DBSAlliance

Have a messy bedroom? Cluttered dorm room? Ever wake up on a bad day feeling depressed and then look at your messy room and feel worse? Do you keep telling yourself I'll get to cleaning my apartment (or house) but just don't know where to start? If you feel intimidated by all the clutter, you're not alone. This podcast outlines 3 simple strategies for de-cluttering your room or house. We explore the subconscious reasons we keep things. Have you ever fallen victim to the "Some Day Mentality"? Do you ever confuse the gift with the giver? Not sure what I'm talking about? Then, listen as I unpack the faulty reasoning that keeps our rooms cluttered. This podcast also gives extra hints for people with depression, bipolar, ADHD, or OCD.

Need to give away stuff? Want to give to others? Check out www.freecycle.org, a great resource for those of us purging our closets!

Food for Thought/Suggestions for Comments:

Could you or someone you know use any of the 3 strategies in this podcast?

Has your disorder ever made it more difficult to clean up?

How does the cleanliness of your room affect your mood?

Think you might have a problem more serious than clutter--like hoarding? Interested in learning more about hoarding or looking for a treatment provider, check out www.ocfoundation.org/hoarding/

Ellie helps us finish the Friendship Series with Part 3! Here, we explore 3 qualities people with mental illnesses & mood disorders should demonstrate in friendships. These qualities are essential to finding and keeping friends. This podcast also helps people without mental illnesses better understand how to support their friends because it outlines the relationship obstacles people with mental illness face AND the qualities of people with mental illnesses that actually make them great friends! Through a story from Ellie's life, we will learn how to harness painful experiences into a force for good and help others. (And, yes of course, we're gonna close out the series with the iconic Friends theme song, The Rembrandts' I'll Be There For You!)

Food for Thought/Suggestions for Comments:

Do you agree with the 3 qualities we listed for being a good friend?

Do you have a secret to successfully maintaing relationships despite mental illness?

Did you learn anything surprising or new in the podcast?

Ellie's story continues. Contrasting her experiences with unsupportive friends in Part 1 of the Friendship Series, here in Part 2, Ellie shows us how good friends have helped her deal with ADHD and Depression. She also talks about a painful experience many people can relate to--a breakup. She tells us specific actions her friends took that made her feel better. Together, we outline 3 qualities of a good friend, and give tips on how to be a good friend to someone who has a mood disorder or mental illness. (And yes, in honor of friendship and Friends, we are playing The Rembrandts' I'll Be There For You!)

Food for Thought/Suggestions for Comment:

Could you relate to the story about Ellie's breakup?

Have friends ever helped you through a difficult season in your life?

What qualities do you look for in a good friend?

Ellie's back! You may remember her from our very popular podcast, In Other Words Pt 2: Top 2 Misuses of "ADD;" College Student Unveils 4 Strategies for Fighting ADHD. Ellie will now help us kick off a series of 3 podcasts in the Friendship Series. Here, in Pt 1, Ellie describes her worst experience dealing with depression and ADHD. She tells us about surviving the difficult season of her life and specific things friends said that actually made it worse. Ellie also tells us 3 qualities of an "unsupportive friend"--it's an eye opener for anyone who wants to support someone with a mood disorder or anyone with a mood disorder who wants to find quality friends. In Pt 2, Ellie will tell us about 3 qualities of good friends. In Pt 3, we'll talk about how to be a good friend when you have a mood disorder. (And yes, in honor of friendship and Friends, we are playing The Rembrandts' I'll Be There for You!)

Food for Thought/Suggestions for Comments:

Can you recall a time when a friend actually made you feel worse?

Did you learn anything from Ellie's interview?

What are the qualities of a good friend?

It's back to school season! For those of us who are college freshmen or transfer students, it can be a nerve-wrecking time. As someone who transferred schools my sophomore year of college, I've experienced many of those new student jitters. In this podcast, we outline 3 steps for a smooth transition to college life so you can do well in school and find friends. High school and junior high school students can also build strong friendships and do well in class by applying these 3 steps.

Food for Thought/Suggestions for Comments:

Could you (or someone you know) use any of the 3 strategies in this podcast?

Have you experienced the connection between stress and frequency/intensity of depressive bouts?

Where do you find community?

Before the Internet, when you got angry, you had time to cool down and rethink things before saying something you might regret. Now with email, gchat, forums, Facebook, & Twitter, it's easier than ever NOT to think before hitting send. Everyone is presented with an opportunity to hit "send" and spew forth all their pent up frustration. Do you hit send? This podcast presents 3 steps to sending (or not sending) an angry email/making an angry post.

Your Thoughts?/Suggestions for Comments:

Have you ever sent an email (or made an online post) you regret?

Can you use the 3 steps in this podcast when you're feeling angry?

Has online communication improved or hurt your relationships?

Picking up where we left off in Part 1 of the Tribute to Legend Patty Duke, in Part 2, we learn 3 vital lessons for people fighting mental illnesses and those who love them. You'll hear dramatic reenactments of scenes from Duke's bestselling autobiography, Call Me Anna. What's more impressive than all her awards (she's won the whole trifecta--an Academy Award, Emmy, & Golden Globe), is Patty's resilience in the face of constant adversity. For anyone who's ever felt discouraged by bipolar disorder, depression, other mental illnesses, or even the daily stress of life, Duke' story is a beacon of hope!

Your Thoughts?/Suggestions for Comments:

Were you encouraged by Patty's resilience?

What requires strength in your life?

Could you (or someone you know) use the 3 tips/lessons in this podcast?

This podcast is Pt 1 (of 2 parts) in a tribute to legendary actress and mental health advocate, Patty Duke. Through reenactments of scenes from her bestselling autobiography, Call Me Anna, we unpack 2 vital lessons for people fighting mental illness and those who love them! What's more impressive than her resume (Broadway star at age 12, Oscar winner at 16, her own TV show at 17, etc.) is all the adversity Duke has overcome, which may come as a surprise to many. With or without bipolar disorder, her life would be a diffcult one by any standard. When you hear the Flipswitch tribute, you have no choice but to be filled with HOPE!

Check out bp magazine's article (author: Elizabeth Zavala) on Patty Duke in their current issue (Summer 2011)

http://www.bphope.com/Item.aspx/845/the-one-and-only-patty-duke

Your Thoughts?/Suggestions for Comments:

Does Patty Duke's story give you hope?

Have you read her autobiography, Call Me Anna?

Can you use the 2 lessons/strategies in this podcast?

We welcome back, Hanh, a fitness coach who has bipolar disorder. She'll tell us how exercise helped her turn her life around and lose weight. She will share 5 strategies that will keep you motivated and exercising regularly. Hanh Nguyen is an Independent Team Beachbody® Coach. To learn about her services in nutrition and fitness, visit www.healthyhanh.com or email her at [email protected]! [Note: Exercise is a supplement to (NOT a substitute for) prescribed medication and therapy if you have a mental illness.]

Your Thoughts?/Suggestions for Comments:

Has exercise changed your life?

Do you find it hard to exercise every week?

Could you or someone you know use any of the strategies in this podcast?

We continue the 2-part series on ending manic or hypomanic debt. In this podcast, we examine 3 solutions to temptations people with bipolar disorder face from the numerous credit card offers college students get to how to stop splurging on guilty pleasures whether its shoes or video games.

Your Thoughts?/Suggestions for Comments:

Do you have any "guilty pleasures"?

Could you use any of the 3 strategies here to control your spending?

Will you try using one of these tips?