2012 HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST LAUNCHED
Greetings!

The International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) has as part of its mission to erase stigma associated with mental illness through public education. To that end, we have launched a global essay contest open to all high school students Internationally.

“Our hope”, says Walker, President and founder of IBPF, “is that students will be interested in winning the prize and thereby research stigma in order to write the essay. In so doing, we will be educating a lot of young people and hopefully changing their perception about mental illness”.

The topic of the essay is Changing the Future of Stigma; Bipolar Disorder in 2020. First and second place winners will be judged by a panel of authors who currently write about bipolar disorder and mental illness and the winner will be announced in May to celebrate May as Mental Health Month.

In addition the First Place Winner will receive $500 and the Second Place Winner will receive $100. Both winners will have the opportunity to read their essay via Skype at our Public Forum with former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, May 22.

For more information about the International Bipolar Foundation or to receive the essay rules and registration form, contact Ashley Reitzin: areitzin@internationalbipolarfoundation.org

Thanks to an anonymous donor, we have a MATCHING GRANT opportunity to fund pediatric bipolar research.

Every $1 given will be matched 100%.

Please help us fund this very valuable pediatric research project by donating today. Donate using our secure server here

IBPF FREE LECTURE SERIES

Our Lecture Series are now available for viewing on their website!!

Location: Sanford Children’s Research Center, Building 12 Address: 10905 Road to Cure, San Diego 92121

Save the date for these lectures in La Jolla:

April 12, 2012- John McManamy – consumer, activist

May 10, 2012- Suzanne Fiala, MD – pediatrician who has bp

June 14, 2012- Lis Eyler, PhD – research project

The Consumer Advisory Board for IBPF felt it was important for people to have an easily accessible “compendium” of information. The binder format allows users to add handouts from their mental health providers and update chapters without having to order a new book.

Healthy Living with Bipolar Disorder is broken into 3-sections;

1. About Bipolar Disorder including chapters on children & adolescents, suicide, substance abuse, medication treatment, stigma and pregnancy
2. Healthy Living includes chapters on family life and relationships, nutrition, spirituality and faith, the workplace, college, social interactions and the caregiver
3. Resources including Medication Charts (English & Spanish), Medication Side Effect Checklist, Mood Chart, Exercise Journal, Food Log, Doctor Contact Sheet, Questions to Ask Your Doctor, and U.S. and International Mental Health Resources.

In addition to these information rich chapters, the book has country-specific chapters written by consumers and professionals from countries around the world. There are currently eight such chapters with more being added weekly.

This book is available free of charge to you! Go to our web site www.InternationalBipolarFoundation.org

International Bipolar Foundation Webinars

Learn about International Bipolar Foundation with President and co-founder, Muffy Walker
Muffy Walker

Join us for a Webinar Tuesday, March 20

Space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/797356366

Join the President and co-founder of International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) as she discusses all the programs and services IBPF offers! Muffy Walker was born and raised outside of Philadelphia, PA. She currently resides in Rancho Santa Fe with her husband John C. Reed and their three sons. In 1983, Walker graduated with a Master’s of Science in Psychiatric Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. She worked in the mental health field for over 18 years until she moved to California when she obtained her MBA with a focus in marketing from the University of California-Irvine.

Walker has owned several companies both for and not for profit and is the founder and President of International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF). After learning that her youngest son had Bipolar Disorder, Walker joined other mental health boards and ultimately started IBPF. She has served on a plethora of boards including Children’s Hospital, Kids Korps USA, NeighborHelp, ChildHelp USA, and has dedicated the past 10 years of her life championing the education of the public about mental illness. Walker’s interests include travel, tap dancing, community theatre, and Thai cooking.

Title:

Learn more about International Bipolar Foundation

Date:

Tueday, March 20, 2012

Time:
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM PST
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Corporate Anti Stigma Campaign
International Bipolar Foundation endorses a society that is free from the negative stigma and discrimination of mental illness.

If you agree with our position statement and wish to join our campaign, please fill out the following:
NAME:
(You hereby agree that you have authority to act on behalf of your business)
ORGANIZATION/BUSINESS:
ADDRESS:
Contact Information: e: t:
___ I hereby give permission to IBPF to publish my/company name as a participant in this campaign
POSITION STATEMENT
We understand the negative impact that stigma and discrimination has towards people living with mental illnesses, those who care for them and as a society at large.

We recognize that stigma and discrimination
• affects the basic human rights of those living with mental health challenges, including their right to be treated with dignity and respect,
• serves as an impediment to live full, meaningful and productive lives in the community,
• hinders recognition, open acknowledgement, and effective management and recovery of their lives,
• affects the allocation of resources for effective diagnostic, treatment and community support services,
And we support and participate in this campaign so that ultimately, discrimination is
eliminated and stigma is not tolerated.

www.InternationalBipolarFoundation.org
8895 Towne Centre Drive * Suite 105-360 * San Diego * CA * 92122

Recommendations (not required actions):
1. To have an Anti-Discrimination Policy which is reviewed and signed by all employees/volunteers.
Example: The employer is an “equal opportunity employer.” The employer will not discriminate and will take “affirmative action” measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, creed, color, national origin, medical conditions (mental or physical) or sex.
2. Participate in $5 Dress Down Day; employees who donate $5 to IBPF are granted a dress down day as
per company policy. Funds collected are used in our anti-stigma campaign.
3. To be an active Myth-Buster
Myth #1: Psychiatric disorders are not true medical illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. People who have a mental illness are just “crazy.”
Fact: Brain disorders, like heart disease and diabetes, are legitimate medical illnesses.
Research shows there are genetic and biological causes for psychiatric disorders, and they can be treated effectively.
Myth #2: People with a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are usually
dangerous and violent.
Fact: Statistics show that the incidence of violence in people who have a brain disorder is not much higher than it is in the general population. Those suffering from a psychosis such as schizophrenia are more often frightened, confused and despairing than violent.
Myth #3: Mental illness is the result of bad parenting.
Fact: Most experts agree that a genetic susceptibility, combined with other risk factors, leads to a psychiatric disorder. In other words, mental illnesses have a physical cause.
Myth #4: Depression results from a personality weakness or character flaw, and people who are depressed could just snap out of it if they tried hard enough.
www.InternationalBipolarFoundation.org
8895 Towne Centre Drive * Suite 105-360 * San Diego * CA * 92122
Fact: Depression has nothing to do with being lazy or weak. It results from changes in brain chemistry or brain function, and medication and/or psychotherapy often help people to recover.
Myth #5: Schizophrenia means split personality, and there is no way to control it.
Fact: Schizophrenia is often confused with multiple personality disorder. Actually, schizophrenia is a brain disorder that robs people of their ability to think clearly and logically. The estimated 2.5 million Americans with schizophrenia have symptoms ranging from social withdrawal to hallucinations and delusions. Medication has helped many of these individuals to lead fulfilling, productive lives.
Myth #6: Depression is a normal part of the aging process.
Fact: It is not normal for older adults to be depressed. Signs of depression in older people include a loss of interest in activities, sleep disturbances and lethargy.
Depression in the elderly is often undiagnosed, and it is important for seniors and their family members to recognize the problem and seek professional help.
Myth #7: Depression and other illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, do not affect children or adolescents. Any problems they have are just a part of growing up.
Fact: Children and adolescents can develop severe mental illnesses. In the United States, one in ten children and adolescents has a mental disorder severe enough to cause impairment. However, only about 20 percent of these children receive needed treatment. Left untreated, these problems can get worse. Anyone talking about suicide should be taken very seriously.
Myth #8: If you have a mental illness, you can will it away. Being treated for a psychiatric disorder means an individual has in some way “failed” or is weak.
Fact: A serious mental illness cannot be willed away. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away, either. It takes courage to seek professional help.
Myth #9: Addiction is a lifestyle choice and shows a lack of willpower. People with a substance abuse problem are morally weak or “bad”.
Fact: Addiction is a disease that generally results from changes in brain chemistry. It has nothing to do with being a “bad” person.
Myth #10: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as “shock treatment,” is painful and barbaric.
Fact: ECT has given a new lease on life to many people who suffer from severe and debilitating depression. It is used when other treatments such as psychotherapy or medication fail or cannot be used. Patients who receive ECT are asleep and under anesthesia, so they do not feel anything.
(source: National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) )
4. To use respectful Language don’t use generic labels:“retarded”, “our mentally ill” don’t use psychiatric diagnoses as metaphors: “schizophrenic situation” don’t use offensive words: “psycho”, “loony”, “crazy”, “wacko”, “slow”, “crackpot” don’t refer to a person as a diagnosis: “he’s bipolar”, instead say, “he has bipolar disorder
5. Praise those who combat discrimination and stigma
6. Report those who are discriminatory and not respectful of differences International Bipolar Foundation thanks you for your support.
Our mission is to eliminate bipolar disorder through the
advancement of research; to promote and enhance care & support
services; and to erase associated stigma through public education.
www.InternationalBipolarFoundation.org
8895 Towne Centre Drive * Suite 105-360 * San Diego * CA * 92122

Mental Health Awareness Patch Launched for Girl Scouts

A Mental Health Awareness Patch, designed for the Girl Scouts by International Bipolar Foundation, was launched last month in San Diego county.
Part of the mission of the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) is to erase stigma associated with bipolar disorder through public education. With nearly 30,000 Girl Scouts in the San Diego Council, the opportunity exists to help teach troop leaders and scouts learn about mental health and illness. “Our leaders are hungry for information related to ability awareness,” states Jo Dee Jacob, San Diego Council CEO of the Girl Scouts of the United States. Young girls today struggle with issues such as cyber-bullying, depression, anorexia, and self-harm.
What better match for IBPF’s mission to eradicate ignorance and stigma than young, eager-to-learn girls who will become our nation’s next leaders? In fact, Ms. Jacob quoted, “Nearly 2/3 of today’s women leaders were once Girl Scouts, and 82% of high achieving Girl Scout alumnae credit the organization with playing a positive role in their development.”
International Bipolar Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to eliminate bipolar disorder through the advancement of research; to promote and enhance care and support services; and to erase associated stigma through public education.
Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic-depression, is a treatable brain illness marked by extreme changes in mood, thought, energy, and behavior. It affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans annually, or about 2.6% of the U.S. population age 18 and older. (NIMH)
If you, or someone you know is interested in working on the patch, please contact areitzin@internationalbipolarfoundation.org or call 858.342.0327. To learn more about Girl Scouts, San Diego Council, please visit www.girlscoutssdi.org or call 1-800-643-4798.

TRI-CITY MEDICAL CENTER CARLSBAD MARATHON & HALF JANUARY 22, 2012
Greetings!

International Bipolar
Foundation is a featured
charity of the 2012 Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon & Half!

There are 5 ways to support us:

1. Sponsor one of the International Bipolar Foundation runners.

2. Sponsor the entire IBPF Team.

3. Become a runner for IBPF

4. Become a fundraiser

5. Or volunteer for us on the day of the race!

SPOTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MARATHON ARE LIMITED, REGISTER TODAY.

Check us out here or e-mail areitzin@internationalbipolarfoundation.org to learn more!

IBPF FREE LECTURE SERIES
video
Our Lecture Series are now available for viewing on our website!!

* The 5 Most Common Mental Issues Teens Face – Dr. Thomas Jensen
* Going to College with Bipolar Disorder – Dr. Russ Federman
* Runaway Mind – Maggie Reese
* A Novel Approach to Treating Bipolar Disorder – Depression Bipolar Institute
* Irwin Rosenfarb: Family Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Our Next Lecture:
November 10, 2011- Rev. Beth Cooper: GAINING GROUND: CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND MENTAL HEALTH (focus on Young Adults)
Rev. Dr. Beth A. Cooper is a United Methodist elder. For over twenty years she has served local churches and campus ministries. She is a graduate of Duquesne University with a Master of Sacred Music and Master of Divinity degree from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. She received her Doctorate degree in Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary. She also received a graduate certificate in Women Studies from San Diego State University. Rev. Dr. Beth A. Cooper is currently the Executive Director at The Wesley Foundation.

5:30-6:00- SOCIAL 6:00-6:45-LECTURE 6:45-7:00- Q & A
Location: Sanford Children’s Research Center, Building 12 Address: 10905 Road to Cure, San Diego 92121

Save the date for these lectures in La Jolla:

December 8th, 2011- David Miklowitz Ph.D.: Bipolar Disorder: Eight Strategies for Coping as an Individual and a Family

Be Sociable, Share!

•