Great Strides March 2020

Welcome March

- Artwork by IC Member, Shawn Mc.

“It feels spectacular to be artist of the month!”

-Madelyn M.

Monday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM Wednesday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM Friday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM

 March 4th - The Art of

“I do art to entertain myself.

Sometimes it’s difficult and sometimes it’s easy. When I make art it makes me feel good. Crayola's are my favorite to draw with. It feels spectacular to be artist of the month!” says Madelyn. She has been an active participant in the Mending Art program over the years and regularly attends the Mending Art workshops. Madelyn creates original drawing using colored pencils in her sketchbook. She likes to draw nature, animals, people, and places. Madelyn works on these drawings on a regular basis at the IC. She has exhibited her art at Hartford ArtSpace gallery and local libraries.

Madelyn also enjoys the art of music and sings solos during the IC Make Music Day events. In addition to enjoying creating artwork, she also enjoys looking at other’s artwork and is always encouraging and supportive. Madelyn is currently working on preparing art for her own pop up art show at the IC this spring!

-Mending Art Coordinator, Amy S.

Stamps/Art Pal Post  March 11th—Mending Art

Certificate Ceremony  March 18th—Art Clips

and Sketchbooks  March 2th—Magazine

and Paper Collaging

Come join us on Monday, February 10 at 10:00 a.m. for an hour of relaxation and sound healing presented by Toivo. This is one that you won’t want to miss!

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GROW - Gardening, Recovery and Opportunities for Wellness of Mental Health Connecticut will be leading a nature-inspired activity once a week at the Independence Center on Fridays at 11 am beginning in March 2020. The classes range from 30 minutes to one hour. Some of these activities will include: making bird suet, planting vegetable and flower seeds to grow outdoors, painting bird feeders and houses, making sachets, and more! Come join our group activity for a fun and satisfying experience! See you there!

-GROW staff, Lori M.

Spiritual wellness can be the fundamental dimension of human life. It’s a connection with the source of life and one’s innermost self. Spiritual wellness is different from religion. Spiritual wellness will provide you with a good sense of self -awareness on who you are. It’s the process of discovering meaning and purpose of life. This would pertain to being considerate to others, healthy eating, healthy sleeping habits, playing, working, loving and living a spiritual driven life. It corresponds to harmony with oneself and others. Spiritual wellness reflects a positive attitude towards life, which helps to change the impossible things to possibilities. Spiritual wellness is hope, acceptance, forgiveness, self-acceptance and commitment. Also includes clear values, sense of worth, peace and meditation.

It is physical and mental benefits of spiritual wellness. It can help physiologically by controlling the release of hormones, improving blood supply and other metabolic deeds of the body. These functions help elated moods of joy, happiness and wellness. It can help reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, and reduces blood sugar levels. Spiritual wellness can reduce the chance of diabetes, improve digestion and the immune system. Studies have shown that it will improve brain wave function and give the feeling of calmness.

For people who hear voices: www.facebook.com/cthearing voicesnetwork or http://www.hearingvoicesusa. org

Alternatives to Suicide Support Group 399 Franklin Avenue Hartford Wednesdays 4-5pm http://toivocenter.org OCD support group http://psychiatry.yale.edu/ocd /patients/support.aspx Alcoholics Anonymous http://www.aa.org Narcotics Anonymous http://www.na.org

Spiritual wellness lifestyle comes with guidelines:  Develop love, trust, faith and positive attitude towards the Universe.  Give respect, love, forgiveness, gratitude, thankfulness to other people.  Stand for justice, advocating for rights of others and always do the right

things.  Find time to talk to yourself and friends about thoughts and feelings.  Express joy in difficult situations, be calm and help others be calm.  Connect with others which increases psychological awareness and deepens

spiritual well-being.

Meditation is primary way of improving spiritual health but reading articles, books, uplifting television and internet programs are all ways to enhance your spiritual health and allow you to experience greater balance, peace and satisfaction in everyday life. Spiritual health activities are not expensive, with no side effects and have advantages and concerns about the welfare of whole humanity.

Overeaters Anonymous https://oa.org Gamblers Anonymous http://www.gamblersanonym ous.org/ga For additional information on Support Groups in Connecticut, visit http://www.mhconn.org/educ ation/information or call: 1-800-842-1510

-IC staff, Derrick W.

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“Without researching things, you would never know that they were even there!”

- Harold W.

Willam Carol Delores Harold Nelson Nazmi Isabella Joseph Cynthia Jean Lynn Thomas John Rosemarie Damiel Randall Kyrstan Elijah

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Harold W. - “Fact Finder” Harold has been participating at the IC for a few years and uses our computer lab for researching on the internet. Harold is always on a quest for knowledge and is a wealth of information on a multitude of topics.

Harold attended college for Mechanical Engineering and has many hidden talents.

Some of Harold’s favorite topics are American History, WWII facts and watching Major League Baseball’s World Series recaps. How great is it to be able to watch just your favorite parts of the game!

Harold says that he likes surfing the web because there are so many topics to explore and searches on one topic leads to research on other interesting topics.

Harold likes to play his keyboard/piano in his spare time and took lessons when he was in third grade and can read music. We hope to hear him play in the near future!

One interesting fact that Harold discussed is that “there is a whole world out there that we don’t know about.” Researching topics can broaden your horizons and help you to have a greater view of the world.

Harold also mentioned an island he discovered in a remote part of the Atlantic Ocean called Tristan de Cunha. It reminded him of Trista (our manager) and he said that “without researching things, you would never know that they were even there!”

We hope that Harold keeps being a “fact finder” and continues to share his wealth of information with all of us here!

-IC staff, Debbie H.

We all feel good when we receive a gift. The joy of giving without expecting something in return feels great too. Giving helps your self-esteem and brings happiness.

Join us for Birthday Bash on Tuesday, March 31 at 2:45p.m. to celebrate!

On March 12 at 11:00, just in time for Spring, we will be giving out flowers. Come in and join the group to put smiles on peoples’ faces, and feel good too!

-IC staff, Alisa R.

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March is National Nutrition Month! We will be having a four-part series about various diets that can be implemented to help improve health. Each week we will discuss a different type of diet. In week one we will discuss what a Balanced Diet looks like and how to ensure that you are getting the nutrients you need daily. Week two we will learn about a Diabetic Diet.

Diabetes is very common. If you have diabetes or have been told that you are prediabetic, then this is the workshop for you. The foods that you consume will greatly affect sugar levels in your body and could be the difference between staying healthy or developing diabetes. During the fourth week of the month we will be covering a Vegetarian Diet. It is possible to be healthy, increase energy and get all the protein you need by eliminating meat from your diet. We will talk about healthy substitutes for meat and the benefits of going veggie. The fifth week of the month we will be talking about a Low-Carb Diet. There are some circles that believe that the key to health and vitality is to eliminate or reduce gluten and carbs from your diet. We will discuss the theories behind these beliefs and how to incorporate a low-carb plan into your lifestyle. Remember that everyone is different and different meal plans will work better based on your unique composition, lifestyle and health needs. The diets that we will be discussing are not meant for weight loss but for improved health. Come and join us Tuesdays at 11:00 to find out what type of nutrition plan may be better suited for you!

-IC staff, Alisa R.

1. Create a self-love ritual.

2. Build a precious community.

3. Make a "What's Working for Me" list.

4. Know that your body is a loving vessel.

5. Clean out your closet.

6. Don't compare yourself to others.

7. Explore your spirituality.

8. Do something you're good at.

9. Find your happy place.

10. Build your letting-go muscle.

March 8th is International Women’s Day. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality. International Women's Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action.

International Women's Day has been occurring for well over a decade and continues to grow. Purple is the color symbolizing women. Historically the combination of purple, green and white was to symbolize women's equality. Purple signifies justice and dignity. On March 2nd at 10 am and 11 am Jess will be holding two workshops about Famous Women in History and the Women’s Right’s Movement so wear some purple. Girl power!

-IC staff, Jessica M.

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them.

May we raise them.”

-Unknown

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1. There are distinct types of BD - Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder and Cyclothymic Disorder.

2. People can sometimes experience mixed episodes.

While most often defined by swings between manic and depressive episodes, it’s possible for symptoms of both to exist at the same time.

3. Episodes can be uniquely individual. While medical diagnosis defines one week as a minimum duration for a manic episode or two weeks for a depressive swing, the length of these cycles varies widely by person.

4. It’s not easy to diagnose.

Because depressive episodes are typically long-lasting and often dominate bipolar disorder, it’s easy for these to be mistaken for other types of depression. Manic episodes may make the person feel productive and happy.

Diagnosis requires significant medical history and a person may not perceive hypomania as part of their illness.

5. BD is manageable. People with BD can live successful complete lives, usually with a combination of medication and therapy. Equate it to other conditions like diabetes where proper management provides stability and normal living.

- Mindfulurgentcare.com

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World Bipolar Day (WBD) is held every year on March 30th. It is an initiative of the International Bipolar foundation, the Asian Network of Bipolar Disorder and the International Society for Bipolar Disorders developed to bring world awareness to bipolar disorders and eliminate social stigma. The date of March 30th was chosen as homage to the birthday of Vincent Van Gogh who was diagnosed after his death as most likely having bipolar disorder. The goal of WBD is to “bring the world population information about bipolar disorders that will educate and improve sensitivity towards the illness” -worldbipolarday.org

According to the word bipolar day website “Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe and different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time. It is estimated that the global prevalence of bipolar disorder is between 1 and 2% and has been said to be as high as 5%. In order to address this global problem, we need a global solution. With support from leading experts from around the world, groups like ANBD, IBPF, and ISBD are supporting efforts to investigate biological causes, targets for drug treatment, better treatments, better methods of diagnosis, the genetic components of the illness, and the strategies for living well with bipolar disorder and this is just the beginning. Collaborations between research and advocacy groups are continuing to grow, and WBD is a tribute to the success of this strategy.”

At the IC we will also be observing World Bipolar Day on March 30th. At 10:00am we will have an informational workshop discussing what bipolar disorder is, how it is managed and what you can use as coping skills. At 11:00am we will have an experiential workshop where members will share their stories and personal experiences with bipolar disorder and their journey of recovery. If you can’t make it to the IC, you can always share stories, pictures, videos etc. on your social media pages with #WorldBipolarDay and #BipolarStrong while tagging @intlbipolar on Twitter and Instagram and @InternationalBipolarFoundation on Facebook to help break down the stigma of bipolar disorders and educate the public about recovery!

The 2020 Legislative Session began on Wednesday, February 5th. MHC’s legislative priorities will be focused on fighting legislation that could lead to discrimination or deny access to care. We will support legislation that increases access to care, challenges stigma, encourages preventative care, and elevates mental wellness to the same level of priority as physical wellness.

Mental Health Connecticut (MHC) helps thousands of individuals put hope into action. We believe long-term wellness and recovery is achievable for everyone. We help individuals obtain a safe home, activate whole health living, find fulfillment and purpose, and become an active member of the community.

Members of the IC are encouraged to contact Legislators and have their voices heard. We look forward to helping you learn advocacy skills. Whether you join us in Hartford to testify or contact your Legislators via phone calls or emails, we will be there to support you through the process. Always remember that there is strength in numbers and your opinion matters. If you would like more information about the IC’s or MHC’s Legislative efforts, please contact IC staff Deborah Holcomb.

Infoline CT 211 VEYO 1-855-478-7350 Guiding Path Warmline: 1-860-482-1783 or 1-800-314-2680 5pm-10pm 7 days per week National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255 Sexual Assault Crisis Hotline 1-888-999-5545 En Español 1-888-999-8332 Crisis 1-866-794-0021

Join us for Art Club Fridays at 2 pm in the art Studio with our Mending Art Advocate, Jess! Bring your creative ideas and find your creative voice. Art club is a time to express your artistic and creative abilities and work on your own unique projects. You are unique and special no matter what skills you have. Our studio is full of materials and staff can assist you to complete a project or start a new one. “I am seeking.

I am striving. I am in it with all my heart " Vincent van Gogh.

Statewide # for Opioid (Opiate) Dependence 1-800-563-4086 You will be linked with walk-in assessment centers

-IC staff, Jessica M.

March 18 is “Kick Butts Day”. While this day was developed to encourage youth to stand up, speak out and raise awareness about the problems with tobacco we believe that quitting any type of nicotine product will lead to a happier and healthier life. At 11:00 on the 18th we will review strategies for quitting nicotine products. We will discuss how these products affect the body and what changes your body goes through when you quit. Whether you would like to quit for good, begin the process of quitting or just want to get some information, this workshop is for you. We also have staff that are trained to help you with the process. If you would like individual support with your journey of quitting and/or help obtaining resources, then please see IC staff Deborah Holcomb. Remember that quitting IS possible and we are here to support you along the way. We hope to see you on the 18th.

-IC staff, Jessica M.

Dentists in Waterbury who take Husky Health Staywell Health Center 203-597-9044 South Main Street 203-756-8021 Phoenix Avenue Community Health Center 203-574-4000 Columbia Dental 1-866-645-0111

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Disclaimer: Articles which show “submitted by” are not written by an IC member.

They are articles that our members came across, were inspired by, and brought in to the Center to inspire and encourage other members.

Often the authors of these articles are unknown. The opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Independence Center’s members, the staff, or the Editor.

St. Patrick’s Day observes of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green.