Post by Sarah Wilde

You pick up your child and a friend from a party and notice something is off.   Not with your child but with the friend who is sleeping over.  What do you do?   Shrug it off to teenage behavior?   Let them sleep it off and pray your son/daughter finds new friends?   You may think … “it’s not my child, who am I to say anything?”    Well, one thing is certain:  not being their parent may mean you have a bigger impact on this child than you estimated.   You have the power to be a positive influence in this child’s life, as well as the obligation as a parent to protect your own child.

Research shows that kids start using drugs because they think it will help them feel better – especially from stress or depression, fit in, or they just want to take risks.  Spending time with a friend who is using will increase the likelihood that your child will use too.  Statistics show that every day approximately 4,500 Americans under 18 try marijuana for the first time.   Treatment for marijuana is the primary reason children are admitted into treatment programs – more than for all other illicit drugs combined.

Scientific research tells us that addiction is not a matter of will and is actually a disease of the brain.  While not all teenage drug or alcohol use will lead to addiction, there is no certainty over when use may turn to abuse or dependence.   Regardless of full-blown addiction, many negative consequences may develop such as poor grades, loss of interest in athletics or extra-curriculars, problems at home or in relationships, even trouble with the law.

You can make a difference in the life of a child who is using.  Sometimes kids aren’t aware of the harmful and lasting effects that can occur with drug use and need an understanding person to talk to.   Many kids have parents with alcohol or drug problems of their own and alerting the parent isn’t going to help the matter.   As an adult and parent there are resources available to you that will help you learn more about how to help children of substance abusers.  The National Clearinghouse  for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) can help – call 1-800-788-2800 or visit www.health.org.

If you have an open ear with the understanding parent of the child in question, talk with them.   Explain everything you have used to educate yourself on the topic and explain what you know about the harms and consequences of even “recreational” use.   Stay involved and it could be a matter of changing the course of both that child’s life and your own.

How do you know if your spouse is acting out or has a more serious condition? Ann Smith, the executive director of Breakthrough at Caron, tackles this difficult question.  She knows that major personality shifts aren’t something most are prepared for.  Whether it is bipolar disorder, addiction or a personality disorder, there are options for dealing with noticeable and drastic shifts in your relationship and/or spouse’s behavior and mental health.    It is important to take action and even if the person in question isn’t willing to get help, it is important that you get help for yourself.   Help can take many forms and Ann outlines some options including counseling, Al-Anon and others.    The Caron program, Breakthrough, is a five and a half day residential group therapy program designed to help adults shift destructive life patterns, improve relationships and foster personal growth.

Read the entire article here at Hitched.

Post by Sarah Wilde

Michael Plahn, Founder and Program Director of LifeSkills Authorities recently sat down with Jason Seiden, author of Fail Spectacularly! Both Michael and Jason work with others to show how people can truly thrive after experiencing failure.  However, when alcoholism or addiction is holding people back from their true potential it often requires intensive treatment for the addict or alcoholic to thrive from the lows to which their disease brought them.   Sometimes even when that help is available and accessible, objections or obstacles may still exist which prevent the person in need from grabbing that life line and pulling oneself to safety.  LifeSkills Authorities works every day to change the dire realities we’ve come to accept for addiction sufferers.  From intervention to proper placement for care to long-term recovery coaching, Michael talks with Jason about how the LifeSkills Authorities program works to save lives.

Read the entire post here at JasonSeiden.com.

A new study finds specific brain regions that may play a role in the development of childhood anxiety, that may later lead to the adult child self-medicating through alcohol and drugs.

The findings could lead to new methods of early detection and treatment to intervene on at-risk children, according to study leader Ned. H. Kalin, chair of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

“Children with anxious temperaments suffer from extreme shyness, persistent worry and increased bodily responses to stress. It has long been known that these children are at increased risk of developing anxiety, depression and associated substance abuse disorders,” Kalin said in a university news release.

“We believe that young children who have higher activity in these brain regions are more likely to develop anxiety and depression as adolescents and adults, and are also more likely to develop drug and alcohol problems in an attempt to treat their distress,” he said.

The findings, published in the Aug. 12 issue of Nature, suggest it may be possible to prevent children from developing full-blown anxiety.

“My feeling is that the earlier we intervene with children, the more likely they will be able to lead a happy life in which they aren’t as controlled by anxiety and depression. We think we can train vulnerable kids to settle their brains down,” Kalin said.

New article from MSNBC.com talks about how the loss of jobs and inability to find work can make it harder to stay sober. Author Eve Tahmincioglu states, “During tough economic times, it can be even harder to fight an addiction. It can also be more challenging for workers trying to clean themselves up to hold onto their jobs.”

Excerpts:

“There are more financial stressors today,” said Dr. Barbara Krantz, CEO and medical director of research at Hanley Center, an addiction recovery center in West Palm Beach, Fla., adding that such stress can contribute to alcohol and drug use, both illegal and prescription. From 2007 through 2009, Hanley Center has seen more than a 60 percent increase in the number of patients citing work-related problems as one of the top reasons they are seeking substance addiction help.

In many cases, she added, workers lose their jobs because of substance abuse, but most employers don’t fire them outright over an addiction. “People tell us they lost their jobs because of absenteeism or poor job performance,” she said.

About the alcohol / drug distinction:

Protections for a worker with a substance abuse problem under the nation’s labor laws are not as clear as those for people with disabilities such as blindness or paraplegia.

“The ADA actually treats drug and alcohol abuse somewhat differently,” Chris Kuczynski, an attorney with the EEOC said. “An alcoholic who is currently drinking can be covered, although he or she can be held to the same standards as other workers concerning use of alcohol at the worksite, can be disciplined for violating rules that say employees cannot be working under the influence of alcohol, etc.

“The distinction between drug and alcohol use can be important in some situations, particularly where treatment is concerned. Because persons engaging in the illegal use of drugs aren’t covered and aren’t therefore entitled to reasonable accommodation, an employer doesn’t have to offer them the opportunity to take leave for treatment. On the other hand, because alcoholics who are currently drinking can be individuals with disabilities, reasonable accommodation in the form of time off for treatment may be required.”

If you were a former abuser, an employer can’t hold that against you in most cases.

About getting treatment:

In cases where the employer suspects a worker is high while on the job or that the employee has an abuse problem — and the employee has not owned up to it or asked for help — and the abuse is negatively impacting his or her work duties, the employer can terminate the employee, added Anthony Oncidi, partner and head of the Los Angeles labor and employment law group for Proskauer Rose.

Oncidi’s firm had a financial services client last year with a high-level employee who was repeatedly coming to work under the influence and even going to client meetings drunk. The female employee had been with the firm for five years, but the alcohol problem had surfaced only recently.

“She even went to a conference where she clearly had too much alcohol and embarrassed herself and the company,” he said. “They talked to her about it, but she denied she had a problem. She was fired.”

On the flip side, if an employee needs to take time off to go into a treatment program, the employer typically has to reasonably accommodate the worker, Oncidi said.

Read the entire article here on MSNBC.com.

Researchers have identified a chemical system in the brain that reacts differently in cocaine addicts, findings that could result in new treatment options for individuals addicted to the drug.

Read more via Chemical System In Brain Behaves Differently In Cocaine Addicts.

Post by Sarah Wilde

Treatment for substance abuse does not necessarily come cheap.   However, there is no question that the enormous physical and psychological effects of effective treatment can be priceless.  From a monetary standpoint, several studies¹ also indicate the benefits of substance abuse treatment create a far greater benefit to society, including taxpayers and employers, than the associated cost.  A California study found the monetary benefits to society of the direct cost of substance abuse treatment to be a 7:1 benefit to cost ratio (figure 1).   When adding benefits as related to health care costs, the figures jump to a 12:1 benefit-cost ratio.

From a taxpayer standpoint, the study shows ER visits and hospital stays are reduced by more than 35%.   Medical costs overall are reduced by 26%.  In the workplace, employers benefit by reduced absenteeism, reduced tardiness, fewer mistakes, lower on the job injuries, and fewer disagreements with supervisors, by a whopping 75%.   All in all, the cost of substance abuse treatment is far outweighed by the benefits it provides.

Protect Your Investment

When assessing what you are willing to pay for treatment, it is critical you look at both the tangible and intangible costs you are likely to recoup over time.  LifeSkills Authorities wants you to recognize and protect the investment you are making in yourself.  Sure you will likely reduce healthcare and legal costs, reduce the spending on alcohol, maybe even vehicle collisions and insurance.  Think bigger!   With a holistic recovery program the benefits are endless.   Your income is likely to increase due to increased productivity and reduced mistakes, tardiness and disagreements.   Your focus should improve, your clarity, your drive, and your mental acuity should sharpen in recovery.   Remember also your friends, your family, your follow-through and your ability to “show up” for people should grow with a life of recovery.   You will regain credibility, you may even regain your waist line.  These cost benefits are incalculable yet critical when looking at your investment into treatment.   Sure, it may seem like a large “cost” at the outset, but when you look at all you are getting for that expense, it truly is an “investment” in your future, and one that is sure to return significant dividends when the commitment is made to nurture the investment.  The best part is that you are not the only one who benefits from the investment, as recovery has a ripple effect that will positively impact several layers beyond even your smallest circle of family or friends.

If you are holding back because you are not quite sure if the decision to seek treatment is “cost-effective” then the wait should be over before your life is — invest in your future now, while you have one.

¹Source:  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Post by Sarah Wilde

The feeling of sincere gratitude is believed by many in the recovery community to be a strong defense against relapse into alcohol or drug abuse.  An “attitude of gratitude” is coined for someone who has a good sense of what is important in life and the ability to remain grateful for the fundamentals, sometimes as basic as just another day sober.  Being grateful for many little meaningful things over time can be like insurance to overpower the negative impact that could result when life throws a challenging curve ball your way.

Thanks to technology and the iPhone, being grateful just became even easier to prioritize.   With Gratitude! Journal Positive Thoughts, available in the Apple App Store, you can track the five things you’re grateful for daily.   For 99 cents you can keep a running tab on how much you have to be grateful for and boost your mood in the meantime.  This might come in particularly handy on those days when life seems a little tougher.  Oprah Winfrey said it herself, “the gratitude journal truly changed my life.”

Now the next time someone holds the elevator for you, lets you in front of them in traffic, or the coffee you spill misses your lap, fire up that iPhone.  When you wake up with a clear head, take a walk and breathe in fresh air, the sun shines on your day off, or you get to see the smile of someone special, go ahead and make a note of it the instant it happens.  You might be surprised how many little areas of gratitude can add up by the end of the day if you’re tracking them.   Keep adding to the list and make being grateful a priority, because as another saying goes, “a grateful alcoholic doesn’t drink.”

Note:  LifeSkills Authorities is not affiliated in any way with the Gratitude! App or its developers.  We just think it is really cool.

Post by Sarah Wilde

 Exercise may be an effective and nonpharmacologic treatment option for alcohol dependence.

Likewise, according to ScienceDaily, circadian disruptions can also lead to alcohol abuse as well as relapse in abstinent alcoholics.   Circadian rhythms, which refers to the timing of daily rhythms, can be - no surprise - highly disrupted by alcohol abuse.   A new animal study has used hamsters to test for the influence of wheel-running on alcohol intake.  Results indicate that exercise, perhaps through stimulation of brain reward pathways, may be able to reduce alcohol intake in humans. 

“Alcohol abuse, characterized by routine craving for and consumption of alcohol as well as an inability to function normally without it, disrupts both the timing and consolidation of daily circadian rhythms — when to sleep, eat, and mate — driven by the brain circadian clock,” explained J. David Glass, professor of biological sciences at Kent State University and corresponding author for the study. “With continual alcohol use, one may go to bed too early or late, not sleep across the night, and have an unusual eating regime, eating little throughout the day and/or overeating at night. This can lead to a vicious cycle of drinking because these individuals, in response, will consume more alcohol to fall asleep easier only to complain of more disrupted sleep across the night and additionally have a greater craving for alcohol.”

In other words, said Alan M. Rosenwasser, professor of psychology at the University of Maine, chronic alcohol abuse and circadian disruption become reciprocally destructive and result in negative effects on physical and emotional health.  By getting  proper exercise at key points in the day, alcoholics and others alike can improve their circadian regulation to improve their sleep habits and reduce their need for alcohol.  While this does not mean that exercise is the cure for alcoholism, it is further evidence that exercise is important to the regulation of Circadian rhythm, which is why both areas are key components in the LifeSkills Authorities Recovery Coaching programs.   

Results will be published in the September 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.  Read the full article at Science Daily.

Have you used exercise as part of your recovery plan?    Tell us more.

Post by Sarah Wilde

Hospital emergency department visits involving underage drinking nearly double during the Fourth of July Holiday weekend according to a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study reveals that daily underage drinking-related visits to hospital emergency departments are 87 percent higher during the Fourth of July weekend than they are on an average day in July. The report estimates that on an average day in July, there are 502 hospital emergency department visits involving underage alcohol use. For the three day Fourth of July weekend however, the number of daily hospital emergency department visits jumps to 938.

“Underage drinking is not a harmless right of passage. It has far-reaching consequences. In addition to emergency department visits, injuries, arrests and embarrassment, 5,000 deaths in people under age 21 are linked to alcohol each year,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “Parents are a leading influence in their children’s decision to avoid alcohol.”

That means the tough job of parenting does not end when a child becomes a teenager, or wants to exert his or her own will on their weekend via alcohol consumption.   This study needs to be taken seriously, as it is more than only those who are drinking who become affected by their behavior … particularly when the teenagers get behind the wheel or are around other families.  Furthermore, mixing fireworks and alcohol is a dangerous combination that of course spikes in injuries and sometimes death.   Parents, talk with your children about the dangers of underage drinking and be a trusted resource for them when they want to talk with you about alcohol or drugs.   

If you need help, LifeSkills Authorities consults with parents on how to have the difficult conversations with their children about healthy viewpoints around alcohol.   Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!