Month: August 2008

Secondhand Smoke

Even though many have said that secondhand smoke is harmful, since the effects are rarely talked about or seen, it is not as believable as an actual danger to your health. There are many commercials that target smokers and the effects of smoking on your health, such as the Truth commercials. However, there are not many commercials that show the effects of secondhand smoke. There are two kinds of secondhand smoke that can affect you, the first is side stream smoke, which is the smoke that is emitted from the end of a burning cigar or cigarette, the second is called mainstream smoke, which is the smoke that is exhaled by the smoker. Secondhand smoke contains 4,000 different chemicals compounds, which increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. Secondhand smoke contains numerous carcinogenic chemicals including formaldehyde, arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. Secondhand smoke causes 3,400 lung cancer deaths every year in adult non-smokers, as well as 22,000 heart disease deaths.

Singing for the Kids

This past weekend I was out in Riverside, California performing at an amusement park called Castle Park. The purpose for my trip wasn’t to ride rides however. I ended up doing that anyways, but my purpose was to perform. Not some operation or brain surgery, but a musical performance. I am a singer/songwriter or musician if you will. I have been performing since I was 9…mostly through school, but more so on my own these days. In addition to being a starving college student trying to make a name for myself out in LA, I work at Visions. I will justify how it all relates in a second. I love working here at Visions. It’s in my blood. Both of my parents have worked in the psychiatric and drug fields as nurses since I pretty much was born. I have been around rehabs my entire life. I love kids. Having two younger brothers and nieces and a nephew, you tend to love hanging out with kids, and I’m only 21 and by LA standards all I am is a kid myself. Visions was right up my alley. It is important to me as well as my passion to help put a positive influence into a child who has ended up on the wrong side of the road. I tend to not look at this place I work as a place that pays the bills or gets me through school or affords my gas, but more along the lines as a place where you help kids find their dreams again. In addition to that, Visions has helped me become more vocal in the southern California community as a singer in the ways that the promoters and venues and fellow music artists that I sing with and work with are doing shows where we send a positive message to kids, raising the awareness and safety about underage drinking and drug abuse. My music targets a 13-25 year age range. So again, it’s all right up the alley. With that in mind, riding the rides with the kids and fans that came to the show this past Sunday was amazing. Seeing happy smiles and enjoyment for just being a kid and not having to stress about peer pressure or if they will survive through tomorrow was so rewarding to witness. Kids are important. They are the future and they will be in control of the world one day. It’s important to make sure we nurture and see that through the best we can. The difference between adults and kids is quite simple. Kids are always more impressionable than adults. You inspire a child then you plant a seed for a better growing future.

Andrew Caravella

Positive Peer Pressure (PPP)

Believe it or not the concept exists! I hear it every once a while and I’m always pleasantly surprised. What is positive peer pressure? It’s when kids encourage their peers to do the right thing instead of the wrong thing. As a teacher, I especially like to see it happen because kids will often listen to other kids before they will listen to an adult. Adults can come across as stuffy authority figures, far removed from what it’s like to be a teenager. The key to effective PPP is in the delivery. Peers need to get the message across without sounding condescending. So often they may mean well, but their message is lost in their tone. Just today I heard a few of my students encouraging another student to refrain from disruptive behavior. So often, society is quick to point out negative peer pressure that we fail to recognize PPP. Ask yourself this question: Are my friends enabling my self-destructive behavior, or do they have the guts to call me out? Do you have the courage to confront your friends when they are messing up their life? What if you don’t say anything and you later find out that they were seriously hurt or died because you failed to act? No one needs that kind of guilt on their conscience. One thing I have learned from teaching kids is that positivity can be just as contagious as negativity if you give it a chance.

The Link Between ADHD and addiction

It is very common for people who struggle with ADHD to turn to addictive behaviors, such as eating disorders, gambling and substance abuse as a way to deal with their untreated ADHD. A person with untreated ADHD is constantly looking for something that will help to calm their restless brains and help them function better. A lot of times someone with untreated ADHD will struggle with staying focused and in turn deal with low self-esteem due to feeling like they are less than, or not understanding why tasks seem to come so easily to others. Addictive substances and behaviors are a way for one to self-medicate and sometimes briefly improve their performance.

The problem lies in the fact that self-medicating works at first. ADHD is most commonly treated with prescriptions such as adderall and Ritalin, which can be classified as stimulants. Street drugs such as cocaine, diet pills and “speed” mimic the effects of the prescription medication and seem to help with the symptoms. Nicotine, caffine and sugar can act in the same way. After self-medicating for a period of time this behavior cam bring on many addiction related issues such as impulsive crimes, high risk behaviors, violence, unemployment, health issues and difficulties in relationships. Many people who deal with untreated ADHD are in need of treatment for co-occuring disorders.

Futile Attempts at Teenage Sobriety

All of my attempts at teenage sobriety proved fruitless. My parents were fed up with me and didn’t have anywhere to turn to. If Visions had been in operation ten years ago, it would have perfectly suited not only my needs, but those of my family members as well.
At a mere 16 or 17 years old, my life as I knew it was spiraling out of control. Plummeting grades, outlandish behavior, and an increasing chemical dependence were the grim components of my existence. At this point, my parents had exhausted every possible resource. I was certainly no stranger to therapy, group or individual, or medications of all sorts. As a last ditch effort, my parents dropped me off at a small AA meeting in Venice Beach, CA. As I walked in, I was horrified. 4 or 5 bikers sat in a small room where the couches were as old as the musty stench that filled the room. Collectively, they shared amongst them one full set of teeth and had stained fingertips from smoking cigarettes down to the filter. I vowed right then and there that I was not and would never be an alcoholic. I could not identify with these people. I was young, had a family, and had all my teeth. Little did I know that alcoholism takes many shapes and sizes and does not discriminate. I also was unaware that there was a young peoples’ meeting right down the street.
If only Visions had been in existence! If only they could have pointed my family and I in the right direction. Visions is a safe haven for troubled adolescents and their families who may be wrought with strife and turmoil. Not only does it start the recovery process, but it also provides an honest open forum for family units who want to rebuild and reconnect. Clinical staff address every imaginable issue an adolescent or their family may face this day and age. Too bad they weren’t around when I was an afflicted teen. However, I am so grateful to now be a part of the process.

Alcoholics Anonymous making waves in……………..Fashion????? At 27 years old, I feel almost archaic at young peoples meetings. Comparable to a pager amongst cell phones, I’m not exactly a spring chicken in the young peoples’ circuit of Alcoholics Anonymous. Recently, I decided to get in touch with my roots, and re-visited one of my old youthful home groups. Mind you, I hadn’t been to this particular meeting in about three years. As I approached the entrance, a warm feeling came over me. It had all the familiar sights, sounds, and smells that had once signified comfort to me, but something was different. I immediately noticed that kids from ages 12-20 were dawning symbols of AA. Whether it was chips worn as bracelets, necklaces, or earrings, leather purses adorned with the double “A” moniker, or ripped jeans sewn with the universal triangle and circle, I couldn’t believe that Alcoholics Anonymous had become somewhat of a fashion statement. It brought a smile to my face. Was being in AA cool? Was this debilitating affliction, hidden for so long, becoming a fad? Who knew?
It was amazing to me that kids were wearing tributes to their alcoholism as accessories. Comparable to badges of honor, these bits and pieces spoke more loudly than words. They said, “We are the new generation of AA. We are proud of whom and what we are and we are not afraid to show it. I giggled to myself quietly and couldn’t help but wonder what Bill W and Dr. Bob would make of this situation. I’m pretty sure they would be giggling too!

Veronica Verderame

Compliance:
The simplest way I can define Compliance is to do what is suggested or asked of us, by someone wiser than us or a person we look up to; questions are ok. To follow ones request without question is more of a dictatorship.
In working with adolescence that are at risk (abusing substances, dealing drugs, or other negative behaviors)compliancy is crucial. While in treatment teens(and after) need to follow the rules and recommendations given by myself as their Chemical Dependency counselor or their therapist. The goal is that they begin to act accordingly in order to change their behaviors. Also, if they do follow the suggestions they will begin to feel better about themselves and less likely to go back to the harmful lifestyle. Encouraging them to ask questions helps empower them to begin to see the benefits and begin to self-monitor. I feel that compliancy is very valid in this area as well in my personal life.
On a personally level, compliance is important for my success. I have not always felt this way; in fact it was the exact opposite. Today I realize that the rules and structure are done for the safety of society. I may not agree with all of them but when I follow them my life stays somewhat peaceful. When my supervisor gives me direction I need to listen and put his words into action. I may ask the question but ultimately he is the supervisor and I am there to learn from him. Just like I try and teach the young adults I work with I try and live by the same code.

Brian Wildason

Peer Pressure
Why can’t I do it? Everybody else is doing it. This sounds so familiar to me, I hear this all the time from the families and adolescence I work with. I really try hard not to fall into the trap and respond with, “if they were jumping off a cliff would you do it?” I hated that response growing up. So as teachers, what can we do instead?
One way I think that would help is to have open honest non-judgmental communication. When a child ask or wants to be a part of something dangerous we can explain the dangers. Also, we can use I feel statements to explain how we feel about them doing that particular activity. Another example would be to explain the pressures we felt in similar situations growing up and how we handled it. This would help them not feel so alone and that we as adults are not that different. We could always relate how we handle social pressures by our peers. In doing this they will hopefully make the right choice. In doing so they may gain a stronger sense of self.

Brian Wildason

“The Gateway Drug”

When I was in middle school taking that D.A.R.E class that they make you take, there was a lot of talk about marijuana being the “gateway drug”. I always thought that it was just a scare tactic that adults used to instill fear in us kids about using drugs. Yet when you actually look at the statistics it is quite amazing how true the saying is that marijuana is a gateway drug. The statistics show that teenagers who use marijuana are 17 times more likely to move on to using harder drugs. Statistics also say that boys are 29 times more likely to use harder drugs after using marijuana and girls are 11 times more likely.

The reasoning behind this is thought to be that marijuana helps one develop curiosity for harder drugs as well as introduces them to the menacing subculture that may be attractive to them.

Progression

Addiction can be described a progressive disease. Most times we don’t recognize when our use turns into abuse which turns into full fledge addiction.

We usually start out in the “Experimental stage” which includes short-term use, not repetitive, motivated by wanting a new experience. An example of this is a teenager trying something with a friend. This would include anything less than ten uses. “Ritual” use includes using at special occasions such as weddings or birthdays. “Social” use pertains to voluntary use in-group settings, such as at a party. This includes using more than ten times. “Situational” use is patterned, stress relieving use, motivated by achieving a particular feeling, such as using every Saturday night. “Intensified” use is when we use because it is necessary to cope, changes in relationships occur, there are some negative consequences and using every day.