S.A. eLetter (1-12-12)
John P.
Greetings S.A. Family on the Internet,
About twelve years ago, Michigan State University did a study of S.A. We'll be discussing the results of the study in the coming months.
As we've discussed in earlier eLetters, the Michigan States University
study of Schizophrenics Anonymous is completed, and we'll try to have
the study text posted at our website in the coming months. The evaluation aspect of the study has two parts: a quantitative data section consisting of a questionnaire survey of 156 people with schizophrenia who attended S.A. meetings in Michigan, and a qualitative data section consisting of in-person taped interviews of 46 S.A. members and a computer content analysis of those transcribed interviews.
In the survey research data of those attending the S.A. meetings:
* 95 percent of the study participants found S.A. to be helpful to
some degree, and of these, 45 percent felt that S.A. helped them a lot.
* 73 percent said that attending S.A. meetings helped them manage the symptoms of their illness.
* 83 percent said that S.A. helped them learn more about
schizophrenia.
* 73 percent said that S.A. helped them feel less alone.
* 67 percent said that S.A. helped them make friends and improve
their social life.
In the qualitative data (the computer analyzed interviews of S.A.
members) the researchers were able to get a more open-ended response on how S.A. members found Schizophrenics Anonymous to be helpful. In fact, S.A. members reported specific ways that the program was useful to them.
The MSU researchers identified at least twelve ways that S.A. members found Schizophrenics Anonymous to be helpful:
1. By providing fellowship, friendship, and support;
2. Providing a safe place to talk about schizophrenia;
3. Strengthening the ability to cope;
4. Identifying new medical treatments and community resources;
5. Developing a more competent and more active sense of self;
6. Gaining a better understanding of schizophrenia;
7. Incr eased a cceptance of the illness and diagnosis;
8. Less feelings of shame and more forgiveness;
9. Enhanced feelings of value, worth, and esteem;
10. Providing opportunities for participation in meaningful social
roles;
11. More realistic expectations and new goals; and
12. Increased feelings of hopefulness.
The interviews of the 46 S.A. members would seem anecdotal in
themselves, except that the taped transcriptions and computerized content analysis of what was said enabled common experiences to be identified among those who choose to become active in Schizophrenics Anonymous--hence the twelve aspects of helpfulness listed above.
SOURCE: Michigan State University final report, April 20, 2000
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--Stress Management, part #61
More on Mindfulness Meditation
The former editor of O,the Oprah Magazine, Amy Gross, has written a powerful endorsement article for mindfulness meditation in a recent edition of Newsweek. She calls mindfulness meditation a "prescription to end suffering," "a path to personal nirvana," a method that enables one to be "less afraid of your own inner storms," and become a "little saner, lighter, less entangled."
We've discussed mindfulness meditation as a stress management techniques before here. I find secular and prayerful meditation helpful, but mindfulness meditation is something I've never gotten the hang of. It involves keeping a strong focus on the everyday things and activities of life. Many people have reported amazing results with this.
Ms. Gross now teaches mindfulness meditation in a program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, designed by pioneering biologist Jon Kabat-Zinn. She reports that a majority of chronic pain sufferers in an eight week meditation program were able to have reduction in medications and fewer limits on their activities. She reports that this form of meditation can be applied for both physical and emotional pain.
Patients when they are by themselves can sit quietly and peacefully-- then some jerky thought pops into their heads, causing anger. The patient's inner world then breaks into a riot. The meditators train themselves to break down this anger. They focus on the sensations of the anger and how lousy it feels. They stop telling themselves the story about the thing that produced the anger. The anger then runs out of fuel. This spells Relief! And, according to Ms. Gross, the non-anger feels so good.
For folks who can get this method to work, the stress reduction benefits would be terrific. Obviously.
SOURCE: Newsweek--Jan. 9, 2012
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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--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:
Chronic Physical Pain
Some 25 percent of Americans suffer from some type of chronic physical pain.
We do not suffer alone.
SOURCES: American Academy of Pain Medicine
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--Website of the Week
This program funds projects that seek to mobilize communities to implement innovative, collaborative efforts that bring system-wide improvements to the way the needs of adult offenders with mental disabilities or illnesses are addressed.
For other helpful links to websites related to mental illness, check out our SARDAA webpage at this address:
http://www.sardaa.org/resources/
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--Quote of the Week
"I cannot do good or bad to others without doing good or bad to myself."
--12 step recovery adage
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Bye for now, and everyone have a great couple of weeks.
--John P., member of S.A.
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For more information about
Schizophrenics Anonymous.:
The new S.A. website is at:
http://www.sardaa.org
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For the Google information group for S.A.:
http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-anonymous
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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
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* 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)