Categories
Anniversary Blogs Holidays Mental Health Recovery

Happy New Year!

New Year – Chinatown
© 2012 saritphotography.com

‘Tis New Year’s Eve and I have to say, 2012 has been amazing. We celebrated 10 years of service, continued our diligent efforts of care and expanded upon our mental health track, got a facelift at our Brentwood facility, and expanded our programs. We are blessed to have a team of people who are imbibed with the love and passion it takes to work in the field of recovery. Visions is a family, pure and simple, and whose primary purpose is to be of service to one another.

Over the past year, we have celebrated many of our team in our Anniversary blogs. However, we are far from done! The anniversary blogs will continue into 2013, so we can honor those whose altruism and sheer kindness form the foundational brick and mortar of the Visions team.

For those of you new to the path of recovery: stay connected. Your sober network provides a wonderful net on which to rest when things get tough or scary. The work of sobriety and mental health is a long process, but one that is well worth the effort. If I could say one thing to you at the end of this year it is this: when things get tough, or frightening, and the shadows of your trauma is looming, turn toward it. Sounds counter intuitive, but when we look directly at that which frightens us, we take its power. Shadows have the capacity to thin and dissipate, and in doing so, they eventually lose their opacity and their power.

It is with great excitement and joy that I wish you all a wonderful, safe, sober, and sane New Year. May the winds of change bring you love and happiness, and most of all healing to whatever path you’re on. Let yourself be loved. You are worth it.

Categories
Addiction Adolescence Alcoholism Holidays Mental Health Recovery

End of the Year: Mental Health Care

It’s the end of the year, and for recovering addicts, alcoholics, and those suffering from mental health issues, it can be a frightening time. We place on onslaught of expectations on others and ourselves as we seek perfection and immediate change via resolutions and hyped up promised to ourselves. In many ways, this can be a set up for failure, especially for the addict/alcoholic who has to do everythingallatonce. You know, who else wants to join a gym and work out every day for 3 hours with a trainer 7 days a week while also giving up meat and going vegan? What, that’s not reasonable? Sheesh. Can’t we do everything? The honest answer is no, at least not all at once.

Okay, so the New Year metaphorically represents a time of renewal and an opportunity to commit to personal change.  Recovery teaches us not to place too much pressure on ourselves as we begin to make change. We are encouraged to take baby steps. In the beginning of the recovery process, the foundation we stand upon is tenuous; working steps, getting a sponsor, being of service is part of our construction process. We are building a foundation one action at a time. Mental health recovery requires us to work hard and consistently to broaden the safe, healing ground on which we stand.  Resting on our laurels is simply not an option. Holiday time and end of year shenanigans make recovery work imperative; there is no reprieve.

Before you get overwhelmed with resolutions, how to deal with parties, peer pressures, and goals of perceived perfection: stop. Just stop.  This isn’t an opportunity to beat yourself up or wallow in the what-ifs and I-should-haves, nor is it the opportunity to kick your feet up and rest.  This is the time to take things one minute at a time.

  • Call your sponsor.
  • Take your medication—even if you feel better!!
  • Surround yourself with friends who are supportive of your new path.
  • Make plans that include having safe, sober fun.
  • And don’t forget to have a sober dance party.

This time of year presents the perfect time to be of service and to practice self-care. Our mental health depends on it. Embrace your new self. You are beautiful and enough, just as you are.

Categories
Body Image Eating Disorders Mental Health Recovery

Eating Disorders: Recovery and Service

Eating disorders can breed contempt or denial in those that don’t understand them while feeding the silent devastation and fear in those who have them. This is an inherently challenging situation. Types of eating disorders vary but we are most familiar with Anorexia and Bulimia or a variation of the two. Still, there are some who suffer from disordered eating. I’ve heard it said that disordered eating is not an “actual eating disorder,” but rather a “phase” of bad eating behaviors.  However, the DSM and professionals in the field of addiction and mental illness have proven that not to be the case. For example, disordered eating has now earned the diagnostic term Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified or EDNOS.

For real clarification, the DSM descriptions of the various criteria for Anorexia, Bulimia, and EDNOS can be found below:

Eating disorder not otherwise specified includes disorders of eating that do not meet the criteria for any specific eating disorder.

  1. For female patients, all of the criteria for anorexia nervosa are met except that the patient has regular menses.
  2. All of the criteria for anorexia nervosa are met except that, despite significant weight loss, the patient’s current weight is in the normal range.
  3. All of the criteria for bulimia nervosa are met except that the binge eating and inappropriate compensatory mechanisms occur less than twice a week or for less than 3 months.
  4. The patient has normal body weight and regularly uses inappropriate compensatory behavior after eating small amounts of food (e.g., self-induced vomiting after consuming two cookies).
  5. Repeatedly chewing and spitting out, but not swallowing, large amounts of food.

The criteria for Anorexia Nervosa is:

  • Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height: Weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight <85% of that expected or failure to make expected weight gain during period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85% of that expected.
  • Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though under weight.
  • Disturbance in the way one’s body weight or shape are experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
  • Amenorrhea (at least three consecutive cycles) in postmenarchal girls and women. Amenorrhea is defined as periods occurring only following hormone (e.g., estrogen) administration.

And the criteria for Bulimia Nervosa:

  • Recurrent episodes of binge eating characterized by both:
  1. Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time and under similar circumstances
  2. A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode, defined by a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating
  3. Self-induced vomiting
  4. Misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications
  5. Fasting
  6. Excessive exercise
  • Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain
  • The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behavior both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months.
  • Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.
  • The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of anorexia nervosa

Recovering from any of these eating disorders is hard work. We have to learn to navigate the food playing field with healthy awareness. One of the interesting things I’ve learned about recovering from my own eating disorder is that food is merely a symptomatic component of the greater problem: low self-esteem, an out of control environment, poor body image, fear, control. Not eating was always a way to control the chaos around me. What I was clueless about was the fact that I was created chaos within. The more out of control the outside environment is, the more control someone struggling with an eating disorder requires to simply survive. Yes, there’s deep irony in the use of “survive” here, because the end result of some severe eating disorders is ultimately death.

Chelsea Roff, a recovering anorexic, yoga teacher, speaker, and author, has come out publically with her story of recovery. Chelsea suffered from a stroke when she was 15 and ended up in a hospital for 18 months under constant care. Her essay, bravely discussing her story first appeared in the book 21st Century Yoga: Culture, Politics, & Practice. From there, she was swept into the fray of instant publicity and exposure, ranging from the Huffington Post to Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN. While being in recovery isn’t about celebrity, there’s something to be said for a young girl who is taking this exposure and using it for good. There’s something deeply inspiring about someone who came from near death and is now thriving and being of service. In the end, being of service is what it’s about.

Eating disorders have their way of creeping back in when we least expect it. When we are of service and helping others, our own transparency is paramount to that process. In other words, being of service helps keep us honest. We have to eat. We have to learn to develop healthy relationships with our bodies and with food. Here, instead of vigilantly controlling our intake of calories, we can direct our vigilance to being of service. I look to Voice in Recovery and Chelsea Roff as young women who give back what was so freely given to them. I look to Melanie Klein (also a contributor in 21st Century Yoga) and Claire Mysko to provide the education and passion for body image advocacy in order to help young people gain a better understanding of the deeply rooted, media-infused sources of poor body image and eating disorders.

Kindness starts from within. We can and will recover.

RESOURCES:

NEDA

NIMH

Proud2BMe

Voice in Recovery (ViR)

 

Categories
Depression Feelings Mental Health PTSD Recovery

Grief and Mental Health: Picking up the Pieces

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

New trauma and despair is front and center in the US as the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting unveiled the deaths of 20 children and 6 adults. The death of children is always shocking. The innocence and futures lost are rapidly exonerated from our grasp, leaving us breathless and frozen in grief. Families will begin to face the emptiness of their loss and the depth of their grief as the days continue. Additionally, the survivors, both children and adults, will potentially suffer from PTSD as a result of seeing and surviving such horrors. There will be deep sadness, depression, and self-doubt. There will be mental-health issues that need to be tended to, whether we like it or not.  Remember, grief is a staged process with no specific order or end date.

 

Mental health is once again in the headlines, screaming at us to pay attention and dive in to find a solution to a problem which is no longer able to sustain its place as the “elephant in the room.” The list of tragic and heinous events where someone possibly suffering from untreated mental health issues and acts out in egregious violence is getting longer and longer. We blame guns, we blame the parents, we blame the circumstances surrounding the events, but mental illness tends to be an afterthought or worse yet, an excuse. Parents who sit in denial of their child’s mental illness is a problem; poor circumstances and/or degenerative environments are a problem; and untreated mental illness is a problem. There are solutions to all of these problems, especially when we address them early on.

 

In the midst of our deep grief, it’s time to find a way to look at the causative factors that drives a human being to take the lives of innocent children. Our cultural denial and stigmatization of mental health is detrimental to the ultimate well being and healing of our society. In the 1980s, when the government closed several mental health facilities, placing many on the streets with their illnesses left untreated, we had a first glimpse of what mental health looks like when left out in the open: unaddressed and swept aside. This denial lends itself to putting our blinders on when it comes to the imbalances of our minds, pretending they’ll “work themselves out.” They usually don’t. The field of psychiatry has made great strides to discover and treat the varying mental illnesses that affect individuals, but the greatest barrier is typically the denial of the illness by families and the individuals themselves. We have to begin by asking for help. We must begin unraveling the stigma wrapped so tightly around mental illness and replacing it with treatment.

Some signs to watch for in your kids:

  • Often angry or worried
  • Feel grief for a long time after a death
  • Using alcohol or drugs
  • Sudden changes in weight
  • Withdrawal from favorite activities
  • Harming self or others
  • Recklessness
  • Destroying property: yours or others

The only stigma left is the stigma of denial.

SAMSHA also lists the following as types of people and places that will make a referral to, or provide, diagnostic and treatment services.

  • Family doctors
  • Mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or mental health counselors
  • Religious leaders/counselors
  • Health maintenance organizations
  • Community mental health centers
  • Hospital psychiatry departments and outpatient clinics
  • University- or medical school-affiliated programs
  • State hospital outpatient clinics
  • Social service agencies
  • Private clinics and facilities
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Local medical and/or psychiatric societies
Visions is just a phone call away. We are here to help!
Committed to the Family; Committed to the Future: 866-889-3665.
Categories
Anniversary Blogs Service Treatment

Stan Weinstock, CPA – Controller

Honestly, what can I say about Stan Weinstock, the man that literally keeps me on my mathematical toes, makes the best bad jokes, is my lunar calendar comrade, and who is one of the most genuinely kind human beings I’ve ever met? There simply isn’t enough space. Before I met Stan, I was told that he was THE Laker fan. I shrugged it off, until I saw his car and I was sure, absolutely dead positive, it belonged to a Laker staff member. I was wrong; it was Stan’s remarkable yellow and purple, 4-wheeled homage to our beloved Los Angeles Lakers. He was serious. He is also serious about Excel formulae, of which I lack any real comprehension. I wonder, who will check my math now and make sure I get paid? I’ll miss Stan, who is affectionately referred to as “Stan the Man” here in V-Town. He’s been a part of the Visions fabric since our inception. We are losing a huge part of our family, but the world is gaining an incredible man. No more deadlines, Stan! Awesome!

 

Stan the man, the LAKERS fan — funniest dude at the Vis, and that’s a tough title to earn!  The first person I met here after Chris, Amanda and Fi, Stan put a (super-)-human face and perspective on all the paperwork around here.  LOVE him! –Jesse Engdahl

 

Stan the Man!  Things won’t be the same without him.  He is a fixture at Visions, and in the midst of our chaos he has never been too busy to help out.  Most of all I will miss his mastery of the well-placed pun.  – Patrick Schettler

 

Stan has consistently bent over backwards to help the employees of Visions, he is the quiet Bodhisattva of our company.  His patience in explaining 401k plans, and health insurance has saved me from many panic attacks.  Everyone at Visions will sorely miss him and his quirky attachment to Windows products.  I wish him all the best in his retirement, he deserves it! Go Lakers! – Joseph Rogers

 

Stan really is the man! He is so patient and helpful, whether it is a paycheck question or a technological dilemma. He will be missed as will his purple and yellow Lakers Lexus! – Heather Colligan

 

What can I say…. Don’t go!  You are funny, smart and so very considerate.  I know you go the extra mile to pay me right away.  Thanks.  You will be missed.  Stay in touch.  and of course, “Go Lakers” – Susan O’Connor

 

Stan is special in so many ways, and I mean that in a good way!!  Make sure you listen to everything he says, there is often a disguised, inappropriate joke in there somewhere!  Oh, and I think he likes the Lakers a little, but I could be mistaken. – Katie Mason

 

Stan’s the man. He has significantly helped foster an era of banter, puns, bad jokes, good jokes, irony, simile and off the wall observations.
That’s not all–he works here too! We will miss our cheerful and wise employee advocate. It simply won’t be the same place without him. – Roger L’Hereault

 

What can be said about Stan that hasn’t already been said? Stan is the man! Visions won’t be the same without him. His steady kindness and impeccable work ethic are second to none. He is a man of strength and integrity. Most people don’t see it, but Stan has a fiery side, which he uses to fight against the injustices of evil insurance companies. Stan has amazing patience and he can multi-task like a seven-armed madman. I don’t know how he does it, but he makes time for everyone’s demands and gets the job done with unparalleled tenacity and thoroughness. That’s all I have to say about Stan, and even though I’m fairly sure it’s already been said, it bears repeating! Thanks for all of the paychecks and Go Lakers! – Daniel Dewey

 

Stan has been around since almost day one. Stan is always willing to be a team
player and help out with most anything needed.He implemented our simple IRA and made it relatively simple for everyone. Stan has become a bit of an institution
around here and will be dearly missed. — Bill Hoban

I have had the privilege of working with Stan for the past 8 years or so. Stan is an important part of the Visions family, and his unique sense of humor and view of the world is always refreshing. Stan is constantly helping Visions staff to stay on track and on time so we can get paid. Stan has a heart of gold and is always concerned about others. Thank you Stan for your hard work and commitment to Visions. — John Lieberman

 

Stan, we will miss you!  After “about” 10 years as our Controller, Stan, “The Man” Weinstock is retiring.  From the beginning, Stan has helped us stay on budget, get our paychecks, get us paid and bought the best Holiday Party gifts anyone could ask for!  He has helped so many of our staff look at their finances, explained insurance stuff (mind boggling :), all the while fitting right in with the rest of us quirky folk.  Stan has been our go-to computer guy, and we already miss the funny emails that he sends!  Stan’s Laker Mobile will be missed in our driveway.  We are grateful that we had so much time with you, but guess it’s Lori and the dogs’ turn.  Thank you so much!  — Amanda and Chris Shumow 

 

Time for those quirky questions. What, you thought Stan would escape those? No way! Read on:

1: Were you always good at math?

I guess.  If I remember, there were 48 bars on my crib.

2: Phil Jackson or Mike D’Antoni? Why?

That’s easy, has to be Phil Jackson.  At this point, the Lakers record since D’Antoni is 4-8.  But they haven’t lost a game under Phil Jackson so far this season.   But seriously, because this IS serious, how do you not go with the guy who won all the titles?

3: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

In & Out.  Oh, you probably mean travel?  Maybe Patsy’s Pizzeria in NY.

4: Did the Lakers sponsor the custom paint job on your truck?

Is a “Cease and Desist” order like a sponsorship?

5: What superhero best represents you?

The Silver Surfer, one of the noblest (but tormented) cosmic entities in the Marvel universe.  He often sacrificed his liberty for the greater good.  Although he is from the planet Zenn-La, and I’m not, we are both trapped here on earth.

6: Top 5 favorite Visions’ moments over the last 10 years?

  1. Handing out the prizes at the company holiday parties.
  2. The time it snowed – I wasn’t there but I heard it was amazing!
  3. When the neighbor’s herd of goats came to visit at Mulholland.
  4. That time I managed to reconcile the bank account.
  5. Changing gears here – every time I’ve read a letter from a parent thankful for the work Visions has done to help and heal their child and their family.

7: What will you miss the most about Visions?

All the truly nice people I’ve worked with over the years.  And the meals.

8: What will you miss the least?

The 3:00 pm deadline for submitting payroll.  It’s taken years off my life, or at least hairs off my head.

9: Do you have any big adventures planned for your retirement?

Just the usual, nothing major – end hunger, bring peace to the world, stop global warming, read a book, take a nap.

10: Why did you choose to work for Visions?

Goes back to question 5 – sacrificing liberty for the greater good.  And question 7.

Categories
Anniversary Blogs Service Treatment

Brian Wildason, MA, CADC II -Residential Counselor

Brian Wildason is a Visions superstar. He has been with us since 2005, working with our teens and their families with wholehearted dedication. Brian has a wry sense of humor, which seasons his professionalism and interactions with the staff and clients in a wonderful way. He’s always the first one to help if and when help is needed. One of the things I always notice about Brian is his ability to remain calm amidst the hubbub of treatment. Brian is extremely reliable and is always, and I mean, ALWAYS, the one willing to do the most unusual of jobs. Got an alligator in your tub? B-dubs is the man to call.  The staff couldn’t agree with me more. Read on:

 

Brian, a.k.a. B-dubs, is an amazing coworker and moreover a close friend. I don’t want to inflate his ego, but it should be said that he is one of the most integral people working at Visions. He works magic with the kids that are fortunate enough to receive his counseling. He’s always striving to be better at his job and keeps everyone on their toes with his wit and wisdom. If he was as good at golf as he is at his job, he’d be on the PGA tour leaderboard every weekend. – Daniel Dewey

Brian is unbelievably good at what he does. I hear from parents and alumni all the time who are eternally grateful for his compassion and dedication to the process.  He is a true professional and a great friend. He is also the Undisputed Ping Pong Champion of Visions, having turned away countless challengers. –   Patrick Schettler

Brian is the American all-star of Visions. He can handle anything and is always there to smooth out a problem. – Heather Colligan

My first recollection of Brian was as a Program Aid. Brian was always the first to raise his hand to volunteer for interesting jobs and extra shifts. Brian is the first to help and the last to leave. – John Lieberman

Brian Wildason, lead counselor, and mentor to staff is a life changer.  In addition to being Amanda’s work husband (Chris has John, so it works out), he is truly one of the driving forces behind our program.  He has an incredible ability to intuitively know what the clients and the staff need within moments of speaking to them.  He has been a leader in creating new programming, the first to adjust to the electronic charting system and overall has helped Visions maintain the highest level of integrity when it comes to providing what we say we provide: the best treatment for adolescents and their families.  Brian has helped change the lives of so many clients.  By putting their needs above all else, he provides the steady, positive influence that so many of our clients need when they’re in treatment.  Brian also remembers to make sure the kids are having fun, which is so critical to adolescent treatment.  Thank you, Brian, for all you do.  We appreciate it more than you know. – Amanda and Chris Shumow

 

Read on for Brian’s answers to the usual series of silly questions behind these anniversary blogs

1: What inspires you to do what you do?

Remembering when I was a lost teenager and not knowing where to turn.  I try and offer support and encouragement for struggling teens and families.

2: You are always of service, what do you do to ensure self-care?

Sit on the porch with my dog and enjoy the silence.  Golf and cigars is always good also.

3: If you could say one thing calm a frightened parent, what would it be?

I wish there was something to say to make it better, I think offering a kind smile goes along way.  Also I think its important to remind parents to Breathe…repeat….repeat…  You are not alone, there is hope

4: Mountains, Desert, or Beach?

Got a go with beach…unless its Vegas then desert

5: “Cake or death?” Just kidding. Cake or Pie?

Pie (Warm Pecan with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or hot apple pie with a slice of American cheese.

6: Do you play any musical instruments?

No

7: What did you want to be when you grew up?

Professional bull rider or a clown

8: If you were stranded on an island, what 3 books would HAVE to have with you?

Ummmmm…”Fishing for Dummies,” “How to Build a Sailboat in 30 days or Less,” and Sun Tzu’s – “Art of War.”

9: If you were a Sesame Street character, who would you be?

Oscar the Grouch.

10: Why do you choose to work for Visions?

The commitment and passion of the staff towards helping families heal. We are pretty much a family helping other families.

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