Depression Alliance Scotland Email Announcement August 2005
News from Depression Alliance Scotland
Clydebank Group
We have a new group which has started in Clydebank. It meets fortnightly on Tuesday evenings. Group meetings are discussion based but groups in the Glasgow area also include practical workshops on overcoming depression. For more information contact our Glasgow Groups Development Officer Jeanette Wallis on 0141 232 2018 or email groups@dascot.org. For information on all our self help groups visit http://www.dascot.org/groupslist.html or email groups@dascot.org
Volunteers needed for new self-help support group in Inverness
DAS is recruiting volunteers to facilitate a group due to be set up in Inverness later this year. If you have experience of working with groups, a good understanding of depression and the importance of confidentiality, and have 3 hours per fortnight to spare, then why not find out more about becoming a volunteer? Phone Mel on 0131 467 3050 or email groups@dascot.org for more information.
Information
Free E-Books from Chipmunka publishing
Chipmunka publishing a unique social enterprise focused on publishing both factual and creative literature, written by people who have been diagnosed with mental illness, for people suffering with mental illness are giving away a million free e-books. Go to http://www.chipmunkapublishing.com for more information.
Are you a hypothyroid patient?
Thyroid Patient Advocacy –UK (TPA-UK) has recently put together the largest hypothyroid patient survey ever to be carried out in the UK for sufferers of the disease. It is hoped the results of the survey will raise awareness of this debilitating illness, which affects 1 in 4 of us, mainly women, and can strike at any age. Symptoms include unexpected weight gain, hair loss on both head and body, infertility, extreme tiredness, mood swings, loss of libido, coldness, high cholesterol, memory loss, depression and dementia among many others. Because of the wide variety of symptoms experienced, the patient may be wrongly diagnosed, or thought to have other illnesses such as Myalgic Encephalitis (ME), Fibromyalgia (FM), menopause etc.
If you wish to take part in the patients hypothyroid survey, contact
hypothyroidpatientsurvey@tpa-uk.org.uk with your name and postal address, or download from our website www.tpa-uk.org.uk where you will find more information about the condition. Alternatively, please telephone NSM Research on 01865 310073
Events
INVERNESS BOOK FESTIVAL Linda Gillard Author Event
Ottakers Inverness September 24th, 2.00pm
Linda Gillard is the author of “Emotional Geology” and a member of Depression Alliance Scotland. She describes “Emotional Geology” as
“..contemporary women's fiction that tackles some of the issues around managing bi-polar and the terrible toll mental illness can take on families/relationships. The book also looks at the relationship between mental illness and creativity, depression and suicidality.” Linda is herself mildly bi-polar
EDINBURGH ARTS FESTIVAL – Sticks and Stones~Whole in the Head Theatre Company
The play’s central character, Becky, bullied and abused in childhood has a real fight on her hands. Not only with her own demons but with the demoralising apathetic “thought police” on the mental health ward. Having overcome that battle she then has to confront the stigma that she finds on the outside. Sticks and Stones is a play written, produced and performed by mental health service users and is based on real life events.
Greenside, Royal Terrace Monday 15th August to Saturday 20th August 12.50pm – 2.10pm Tickets £7 full, £4 concs. Box Office 0131 5572124 or can be booked via the Fringe Box Office on 0131 226 0000.
EDINBURGH Conference – Young People’s Wellbeing~
24th October, the Corn Exchange
The way that young people feel about themselves, their confidence and self-esteem is crucial to them having the personal and social skills for a happy life.
Holyrood Events, in association with the Scottish Executive, is running this ground-breaking conference on Young People's Mental Well-being. It is aimed at young people, professionals, service providers and policy makers. For more information see http://www.holyrood.com/nav/conference/future_events/conf_childment/conference.asp?content=contents
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~ GLASGOW Conference - Equality and Diversity working in partnership for fair access to health.~
27th September 2005 The Teacher Building
The conference will focus on NHS/voluntary sector partnership in furthering the NHS’s Equality and Diversity agenda in health improvement and health care. More information from Voluntary Health Scotland on 0131 557 6845.
News
Mental illness at work on the rise
Mental illness is the most common work-related health problem in Scotland, and Scottish workers are more likely to suffer from it than those in the rest of the UK. Just over 40% of the 4043 cases of work-related health problems in Scotland were categorised as mental health problems. That compares to 30% in the rest of Britain.
Sunday Herald Online, 17/07/2005
Food for a good mood
Ten tips from the Scotsman:
1) Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner;
2) Eat turkey - a source of the amino acid tryptophan from which the body creates serotonin);
3) Opt for oily fish to get omega 3 fatty acids);
4) Treat yourself to some Aberdeen Angus for vitamin B12;
5) Eat guavas for vitamin C;
6) Cut the caffeine;
7) Take zinc which can be found in pumpkin and sunflower seeds, eggs and melons;
8) Eat dairy;
9) Snack on nuts such as almonds which contain B vitamins and the amino acid tyrosine, which plays a part in the manufacture of dopamine.
10) Eat chocolate
Tracey Lawson The Scotsman 1 August 2005
http://news.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=1709792005
~ Is stress holding you back? ~
In Scotland half a million people say they are suffering from anxiety and depression which can be stress related while others attempt to battle on alone. People may not recognise when they are suffering from stress. Experts like consultant psychologist Sandra Wheatley are trying to get the message across that stress is not a weakness. She said: 'One of the major things about stress is that it is primarily about your ability to cope with a particular situation. 'The way that is generally addressed is by helping you learn new coping skills or helping you to emphasise abilities which you already have. 'That can help improve your confidence and self-esteem.'
Craig McQueen icRenfrewshire
icRenfrewshire.co.uk
New dopamine target for treatment of depression~
Researchers from Harvard Medical School in the USA have found a link between the brain chemical dopamine and depression. Current anti-depressant drugs target the brain chemicals serotonin and noradrenalin but not dopamine. The brain's mood, reward, and motivation circuits are mainly governed by dopamine and could be potential alternative targets for treating depression.
mydna.com 29 July 2005
Website
moodgym
This is a free online interactive cognitive therapy site. Note it uses some visual exercises which may not be accessible to some screen reading technology.
Please note that Depression Alliance Scotland is not responsible for the content of external websites and cannot guarantee that they will help you.
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