S.A. eLetter (1-20-11)
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John P.
Jan 20, 2011, 3:33:04 PM1/20/11
to Schizophrenics Anonymous
Greetings S.A. Family on the Internet,
The six steps for recovery are among the unifying aspects of S.A. To
try to explain the six steps better, we are printing here in the
eLetter the Blue Booklet explanations. This edition we'll cover step
#6. The wording of this step, written by Larry Z., is how it read in
the original 1989 edition of the Blue Booklet.
Step Six I Decide....
I make a decision to turn my life over to the care of God, AS I
UNDERSTAND HIM, surrendering my will and false beliefs. I ask to be
changed in depth.
For the person recovering from schizophrenia, it is normal to become
engrossed in the mechanics of recovery and the vital human concerns
involved. Important decisions involving income, living arrangements,
treatment, and achieving a less stressful lifestyle become the primary
concerns of the person recovering from schizophrenia and the person
close to him or her.
Frequently, however, an essential need that transcends the demands of
daily living is overlooked and sometimes never acknowledged. People
with schizophrenia may find it helpful to realize their limitations
and turn their life over to the care of a supreme power, to God as he
or she understands him whether in a religious sense or
philosophically because the uncertainties of the future can only be
dealt with that way.
Accompanying this decision must also come the willingness to surrender
one's will and false beliefs. Since a common symptom of schizophrenia
is the formation of erroneous opinions and beliefs, the recovering
person must accept the possible inaccuracy of his or her thoughts and
realize that they may have to be changed in the future.
A person with schizophrenia must understand that the changes involved
go to the core of his or her being, and only when these changes are
made through a gradual process can he or she begin to develop a
more normal way of dealing with life.
Guidance is needed, but the science of medicine, though advanced, has
its limits. The person with schizophrenia must learn to place his or
her hope in a spiritual power, and until this is accomplished, total
recovery may not be achieved.
SOURCE: S.A. Blue Booklet, 1989 edition
----------------------------------------------
--Stress Management, part #43
More Anger Management Material
We keep adding to our information pool on handling stress as new
information emerges. This week there is more information on Anger
Management.
A book called "Defusing Angry People," by Kevin Fauteux, has been
published. It has several anger management tips.
Fauteux talks about learning your own “onset symptoms” of anger in
tense situations. What are the types of things that “push your
buttons?” How easy is it for someone to push your buttons? Answering
these questions involves getting to know and understand yourself
better. And it can help you maintain a calm and cool head the next
time you might otherwise get angry--so says Fauteux.
Fauteax suggests three main things--
-Strategize constructive methods
-Look at your past
-Find role models
To add a little more info to these ideas, Fauteax gives these
suggestion:
-Strategize--Come up with a number of calm and constructive ways that
you can react to angry people or someone who pushes your buttons a
lot.
-Look at your past--Remember times from your own past when you've
handled heated moments really well. Add these behaviors to your
methods for dealing with tense situations.
-Find role models--Think of other people you've seen handle tense
situations well. Think of their specific behaviors and how it helped
them keep their cool. Consider adding their methods to your repertory
of behaviors of anger management.
SOURCE: USA Weekend, Dec. 24, 2010
------------------------------------------------
--Website of the Week
Patient Assistance Programs
Many pharmaceutical companies have patient assistance programs to help
the underprivileged pay for their medications. One must write the
company to find our about their specific program. Below is some info
on Pfizer’s program:
http://www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com/pages/misc/Default.aspx
---------------------------------------------------
--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:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
About eight percent of the American population suffers from some form
of PTSD, although some experts say up to 15 percent do. Many American
soldiers coming home from combat experience PTSD.
PTSD sufferers feel bursts of terror or get startled very easily,
after having experienced some type of traumatic event.
There are four elements to PTSD:
1) You have to have witnessed a traumatic event that was threatening
to you. This can range from a crime, an auto accident, shell-shock, a
natural disaster, or the like.
2) Next you have to have symptoms of avoidance--isolation,
dissociation, or feelings of a foreshortened future.
3) You have to have arousal symptoms--like, nightmares, anger,
irritability, concentration problems, a strong startle reflex, or
hypervigilance to danger.
4) These symptoms must last for 0ver 30 days and must impact on the
person's life.
SOURCE: Laura Casey in Contra Costa Times
We do not suffer alone.
------------------------------------------------------------------
--Quote of the Week
"When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I
admire
kind people."
-Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), Polish-American theology
professor
------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------
* 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)
The six steps for recovery are among the unifying aspects of S.A. To
try to explain the six steps better, we are printing here in the
eLetter the Blue Booklet explanations. This edition we'll cover step
#6. The wording of this step, written by Larry Z., is how it read in
the original 1989 edition of the Blue Booklet.
Step Six I Decide....
I make a decision to turn my life over to the care of God, AS I
UNDERSTAND HIM, surrendering my will and false beliefs. I ask to be
changed in depth.
For the person recovering from schizophrenia, it is normal to become
engrossed in the mechanics of recovery and the vital human concerns
involved. Important decisions involving income, living arrangements,
treatment, and achieving a less stressful lifestyle become the primary
concerns of the person recovering from schizophrenia and the person
close to him or her.
Frequently, however, an essential need that transcends the demands of
daily living is overlooked and sometimes never acknowledged. People
with schizophrenia may find it helpful to realize their limitations
and turn their life over to the care of a supreme power, to God as he
or she understands him whether in a religious sense or
philosophically because the uncertainties of the future can only be
dealt with that way.
Accompanying this decision must also come the willingness to surrender
one's will and false beliefs. Since a common symptom of schizophrenia
is the formation of erroneous opinions and beliefs, the recovering
person must accept the possible inaccuracy of his or her thoughts and
realize that they may have to be changed in the future.
A person with schizophrenia must understand that the changes involved
go to the core of his or her being, and only when these changes are
made through a gradual process can he or she begin to develop a
more normal way of dealing with life.
Guidance is needed, but the science of medicine, though advanced, has
its limits. The person with schizophrenia must learn to place his or
her hope in a spiritual power, and until this is accomplished, total
recovery may not be achieved.
SOURCE: S.A. Blue Booklet, 1989 edition
----------------------------------------------
--Stress Management, part #43
More Anger Management Material
We keep adding to our information pool on handling stress as new
information emerges. This week there is more information on Anger
Management.
A book called "Defusing Angry People," by Kevin Fauteux, has been
published. It has several anger management tips.
Fauteux talks about learning your own “onset symptoms” of anger in
tense situations. What are the types of things that “push your
buttons?” How easy is it for someone to push your buttons? Answering
these questions involves getting to know and understand yourself
better. And it can help you maintain a calm and cool head the next
time you might otherwise get angry--so says Fauteux.
Fauteax suggests three main things--
-Strategize constructive methods
-Look at your past
-Find role models
To add a little more info to these ideas, Fauteax gives these
suggestion:
-Strategize--Come up with a number of calm and constructive ways that
you can react to angry people or someone who pushes your buttons a
lot.
-Look at your past--Remember times from your own past when you've
handled heated moments really well. Add these behaviors to your
methods for dealing with tense situations.
-Find role models--Think of other people you've seen handle tense
situations well. Think of their specific behaviors and how it helped
them keep their cool. Consider adding their methods to your repertory
of behaviors of anger management.
SOURCE: USA Weekend, Dec. 24, 2010
------------------------------------------------
--Website of the Week
Patient Assistance Programs
Many pharmaceutical companies have patient assistance programs to help
the underprivileged pay for their medications. One must write the
company to find our about their specific program. Below is some info
on Pfizer’s program:
http://www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com/pages/misc/Default.aspx
---------------------------------------------------
--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:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
About eight percent of the American population suffers from some form
of PTSD, although some experts say up to 15 percent do. Many American
soldiers coming home from combat experience PTSD.
PTSD sufferers feel bursts of terror or get startled very easily,
after having experienced some type of traumatic event.
There are four elements to PTSD:
1) You have to have witnessed a traumatic event that was threatening
to you. This can range from a crime, an auto accident, shell-shock, a
natural disaster, or the like.
2) Next you have to have symptoms of avoidance--isolation,
dissociation, or feelings of a foreshortened future.
3) You have to have arousal symptoms--like, nightmares, anger,
irritability, concentration problems, a strong startle reflex, or
hypervigilance to danger.
4) These symptoms must last for 0ver 30 days and must impact on the
person's life.
SOURCE: Laura Casey in Contra Costa Times
We do not suffer alone.
------------------------------------------------------------------
--Quote of the Week
"When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I
admire
kind people."
-Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), Polish-American theology
professor
------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------
* 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)
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