful for parents by providing them real, tangible knowledge around specific challenges. Having that check-in can be really helpful for the parent, but also the child. It’s another way to show our children that we are there to support them. I think what we can do at home is taking what is being done with clinical support, and use those strategies and tools during challenging times at home. It really becomes a great mirror of how to take some of those clinical methods of support and put them to use all the time. As a sensory child becomes an adult, there are undoubtedly some new challenges that arise. How can you prepare your child to make these adjustments? In the earlier years, as you’re working with those core tools of structure, routine and visual aids, you’re really helping sensory kids build executive functioning skills. As they get into middle school, when there’s that natural need for independence, it really becomes this great opportunity to pull back a little bit as a parent and see how they start to manage some of it. The main goal is that you want them to recognize when they hit a difficult situation or experience and you want them to be able to get to that place and say, “What’s my plan” and try to handle it. In your personal work, you help both children and adults. Are the techniques employed similar? Absolutely. I think the core thing around sensory organizing is really breaking it down, reducing any of that external stimuli and then creating that visual aid so you can know what to expect in a situation. That strategy can work for kids and adults alike. So while you’re really supporting a new experience, you’re also hoping to build a habit. The other things that can be used are the power of choice, the gift of fascination and the art of distraction. Those three tools can be used effectively to address a challenging task or a challenging time of day. Do you see the challenges of parenting sensory children changing along with technology and culture? I do. You know, technology really provides some great opportunities for supporting many sensory kids but I still think at the core of it, there has to be a more tactile approach to get kids to really learn the process of making a plan. So I think you have to have a time before you really rely on technology. That’s why it can be so helpful to use some of the hands-on techniques when they are younger so that when they move on to using technology they already have a core understanding of how it works. Have your experiences with other families taught you anything about how to handle the relationship with your own son? Absolutely. I think for me it does a couple of things. It reconfirms what I think are always some of the core challenges for so many sensory kids. Even though there are so many different diagnoses, the challenges are often similar. I think what I tend to be cautious about is thinking that I don’t have to do this anymore. So when I see the power of a small change with a family, it really reconnects me to how powerful this all can be

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NAMI Blog Repost

Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Let’s Connect for Mental Health By Bob Carolla, NAMI Director of Media Relations This past summer, the White House Conference on Mental Health launched a National Dialogue in which communities large and small have engaged in dialogues about mental illness and needs in the mental health care system. NAMI members have participated in many forums, including one held on college campuses and at veterans’ facilities. NAMIonCampus has produced a produced a special toolkit for use with college students and we have launched a new national education program, NAMI Ending the Silence, designed to educate and empower high school students. A New Initiative This week, NAMI introduced a new initiative in partnership with the National Council on Behavioral Health (National Council), called Connect4MentalHealth that seeks to keep moving the National Dialogue forward to action. Connect4Mental Health is calling on community leaders to make mental health care a priority. Commitment is needed not just from the mental health community, but also law enforcement, emergency services, public housing, school districts and others. Efforts will focus on four specific strategies: Early intervention. Creative use of technology. Integration of services. Improved continuity of care. These strategies can help break cycles of hospitalization, homelessness or incarceration. They are community-focused and reflect the need for collaboration. They can help save money in the long run. Support Exists for Greater Priority For too long, mental health care has been “the poor step child” of American health care, even though the cost to the country’s economy is an estimated $300 billion a year. Mental health care receives only six to seven percent of all federal health spending; meanwhile, 40 percent of adults living with mental illness do not receive treatment. From 2009 to 2012, states slashed approximately $4.35 billion from mental health care. Awareness of the need for change exists. A recent poll of 1000 persons indicated that: 82 percent see people living with mental illness as being treated differently than others people because of social stigma. 74 percent claim to know someone who lives with mental health condition. 41 percent believe access to mental health treatment is poor or awful. 87 percent recognize the need to prioritize funding for early intervention. 68 percent believe mental health care should be addressed at both the national and local levels. 91 percent agree that that community can do more to help people affected by mental illness. Despite these figures, one of the most disappointing responses of the past year has been that many states have nonetheless rejected expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which would have covered people who have no health insurance. People living with mental illness are among the largest group of potential beneficiaries from states expansions. We still have much work ahead. Model Programs Play a Role There is no “one size that fits all” in mental health care treatment. Local circumstances will always influence basic strategies. As part of launching Connect4Mental Health, a summit in Washington, D.C. highlighted four examples: Henderson Behavioral Healthcare in Fort Lauderdale, which developed an evidence-based early intervention program that has helped hundreds of adults live an independent lifestyle in supported housing. Vinfen in Boston, which is using technology to encourage more accurate and frequent reporting on medication adherence and other needs, with estimated savings of $3.8 million to the health care system over three years. Center for Health Services in San Antonio, which has partnered with police, firefighters and emergency response teams to divert more than 1,000 individuals living with mental illness from hospitals or jails each month. MHA Village in Los Angeles, which provides continuity of care that increased employment 200 percent while lowering hospitalizations, homelessness and incarcerations. Real-life examples help establish that the vision of new, strengthened mental health care system is not an illusion. It is real and achievable. There is already a foundation to build on—if community leaders are willing to seize the opportunity. Change cannot be achieved without continuing dialogue. It also will depend ultimately on community action. In order to help individuals and families affected by mental illness, NAMI is committed to moving dialogue and action forward for the long haul. Posted by Katrina Gay at 4:53 PM Labels: connect4mentalhealth, ending the silence, mental health, nami, national dialogue, policy,

Another reason that here is the place

Another main reason that Disney World holds some old fears and paranoia for me is that back in 1996, when I was a senior in High School, on a music trip with the chorus, we were here and I experienced prodrome. I'll explain; prodrome refers to a set of symptoms, almost like a warning sign, that happens sometimes years before, sometimes months prior, or even a decade or more earlier than the onset, or breakthrough episode of psychosis. So I'm thinking that since I had some paranoia and overstimulation when I was down here a full three years before my first major break. Now, 17 years later, and many coping strategies through and, of course on medication now, I've returned to one of my places of origin and early onset.

I've used earbuds and my iPod throughout long lines and crowded parks and restaurants to help offset my paranoia and overstimulation. Dr Malhotra said he treated a lady who raised eight children and had schizophrenia herself. She said the only way she was able to quiet the voices consistently was to always have the radio on. So that's what she did and how she coped. 

Mega medication dosages in Disney

Hello from Disney World, the most magical place on earth and also the most taxing for someone with mental illness. This is especially true of someone with psychotic type illnesses. After all, there are stimuli all around you as well as children who need you all the time, small children crying and complaining. 

Oh well, it is what it is. We'll see how the rest of the trip goes. 

Yes, it wasn't that I wanted it this way

Yesterday, I had myself an exceptionally rough day. With having the two children in the morning, by myself, while the wife was at work and feeling paranoid and having disorganized thoughts--but nay, once I headed that off at the pass, I wasn't finished yet. Once she got home, I went off onto some overstimulated jaunts in the prison of my mind. Then it was time to carve pumpkins, and yet again, I was assaulted by the innate rants of my psychotic mind. In and out of bed at this point, I managed to fend off the onslaught until it was time for a restful sleep. Even in slumber, though, my "off switch" wouldn't be tapered. Tossing around just beneath the surface, my mind wouldn't let me be at peace, until the morning, when it all went away. Thankfully, the following day (that being today), I went on beautifully with a wonderful day when I was able to complete all tasks at hand, as well as be outside with my children, and visit my dad at his home. The Alpha, the Tau and the Omega. Just remember, there is always a tomorrow.

Man on a mission in Clifton, NJ (Story from NJ.com)

Clifton man on a mission FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 BY TERENCE MCGINLEY STAFF WRITER CLIFTON JOURNAL PRINT | E-MAIL CLIFTON — 'Fail forwards, not backwards'... 'The only bad grade is an incomplete.' Drew Horn pictured with a volunteer from Montclair State University's 'Smile Station' celebrating with a resident of an area nursing home. Horn will receive a peer leadership award for his work next month in Hollywood. COURTESY PHOTOS Drew Horn pictured with a volunteer from Montclair State University's 'Smile Station' celebrating with a resident of an area nursing home. Horn will receive a peer leadership award for his work next month in Hollywood. These are just a few of the many mottos used by Drew Horn, the founder of the Turn a Frown Around Foundation and longtime advocate for mental health. To Horn and his colleagues, loneliness is not a simple emotion. It is a condition, an epidemic — an epidemic that can easily be cured. Next month Horn is being honored with a peer leadership award at the SAMHSA Voice awards in Hollywood for his "tireless pursuit to help other individuals address their own mental health issues," according to a press release by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Horn founded Turn a Frown Around (TAFA) in 2001 while working as a stand up comedian. He describes it as a "benevolent match.com" on a constant mission to seek out and befriend the people who fall through the cracks of society. He is constantly on the road performing at prisons, psychiatric wards, orphanages and nursing homes, places TAFA calls institutions of loneliness. He does not finish a show without giving everybody a hug. "I hear the heartbeat of the lonely every day," he said. "I don't know why I do. I just do." Horn grew up in the Montclair Heights neighborhood of Clifton. His formative years were difficult, he said. His father died when he was 12 and his mother was frequently ill. He never finished ninth grade. Three business ventures failed and he could never hold a job. "I would get hired level-headed then quit when I became manic," he said. At that point Horn was alternating between psychiatric wards and homeless shelters. He even recalls a period of time living in the forest of Mills Reservation. He said he was suicidal and it seemed he had become one of the lonely and forgotten. But his daughter never gave up on him. "She told me I was being selfish. After I made a deal with her that suicide was off the table, after I truly believed that, then I began to take myself seriously," he said. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 42, another step which he said was beneficial. "It helped me label the problem," he said. "I could say to myself 'I'm not bipolar, I have bipolar.'" He was back on his feet performing at comedy clubs and open mic nights. Onstage one night in Montclair something became clear to him. "I realized that the guy in the audience on his third martini doesn't need laughter," he said. Turn a Frown Around was born. He decided to perform strictly for the nursing homes, orphanages and psych wards, giving laughter to the lonely. Drew Horn has not checked into a psychiatric ward in 15 years. Congress established SAMHSA in 1992 as a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the administration's website, last year 10.6 million Americans reported they did not receive the mental health care they need. SAMHSA started the Voice awards seven years ago. The mission is to recognize television, film and individuals who address mental health respectfully and accurately. Television shows "Monk" and "Law and Order: SVU," are among previous honorees. The Voice awards was first introduced to Horn in "Crazy Enough to Care," a documentary that tells his story, which received an honorable mention at the 2009 ceremony. Director Sheryl Franko made the documentary because "there is no ulterior motive for Drew," she said, adding "he has the deepest form of human compassion." After the success of "Crazy Enough to Care" Horn and Franko travelled to the Netherlands on a tour of nursing homes to prove that a hug is the same in every language. "Connectivity is vital to mental health," Franko said. "What Drew brings is universal." A few years ago SAMHSA established the peer leadership award Horn is receiving in September. NFL Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall is among past winners. "We decided to recognize certain individuals that have made significant improvements in not only their own lives but the lives of others as well," said Carleton Spaeth, project manager of the Voice awards. "Drew is one of those people." Horn is far from fulfilled, however. Recently he has been working on establishing smile stations, hubs of connectivity where the lonely can find forever friends. In addition to being a 24-hour support group, every smile station sponsors an institution of loneliness. Montclair State University was the first college campus to establish a smile station. There are 40 volunteers who visit the Gates Manner nursing home in Montclair once a week. Each volunteer befriends a resident for 20 minutes, but they "always stay longer than that," said junior Chelsea Durocher, president of the MSU smile station. Durocher is starting Compassion Coffee House, a series of weekly events at campus hot spots sponsored by the smile station. Her goal is to "gather young thinkers to think compassionately," she said. She said she's hoping to get to 250 members by the end of the year. There are smile stations at Delaware Valley College and the Seymour Town Library in Seymour, Connecticut. Ten nursing homes scattered throughout the metropolitan area have established stations as well. More are in the works in New Jersey and Georgia. TAFA has more than 100 registered forever friend volunteers. The scope is widening, the message spreading. These are the seedlings of Horn's broad vision. They are footprints, he said, from his never-ending journey to show every lonely and mentally ill person that there is somebody out there who cares. "It took me a long time to figure out that I can offer something in this world," he said. "Now I know I can help people find who they are so they can accept themselves." Getting honored at a Hollywood awards ceremony might be a culminating moment for some, but not Horn. "Don't tell me I have done a good job," he said. "I have only done a good job when there is a smile station in every city in the country." He plans to approach the Voice awards as a platform to launch from and a place to network with influential people. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care," Horn said. On Sept. 25 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood he will be limited to just a two minute speech. Chances are he will find a way to fit plenty of those adages in there. Email: mcginley@northjersey.com - See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/news/222626601_Clifton_man_on_a_mission.html?page=all#sthash.bJO9j95z.dpuf

Blog for the removal of certain medications (NAMI.org repost)

Long-term Recovery: More Options, Better Treatment Needed by Kathleen Vogtle, NAMI Communications Coordinator Dr. Thomas Insel, NIMH Director weighs in on study results that, for some, may turn age-old thinking in the mental health field on its head: long-term recovery in schizophrenia may not necessarily include taking antipsychotic mediations. Insel is very clear that he is not negating the benefits of popular and even “atypical” antipsychotics. However, he states that while these medications are largely helpful for those experiencing their first psychotic episodes, their reliability decreases over time. Insel illustrates his claim based on a recently published finding by L. Wunderink in JAMA-Psychiatry. The study followed 103 people with schizophrenia over a seven-year period. After six months of remission, the participants were randomly selected to either wean off the medication, or to continue with maintenance treatment. The results were, at first, predictable. Those who were taken off the medications “experienced twice the relapse rates in the early phase of the follow-up.” Within a few years, these rates evened out, and by the conclusion of the study, a remarkable trend was revealed. Among the 103 participants, the group who had discontinued the medications had achieved a 40.4 percent “functional recovery rate,” as opposed to the 17.6 percent who had continued to use the antipsychotic. The results of the study, though, should not call into question all preconceived notions of how to treat schizophrenia. Instead, Insel believes this is an opportunity to reframe and expand upon this knowledge. He urges a more comprehensive approach: for some, antipsychotic treatment is a necessity; for others, a combination of medication and psychosocial treatment, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) might prove most effective. Still others may be most productive with no medication at all. However, it is important to assess the potential risks involved in changing any treatment or medication regimen. It is up to the individual and his/her health care provider to decide on the best course of treatment. Above all, Insel states, the term “schizophrenia” was defined a mere 100 years ago, and first generation medications developed only 50 years afterwards. This research, then, is a reminder of how much is still to be learned about this mental illness.

Games you must pay with yourself

I'm very fortunate to have good control over my thoughts and emotions in times of trouble.  Sometimes,  but not always its a matter of attitude. Other times,  it's distraction of your own thought processes-still others its very direction sensitive.  For example, if your thoughts are in a direction that you don't want them to be in and you're doing one thing, turning the corner and changing your activities to something else often times does the trick of changing your brain chemistry for the better.  It's not a question of will power, but more of a game you have to play with yourself to relieve whatever rut you're stuck in. 

OK2TALK about Mental Illness: Nami.org Blog repost

On Tuesday, July 23, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) launched their new “OK2TALK” campaign aimed at educating the public and encouraging youth to start a conversation about mental health. The campaign features a series of TV and radio PSAs to be used as a platform to spark a productive, nation-wide dialogue about the realities of mental illness and the availability of help and support. The NAB initiated their OK2TALK campaign following the National Conference on Mental Health last month. NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith has a special connection to the cause given that his son took his own life in 2003 after living with depression for many years. At the launch, Gordon shared his personal story and his hopes that encouraging families to have honest conversations about mental illness will help prevent other families from experiencing the tragedy that he faced with the loss of his son. The launch featured a multitude of speakers including senators and house representatives advocating for a bipartisan effort toward improving public accessibility to mental health care. NAMI Northern Virginia member Ellie Hoptman gave a face to the campaign when she shared her personal story of struggle and recovery. Her perspective as a teen growing up with bipolar disorder served as a call to action, proving that talking about mental illness can be a powerful step in the healing process. In her speech, Ellie recalls the pivotal moment at which she finally opened up to her peers and realized that she was not alone. “There were people out there like me and it made all the difference in the world.” If you or a loved one is touched by mental illness, or if you simply need a safe and supportive place to talk, we encourage you to become a part of the conversation by visiting OK2TALK.org. More than one-fourth of young adults avoid talking about mental illness, but having a conversation could save a life. You can watch the press conference in its entirety, here. Posted by Contributors: at 2:49 PM Labels: National Association of Broadcasters, OK2Talk, PSA, teens, young adults

June is PTSD Awareness Month. NAMI.org repost

PTSD Awareness Month: Educate Yourself By Joni Agronin, NAMI Communications Intern June is PTSD awareness month and in an effort to help as many people as possible, Thursday, June 20 has been named PTSD Screening Day. Screening for Mental Health, Inc. has made a self-assessment available to the public and encourages anyone who may be experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder or is concerned about a loved one to take the test to make an initial evaluation. Over the last year, many communities across the United States have experienced tragedies. From shootings in Aurora, Co. and Newtown, Conn., to the Boston Marathon bombing, natural disasters and other events, it is an unfortunate fact that anyone can experience trauma. According to the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, about 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime and the numbers are even higher for members of the armed forces. Everyone deals with trauma differently but sometimes events can have a strong and permanent affect on the brain of victims. These disruptions in the normal functioning of an individual’s brain can drastically impair their ability to heal and potentially lead to anxiety, anger, violence, sleeplessness and many other symptoms. These symptoms may appear immediately or take months to occur and can affect both individuals and communities alike. The persistence of these symptoms over time is referred to as posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop PTSD but up to 20 percent of those individuals may. Twenty percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans experience PTSD, half of which may never seek treatment. In the wake of the tragedies our nation faced this year, as well as events that happen every day in combat or at home, it is especially important to remember that help and support are available. The online test is free and anonymous and while it does not offer a diagnosis it may help explain symptoms and provide information about when and how to seek further assessment by a clinician. There are many options available to individuals who may want to seek treatment or simply want to learn more about the disorder. Anyone can experience symptoms of PTSD and you are absolutely not alone. Post a Comment, Share on Facebook

Children's Self Portrait

My son--who's father has schizophrenia,  has been making self-deprecating remarks about himself as a pattern that I've seen over the past year.  He is a six year old in first grade doing really well in school and by all accounts is a healthy, smart, talented and promising young lad. The only problem is that I think he has unfortunately started to walk in his father's footsteps and has, by his mother and my observations, begun to show signs of developing mental illness later in life.
Part of me wants to think he is joking--trying to get a rise out of us, partly due to his childish expression on his face when he is asserting these unusual-for-a-six-year-old-remarks of negativity about himself. Another part of me wants to seek help for him in the form of bringing him along to my psychiatrist's appointment. 
Will it all work out for the best in the end? Or would it be best if I acted upon my instincts and sought professional help for my son?

-A Concerned Father

Nami.org Blog Repost--Kimberly's Story

Kimberly’s Story - My Saving Grace Addiction is a strong demon! I know this one well. It devoured my life for many years, 15 to be exact. The battle of drugs and alcohol were fierce, and it started so young. I was in 8th grade, 13 years old. They took over my life. I could not stop. My life was falling apart, so in order to cover up what was happening or what I was feeling, I numbed myself for years with the drugs and alcohol. I could not recognize I had a problem. I hid it well from my family for years. I was a blackout drunk from age 14 on. I became a frequent user of various illegal drugs. I went through the money in my savings account, the inheritance my grandfather had left me for college, by my junior year in high school. That is how out of control I was, but I was so great at hiding it from my family. What I refer to as “the mask”; I could put it on and off as often as I needed to. I grew up in a great home. I was raised in an upper middle-class family. I had two loving parents who were married 47 years, 1 older brother, 1 grandmother who lived here, the other lived in Austin. We traveled often, had a lake-house, members of the Country Club, and the list goes on. Hence, my home-life was as most would say happy and normal. I chose to live the way I wanted to; I was a leader, very outgoing, but always daring. I pushed the bar in everything I did and always challenged the authority figure, just to see if I could “win”. I chose the wrong boyfriends, one of whom was extremely abusive. Obvious signs of something not “right”… but once again I hid it. I spent some time (a week or so each year) for 3 of my 4 years of High School at the alternative campus because I got in trouble for one thing or another, I “accidentally” overdosed on Valium and spent 4 days in the hospital in a blackout, I was kicked off of the drill team for drinking, and the list goes on. That was High School. I broke my neck at the age of 23 by diving into a swimming pool, under the influence of course, but didn’t go to the hospital for 2 days. I broke my neck at C-5 and C-6, but fortunately, did not sever the cord. But that did not stop me. It only added to my addiction. Now I could add Vicodin and Soma to the list of “legal necessities.” Another 5 years of those meds, plus a few more, and the alcohol to intensify the feeling only made me a complete nightmare!!! It was the stress, it was the suffering, it was the unhappy marriage, the temptations, the suicidal thoughts, the stealing, the lying, the resentment, the drinking, the drugs, the disappointments, the mistakes, the depression, the conscience of my past catching up with me, it was the abuse from a previous relationship, it was the pain, it was everything. I was 28 before I hit rock bottom. I just could not do it another day. I had to stop. I had witnessed the death of 3 close friends, all of whom committed suicide within a year. But the second affected me the worst. He had grown up next door and was like a brother to me. He ended his life the Saturday of our 10 year High School Reunion in August 1996. Many of the family were in town that weekend. I was at the house within 30 minutes of it happening. He had planned it so well. It was awful! It changed me forever. It affected me deeply, something I did not even recognize for another month or so after his death. I knew if I did not get help I would die too. And I could not do that - I had a daughter to raise! She was 2 ½ at the time. She needed me. She did not need this wreck I had become, nor did she need to grow up in a life of such chaos. I was a daughter and a sister. I was a wife and a mom. I had so many friends and so well liked in the community. But, the addictions destroyed many of those relationships. The temptations were stronger than I wanted to admit. Not only did I battle drugs and alcohol, but dual diagnosis; the addition of mental illness, now being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder; yet another label. Another “thing” I was going to have to fight. But I was determined to prevail; not only for me, but for my daughter. I was going to overcome this. I went to my first AA meeting on October 9th, 1996. That became my first step and a pathway for my saving grace. I had to do it one day at a time; one or two meetings a day; working the steps and by praying to God constantly. The serenity prayer became part of me, instilled and ingrained to keep me going. Almost 17 years later, I am well today. I am living a life of inner peace, serenity, and happiness; living each day loving myself, finding hope, constantly healing, and always finding a way to pay it forward. I think God wants to use me to help others where they believe they are weak; to show them their strengths, whether it be a business issue or in their personal lives. So many times I just sit and talk with others, help them weigh the odds, look at the strengths and weaknesses, and look at it from an optimistic view. People see my strengths and many times I do not even see that. I just view it as a conversation with a friend. Then several months or a year go by and I will run into them or get a phone call and they explain to me how the conversation we had changed them, how it made a difference in a circumstance they were dealing with or helped them in some other way. I think it all goes back to my recovery and how I was always determined to prevail and succeed when many thought I would fail. What a great life sobriety and getting well has awarded me. My daughter was two when I went into rehab. Wow, the journey I have taken to get to where I am today. What a great life I have been blessed with – an amazing daughter, a loving family and the most cherished of friends. All this would not be possible without surrendering those short 15 and one half years ago. At the same time, overcoming the stigma of living with mental illness (a dual-diagnosis), an even greater challenge. But I DID IT! I survived – not only recovery, but life. A loved clean and sober and with mental illness, “well”, through a divorce, a few more deaths of family members (my brother, grandmother and then my dad), raising a child in a single parent home, balancing home-life with a career and staying strong; setting boundaries. Through all of that, I was able to accomplish a great number of things, such as being a fabulous mother, obtaining my degree; Bachelors in Business Administration, becoming successful in the business world with a great career, reestablishing my relationships with my family and friends, and the list goes on and on. Most of all, raising the most incredible daughter in the world! I wrote this last October on my 15th AA birthday; Recovery - it is not a place. It is a destination to be reached. It is a journey - a journey of hope, of healing and of peace. If I can share one thing with someone; it is to find that destination, even if it takes a lifetime. Find your inner peace. Learn to be happy - to love yourself again, to live again, one day at a time … so you too can pay it forward - making another’s life a little more worthwhile.

Interesting NAMI Blog Repost--Connee's Story

The Times My Anxiety Owns Me By Connee Here I am at 59. I have had a successful career in marketing and advertising, served on boards, and been a valuable volunteer for ending the stigma of mental illness. People look to me for advice and strength. I even own a firm to provide workshops about the mentally ill and teach communication techniques to law enforcement and other key groups. One Sherriff said to me “We need to stop shooting the mentally ill”. So, who knows, I may have helped save a life or two. But there are days and parts of days where my anxiety and panic owns me. It owns my physical well-being and my mind. I simply cannot shake it – no matter how many “coping mechanisms” I try. It is a living hell. The worst times for me are mornings. That is why I have to have a strong purpose to get out of bed and even then it is a battle I don’t always win. The anxiety starts upon awakening. No time to do self-talk….just anxiety or panic zero to sixty in 2 seconds. It starts with worrying…ruminating over concerns that may or may not be relevant. I bounce from money worries, to loss of sanity, to being a bad mother, to when will this feeling end and then to abject fear of life. The anxiety can quickly become a full blown panic attack. Panic is different from anxiety – I describe it as anxiety on steroids. My heart races, my mind races, irrational thoughts become more intense and with it comes a “no way out” mode. The panic attacks then own me and thoughts of suicide enter my mind. At that moment, I can’t for the life of me, think of a Plan B. I always feel like a failure when this happens. And then that dark cloud of self loathing hangs over me until bedtime. Thankfully our bodies can only handle so much adrenaline at a time so that panic can’t physically stay much longer than 45 minutes. Why do I experience anxiety and panic? There is a relatively new view of mental illness or disorder. It is called Trauma Informed Care. Instead of asking “What’s wrong with you?” the question is “What happened to you?” That is the question most of us can answer – it’s open and not judgmental. What happened to me? There are too many explanations for this length of story. But I can tell you my anxiety started at eight when I lost my grandfather. For four weeks I could not catch my breath or leave home. At age twelve I was molested by my stepfather and lost all trust in my mother. At age twenty one I became an over achiever and workaholic. I also drank to self-medicate which brought on depression. At age thirty one I married the man of my dreams. At age 44 he was killed in a car accident – leaving me with two children ages 4 and 8 with special needs, PTSD and no time to grieve. And at age 45 I experienced my first stay in a psychiatric unit. My trauma is no more painful than most people we pass by every day but I did not know that for the longest time. In fact my jaw drops when I hear others traumatic experiences. My saving grace has been “outing” my mental illness so we can talk to each other – an amazing step toward mental health. I may always live with anxiety and panic but I do hope it lessens and that I can take the reins one day. I don’t like to be owned – who does?

Adjustment

Today, I was sitting with a colleague and we were discussing Schizoaffective Disorder and the many problems it entails for the sufferer. Educated at Harvard, the fellow stated that it must be difficult to stay "normalized." I just told him that just like someone with diabetes has to take insulin and take care of their disorder, so does a person afflicted with Mental Illness needs to rest, take some anti-psychotic medication, and just all around have some adjustment to their day.

The unfortunate dreams of a highly imaginative, slighly mentally jaded individual

Dream I had last night. I had a dream that myself and a bunch of friends were using a sniper rifle for target practice at ultra high range in North Carolina. I had the gun, and the guys and I decided that I was a bad shot and that I couldn't take a risky shot since I had lousy aim. Anyway, long story short, I ended up firing, and seeing through my scope that there was a possibility of, hitting my newest brother-in-law Nick with the shot. My 'friends,' (none of whom i recognize) egged me on about it until I fired the rifle and saw through the scope that I had indeed struck Nick. When I inquired with my friends, they thought that I had hit him in the cheek and that he was ok, it was just a grazing shot. Delirious and mortified in my dream, I ran to Nick's aid. When I got to his side, he wasn't crying, nor was he down, but a giant shotgun shell was wedged grotesquely in his cheek and I insisted that I take him to the hospital. I remember hearing my sister scream, ask me what I was thinking, curse me out repeatedly, and on our ride to the hospital, I found mercy and awoke from my horrific nightmare. This and many other creepy nightmares, are all but a regular for someone with such a strong imagination as me, and is exacerbated I'm sure, by my mental illness.

MSSB Cares

And maybe they do--but they have a funny way of showing it if so.  For a guy like me--when I need help or support there is still a great deal of stigma and discrimination for those with mental illness. 

Oh, by the way.....

Did I mention that I am now headed to Las Vegas in June for my best friend's bachelor party? WOW, it's going to be crazy. But, I mean, your best friend only gets married once so I figure you also only live once, so I need to be there in any case. I know that I have two children to think about and a wonderful wife who loves me, but I am just going for it this time. I could always take care of myself and this is for old times--I'm talking high school old times. After all, 50% of the guys that are going to this bachelor party are from my high school and I'm going to be reconnecting, along with the groom, with them along the way in Sin City.

Sandy Hook NAMI Blog Repost

Thursday, February 21, 2013 Another Look at Sandy Hook By Julie Benn, NAMI San Diego As yet another violent massacre occurs in our country—this one involving children, so it makes it all the harder to take—I pause to think about it, as I have done so often since the news broke on Dec. 14, 2012. During the chaos, ABC had on a senior medical correspondent, who was an M.D., stating that the tragedy and the gunman was “the face of mental illness.” I immediately took offense. Really? We knew virtually nothing about the shooter at the time, let alone whether or not he had a diagnosed mental illness. Yet, here was the media, already branding him the face of a disease that affects 57.7 million people in our country alone. That's a lot of “faces” that he is supposedly representing. It may come out, as the news continues to unfold, that mental illness did a play a role. Right now, we just don't know. As an organization, we are putting out the statistics to fight the stigma that will no doubt be a backlash from this tragedy—that people who have mental illness are much more likely to be the victim of violence rather than the perpetrator; that the overall contribution of mental disorders to the total level of violence in society is exceptionally small; and that it is important that we not make assumptions or speculate as to what the role of mental illness played in this situation at this time. However, it's hard for us as a society not to speculate, not to make assumptions as to the sanity of a person who would willingly shoot his own mother and then go into a school and shoot kids and the adults trying to protect them. It's hard for us not to jump to the conclusion that this was a “crazed gunman” who, at the end, took his own life. NAMI says that mental illness is an illness like any other. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illness is a disorder of the brain. However, right now, I find myself questioning that. Is mental illness truly “an illness like any other?” Does diabetes make a person want to harm themselves or others? Does high blood pressure distort messages in the mind and make a person feel that they are called to kill? Does cancer create voices that drive a person to crime? Or, is this type of behavior unique to mental illness? Is mental illness, rather, “an illness like none other?” And should it be treated as such? Maybe it is, indeed, a very special illness that requires very special treatment. One that requires early prevention and intervention and that treatment should be wholly available to anyone who needs it. I have mental illness. I have not killed myself or anyone else, but I have caused harm. Not criminal harm, but harm nonetheless in the form of self-abuse and, at times, adversely affecting those who love me. At times, I have been very upfront in sharing my journey with mental illness. Other times, in certain circles of people, I have pretended that portion of my journey just doesn't exist. Maybe that needs to change. If any good can come out of the Newtown tragedy, it may be that mental health will be front and center on the nation's agenda. Treating mental illness, talking about mental illness, confronting issues that affect mental health will take as much precedence as treating and talking about other physical health disorders. But, in order for that to happen, mental illness needs to come out of the closet, out of the darkness, out of the impenetrable silence. We need to be able to simply talk about it in our country, in our state, our neighborhoods, and our families. The President has now called for a national dialogue on mental illness, which is supposed to be launched this spring. His proposal includes: Early identification and intervention including training for teachers, school resource officers and others in a position to spot the signs of mental illness and provide assistance. Steps for improving mental health and substance abuse treatment for individuals between the ages of 16 and 25. Finalizing mental health parity regulations for health insurance. Training more than 5,000 additional mental health professionals to serve students and young adults. Launching efforts to improve understanding of mental illness and the importance of mental health treatment. These are all wonderful intentions; the test will be whether the President, Congress and state governments follow through. For if mental health is not talked about, the downside of it is that the problems don't go away. Rather they can go underground, growing and festering until they come out the other side as something unrecognizable, unfathomable, and yes, tragic. The good news is that we know mental illness is treatable—in that way it is an illness like many others. We can't cure it yet, but living in recovery is possible. Remission is possible; as is relapse. It requires close monitoring and support, and often medications and counseling. Like Type 1 diabetes, dealing with mental illness is a lifelong process. Unlike diabetes, mental illness can cause some odd beliefs and behavior, but it is still manageable; tricky, sometimes, but ultimately treatable. And this is where the conversation should be headed. Posted by Contributors: at 4:51 PM 15 comments: Labels: Barack Obama, Newtown, Now is the Time, Sandy Hook Elementary School

NAMI Blog Repost

My Experience So Far as a NAMI Family Support Group Facilitator By Marjorie Antus, NAMI Prince William (Va.) The remarkable thing about the NAMI Family Support Group is how relaxed it is. My sense of peace during the sessions probably stems from having attended only three sessions to date as a co-facilitator and, thus, from not having experienced the outbreak of raw emotion that likely occurs from time to time. But I also credit Jeri Weeks, the lead facilitator, for the relaxed environment. She welcomes everyone, laughs a great deal, and encourages openness with forthright stories of her own life as mother of a man with schizophrenia. In the bereavement support groups I once facilitated, in the NAMI Family Support Group, and also in the NAMI Family-to-Family class I currently attend, I have never failed to see a wonderful dynamic unfold. Many participants seem not to want to walk through the door on the evening of the first session; I among them. That’s obvious from the worried looks. By the third week, however, many come through the meeting room door smiling. It’s almost like clockwork, the camaraderie that takes hold over two weeks. One of the most striking aspects of the support groups overall is, I think, humor. I expected and have seen tearfulness. I expected and have seen fear, frustration and sadness. What I didn’t expect was genuine laughter—a kind of delight—coming from people who are living with mystifying family relationships over which they sometimes have little control. That was a revelation to me. There are two reasons for my becoming a NAMI Family Support Group facilitator. The first is that my teenage daughter died by suicide in 1995. My need to talk about my daughter and her death was immense at the time, but almost no one was capable of sitting with me through the intensity. A support group would have been a safe place to be heard, so that is what I try to provide others as facilitator: a safe place to be heard. The second reason is that I have a grown son with schizoaffective disorder who is living with my husband and me in a stable and good way. It is mostly concern for John Paul’s future that motivates me to help build the NAMI community. Posted by Contributors: at 10:41 AM 6 comments: Labels: education, family-to-family, hope, NAMI Family Support Group, personal story Tuesday, February 26, 2013 Connecting with Others By Emma Volesky Emma Volesky. Photo: Courtesy I attended the NAMI National Convention for the first time last year. When I first heard about the convention, I knew at once I had to go. Not only did I want to go, I needed to go. Just the idea of going made me excited. Now, having experienced the convention firsthand, I can say that it is a hundred times better than I could have ever imagined. The awesome presentations I attended, the brave people I heard speaking and the helpful coping skills I learned made the convention a very worthwhile trip for me. But most of all, the memories and friendships I got to take home with me made the convention even more meaningful to me. One of the most wonderful things I experienced while at the convention was meeting people who understood what I have been through. For years and years, I isolated myself from the world. I felt worthless, sickening and inadequate and everything else someone living with a mental health condition can feel. These kinds of thoughts had me believing that I was every one of those things, which ultimately led me to the worst belief of all: that I was alone. I was alone. This belief pulled me down into a pit of misery. I got pulled deeper and deeper every second I felt alone. Even though I was in recovery when I first heard about the convention, I still felt like there was a big chance that the convention could help me feel even better and it did! I got to meet other young adults like me at the young adult networking session during convention. We talked about the issues most important to us and had fun the rest of the convention together. I now know without a doubt that I am never alone. Also at the convention, I became aware of all the new opportunities at NAMI that exist for young adults and that can help me change the world. I had been speaking about my mental illness since I was 17 years old, but now I speak with even more intelligence because of everything I learned attending workshops during the convention. Everyone impacted by mental health conditions should go to NAMI’s conventions. There are a lot of reasons they should go that range far and wide. For me, the biggest reason is that I learned I am making a big difference in my life and in the lives of others just by attending the convention. The convention empowers people to be themselves without their mental health condition keeping them back. Being at the convention showed me that there is hope. There still is the stigma of mental illness but it can be defeated by something as simple as attending conventions held by NAMI. This is a humungous step toward fighting stigma in my opinion. All in all, the NAMI National Convention last year impacted me in a very good way more than anything has before. It gave me confidence to go further in my life! I can't wait for the 2013 convention to see my friends and to learn more about how I can be an effective young adult leader. I hope to see even more young adults and adults there this summer. And a few last words: 2013 NAMI NATIONAL CONVENTION HERE I COME!!!!! NAMI is excited to announce that the 2013 NAMI National Convention will include the first ever young adult track. This track will equip young adults with the skills they need to make a difference in their communities, in the lives of their friends and in their own lives. It will include powerful workshops and special sessions, social events, creative activities and a unique skill-building leadership training specifically for young adults. To learn more about this opportunity for young adults, click here.

Working through all the psychic noise

Having responsible job in finance at Morgan Stanley, working through all the psychic noise associated with Mental Illness while having a family, a mortgage, a wife who has an extremely responsible branch manager post also with a major regional bank, and balancing emotions, erroneous thoughts, delusions, illusions, hallucinations all within the balancing act. To further complicate matters, I currenly have--in addition to my two major jobs (kids and Morgan Stanley)--Piano Students whom I teach piano lessons regularly as well as am studying to develop my own iOS applications. WOW. Now, I never have been one to take it easy on myself, but now-a-days, it just seems like I'm putting undue pressure on my overall psyche. Never-the-less, I stand and fight, and perservere through the bulk of it. Check out my piano lessons website at www.sheadibley.com Aloha

And that's why they call it the blues

Because of recent events happening in my life, I've decided to change my attitude and just be happy most of the time.  Let's face it folks, regardless of circumstances, if we choose to be happy and change around our attitude, there is little anyone can say except that it's the right way to live. 

Aye, there's the rub!

Buried in the depths of my psyche, is a feeling that I will be able to cope increasingly well with my various symptoms. The paranoia, the delusions of both grandiosity and of causality, the mania, the depression, the guilt and the various other dualities of the disease. For 'tis a disease of the brain, but I am not alone. There are many other people out there not as well suited to face similar challenges, and their rational mind betrays them often. Juxtaposed to that, my rational mind rarely ever fails me, and my insight into the illness is at a very high level. That is why it upsets me more than I can think right now to explain, I think--because upon the onset of symptoms, my rational mind is at a constant battle with the monster that infects the other side. Such is the life of a person suffering from schizophrenia. And although other folks with no mental illness have their other vices and conflicts as well, we have it the worst, and are often treated as society's leper's leper. Shea D

iOS Developer

Along with many drawbacks, the fact of being mentally ill, has its pros as well. Although there are some definite deficits in mental illness as compared with the human condition as a whole, there are some incredible things that just click and make sense to me that wouldn't necessarily for someone that didn't suffer from schizophrenia. I am taking an iOS coding course offered through Stamford University (the Harvard of the West Coast), and I am learning quite a bit throughout the various stages of the lectures/homework. Coding is definitely not for everyone, and certainly may possibly turn out not to be for me, but I just registered as an iOS developer on Apple's Website. Registration is free, and the end result is that I can now develop applications for iOS devices, such as iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, etc to submit to Apple for approval and thus sale through the App Store. Well, I certainly am excited about the prospects that lay ahead of me in this venture. Have a great long weekend! ~Shea D.

Lego is creating lifelong fans!

By Mike Krumboltz

Seven-year-old Luka Apps spent his Christmas money on the LEGO Ninjago Ultra Sonic Raider set. A sound investment, if you ask us. But the thing about LEGOs -- those small pieces are easy to lose. They don't call 'em minifigures for nothing.

Against his father's recommendation, young Luka took his newly procured Jay ZX shopping. And then, wouldn't you know it, the figure went missing, never to be seen again.

Luka, not one to admit defeat, decided to write a letter to the good people at LEGO seeking a replacement.

ITV News has Luka's letter:

Hello.
My name is Luka Apps and I am seven years old.
With all my money I got for Christmas I bought the Ninjago kit of the Ultrasonic Raider. The number is 9449. It is really good.
My Daddy just took me to Sainsburys and told me to leave the people at home but I took them and I lost Jay ZX at the shop as it fell out of my coat.
I am really upset I have lost him. Daddy said to send you a email to see if you will send me another one.
I promise I won't take him to the shop again if you can.
– Luka
A short time later, Luka received a reply from Richard, a LEGO customer service representative. Richard wrote that he had spoken to Sensei Wu, a master from the  Ninjago line.

Luka, I told Sensei Wu that losing your Jay minifigure was purely an accident and that you would never ever ever let it happen ever again.
He told me to tell you, "Luka, your father seems like a very wise man. You must always protect your Ninjago minifigures like the dragons protect the Weapons of Spinjitzu!"
Sensei Wu also told me it was okay if I sent you a new Jay and told me it would be okay if I included something extra for you because anyone that saves their Christmas money to buy the Ultrasonic Raider must be a really big Ninjago fan.
So, I hope you enjoy your Jay minifigure with all his weapons. You will actually have the only Jay minifigure that combines 3 different Jays into one! I am also going to send you a bad guy for him to fight!
Just remember, what Sensei Wu said: keep your minifigures protected like the Weapons of Spinjitzu! And of course, always listen to your dad.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how companies score lifelong customers.

For game news, free codes and more, Lik

Addicted to technology

Every time a new device comes out, I feel an urge to go and buy it. I think that it is part and parcel of the disorder from which I suffer, but it certainly is annoying that when I see a commercial, I feel a familiar itch to go out and purchase the thing. Oh well, I have all the technology that I need or could possibly use at any given time. For now, I just need to be content with what I have--a tough mental pill to swallow these days.

On Bullying in Schools

They say it starts in First Grade. FIRST GRADE! Bullying in schools is still a real problem. That being said, I have read quite a bit on the subject and am currently have my head deep into "Bullied," by Carrie Goldman. The subtitle states, "What Every Parent, Teacher, and Kid Needs to Know about Ending the Cycle of Fear." Eventually, it comes down to this: how do we as a society end the vicious cycle of fear and bullying inside and outside of school to reduce poor mental illness onset and eventual suicide attempts and ideation by the victims? Read my next blog post to find out more on this topic. SD