Post by Sarah Wilde

Treatment for substance abuse does not necessarily come cheap.   However, there is no question that the enormous physical and psychological effects of effective treatment can be priceless.  From a monetary standpoint, several studies¹ also indicate the benefits of substance abuse treatment create a far greater benefit to society, including taxpayers and employers, than the associated cost.  A California study found the monetary benefits to society of the direct cost of substance abuse treatment to be a 7:1 benefit to cost ratio (figure 1).   When adding benefits as related to health care costs, the figures jump to a 12:1 benefit-cost ratio.

From a taxpayer standpoint, the study shows ER visits and hospital stays are reduced by more than 35%.   Medical costs overall are reduced by 26%.  In the workplace, employers benefit by reduced absenteeism, reduced tardiness, fewer mistakes, lower on the job injuries, and fewer disagreements with supervisors, by a whopping 75%.   All in all, the cost of substance abuse treatment is far outweighed by the benefits it provides.

Protect Your Investment

When assessing what you are willing to pay for treatment, it is critical you look at both the tangible and intangible costs you are likely to recoup over time.  LifeSkills Authorities wants you to recognize and protect the investment you are making in yourself.  Sure you will likely reduce healthcare and legal costs, reduce the spending on alcohol, maybe even vehicle collisions and insurance.  Think bigger!   With a holistic recovery program the benefits are endless.   Your income is likely to increase due to increased productivity and reduced mistakes, tardiness and disagreements.   Your focus should improve, your clarity, your drive, and your mental acuity should sharpen in recovery.   Remember also your friends, your family, your follow-through and your ability to “show up” for people should grow with a life of recovery.   You will regain credibility, you may even regain your waist line.  These cost benefits are incalculable yet critical when looking at your investment into treatment.   Sure, it may seem like a large “cost” at the outset, but when you look at all you are getting for that expense, it truly is an “investment” in your future, and one that is sure to return significant dividends when the commitment is made to nurture the investment.  The best part is that you are not the only one who benefits from the investment, as recovery has a ripple effect that will positively impact several layers beyond even your smallest circle of family or friends.

If you are holding back because you are not quite sure if the decision to seek treatment is “cost-effective” then the wait should be over before your life is — invest in your future now, while you have one.

¹Source:  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Post by Sarah Wilde

The feeling of sincere gratitude is believed by many in the recovery community to be a strong defense against relapse into alcohol or drug abuse.  An “attitude of gratitude” is coined for someone who has a good sense of what is important in life and the ability to remain grateful for the fundamentals, sometimes as basic as just another day sober.  Being grateful for many little meaningful things over time can be like insurance to overpower the negative impact that could result when life throws a challenging curve ball your way.

Thanks to technology and the iPhone, being grateful just became even easier to prioritize.   With Gratitude! Journal Positive Thoughts, available in the Apple App Store, you can track the five things you’re grateful for daily.   For 99 cents you can keep a running tab on how much you have to be grateful for and boost your mood in the meantime.  This might come in particularly handy on those days when life seems a little tougher.  Oprah Winfrey said it herself, “the gratitude journal truly changed my life.”

Now the next time someone holds the elevator for you, lets you in front of them in traffic, or the coffee you spill misses your lap, fire up that iPhone.  When you wake up with a clear head, take a walk and breathe in fresh air, the sun shines on your day off, or you get to see the smile of someone special, go ahead and make a note of it the instant it happens.  You might be surprised how many little areas of gratitude can add up by the end of the day if you’re tracking them.   Keep adding to the list and make being grateful a priority, because as another saying goes, “a grateful alcoholic doesn’t drink.”

Note:  LifeSkills Authorities is not affiliated in any way with the Gratitude! App or its developers.  We just think it is really cool.

Post by Sarah Wilde

 Exercise may be an effective and nonpharmacologic treatment option for alcohol dependence.

Likewise, according to ScienceDaily, circadian disruptions can also lead to alcohol abuse as well as relapse in abstinent alcoholics.   Circadian rhythms, which refers to the timing of daily rhythms, can be - no surprise - highly disrupted by alcohol abuse.   A new animal study has used hamsters to test for the influence of wheel-running on alcohol intake.  Results indicate that exercise, perhaps through stimulation of brain reward pathways, may be able to reduce alcohol intake in humans. 

“Alcohol abuse, characterized by routine craving for and consumption of alcohol as well as an inability to function normally without it, disrupts both the timing and consolidation of daily circadian rhythms — when to sleep, eat, and mate — driven by the brain circadian clock,” explained J. David Glass, professor of biological sciences at Kent State University and corresponding author for the study. “With continual alcohol use, one may go to bed too early or late, not sleep across the night, and have an unusual eating regime, eating little throughout the day and/or overeating at night. This can lead to a vicious cycle of drinking because these individuals, in response, will consume more alcohol to fall asleep easier only to complain of more disrupted sleep across the night and additionally have a greater craving for alcohol.”

In other words, said Alan M. Rosenwasser, professor of psychology at the University of Maine, chronic alcohol abuse and circadian disruption become reciprocally destructive and result in negative effects on physical and emotional health.  By getting  proper exercise at key points in the day, alcoholics and others alike can improve their circadian regulation to improve their sleep habits and reduce their need for alcohol.  While this does not mean that exercise is the cure for alcoholism, it is further evidence that exercise is important to the regulation of Circadian rhythm, which is why both areas are key components in the LifeSkills Authorities Recovery Coaching programs.   

Results will be published in the September 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.  Read the full article at Science Daily.

Have you used exercise as part of your recovery plan?    Tell us more.

Post by Michael Plahn

This is the second installment of a six-part series to describe what I believe is the key to health and happiness as I have learned and personally experienced.  It is doubtful that each of these areas will be controversial, and when followed, the changes that I will suggest have proven without fail to help every one of my clients, when they take the suggested actions.  In just six installments, you may have the answer to achieve optimal health just by reading the LifeSkills Authorities Blog. With the goal to help identify the keys to optimal health for my own life and clients, I have read books, attended classes, acquired certifications, and listened to lectures by amazing individuals.  What I have learned through countless hours of studying, learning, and experimenting, can be summarized in a simple acronym: “To Be Healthy Never Eat Carrots.”  That’s it you ask?   Here’s what the acronym TBHNEC actually stands for:

• Thoughts
• Breathing
• Hydration
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Circadian Rhythm

Today the topic is exercise.  This is a monster topic and I am asked about this area by virtually everyone who hears that I have worked in and have extensive training in the fitness profession.  The typical question that I am asked is, “what should I do for a workout or exercise routine?”  For any of you who are trained in personal training, kinesiology, physical therapy, corrective exercise, or holistic lifestyle coaching, you know that this is a very complex question.  The answer requires complex and comprehensive assessments with the programs being different for most people.

First, in my opinion, based on my experience, exercise is not necessarily about lifting the most, working the hardest, perspiring the most, and feeling as though you have “really worked hard.”  Those who are properly trained or educated know that exercise is a stress to the body.  Some may view it as a “good stress” as I have heard it called, but is this really true?  Well, it could be from one perspective.  However, it is essential to realize that exercise is a stressor to the body.

Big deal, what does that mean?  It means that you need proper rest, nutrients, hydration, as well as proper healing time to compensate for the stress you put on your body as a result of exercise.  Thus, if you are not eating properly, sleep poorly, have relationship and career problems, and your posture is putting a constant strain on your system, and you ask me “what type of workouts should I do,” then after a series of assessments, the type of exercise I would likely recommend for you would be vastly different than if you have proper hydration, nutrition, sleep, relaxation, and your musculoskeletal system was in balance.  It just makes sense when you look at it at this basic level, doesn’t it?

Just walking for 20-30 minutes outside at a leisurely pace may be plenty or even too much exercise for many people.  It depends on a variety of factors, some of which I just mentioned.  As you can likely guess, to properly answer the common question of “what should I do for my workouts” depends not just on the individual’s goals, but also on the numerous factors that must be assessed to recommend the proper exercise routine.  I have found tremendous success personally and with my willing clientele if there is a willingness to look at the entire lifestyle and be open to making minor tweaks or maybe major changes in different areas.  This holistic view of health is where I have seen true lasting positive changes not just in fitness levels, fat and weight loss, but also in health, the way the body looks, and how we feel physically and emotionally.

One of the worst things a so-called “fitness professional” can do is prescribe or write a fitness program for someone without knowing salient details about the person’s life.  We are a culture of impatient, out-of-shape people who want dramatic change…and we want it now!  We are also a people who believe in excess.  Put all this together and you have millions of Americans with the good intentions of getting “healthy or in-shape,” who are struggling.  They are failing to meet their goals, frustrated, starting to believe they cannot change, maybe even getting depressed as a result, and then finding dysfunctional ways to deal with all these negative results.

People join gyms, buy quick fix products off of late-night television or at the local sporting goods store, and buy one of the hundreds of fitness magazines sold, to find the newest “sure-to-work” or  “customized” exercise routine.  You know what I have seen as a result of this?  People who join those gyms may stop going after a month or two.  Many who do exercise and use the plans they cut out of fitness magazines or implement tips they see on television, get poor results or short-lasting gains.  Some individuals make short-term progress, but cannot seem to stay on course to attain their goals for the long-term.  Many people hire well-meaning personal trainers.  Unfortunately, many of these trainers do not have the proper level of experience to understand how to look at the entire person and their lifestyle.  Subsequently, instead of partnering up with someone with the proper education and clinical experience, they write improper fitness routines for their excited new clients.  This leads to injury, incomplete results, decreased self-esteem, and potentially life-threatening recommendations.   Why are these the common patterns?

People spend billions of dollars on poorly designed, but brilliantly marketed, fitness equipment with claims that it will change your body (and seem to imply your life) in six weeks.  In no time, that equipment packs second hand stores and garage sales if it is not at the local dump.  But, you know what?  The fitness industry is getting bigger and more profitable by the day while our country is getting fatter, more discouraged, and more sedentary at the same time.

This does NOT have to happen to you.  If you believe that you are financially unable to engage with a competent qualified professional, but have the sincere, desire to change, then ask them for help.  You may be surprised to find that those who are the best at what they do in the fitness business, have a sincere desire to help others and will likely find a way to help you improve your life in some way.

To summarize, here is my suggestion to you.  Hire a qualified competent professional who understands how to look at your entire lifestyle to help you take the actions that will produce lasting change.  Interview them before you hire them.  If they don’t ask about your entire life and lifestyle thoroughly, and take detailed assessments, or partner with individuals who can do the proper assessments, then do not hire them.  If you do not have the money, ask yourself the hard question, “How much is your life really worth to you?”  Then see if you have the money to invest in yourself.  You may suddenly find that it’s pouring outside and its time to use that “rainy day fund.”

Post by Sarah Wilde

There is no doubt that along with a job also comes stress.   Yet many people think if they only get to the next level in their career or advance in their current position then life just may become easier.  What people often forget to take into account is the impact their job has on their health.    We are quick to assume that “moving up” will make everything better … more money, less stress at home, better relationships, greater access to rewarding activities and fun.

What often is the case in career advancement though is added pressure and greater demands which lead to less time at home with the family, as well as a negative impact on healthy choices such as nutrition, exercise and hobbies.  In fact, research on job promotions shows that after advancing at work, employees are 20% less likely to visit their doctors for routine physicals or specific health complaints. Furthermore, promoted workers have more time constraints that, coupled with increased mental strain and stress, leads to fewer doctors’ visits and poorer health.   The stress of the new job can impact the entire family.  Now surely there are many positives in career advancement but this is pointing out that making healthy choices often means taking a holistic account of what each choice will impact.  

It is important to keep in front of any potential stress triggers and maintain harmony in life while advancing along the career path.   This is as important for executives as it is for those just entering the work force, or re-entering due to a layoff, birth of a child, or furthering one’s studies.   At LifeSkills Authorities we have coaching modules specifically centered on stress management and attaining – and maintaining – work-life balance.   When advancing in a career, health is often overlooked.  Unless there is some sort of major situation that develops such as depression, substance abuse, heart issues or any host of stress provoked conditions, one may not intervene on their own loss of balance.   Keep in mind though that even if it takes a doctor appointment here and there, or an honest look at time allocation and priorities, it is easier to stay healthy than it is to work back to healthy.

Post by Michael Plahn

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.