Comments from STABLE™ course participants:
"Without your support I don't think I would have found the strength to do this."
"This course has certainly helped. I can't pinpoint how to put it into words. Maybe because the effects of what you have been doing have been very subtle. I think the most noticeable thing to me is that the combination of the work we have been doing together and your regular snippets of encouragement has empowered me to slowly take control of the things in my life that are amiss and to seek help from other specialists in each area that needs rectification."
"I am feeling more positive at the moment than I have in several years."
"Personable, High Integrity, Creative"
"Roger has a very thoughtful approach giving unique insights and his knowledge always brings relevant information and ideas into play. His honesty and empathy is hugely helpful and he adapts gladly to individual needs"
"It gave me a great insight into triggers and has made
me much more sensitive to my moods ~ not just burying them deep inside me
and hoping that they won't affect my life ~ which of course they do in the
most negative way."
"I feel it has also helped my partner to understand me a lot more and
keep me more on an even keel ~ not overdoing things physically which then
has the repercussions of me feeling that I cannot cope ~ and then bang ~ stop
the world I want to get off and stay in bed."
"Keep at your work. You were a great help to me and my partner."
Why this course is for you:
This course is designed to aid your recovery after one or more episodes
of depression, mania or hypomania.
During the course your risk of relapse will decrease. Your mood swings will
become less frequent and less severe. Your moods will become steadier.
What you will learn:
You will learn techniques for controlling stress which will include
avoiding some stress and coping better with stress that cannot be avoided.
Symptoms such as anxiety will decrease as you practice the stress advice.
You will be supported in creating your own Wellness and Recovery Action Plan,
which you will be able to use to cope with future stressful events.
You will gain an excellent understanding of the principles of recovery, which
will help with rebuilding your support network. This will give real opportunities
to achieve things that might right now seem out of reach.
Sessions:
These will be when and where you feel most comfortable.
Typically there will be no more than ten sessions spread over 3 months, but
additional informal meetings are also possible – for example: self-help
groups and meeting others for peer support.
Support:
Initially you will be asked to nominate one person to share new ideas
with after each session. Ideally it should be someone close to you. A family
member, neighbour or health worker such as a community psychiatric nurse may
be appropriate. This supporter must be able to spare time both with you and
with your course facilitator as you make changes in your life.
Your facilitator is also available to discuss all aspects of stress advice
and recovery training by phone or email or a mix of these according to the
clients preference. Note: email can be very beneficial as information can
be supplied between meetings.
Details:
This course is based on the idea that mood swings are caused by stress.
That is, more to do with things happening right now, rather than genetics
or things that happened long ago.
If the stress experienced by the client can be significantly reduced, then
mood swings will lessen. This will allow the client to live a more effective
life and go on to achieve things they may not have believed possible.
The course title uses the term, Employees, as the course is ideal for people
already in work or wanting to be fit for some kind of paid or voluntary work
at some time in the future.
Principles:
The following recovery principles are fundamental to the course:
hope, personal responsibility, self-agency, education and support.
The course largely uses ideas from:
• Stress Advice (a course approved by the Royal College of Nursing)
• Wellness Recovery Action Planning (approved by CSIP/NHS)
• Self-Management Training (basic principles of the MDF course)
Your facilitator:
Roger Smith is:
• A fully qualified Stress Advisor (Approved by the Royal College of
Nursing)
• Qualified in Wellness Recovery Action Planning (Approved by CSIP/NHS)
• An experienced Self-Management Training facilitator (working with
MDF the BiPolar Organisation for 6yrs)
• A member of the International Stress Management Association
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