S.A. eLetter (4-17-11)

[John P.]

Greetings S.A. family on the Internet,

We continue our discussion of the S.A. Guiding Principles. Here is
the third such principle.


S.A. Guiding Principle #3: Everything said at SA meetings is
confidential.

What is said at SA meetings is the “property” of the speaker and other
members of the group. Nothing is to be repeated to non-members unless
it appears that the member is a danger to themselves or others.
Because SA members are usually quite concerned about and interested in
each other, what is said at a meeting may be repeated within the
group, for instance, to a member who was absent from a particular
meeting. If group members specify that they don’t want their remarks
repeated at all, the group should adhere to this wish.


SOURCE: S.A. Blue Booklet (program text, first published in 1989)


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--Stress Management, part #46

Laughter as a Stress Buster

More on humor as a way of beating stress. Comes this statement from
Lee Berk, DrPH at Loma Linda University in California:

"Stress can be deadly. And laughter suppresses stress hormones--it
really is the best medicine."

Loma Linda University was involved in a study of laughter as it
affected diabetic patients, who have a natural susceptibility to heart
disease. One group was given medication plus a daily dose of humor--30
minutes of a favorite sitcom or humorous video. Another control group
got the medication but not the humor "treatment." It appeared that
those who got their funny bone tickled got beneficial health results
with reduction in heart risk. The "humor group" had a 26 percent
increase in HDL "good" cholesterol, compared to only a 3 percent
increase in the control group. The levels of C-reactive protein, a
measure of heart-risk inflammation, went down by 66 percent among the
humor group, compared to a 26 percent decrease in the control group.

According to Time magazine: "Sustained mirthful laughter--the kind
stimulated by, say, the Marx Brothers--has been shown to provide
benefits that include improving blood flow, lowering levels of stress
hormone cortisol and boosting the immune system."

A new mind-body therapy has developed to help people get into
laughter. It's called "laughter yoga," and there are 400 clubs across
the country teaching these techniques. The only connection with
traditional yoga, is that the laughter yoga has breathing exercises
and a wind-down period at the end of class.

At laughter yoga the focus is creating fake laughter--laughing for no
apparent reason. They get together in a group, begin clapping in
rhythm, and uttering out loud--"Ho ho ho! Ha ha ha! They keep doing
this and soon everyone just breaks out laughing. The laughter become
infectious, according to observers.

Participants report all sorts of stress reduction benefits. Really
good scientific studies have not been done on the laughter yoga
groups. But Dr. Berk at Loma Linda University says that intuitively
it makes sense that they could work--"I think it's reasonable. Fake
laughter certainly has the same physical, aerobic affect. But there
has been no peer-reviewed proof on laughter yoga. I think the claims
need to be validated."

Still, people keep reporting that laughter reduces their stress. As
the Time correspondent said: "Proof or no proof, that's nothing to
laugh at."

SOURCES: Readers Digest (July 2009) and Time magazine (Sept. 13, 2010)


Stress Management Series Prior Editions

Below are links to the first 40 parts of the Stress Management Series
to
date. The more recent parts are at the S.A. eLetter site at Google.

Stress Management Series I (Parts #1 to #16):
http://groups.google.com/group/choose-life-project/browse_thread/thread/584aa4af7b45c502

Stress Management Series II (Parts #17 to #29):
http://groups.google.com/group/choose-life-project/browse_thread/thread/f240f7bad9902a81#

Stress Management Series III (Parts #30 to #40):
http://groups.google.com/group/choose-life-project/browse_thread/thread/e0f98e3ce6dafc7f


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--Website of the Week

Mental Health America (formerly the National Mental Health
Association)

With over a century of advocacy, public education, and the delivery of
programs and services, Mental Health America is the country's leading
nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier
lives.

Its website--

http://www.nmha.org/

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--Our Suffering in Perspective

The suffering of schizophrenia patients is real. And other people
suffer too. We wish to also recognize the struggles of other
suffering people. For instance:

Battles in Wartime

Devastation from war can be staggering. For instance, in World War I
the Battle of the Somme was fought in northern France in 1916. In
this one battle alone, the Germans lost 500,000 men and the Allies
lost 600,000 men. Over one million men gone in one battle.

We do not suffer alone.


SOURCE: World Book Encyclopedia (1982 edition)

--------------------------------

--Quote of the Week

"The weakest living creature, by concentrating his powers on a single
object, can accomplish something. The strongest, by dispensing his
over many, may fail to accomplish anything. The drop, by continually
falling, bores its passage through the hardest rock. The hasty torrent
rushes over it with hideous uproar, and leaves no trace behind."

-Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), British essayist and historian


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Bye for now, and everyone have a great couple of weeks.

--John P., member of S.A.

=============================================

For more information about
Schizophrenics Anonymous.:
The new S.A. website is at:
http://www.sardaa.org
----------
For the Google information group for S.A.:
http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-anonymous
------------
For the Yahoo discussion group for S.A.:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/schizophrenics-anonymous
NOTE: Earlier editions of the S.A. eLettter and the Schizophrenia News
Links are posted at the Google information group for S.A. (link given
above). Also, the S.A. eLetter will come
to your e-mail inbox when published by signing up at the S.A.
Information Group at Google.
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Fact Sheet Information about Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective
Disorder--
* National Institute of Mental Health--description of schizophrenia:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml
----------------------
* Mental Health America ( formerly the National Mental Health
Association):
--description of schizophrenia:
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/schizophrenia
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* National Alliance for the Mentally Il
--description of schizophrenia:
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedP...
--description of schizoaffective disorder:
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedP...
(Organization now called National Alliance on Mental Illness)