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Mind Your Health seminar series continues Feb. 20

The Institute of Psychiatry's Mind Your Health seminar series continues beginning Feb. 20. All seminars are  from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Institute of Psychiatry Auditorium and are free to the public. 
To register, call MUSC Health Connection at 792-1414 

Feb. 20
Understanding and Embracing Your Personal Spirit
Mary Beth Brock, MHS, OTR/L
we are complex individuals, made up of three inter-related components the mind, body and spirit. Stress management and wellness programs typically address the importance of the physical and mental well-being, but little is done to understand the spirit, the source of  value, self-esteem and individuality. This discussion will focus on how to understand and embrace your personal spirit.

March 20
What Really Matters at Home? Promoting Healthy Parent/Child Relationships
Eve Spratt, M.D.
How good is the one-on-one communication in your home? Healthy relationships in the family can help a child develop strong self-esteem, coping skills and a sense of balance. Learn how to sort through the trials of everyday demands, stress and conflict, as well as prioritize the things that really matter at home.

April 5
National Alcohol Awareness Screening Day
How Much Can I Safely Drink?
William Boggan, Ph.D.
Wine with meals, frequent social functions, something to calm the nerves— how would you define your drinking and when is it necessary to cut back? There's no easy answers and every individual has their own tolerance and lifestyle. This intriguing topic offers guidelines for keeping alcohol under control and learning how to recognize warning signs.

May 2
National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day
Anxiety: It’s What You Think That’s Making You Nervous
Dean Schuyler, M.D.
Everyone feels nervous from time to time, but some people are chronic “worriers” and frequently suffer from anxiety. The cognitive therapy approach teaches people to control nervousness by identifying the underlying thoughts at the root of the problem. Dr. Schuyler describes the various issues in the anxiety spectrum and teaches a way to help reduce anxiety cognitively.

June 19
Mind-Body Skills: Are You Searching for Balance in Your Life?
Suzanne Smith, R.N., MSN, CS
Explore the psychobiological connection between mind and body. You are in charge of your state of being. You have the remarkable human capacity to learn to choose ways of thinking, feeling and doing which contribute to your health enrichment.

July 17
Strengthening Your Step-family
Mary Lou Shoemaker, MSW
When we select new spouses, there's no guarantee that everyone else in the family will automatically get along. It can be difficult for children to accept a new parent or sibling, especially following divorce or what a child considers loss. There are ways to survive and to strengthen new family relationships. This discussion provides current information and practical ways to help everyone transition and find balance with new step-family members.

Aug. 21
Media Violence: Is it Affecting Our Kids?
Matthew S. Koval, M.D.
Movies, video games, music, television and print—our kids are exposed to intense violence every day. How much do these violent images affect our children and do they know how to separate real-life violence from fantasy? Has over-exposure left our children numb to the true consequences of violence and prone to commit these acts themselves? Join Koval in taking a critical look at media violence, share your concerns about what your children are exposed to and find solutions that may help.

Sept. 18
From Caffeine to Cocaine: Why We Like Drugs So Much
Peter Kalivas, Ph.D.
Explore how typically abused drugs affect the brain and how they produce a feeling of well-being and reward. We'll examine what long-term changes occur in the brain with chronic abuse and how the ‘once an alcoholic always an alcoholic’ syndrome characterized in most addicts makes the problem so intense. Learn about current and future treatments for addiction and the possibilities of reversing neurological changes caused by long-term drug use.

Oct. 11:
National Depression Screening Day
My Own Struggle with Depression: The Stigma of Mental Illness
Paul B. Gold, Ph.D.
The experience of severe clinical depression, especially suicidal depression, has been described as surreal darkness and loneliness. People who suffer feel they have somehow failed to manage life’s problems competently. Criticisms and stigmatic labels add to the difficulty. Tremendous public awareness is being achieved by the efforts of health organizations and— well known individuals like Tipper Gore. Gold will provide information about the promising advances in treating this powerful medical illness. He'll also share the story of his own struggle with depression and the over-whelming sense of self-blame that often comes with it. This topic offers the opportunity to understand clinical depression from an educational and personal perspective.