Speaker discusses family stress accompanying bipolar disease
“Coming Unglued: The Bipolar Home in Times of Trouble” is the keynote speaker’s topic at the Pat Williams Mental Health Dinner, the flagship event of the year for NAMI-Yolo, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The event runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Veterans’ Memorial Center, 203 E. 14th St. in Davis.
The speaker is Mason Spain Turner, M.D., chief of psychiatry at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco and assistant director for regional mental health and chemical dependency services for Kaiser Permanente, Northern California.
Bipolar disorder takes different forms and produces varied results in people’s lives, Turner says, adding that it is commonly unpredictable and disruptive.
He will talk about symptoms, diagnosis and the spectrum of mental illness, demystifying this medical disorder. Besides the person with the mental illness, the family dynamic changes dramatically, he says.
Whether dealing with extreme ambiguity or exercising “uber vigilance,” family members often must cope with the demands of a loved one with bipolar disorder while handling their own stressors brought on by today’s troubled environment, he explains.
Turner will offer anecdotal examples from his clinical work and strategies for lessening stress in the bipolar home.
Turner graduated from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. His M.D. degree is from the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center/Parkland Hospital in Dallas.
Turner completed his residency in psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School through Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital, in Boston.
As a clinician, he concentrates his practice in general psychiatry, addiction medicine and the treatment of personality disorders. Recent work has turned to the effects of an individual’s mental illness on the family system.
If purchased by Feb. 9, tickets are $40 general, $10 for students and $3 for mental health clients. Sponsorships also are available. To order tickets, send a check to NAMI-Yolo, P.O. Box 447, Davis, CA 95617, or make reservations by calling (530) 756-8181.
For more information, visit www.namiyolo.org.
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Posted by Special to The Enterprise
on Jan 16 2012.
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