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“The period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s is a time when many drug addicts and alcoholics try to ignore their condition to participate in the camaraderie and festivities of family gatherings, company parties and the like. This behavior typically results in increased drug and alcohol abuse, especially among those who are already addicts,” explains Phil Allen, CEO of The Pat Moore Foundation, a nonprofit alcohol and drug rehabilitation center in Orange County.
Studies show that cases of depression, drunk driving accidents, suicide, even domestic violence all increase during the holiday period. Many of these are tied to alcohol and drug abuse typically engaged by people who are trying to cope with holiday stress.
A study published in 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control found that suicide victims frequently tested positive for alcohol or illicit drugs. About 33 percent tested positive for alcohol while another 16 percent tested positive for opiates, 9 percent tested positive for cocaine and 8% tested positive for marijuana.
“Family members can be a great source of support for recovering addicts,” explains Allen. “Planning ahead, designating drivers, being there to help when there’s a craving. All of these are ways family can help recovering addicts from slipping back, especially during the holidays.”
Following are some tips that everyone can use for dealing with alcohol and drug cravings during the holidays:
Alcohol: Alternatives. Try a refreshing non-alcoholic drink. Mix fruit juice with sparkling water or try a bottled sparkling grape juice or cider. Drink a favorite non-alcoholic mixer complete with garnish. Sip a fruit smoothie (pureed mixed fruit and juices) for an after dinner treat.
Cravings: Eat Sweet. When a strong craving or urge hits, eat or drink something sweet. Alcohol is a sugar and satisfies that part of the brain that triggers the need for alcohol. This also helps for drug cravings (especially opiates). If weight gain is a concern, take the time to sit down and look at the consequences of drinking or using drugs, and then the consequences of a piece of hard candy or small cookie.
Parties: Backup Plans. Go with a friend with long-term sobriety to parties where alcohol will be served. Or, line up a few support people who can be called in the moment if necessary. Also, plan to stay for a limited time and park where there’s no chance of being blocked in.
Stress: Get Rest. Be sure to get not only enough sleep, but enough quiet time. Exercise and walk outside as much as possible. Suggestions for stress release include listen to meditation CDs, music, massage, exercise, yoga, deep breathing, walking, even avoiding arguments and limiting social and family obligations.
For alcoholics and non-alcoholics alike, alcohol can increase stress, especially during the holidays. It is always important to moderate alcohol intake but especially during the holidays when there are more drinking opportunities, more driving to do, and for some people, loneliness and depression. Alcohol is a depressant, high in calories and low in nutrients. Too much alcohol can make one feel jittery, moody and tired.
Drinking alcohol can also set up dangerous situations. Alcohol can interact in a dangerous way with prescription medications as well as illicit drugs. In addition, half of all traffic deaths in the U.S. are alcohol related.
"When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, the usual outcome is sobriety, jail or death," says Allen. “If you recognize you might be dealing with a substance abuse issue, or if you are a friend or family of someone who does, I encourage you to seek help. For many, it can mean the difference of life or death.”
The Pat Moore Foundation is a nonprofit alcohol and drug rehabilitation center in Orange County that provides information, resources and treatment for people dealing with the life-shattering cycle of substance abuse and addiction. If someone needs immediate help, call 24-hours a day at (888) 237-5192 or visit us online at www.PatMooreFoundation.com.
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If you are like most people, excessive worry and fear can be a source of frustration. Being overly afraid about life circumstances can also negatively impact your health. With an improved frame of reference, fear and worry can be controlled – and even eliminated.
According to Matthew McQuaid, DPM, the secret to “living fearless” is changing your conscious and unconscious thinking. He suggests many simple and practical techniques you can do to eliminate fear from your life.
Dr. McQuaid will discuss these fear-reducing skills during an evening presentation, “Living Without Fear,” Tuesday Jan. 8, 2008 at the Sutter Lakeside Wellness Center for Health. At 6 p.m. refreshments will be served, with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Webster’s Dictionary defines fear as, “an unpleasant emotional state characterized by anticipation of pain or distress.” Dr. McQuaid reminds people the key word in the preceding definition is anticipation. Fear is only the anticipation of events, not necessarily how experiences unfold in reality. In his talks, he teaches the following acronym for fear: False Evidence Appearing Real.
The workshop is design to have broad appeal, covering all of the various reasons people experience fear, e.g., the fear of the unknown, financial stress, relationship worries, illness or injury, and work-related anxieties. Dr. McQuaid emphasizes that regardless of the situation, there is hope.
The class gives hands-on training in stress reduction. Participants in the workshop will also discover the relationship between fear and its impact on general health.
Dr. McQuaid will explore the causes of fear and how to effectively reduce the negative thinking that can lead to self-sabotage. According to Dr. McQuaid, the techniques student will learn in the class are proven ways to eliminate fear and live a healthy, successful and happy life.
Call 262-5171 to register or for more information.
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Gibson replaces Daniel Colón, who resigned to pursue other career opportunities.
The change in leadership was announced Monday by President and CEO, JoAline Olson.
Olson stated that the needs of the Lake County community dictated the appointment of a seasoned health care administrator to lead Redbud Community Hospital.
Gibson has more than 30 years of successful management experience in health care, including acting as director of a 70-bed neonatal intensive care unit at Loma Linda University Medical Center, and 13 years in the information technology world, designing, selling and implementing software solutions in health care.
Gibson will focus on implementing the hospitalist program, assisting with the operational changes that need to take place as further construction commences, working with Jennifer Swenson, Vice President of Finance, to assist in the financial improvement needed, working with the rural health clinic leadership to allocate adequate resources and working closely with the medical staff to resolve issues and improve patient care and satisfaction.
“Our commitment is to be here to serve our community for the long haul. Making sure the hospital has excellent leadership, financial stability, high quality care and up-to-date resources is the key to this effort,” said Olson.
Redbud Community Hospital is a 25 bed critical access hospital serving Lake County in partnership with St. Helena Hospital. With 24-hour emergency, medical, surgical, maternity and outpatient services, the hospital also operates medical and specialty clinics in Kelseyville, Middletown and Clearlake and co-sponsors a specialty practice in Hidden Valley Lake with St. Helena Hospital. For more information, visit www.redbudcommunityhospital.org.
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MRSA is fast becoming an all too common acronym. It stands for Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus, an antibiotic resistant strain of staph that is now commonly found in our communities, our schools, on our hands and in our nasal passages. {sidebar id=38}
Many people can carry MRSA in their nasal passages and on their skin and do not realize that they carry it. It can cause havoc with our health when it finds its way inside our body through a skin abrasion or cut. MRSA infections can lead to painful boils, flu-like symptoms and sometimes death.
Recent national news reports have made MRSA infections known to a wider audience. This notoriety is positive as it can help educate the public about the growing problem.
Lake County has had a significant increase in MRSA cases over the past few years. Lisa Valdez, RN, Infection Control Coordinator at Sutter Lakeside Hospital & Center for Health reports: “Since 2004 we have seen a 1000 percent increase in patients arriving at our hospital outpatient areas with Community-Acquired MRSA. This increase is not unique to Lake County though. This is part of a national trend that we are just beginning to experience.”
As schools around the country begin to learn about the growing and worrisome problem of MRSA, schools in Lake County are lucky to have a cutting edge educational program to educate students and families. The Healthy Kids Are Contagious program at Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Center for Health has a middle and high school program that directly addresses MRSA education and prevention. This program targets schools because the close contact of students puts them at risk. Students are also notorious for not washing their hands regularly; the most important factor in curtailing the spread of the MRSA bug.
“We saw the potential for serious MRSA problems in our schools and sports programs and created and implemented a program last school year to address the need to educate kids and their families,” says Tammi Silva, Public Relations Director at Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Center for Health.
This program called “Playing it Safe” brings nurses and doctors directly to the school site to educate students in seventh through 12 grades. Through a dramatic PowerPoint presentation and interactive discussion, students learn what MRSA is and the simple steps in preventing it.
“Though the results of MRSA can be scary, our presentation empowers kids instead of frightening them,” says Carrie McClure, School Site Coordinator for the hospital program. “We present the facts and stress to students that they have the power to create their own good health through good hygiene and making their body strong through good nutrition, exercise, and positive thoughts. Kids are listening and sharing the information we give them with friends and family.”
The Healthy Kids are Contagious program also implements a hygiene program for first graders called “Flu Crew to the Rescue.” Though not directly aimed at MRSA prevention, the same hygiene measures that keep you from contracting the flu work for preventing the spread of MRSA; wash your hands and body thoroughly and often with soap, don’t share personal items such as towels, water bottles, P.E. uniforms, and sports equipment and keep your body healthy for the times those nasty germs do sneak in.
If you would like to know more about the Healthy Kids are Contagious program or see a listing of all the school site offerings, log on to www.sutterlakeside.org or call Carrie McClure, School Site Coordinator at 262-5039, Extension 1.
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