In times of crisis, our true humanity begins to show. We forget what divides us and people everywhere on the planet come together to help”…but do we really need a tragedy to help another? And, what is the reason that we may reach out to help others?In a recent blog by Dr. Wayne Dyer titled, OUR BETTER ANGELS, he writes about the miracle of people helping people in the aftermath of the tragedy in Haiti.  He writes,

“My prayers have been very deep for the healing that needs to take place on Haiti. All of us can send our prayers, our love, as well as our financial and material support. Whenever a crisis such as this happens, the better angels within all of us begin to take over. In times of crisis, our true humanity begins to show. We forget what divides us and people everywhere on the planet come together to help. You see people digging through rubble, working 18-20 hour days without sleep, flying in from all over the world, saying, “How may I be of service?” It’s the mantra of the higher self—“how may I serve” rather than “what’s in it for me” or “what I don’t like about you.” Whether it’s a tsunami or an earthquake or a hurricane or any kind of natural disaster or even a war-like disaster, it brings out our true nature, our original nature as Lao-tzu calls it, which is reverence for all life, kindness, simplicity, caring, and serving. We show our love for God by serving one another.”

SOURCE:  The Wayne Dyer Blog

LifeSkills Authorities Program Director and Founder, Michael Plahn’s comments:

I agree with what this article is speaking to in regards to the phenomenon that occurs when disasters such as the tragedy in Haiti occur.  The sad thing to me is that it sometimes takes a disaster to move some of us to help without any self-interest or motive for gain.  For the recovering individual, this can be especially important because there are opportunities everywhere in everyday life to help others.
Why should any of us do this?  The answer in my experience is actually very simple.  When I am helping someone else, or listening to them speak of their concerns, or even just taking a lonely person out for a small lunch or coffee when they don’t have another soul in the world who would do so, I reap tremendous rewards.  What I get from those encounters is freedom from self.  That’s right.  I actually can lose myself in the helping of other people.  Therein lies the real freedom or “juice” for me.  See, sometimes I actually really struggle to turn off my mind or quiet myself down when I begin to obsess about an issue that at the moment seems so utterly important.  But, what I have found is that I do not have the ability to think about my problem and listen to you or help you simultaneously.  What a gift!
So, despite the tremendous needs that exist in the aftermath of disasters, we can find people in our paths each day that can provide us with the opportunity to not only help them, but also truly save us from ourselves.

Is the Downturn in the Economy Costing You More Than Just the Valuation of Your 401K?

Granted, this has been a very difficult time for almost all of us financially, but the way in which some cope with the  negative feelings created by their economic situation can simply be deadly! Some people turn to alcohol and drugs to deal with or numb out the reality of their financial situation.  It is not uncommon for healthy individuals to imbibe an extra scotch after a hard day at the office.

This recent economic period has more than just a few well-off individuals filled with fear and searching for ways to deal with the uncomfortable reality of losing a great deal of their wealth allocated for retirement in just a short period of time.  For the Baby Boomers especially, this can be a disconcerting time period.  What are they going to do now?  Their planned retirement lifestyle has changed pretty dramatically and likely not for the better. Charles Miller, a member of the LSA Recovery Team and a financial coach for over 30 years, said, “the recent market downturn is the worst I have seen during my lifetime, but anyone with a “life long” plan should have enough time to recover.  There is always a recovery, but some take longer than others.  The biggest mistake investors make is that they panic and sell at the bottom, thereby locking in their losses.”

So, now maybe you start to notice dad or grandpa just falls asleep in his favorite chair while drinking in the afternoon.  Maybe on rare occasions he slurs his words at the dinner table and gets into rants about the money that’s gone.  Then he’s back in his chair with a drink.  Does this really add up to a problem?  Isn’t that a bit dramatic?  Well, that is not so easy to answer.

Something I heard in the first week of my graduate studies in psychology is a great way to determine pathology and just may apply to this scenario.  “What determines if something is healthy or unhealthy,” a student asked? The answer that was given was simple, but covered a multitude of situations for all of us, and one I do not think I will ever forget.  The professor answered, “if there is any action or behavior that hurts you or anyone else, in any way, then it would be prudent to look at the behavior as unhealthy.”  That made sense to me then and still does today.

So, I am not begrudging anyone for reaching for a drink after a tough day, that is a fairly common choice to make for a great many people, right?  However, as you have been reading this, if it has already resonated with you that someone you care about is hurting themselves or others because of their method of coping, I urge you to take action now.  It does not make the person a bad person, but it could be a sign that they are clinically sick and in need of help.

Based in Chicago, we at LifeSkills Authorities, LLC, are garnering national attention because of our comprehensive and unique approach to working with addicted individuals.  Our firm specializes in working with family, employers, peers, and other concerned parties that have been affected by the addicted individuals disease. LSA works in a very unique, comprehensive, and confidential way to help all those affected by addiction get the proper help they need to find a healthy resolution.

Once LSA is contacted and under contract, we move into action to take the responsibility of organizing an intervention if needed, helping to locate appropriate treatment, tracking the individual through treatment with weekly “check-ins”, and then working with them to re-integrate and apply many of the newly learned principles for living, into a healthy new sober lifestyle for a full 52 week period post-discharge from treatment.  LSA’s Executive Care programs and Recovery Care Coaching programs are truly holistic and practical.  We make it a point to  address financial situations that can contribute to stress levels and potentially even lead to relapse.  A qualified financial coach can take away the uncertainty and stress surrounding financial planning for an addicted individual.  Charles Miller, who is also the founder of College Planning Associates, Inc., states, “As a financial coach, I work with clients to help them develop a plan to reach their life long goals.  The golden rule of investing is buy low and sell high.  A qualified financial coach guides you on the path to financial well being much the same way a qualified personal trainer guides you on the path to physical and mental well being.”  To reach Charles and his associates at College Planning Associates, please click here.

If you or you fear that a loved one has fallen victim to the disease of addiction, I encourage you to investigate our comprehensive solution at the LifeSkills Authorities website or call 312.265.0909.  Really spend the time to find out what the LSA philosophy and programs are all about. It just may be what is needed to stop an unhealthy, potentially deadly behavior, stop the hurt, and put an end to the downward spiral.  We are here to help and await your email or call.

Are You Addicted to ‘Gloom and Doom’?�
How affirmations really work.

by LAUREN MACKLER
Published: November 7, 2009

For example, you feel lonely and sad, but instead of isolating yourself, you do something positive. Maybe you attend a cooking class, volunteer at a soup kitchen, or go out for a run—something that refocuses your thoughts and produces a more positive experience rather than sitting home alone eating cookies and feeling sorry for yourself.

Chronic negative thinking and the emotions it invokes is, like many destructive behaviors, a form of addiction. People become addicted to habitual, “gloom and doom” thoughts, as well as to the emotions they produce—such as fear and anger. It becomes their comfort zone—it may not be very pleasant, but it’s familiar.
SOURCE:  HEALYOURLIFE.COM

LifeSkills Authorities Founder, Michael Plahn’s Comments:

My personal experience with this concept can be encapsulated in a phrase that a mentor and dear friend of mine led me and even at times, coerced me into believing.  I can still hear him say, “kid, the understanding will never precede the action.”  Now, I would first be insulted because he knew I was no kid.  I was in a highly regarded graduate program in clinical psychology and knew a great deal about the change process, or so I thought at the time.  So, this fell on deaf ears for a while, but today I know he was exactly correct.

So many of us seem to ask WHY and want to know the cause for every situation, but is that what is needed to reach peace and happiness.  Life and some of my most difficult situations have even changed to look like blessings in hindsight.  But, this would not have happened if I had not taken the positive actions that I was encouraged to take in order to change.  So, for someone who was learning about and writing scholarly papers on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Behavioral Change Process I understood that action was essential, but what I needed was the objective feedback (which my mentor/coach gave me).  When I combined positive affirmations/positve thoughts, positive actions, and objective feedback to determine what positive actions should be taken, dramatic change took place.

In the rear-view mirror of my life, it is quite clear that in many instances, the path I took was the right one for me.  But, in the middle of a storm that decision to take a road less traveled is not so easy.  An objective advocate is essential to navigate the change process successfully.  That is why I feel so strongly about LSA’s Recovery Care Coaching and Executive Care Coaching programs. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

This topic is critical for clinicians and those in recovery alike. Paradoxically, there are both simple and complicated answers to this question. But let’s first understand how alcohol use, especially prolonged alcohol use, affects the body.

When one ingests alcohol, what happens? Simply speaking, alcohol is not digested like other foods. Instead of being broken down and absorbed like other foods, alcohol avoids the normal digestive process and goes directly to the blood stream. About 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed directly into the blood through the stomach walls and 80 percent is absorbed into the bloodstream through the small intestine. The brain, liver, heart, pancreas, lungs, kidneys, and every other organ and tissue system are infiltrated by alcohol within minutes after it passes into the blood stream. The strength of the drink will have a significant effect on absorption rates, with higher concentrations of alcohol resulting in more rapid absorption. Elimination of alcohol from a healthy adult body occurs at an average rate of approximately ½ to 3/4 ounce per hour, the equivalent of 1 ounce of 100-proof whiskey, one large beer, or about 3 to 4 ounces of wine. Are you still with me?

Addressing nutrition in recovery is crucial. Those who use alcohol excessively deprive their bodies of essential nutrients. The hormonal response that occurs with alcohol consumption is a rapid rise in insulin from the pancreas to manage sky rocketing blood sugar levels. As insulin brings blood sugar down, the body goes through a state of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). There are a number of physiological consequences that occur. As a person goes through a state of hyperglycemia to hypoglycemia, symptoms may occur even before a state of hypoglycemia is reached. These symptoms can present as anxiety, anger, irritability, fatigue, and CRAVINGS for alcohol. Thus, addressing nutrition by maintaining a stable and level blood sugar is a key factor in preventing symptoms that may lead to relapse in the alcohol dependent individual.

Why can this contribute to a relapse? Because very simply, the body of someone addicted to alcohol will crave something else to replace the alcohol. That choice tends to be processed foods or foods with a high sugar content. Therefore, many individuals new in recovery may reach for donuts, cookies, ice cream and any other high sugar content food or beverage in sight. On the surface this may seem benign, but it can also lead to a craving for alcohol if level blood sugar is not maintained.

So now the alcohol is removed from the diet and I am suggesting removing the sweets too? No, I am not a sadist, but it is important to address the entire system and create homeostasis in all areas of life, especially when someone is just beginning the recovery journey. If this is not understood, disaster could loom without the person realizing what they are doing. Ignorance is definitely not bliss when you are dealing with the deadly disease of addiction.

Let’s say you are a couple of months sober, excited and want to start an exercise program to lose some unwanted pounds while getting “healthy.” That’s great and I applaud you. You join a gym and buy a package of sessions from a personal trainer. Again, awesome… I wish more people would address their fitness and nutrition in recovery. However, not everyone in the fitness industry, let alone the average person new in recovery, understands how to properly balance blood sugar and thus minimize cravings, posits Robert Yang, a licensed nutritionist and certified Metabolic Typing professional based out of Encinitas, California who also works as part of the LifeSkills Authorities Recovery Team.

Now this excited newly sober person begins to workout and their personal trainer tells them to “eat a lot of protein to build more lean muscle mass,” without doing a Metabolic Type assessment and not knowing the entire composite of this person. Being alcoholic, the addicted person figures even more protein would be better, right? Yet if they do not balance ALL the macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) properly, they could have disastrous effects. Simply put, if there is no healthy fat (organic olive oil, organic avocadoes, or organic coconut oil) in this equation, an earnest attempt to eat “healthy,” will create ravenous cravings for fat disguised as sugar cravings for our poor sober friend. This could be a very bad thing for a recovering alcoholic. Basically, it could actually create an unintentional craving for alcohol. Yang proposes that through proper use of balancing your own Metabolic Type, you could eliminate the potential nightmarish situation that was just described.

LifeSkills Authorities can help you learn your ideal Metabolic Type or balance of macronutrients that will help you avoid cravings. This is just another example of the depth to which we take the recovery journey and our relationship with our clients.

The above article was recently written for the Treatment Solutions Network website and has garnered attention as many people will likely relate to the subject matter.  Click here to see the actual posting on the TSN website.

Forget swine flu!   Dr. Joseph Mercola is calling for the CDC to raise a Pandemic Level 6 warning for Prescription Drug abuse, as it is becoming a growing killer in our country.   As posted on today’s Mercola.com, there is a largely unrecognized new epidemic in our country — prescription painkiller addiction that is leading to more fatalities by overdose than the prior top killers cocaine and heroin.

Leonard Paulozzi of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that prescription drugs cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses each year.

The number of overdose deaths from opioid painkillers more than tripled from 1999 to 2006, to 13,800 deaths that year, according to recently released CDC statistics.

Something needs to be done.   With more and more Americans turning to drugs for every ache and pain, and doctors prescribing a plethora of pills, the population is at risk for developing dependencies that can lead to chronic addiction.  According to Robert DuPont, a former White House drug czar and former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “The biggest and fastest-growing part of America’s drug problem is prescription drug abuse.  The statistics are unmistakable.”

Dr. Mercola offers a number of alternatives to prescription painkillers for finding relief from pain.  These are key components of recovery programs at LSA and include simple changes such as taking a high-quality, animal-based omega-3, reducing grains and sugars from your diet, and restructuring your diet based on your body’s unique nutritional type.

A holistic program is key for individuals in recovery – as it is now more than ever crucial to be aware of what you are putting in your body.

When is the most difficult time in the process of addiction treatment? This is a very subjective question and depending on whom you ask and their personal or clinical experience, you may find different answers.  Certainly, if a person never gets to a treatment facility that is properly geared to treat their disease, then the chances for successful recovery from addiction are likely very poor.

However, if an addicted individual is placed at a proper chemical dependency treatment program there are many factors that affect their abstinence rates, and the quality of their lives, one year after entering the treatment facility.  There are a lot of people and companies in the treatment profession that represent success rates, but the key questions to ask are: Who determined their success rates?  Were they independently validated?  Find out if this was an actual scientific study or did the numbers just get massaged to help in marketing efforts.

While there is much debate about the aforementioned question, there is little debate about the positive correlation between longer treatment and more efficacious recovery results.  Lengthy treatment stays, however, do not always translate to healthy coping skills.  Witnessing this firsthand for years, I have seen individuals thrive in the treatment setting – even if it is for 90 days or more – but when they return home disaster strikes.   Difficulties may stem from re-acclimation to home, work, or social life, finding ways to fill free time, embracing a new healthy lifestyle, applying the treatment principles in the “real world,” or any number of individualized challenges.  A unique complement (not an alternative) to combating these difficulties that may arise in today’s typical treatment protocol can be found with a long-term recovery coaching model.

To smooth such pitfalls, I developed a comprehensive program for my clients to establish a coaching relationship throughout and beyond the first year of recovery.  Often that relationship starts prior to an intervention, and includes contact with the coach during treatment (with the coach present for the critical transition of discharge from treatment), and adhering to a holistic recovery coaching protocol for a minimum of 52 weeks post-discharge.  This creates a lifestyle change in the addicted person to help them embrace and succeed in a recovery that goes well beyond abstinence.   A change that encompasses mind, body and spirit is necessary, and importantly, one that makes sense for that individual’s lifestyle is critical for the effects to last.  For example, at LifeSkills Authorities we have programs specifically geared toward executives and attorneys that take the nuances of their high-stress corporate lifestyles into consideration.    This unique approach is developing a national following in a short period of time because of the thoroughness of working with clients to manage all touchpoints of early recovery.

If you have fallen prey to the difficulties of recovery and want help for yourself or if a loved one is struggling in recovery, I encourage you to consider a new approach.  Visit our website (http://www.lifeskillsauthorities.com/) and really spend the time to find out what the LSA philosophy and programs are all about.

This article was recently featured in the Treatment Solutions Network newsletter, please click here to access their articles.

Today’s front page of the Chicago Tribune features ” Mom. Business Woman. Alcoholic.” This article showcases the disease of alcoholism and how it is a destructive and potentially deadly force for those afflicted, at any age.  The article chronicled the life of a 39 year old professional mother whose substance abuse actually began when she was on maternity leave.  It gave light to the problem beginning harmlessly enough as a way to relax after a stressful day.

The piece also shows the dramatic rise in drinking among women, as the approximate percentage of those seeking help is nearing equality with that of males.  In the story, “Heather,” a 39 year old mother and alcoholic, eventually entered a treatment center through a pseudo-intervention.  The story had a happy ending, as she had just celebrated one continuous year of sobriety.  However, in reality, Heather’s story is just beginning as this is a lifetime journey of recovery.

As we believe strongly at LSA, this would still be an excellent time to form a Recovery Care Coaching relationship with a LifeSkills Authorities coach.  The issues of time management, re-acclamation to a successful working environment, work-life balance, entertaining clients, and overall stress management are issues that someone such as Heather entering her second year of recovery could likely find helpful.

Click here to read the full article.

A recent report from CNN London discusses the possibility of a cocaine vaccine tested by researchers at Yale School of Medicine.  The vaccine essentially makes people produce antibodies to cocaine, with the theory being that high levels of anti-cocaine antibodies can inactivate cocaine before it enters the brain.   This inactivation would in turn prevent the vaccinated cocaine users from getting high.

This may sound like a good idea but hardly practical.  The thought is that this cocaine vaccine takes away the high effects of the cocaine, making it less desirable for the user … so much so that they will eventually kick the habit.  A vaccine may take away the drug but unfortunately there is no such quick fix for the rest of the life of the addicted individual.

Even more disturbing part are these two comments

1) There is also a risk that some patients will increase their intake of cocaine to overcome the antibody effect, and

2) the thought that it usually takes about two years for addicts to become drug-free, and that patients would have to be vaccinated every three months for that period to maintain antibody levels.

Again, hardly a fix in our opinion and we believe that an entire lifestyle change – beyond just abstinence – is necessary for long-term sobriety and the opportunity for a drastically improved quality of life.

To read the article from CNN click here.

DJ AM, aka Adam Goldstein, struggled for over a decade with recovery from addiction.   Following 11 years of sobriety, he died in August at age 36 of an accidental drug overdose.

As a testament to the incredibly difficult road recovery can be, DJ AM worked with MTV on a series called “Gone Too Far” to help young addicts in their own quest for sobriety.    It was during his last few months of life that filming of this 8-episode documentary took place.   MTV released that they’ve obtained the consent and support of AM’s family and the show in fact must go on.   The first episode will air on Monday, October 12 at 10p ET/PT.

According to MTV.com, Goldstein’s family said in a statement. “Adam felt strongly that by doing this series, he could help other addicts who were at a crisis point to get sober. Adam was fully aware that if it were not for his own sobriety, he never would have achieved the level of success and happiness he had found. Helping people in their recovery was a huge part of Adam’s life. It is our hope through airing this show that people will get to see the side of Adam that we knew and loved, not just the celebrity DJ, but the honest and caring person who gave so much of himself to help others. The decision to air the show has been difficult, but we do this with the profound belief that it will inspire others to seek help.”

As an addict himself, AM knew firsthand about the constant attention that recovery takes, the support of others, and the struggles involved along the way.   What we find of immense value to the addicts AM was helping, despite his tragic outcome, was that he took the time and maintained communication with the addicts throughout their treatment programs.   As MTV said, this way he was able to “provide a raw and honest look at their new sobriety.”

LSA is in agreement that early sobriety is a critical time to stay close to the recovering individual.   Recovery Coaching does just that — a long-term program with a multi-faceted approach to changing the entire lifestyle of the individual that goes beyond just sobriety and to a drastically improved quality of life.

We look forward to seeing the show which we hope will honor his work with addicts.  May DJ AM rest in peace.

To read the MTV News story on this subject, click here

According to the NY Post, moviemaker Kevin Smith (of Dogma, Mallrats, Clerks, Chasing Amy fame) is quoted as telling kids “weed is good.”   Apparently his pal Seth Rogen coerced him to pick up the new pot-smoking activity last summer.  While we know he’s not the first in Hollywood to promote drug use, and certainly won’t be the last, we do want to address the idea of “Don’t do the other stuff, but weed is good.”    A common misconception is that marijuana is not as harmful as other drugs, is not addictive, is “natural” or is, as Kevin Smith alludes, useful for overcoming a creative slump.

Don’t do it, kids!   In the end, none of it is good but quite on the contrary to Smith’s statement, marijuana use is not only harmful, but can quickly deteriorate a growing brain.   Marijuana is the most common drug used by adolescents in America today.  Parents need to understand that marijuana use is not something to be taken lightly, and it can definitely create lasting negative effects on the user.   It is also hardly a motivator.  Some short-term effects of the drug include:

• Sleepiness
• Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory
• Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination
• Paranoia, hallucinations
• Impaired or reduced short-term memory
• Impaired or reduced comprehension
• Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult
• Psychological dependence
• Impairments in learning and memory, perception, and judgment – difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts
• Intense anxiety or panic attacks

Hollywood is not going to stop promoting recreational drug use anytime soon so it becomes the responsibility of parents and other adults to offset this seemingly glamourous message with the truth about the dangers of any drug use.

More about marijuana can be found here at Linking Human Systems.

To read the Kevin Smith article on NY Post, click here.