MAKING A DIFFERENCE
DBSA CALIFORNIA
ABOUT
DBSA California is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit serving individuals with depression, bipolar, anxiety, PTSD, and other mood disorders. We provide help to those affected by mood disorders by offering peer led support groups, wellness tools, and mental health resources. We've been there, we can help!
MAKING A DONATION
DBSA California is registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We rely on support from individuals to help fund the events, activities, and resources to help people in recovery from Bipolar and Depression. Donating is quick and easy, click on the button below to make a donation today!
Greetings from our new Executive Director
Wendy McNeill, DBSA CA
Dear DBSA California Stakeholders,
I’m excited to be part of the DBSA California organization as the new Executive Director. It is a privilege to be in this role, and I’m looking forward to bringing my lived experience to the table to learn, and in the process of learning, to lead.
Supporting one another is our mission, and I hope I can be part of this mission on a number of levels.I have been a member of DBSA San Diego since 2001, a Volunteer Facilitator since 2002, and the Community Liaison since 2005. I have a deep appreciation for the power of our community as we work together toward a common goal: Mental Health Recovery for Everyone. DBSA as an organization is in part responsible for the extent of my recovery from my own mental health challenges, which I can say in humility has been remarkable.
As they say in DBSA, if you can’t stay happy, then stay curious. In fact, my curiosity about the lives of others has been one of my greatest assets. This trait also extends to the inner workings of organizations. I mention this because in the coming weeks I would like to meet and understand you and your impact on the mission of DBSA California and how you envision its future.
As my father always said, if you’re not having fun, you’re in the wrong job. You will hear me mention this great man as part of my story, and it is my belief that if we can find joy in the day-to-day then we are moving in the right direction. In group, we know that just being together is half the battle in dealing with the struggles of life, and it is in this spirit of solidarity that I bring as a leader.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to serve you as part of DBSA California. I look forward to working with you and strengthening our community of support for all those with mental health challenges.
Warmly,
Wendy McNeill
Executive Director
DBSA California
We’ve been there. We can help.
Our Partners
Real Experiences
Peer Stories
There Are Benefits to Bipolar Disorder
By: Kristin Colino
"I’m here... because I have lived a life protected from pre-existing conditions that would prevent my health care coverage. I’m here... because I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 20. I’m here... to answer the question, “What does life look like after being diagnosed with a mental health condition?”
When my brain started to malfunction, I was still in high school. I was a straight-A student, who was at risk of not graduating. I didn’t know why, but I was mentally unable to do the work. I felt like a gigantic failure..."Read More
Growing up, I had no idea what mental health was. I grew up in a devout Christian family and Jamaican-American household with not one but two Jamaican parents.
At home, we didn’t talk about our feelings, and to me, the words “mental health” meant you were crazy.....Read More
Abraham Sculley
I paused to collect my thoughts for a few minutes, but when the sun started going down, I realized I’d been sitting there for six hours. During that time, I struggled to remember what had just happened in the meeting, but the more I tried to remember, the more memories of things that couldn’t possibly have happened started to fill my brain. Memories of things like seeing people die, of being sued, of being interviewed on CNN...
Sally Littlefield
By the time of my 17th birthday, I had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety, placed on two antidepressant medications, and was sent to local psychiatric hospitals four different times. At this point, my brain became convinced that suicide was a viable solution for my life...