Blueprint for Hope is a campaign to inspire people to speak with a health care professional about their depression symptoms and raise awareness of the importance of working with a health care professional to build a personalized “blueprint,” or plan, for managing their illness. DBSA is proud to participate in this campaign with Paige Hemmis, a designer on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and a consumer herself, as well as Jesse H. Wright, MD, PhD, a psychiatry professor and director of the Depression Center at the University of Louisville and medical director of the Norton Psychiatric Center.

DBSA will help coordinate Blueprint for Hope events in several local communities across the country, where Paige will share her story and demonstrate do-it-yourself (DIY) projects to provide inspiration and motivation to people with depression. Also available at these events will be a doctor and DBSA President Peter Ashenden to provide information about support groups and additional resources for managing depression. Through the Blueprint for Hope campaign, DBSA hopes to reinforce how a broad support network can help to treat depression and provide a better understanding of the resources that are available.

"People with depression should feel empowered to seek support not only from their physicians but also from their peers, loved ones, and communities. It often takes a broad support network to help people stick to their treatment plan and maintain their journey."    —Peter Ashenden, DBSA president

Toolkit

An estimated 33 to 35 million American adults have experienced depression at some point during their lives. Because depression is a serious and often chronic illness that can be difficult to treat, it is important to have a variety of tools and a solid treatment plan for managing it.

The brochures in this toolkit give you the facts about depression and resources to educate your friends and family about the illness.

Introduction to Depression and Bipolar Disorder   Myths and Facts about Depression and Bipolar Disorder   Helping a Friend or Family Member  with a Mood Disorder    Next Steps: Getting the Treatment You Need to Reach Recovery Events  Oklahoma City, OK Nov 3, 2009 Atlanta, Ga. Thursday September 24th at 7:30PM Denver, Colorado Wed., June 17 Houston, Texas Wed., May 20 Philadelphia, Pa. Wed. May 27 Sacramento, Calif. Tue. July 28 Stay tuned for more information as dates are finalized. More details here. Tracking Your Health—Mind and Body Go online, daily or weekly, to chart your moods, symptoms, lifestyle, medication, and overall physical health. Keeping track of the many things that influence your overall wellness—your mental and physical health—can help you see patterns or trends that may be important for you and your clinician to evaluate.