Self-Help thru Education

A person can never learn too much when it comes to living with a chronic challenge such as depression and/or bipolar disorder. Within DBSA Succasunna, we work on the basis of empowerment and abide by the rule of thumb "knowledge is power". That is why we offer much more than twice monthly support groups and once monthly educationals. You can see some of our offered initiatives below which include two curriculum based courses as well as our extensive lending library. Contact us with expressions of interest and/or any questions you may have along the way and consider taking part in such initiatives that exist within your "own back yard".
 
Living Successfully with a Mood Disorder

Living Successfully is DBSA's basic standardized educational program about mood disorders for delivery by local chapters in their community. This course is meant as an introduction to mood disorders and provides baseline information for a consistent understanding of depression, bipolar disorder and the possibility of recovery from both.

The Living Successfully course is designed to be delivered in four (4) two-hour classes. The classes can be taken by consumers/patients, family members, and/or friends. During our first offering, many consumers took the course with a family member.

Week 1: Mood Disorder Basics

In the first week of the local community "Living Successfully" educational program, learners will gain an understanding of basic information about mood disorders. This will include definitions, statistics, examples, symptoms, treatment options, and stories of recovery. Each learner will leave the first week of "Living Successfully" with a complete understanding of basic information regarding depression and bipolar disorder.

Week 2: Resources and Assistance

The second week of the "Living Successfully" educational program will focus on providing complete information about all the resources and areas of assistance that are available for people living with mood disorders. These resources include national organizations, publications, and educational events. Further, this week will cover the many different places to go for treatment including psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, therapists, alternative treatment practitioners, self-help groups, clergy and places of worship, and family/friends. Special attention will be paid to local resources. Each learner will leave week two with a complete understanding of all the resources and assistance that are available to them.

Week 3: Relationships and Recovery

The third week of the "Living Successfully" educational program is dedicated to two separate topics: relationships and recovery. First, the learners will the concept of recovery and what it means in their lives. Also, participants will learn about practical ways to help their friends, family members and loved ones who are living with a mood disorder. The end of week three starts the "Living Successfully" planning process, which will continue in-depth during week four.

Week 4: Building the Living Successfully Plan

The fourth and final week of the ”Living Successfully" educational program will provide learners the opportunity to build a basic plan for Living Successfully with a mood disorder. Whether the learners are diagnosed with a mood disorder, think they might have one or are the supporters of people living with a mood disorder, they will build a plan for themselves to move forward in their life proactively to live successfully. Week four will also include a review, reflection and evaluation along with a closing ceremony to celebrate the importance of hope.

If you are interested in being a participant in such a course, please click here in order to contact us being sure to provide your name and contact information.


Pathways to Recovery

Pathways to Recovery is a Strengths Recovery Self-Help Workbook published by the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, Office of Mental Health Research & Training, Lawrence, KS through a contract with the Kansas Social & Rehabilitation Services, Division of Health Care Policy.

The workbook translates the evidence-based practice of the Strengths Model into a self-help approach towards recovery from psychiatric disability by guiding readers through a process of self-assessment, self-discovery and planning that helps individuals set life goals and realize their dreams. Pathways to Recovery promotes recovery in many areas of life including: having a sense of home, education, finding work, exploring relationship and supports, wellness, recreation, intimacy and spirituality and includes more than 30 first person accounts of recovery.

Pathways to Recovery: A Strengths Recovery Self-Help Workbook

By Priscilla Ridgeway, Diane McDiarmid, Lori Davidson, Julie Bayes and others

This workbook uses the metaphor of a journey to take the reader through a process of exploration, self-discovery, and planning that helps to set life goals and realize personal dreams. Unlike most other recovery self-help materials, Pathways to Recovery, does not concentrate on psychiatric disorders, symptoms or treatments. Instead, Pathways, promotes recovery in the domains of life such as having a sense of home, increasing knowledge and education, finding work or volunteer activities that bring satisfaction, developing meaningful relationships with others, achieving intimacy and enhancing sexuality, attaining higher levels of wellness, and exploring spirituality.

In the foreword of the workbook, Dr. Patricia Deegan notes “I find it refreshing that Pathways to Recovery addresses issues of real concern to mature adults diagnosed with mental illness. There are sections about human sexuality, intimacy, and economic well-being. The workbook does not have to be approached in a linear fashion. It is geared to meet people where they are. Because the authors were careful to gather consumer/survivor input through advisory boards, focus groups and workshops, the self help exercises are very practical and easy to learn.”

Pathways to Recovery also includes more than thirty first-person accounts of recovery and provides inspiration and guidelines so that readers can create and share their own stories. For example, a perspective from Janice Driscoll, RN, a Kansas Consumer and Recovery Educator: The impact of using the skills I gained will continue to grow as I continue to learn and adapt them to new situations. How I deal with life’s stress is not only important to me… I realize that I am also setting an example for my children, so that they learn healthy coping skills that they can use to meet the challenges of their lives. Taking care of my body, mind and spirit will be a life-long effort, allowing me to have a balanced, health and fulfilling life.

Arthur J. Williams, a CSP Coordinator with Valeo Behavioral Health Care in Topeka, Kansas describes his first impressions and experience with implementing Pathways to Recovery.

Pathways discusses and uses the strength approach to recovery, exploring such topics as motivation, living situation, career path, social support and vision for the future to name a few. Upon implementation in my agency, I discovered that this would be a program that could have a 12- week format. Because of its rich and informative content, using Pathways invoked in-depth discussions and provided a road map for recovery using very individual strengths. Two years later, class sizes were so large that we had to add a second class to satisfy the enthusiasm. Pathways has become a core class at the University of CARE, a psychosocial program at Valeo Behavioral Health Care. Pathways created opportunities for many consumers to experience personal growth and empowerment. This may sound like just another endorsement, if not for the 75 recovering spirits enrolled just this semester. Pathways will not produce world peace nor balance any budget, but it may inspire one who will.

In collaboration with the University of Kansas, DBSA created a curriculum for offering an 8 week course on Pathways to Recovery. We then hosted a four-day session training 50 master trainers, chosen through an application process, to offer a Pathways to Recovery workshop series in their home communities for people who do not want to attend a traditional peer-support group or people who just wish to partake in yet another method of self-help.

Over the course of 8 weeks (determined by the participants), participants meet to learn how to set goals, build circles of support, manage symptoms, create wellness strategies, and other tactics. You do not need to be a DBSA Succasunna member or to know fellow group members ahead of time to participate in this course.

If you are interested in being a participant in such a course, please click here in order to contact us being sure to provide your name and contact information.


DBSA Succasunna Lending Library

At DBSA Succasunna, we firmly believe that knowledge is power. The more you know, the better off you will be in dealing with depression, bipolar disorder, and related illnesses. That is why DBSA Succasunna has taken the time to establish an extensive lending library that houses audio tapes, video tapes, CD's and DVD's in order to help persons to educate themselves further. We hope to include books in the future.

Topics on the tapes, CD's and DVD's range from past lectures to the Infinite Mind Series radio show (mental health related topics) to conferences, TV shows, and so much more.

All items can be borrowed for a designated time free of charge. There are certain items where a refundable deposit is necessary. And everything can always be returned through the mail.

To view our library contents, click here.