Yep. Heroin.
It’s Stronger— more addictive than in previous years.
It’s Cheaper—almost inexpensive; only $15 bucks for a high.
It’s Easier—available near high school campuses in every class of neighborhood.
I was personally shocked while watching a recent 20/20 Special that showed suburban teens struggling to overcome a debilitating addiction to heroin. These were kids who came from good families. They lived in pretty nice neighborhoods. And they had every reason to quit using heroin—but they couldn’t. (Apparently 80% of heroin addicts relapse who have gone into treatment centers.)
Are you shocked, like I was, that heroin is stronger, easier and cheaper to get than ever before? We shouldn't be.
So is alcohol.
So is pornography.
So is sex.
As an advocate for sober living (I have 32 years of sobriety), I suggest everyone watch the 20/20 segment and read the attached informative article—it will (1) bring awareness to this rapidly growing problem and (2) possibly identify someone in your life who is using and needs help to get sober.
But there must be more you and I can do, don’t you think?
Tweens, teens, and twenties getting high is a NOT new phenomenon. But it does seem as if more and more of our youngest Americans are looking for any variety or combination of substances (street drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, or sex) to numb their pain.
Perhaps students are simply a reflection of our nation?
It appears that a great many Americans are consumed with escaping reality by ignoring responsibility or losing themselves in anything that promises to take away their problems, erase their mistakes without consequences, or end their suffering or shame without asking for help.
Rather than accept our culture, let's change our culture by making little changes in our own lives that are sure to have big results in the lives of others.
Start today by asking, “What can I do to change the trends that are tearing apart families in my community? How can I help those who are suffering and who have no one to help them? Who needs something that I have, but don’t need anymore? Where can I volunteer as a counselor, mentor, or sponsor and give back in the same way someone helped me when I was hurting?"
The problems we face as a nation are not someone else’s—they are yours and they are mine. Answer the above questions and get busy!
Be encouraged to change the culture.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Are Americans Gullible?
In a recent issue of Forbes Magazine, publisher, Rich Karlgaard, wrote a very interesting article on the “Dark Side of Optimism” in which he spoke derogatorily about American entrepreneurs and self-help gurus. An entrepreneur myself, I was curious to read what he had to say. His premise? Americans are gullible for the quick fix and super-promises that are regularly being delivered to them—plastic surgery, swift divorce options, record-breaking (drug-enhanced) athletic achievements or unbelievable financial gains. He suggests that many Americans are naïve—that we’d rather believe lies than live the truth.
His opinion couldn’t have been timelier. It was recently suggested to me that Little Changes Big Results™ is neither earth shattering nor revolutionary. Though it is a basic life-style philosophy, full of simple and practical ways for people to make little changes in their daily lives, it doesn’t deliver big results--at least not fast enough.
Perhaps the real dilemma for most Americans is not how quickly we can change, but what we consider to be big results?
Ask any addict how they achieved decades of sobriety and they will tell you that sobriety is earned one day at a time, one determined choice at a time, one week at a time over consecutive months and years. Sobriety is a big result, but it can be lost with one poor decision.
Ask a college graduate how they achieved their degree and each one will tell you that it took commitment, hard work, showing up, brainpower, and attention to details and deadlines. A college degree is a big result, but it takes years of intention and sacrifice.
Ask a parent of an adult child who is making a contribution to society what it took to raise such a great kid and they won’t tell you it was easy or effortless. They will tell you that it took unlimited conversations about values and morals (that began at a very young age), lots of prayer, consistent role modeling, and personal (especially financial) sacrifice. Raising a great kid in America today is a big result, but it takes time and courage.
Ask any woman who has grown up with the image of super-thin magazine models (that elicited an epidemic of eating disorders) or the lure of plastic surgery as ones preferred method of beautification but chose to maintain a healthy weight through balanced eating and regular exercise, and she’ll tell you she had to exhibit self-control every day. In a nation where obesity and diabetes are escalating, a healthy, naturally aging body is a big result, but it takes daily discipline to make oneself workout, eat less, and accept ones age and genetics.
Ask any monogamous couple, who has been married for over two or three decades, how they stayed faithful for so many years and they will tell you that it was a decision they made to the person they married to honor each other (and their commitment) all the days of their lives. Marriage to the same person is a big (actually, it is a huge) result, especially if you have kids, but it requires wholehearted love for another more than for oneself.
I’m all about BIG RESULTS. In fact, I’m living proof that little changes add up to decades of sobriety, marriage, parenting, weight maintenance, and more education. So if those are the big results you desire, then join me here weekly for simple, practical advice on how to get what you want with the life you’ve been given.
Be encouraged,
Becky
PS I'd love to hear your thoughts...please comment on this blog!
His opinion couldn’t have been timelier. It was recently suggested to me that Little Changes Big Results™ is neither earth shattering nor revolutionary. Though it is a basic life-style philosophy, full of simple and practical ways for people to make little changes in their daily lives, it doesn’t deliver big results--at least not fast enough.
Perhaps the real dilemma for most Americans is not how quickly we can change, but what we consider to be big results?
Ask any addict how they achieved decades of sobriety and they will tell you that sobriety is earned one day at a time, one determined choice at a time, one week at a time over consecutive months and years. Sobriety is a big result, but it can be lost with one poor decision.
Ask a college graduate how they achieved their degree and each one will tell you that it took commitment, hard work, showing up, brainpower, and attention to details and deadlines. A college degree is a big result, but it takes years of intention and sacrifice.
Ask a parent of an adult child who is making a contribution to society what it took to raise such a great kid and they won’t tell you it was easy or effortless. They will tell you that it took unlimited conversations about values and morals (that began at a very young age), lots of prayer, consistent role modeling, and personal (especially financial) sacrifice. Raising a great kid in America today is a big result, but it takes time and courage.
Ask any woman who has grown up with the image of super-thin magazine models (that elicited an epidemic of eating disorders) or the lure of plastic surgery as ones preferred method of beautification but chose to maintain a healthy weight through balanced eating and regular exercise, and she’ll tell you she had to exhibit self-control every day. In a nation where obesity and diabetes are escalating, a healthy, naturally aging body is a big result, but it takes daily discipline to make oneself workout, eat less, and accept ones age and genetics.
Ask any monogamous couple, who has been married for over two or three decades, how they stayed faithful for so many years and they will tell you that it was a decision they made to the person they married to honor each other (and their commitment) all the days of their lives. Marriage to the same person is a big (actually, it is a huge) result, especially if you have kids, but it requires wholehearted love for another more than for oneself.
I’m all about BIG RESULTS. In fact, I’m living proof that little changes add up to decades of sobriety, marriage, parenting, weight maintenance, and more education. So if those are the big results you desire, then join me here weekly for simple, practical advice on how to get what you want with the life you’ve been given.
Be encouraged,
Becky
PS I'd love to hear your thoughts...please comment on this blog!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
House Trashed, Kids Smashed, and Parents Jailed in Florida
This weekend in Florida, police responded to a noise complaint only to find 500 kids smashed, 1 house trashed, and 2 parents jailed as reported in the NY Daily News.
"The mother, 43, told the cops that she had helped plan the party for her 16- and 17-year-old sons but was told to stay in her room "the whole time because my son wanted me to stay there for the evening so he could have the party." She also insisted "everyone brought their own alcohol into the house."
The answers to the obvious questions such as…
“Who provided the alcohol?” or
“Were the parents home?” or
“Where did all these kids park their cars?”
were succinctly answered in the article.
Unfortunately, there was little helpful information given to parents of teens to avoid a similar situation with their kids.
I’m an advocate for teenage sobriety. My credentials, as well as my empathy for parents and teens, go deep. I was an alcoholic as a teenager—who hit cars while drinking, almost died of alcohol poisoning and dropped out of college due to a binge drinking, sexual assault incident. Once sober, I became a coach and youth worker on a large, public high school campus for almost a decade. By the time I had a teenager of my own, I often felt alone in my conviction to provide an alcohol-free social life for my son.
Then and now, alcohol-use is synonymous with a fun, active social life on most campuses. And in most communities, many adults actually consider underage alcohol-use harmless, while a vast majority of underage students consider alcohol-use a “rite of passage” if not a sign of popularity. Herein lies the dilemma: kids want to be popular and parents certainly don’t want to hinder them from feeling accepted by their peers, but as the Rasabi family found out, there are legal ramifications for holding an underage drinking party—whether you supply the liquor or not.
Having experienced all stages of teenage underage drinking—being the teenager, working as an advocate for teenagers, and then becoming the parent of a teenager, I consider alcohol and its use to be worthy of a family discussion (ranging from family of origin issues to personal convictions) with children at a very young age.
At FamilyEducation.com, there is a variety of very helpful information including the most current statistics of kids and alcohol, as well as the following specific steps parents should consider if they have teens:
1. Evaluate how your family uses alcohol. Daily, to relax? Only for special celebrations or for religious ones? Only when there's company? Are you comfortable with the message this conveys to your children?
2. Don't involve your teenager in your drinking by asking her to bring you a beer or mix you a drink.
3. Should you introduce alcohol to your teen at home so he can learn of its effects? Some parents do; others feel that serving alcohol at home reduces yet one more barrier to keeping him alcohol-free. (Also, most alcoholic drinks are an acquired taste; it may be advantageous if a teen isn't taught to like them.)
4. Lock up your liquor. While motivated teens seem to have little trouble buying liquor, a good amount of what they drink comes from someone's home stock. If you lock it up, you don't have to worry about your teen (or her friends) getting hold of it.
From personal experience, alcohol use and abuse within a family can have a profoundly negative impact on everyone. Not only can it become a source of legal troubles, but it can be the catalyst for dropping out of school, losing friends, or being removed from sports teams.
If there are students in your life, don't hesitate to make one or more of the little changes suggested at FamilyEducation.com or DrugFree.org -- any one of them has the potential of delivering a big result fro your family!
Be encouraged,
Becky
"The mother, 43, told the cops that she had helped plan the party for her 16- and 17-year-old sons but was told to stay in her room "the whole time because my son wanted me to stay there for the evening so he could have the party." She also insisted "everyone brought their own alcohol into the house."
The answers to the obvious questions such as…
“Who provided the alcohol?” or
“Were the parents home?” or
“Where did all these kids park their cars?”
were succinctly answered in the article.
Unfortunately, there was little helpful information given to parents of teens to avoid a similar situation with their kids.
I’m an advocate for teenage sobriety. My credentials, as well as my empathy for parents and teens, go deep. I was an alcoholic as a teenager—who hit cars while drinking, almost died of alcohol poisoning and dropped out of college due to a binge drinking, sexual assault incident. Once sober, I became a coach and youth worker on a large, public high school campus for almost a decade. By the time I had a teenager of my own, I often felt alone in my conviction to provide an alcohol-free social life for my son.
Then and now, alcohol-use is synonymous with a fun, active social life on most campuses. And in most communities, many adults actually consider underage alcohol-use harmless, while a vast majority of underage students consider alcohol-use a “rite of passage” if not a sign of popularity. Herein lies the dilemma: kids want to be popular and parents certainly don’t want to hinder them from feeling accepted by their peers, but as the Rasabi family found out, there are legal ramifications for holding an underage drinking party—whether you supply the liquor or not.
Having experienced all stages of teenage underage drinking—being the teenager, working as an advocate for teenagers, and then becoming the parent of a teenager, I consider alcohol and its use to be worthy of a family discussion (ranging from family of origin issues to personal convictions) with children at a very young age.
At FamilyEducation.com, there is a variety of very helpful information including the most current statistics of kids and alcohol, as well as the following specific steps parents should consider if they have teens:
1. Evaluate how your family uses alcohol. Daily, to relax? Only for special celebrations or for religious ones? Only when there's company? Are you comfortable with the message this conveys to your children?
2. Don't involve your teenager in your drinking by asking her to bring you a beer or mix you a drink.
3. Should you introduce alcohol to your teen at home so he can learn of its effects? Some parents do; others feel that serving alcohol at home reduces yet one more barrier to keeping him alcohol-free. (Also, most alcoholic drinks are an acquired taste; it may be advantageous if a teen isn't taught to like them.)
4. Lock up your liquor. While motivated teens seem to have little trouble buying liquor, a good amount of what they drink comes from someone's home stock. If you lock it up, you don't have to worry about your teen (or her friends) getting hold of it.
From personal experience, alcohol use and abuse within a family can have a profoundly negative impact on everyone. Not only can it become a source of legal troubles, but it can be the catalyst for dropping out of school, losing friends, or being removed from sports teams.
If there are students in your life, don't hesitate to make one or more of the little changes suggested at FamilyEducation.com or DrugFree.org -- any one of them has the potential of delivering a big result fro your family!
Be encouraged,
Becky
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Fight Cancer with Food
This week, another friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer. It is devastating to receive such news. Yet, more than ever, cancer seems to touch most families—boys and girls, men and women.
Though each cancer is different in origin and impact, more and more people are understanding the power they have to fight cancer, if not prevent it, by changing the foods they eat, how they prepare their food, and even how often they eat out.
I know. My husband had cancer. Upon diagnosis, he spent unlimited hours researching how the “right” foods could change the way his body fought cancer. In a nutshell, he began eliminating white sugar and white flour which began the reversal of unhealthy habits and possibly even the retardation of his tumor. He is now "cancer free" after following a very strict nutritional protocol and eventually undergoing a successful robotic surgery.
We attribute a great deal of his positive outcome to his diligent commitment (which soon became an entire family’s commitment) to fighting cancer through nutrition for the 2 years before, then during and continuing after his surgery.
I encourage you to review a very helpful website, Helpguide.org for a very practical presentation on 6 Cancer Prevention Diet Tips:
#1 – Focus on Plant Based Foods: It comes down to this: Plants have less fat, more fiber, and more cancer-fighting nutrients. These three elements work together to support your immune system and help your body fight off cancer.
#2 Bulk up on Fiber: Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fiber. There is no fiber in meat, dairy, sugar, or “white” foods like white bread, white rice, and pastries.
# 3 Cut Down on Meat: You don’t need to cut out meat completely and become a vegetarian. But most people consume far more meat than is healthy. You can cut down your cancer risk substantially by reducing the amount of animal-based products you eat and by choosing healthier meats.
#4 Choose Fats Wisely: A major benefit of cutting down on the amount of meat you eat is that you will automatically cut out a lot of unhealthy fat. Eating a diet high in fat increases your risk for many types of cancer. But cutting out fat entirely isn’t the answer, either. In fact, some types of fat may actually protect against cancer. The trick is to choose your fats wisely and eat them in moderation.
#5 Choose Cancer-Fighting Foods: Colorful fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals, a potent disease–fighting and immune–boosting nutrient. The greater the variety of colors that you include, the more you will benefit, since different colors are rich in different phytochemicals.
#6 Prepare Your Food in Healthy Ways: Carcinogens are cancer-causing substances found in food. Carcinogens can form during the cooking or preserving process—mostly in relation to meat—and as foods start to spoil. Examples of foods that have carcinogens are cured, dried, and preserved meats (e.g. bacon, sausage, beef jerkey); burned or charred meets; smoked foods; and foods that have become moldy.
Each of the above tips require only little changes in the way you eat, yet from personal experience, I promise that they can have big results!
Be encouraged,
Becky
Though each cancer is different in origin and impact, more and more people are understanding the power they have to fight cancer, if not prevent it, by changing the foods they eat, how they prepare their food, and even how often they eat out.
I know. My husband had cancer. Upon diagnosis, he spent unlimited hours researching how the “right” foods could change the way his body fought cancer. In a nutshell, he began eliminating white sugar and white flour which began the reversal of unhealthy habits and possibly even the retardation of his tumor. He is now "cancer free" after following a very strict nutritional protocol and eventually undergoing a successful robotic surgery.
We attribute a great deal of his positive outcome to his diligent commitment (which soon became an entire family’s commitment) to fighting cancer through nutrition for the 2 years before, then during and continuing after his surgery.
I encourage you to review a very helpful website, Helpguide.org for a very practical presentation on 6 Cancer Prevention Diet Tips:
#1 – Focus on Plant Based Foods: It comes down to this: Plants have less fat, more fiber, and more cancer-fighting nutrients. These three elements work together to support your immune system and help your body fight off cancer.
#2 Bulk up on Fiber: Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In general, the more natural and unprocessed the food, the higher it is in fiber. There is no fiber in meat, dairy, sugar, or “white” foods like white bread, white rice, and pastries.
# 3 Cut Down on Meat: You don’t need to cut out meat completely and become a vegetarian. But most people consume far more meat than is healthy. You can cut down your cancer risk substantially by reducing the amount of animal-based products you eat and by choosing healthier meats.
#4 Choose Fats Wisely: A major benefit of cutting down on the amount of meat you eat is that you will automatically cut out a lot of unhealthy fat. Eating a diet high in fat increases your risk for many types of cancer. But cutting out fat entirely isn’t the answer, either. In fact, some types of fat may actually protect against cancer. The trick is to choose your fats wisely and eat them in moderation.
#5 Choose Cancer-Fighting Foods: Colorful fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals, a potent disease–fighting and immune–boosting nutrient. The greater the variety of colors that you include, the more you will benefit, since different colors are rich in different phytochemicals.
#6 Prepare Your Food in Healthy Ways: Carcinogens are cancer-causing substances found in food. Carcinogens can form during the cooking or preserving process—mostly in relation to meat—and as foods start to spoil. Examples of foods that have carcinogens are cured, dried, and preserved meats (e.g. bacon, sausage, beef jerkey); burned or charred meets; smoked foods; and foods that have become moldy.
Each of the above tips require only little changes in the way you eat, yet from personal experience, I promise that they can have big results!
Be encouraged,
Becky
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Telltale Signs of Teenage Suicide
Are you aware that 6 students from Cornell University committed suicide last year by jumping off a bridge to their death?
Or, did you know that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among American teenagers?
Though stress or breakups appear--on the surface--to be the cause, a closer look reveals that telltale signs usually appear while students are still in high school. And most often, the adults around those struggling adolescents are unable to decipher if they are just exhibiting typical teenage moodiness or signs of mental illness, such as depression or bipolar disorders.
In a recent CBS News report, citing that 14% of US High School students seriously consider suicide, President David Scorton of Cornell and President Richard McCormick of Rutgers discussed how important it is for adults and teenagers to remove the stigma against mental health issues, as well as restrict the means by which students use to commit suicide.
But the most preventative measure that could immediately be implemented by parents, faculty, administration, or fellow students is to just talk to students who seem to be struggling, simply asking, “Is something wrong?” By listening to the concerns of struggling students, especially acknowledging that their feelings of loneliness or insecurity are not uncommon can curb the impulse he or she might have to end his or her life.
As a troubled young woman, who almost committed suicide before I was 21-years old, this story reminded me of how I too considered suicide as a way out of my struggles. But because a stranger offered to talk to me and listen to me (after a court hearing, when I was very vulnerable), I’m alive today. He listened long enough for the impulse to leave me.
I’d love to think that today’s blog and CBS News story have created significant awareness in your life to the struggles of today’s teenagers. One little change in the way you react to mental illness, give permission to talk about uncomfortable feelings, empathize with loneliness, redirect a conversation, offer to meet up again or suggest a mental health check-up could save a young person’s life—literally—and that would be a BIG result.
Be encouraged to make a difference in a young person's life!
Becky
Or, did you know that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among American teenagers?
Though stress or breakups appear--on the surface--to be the cause, a closer look reveals that telltale signs usually appear while students are still in high school. And most often, the adults around those struggling adolescents are unable to decipher if they are just exhibiting typical teenage moodiness or signs of mental illness, such as depression or bipolar disorders.
In a recent CBS News report, citing that 14% of US High School students seriously consider suicide, President David Scorton of Cornell and President Richard McCormick of Rutgers discussed how important it is for adults and teenagers to remove the stigma against mental health issues, as well as restrict the means by which students use to commit suicide.
But the most preventative measure that could immediately be implemented by parents, faculty, administration, or fellow students is to just talk to students who seem to be struggling, simply asking, “Is something wrong?” By listening to the concerns of struggling students, especially acknowledging that their feelings of loneliness or insecurity are not uncommon can curb the impulse he or she might have to end his or her life.
As a troubled young woman, who almost committed suicide before I was 21-years old, this story reminded me of how I too considered suicide as a way out of my struggles. But because a stranger offered to talk to me and listen to me (after a court hearing, when I was very vulnerable), I’m alive today. He listened long enough for the impulse to leave me.
I’d love to think that today’s blog and CBS News story have created significant awareness in your life to the struggles of today’s teenagers. One little change in the way you react to mental illness, give permission to talk about uncomfortable feelings, empathize with loneliness, redirect a conversation, offer to meet up again or suggest a mental health check-up could save a young person’s life—literally—and that would be a BIG result.
Be encouraged to make a difference in a young person's life!
Becky
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