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| WELCOME
to JANUARY, 2009 - 'NEWS OF HOPE'
Welcome
to JAN 2009 'News of Hope' -
Trends of 2009!
As we begin 2009, you, like me, may be
watching for signs of where this crazy
world is going. What's the economy
going to do? The stock market? The
housing market? The war in Iraq? The
new administration? Our jobs, our
health, our weight, etc.
Watching for trends is a
national American pastime! It is also
of significance in the world of
PREVENTION - including trends around
underage drinking, alcohol and illicit
drug abuse, pharmaceutical drug abuse,
obesity, violence and more.
With the start of the new year also
comes renewal - new goals, new plans,
and new possibilities. With this
renewal comes creativity, even within
the ranks of those seeking altered
states of consciousness!
I am already hearing from
. School counselors and principals
anticipating what new issue will show
up on campus in 2009;
. Parents of teens and young adults
concerned about the choices their kids
are making in 2009 when hanging out
with peers;
. Medical professionals in emergency
rooms;
. Employers concerned about health
care costs, employee absenteeism and
more.
So this first issue of the year is
about trends - trends to help you
focus your efforts and find answers in
2009.
Check out the current research on
Video Game/Internet Addiction from Dr.
David Walsh - YES, it is a legitimate
addiction!
I found out about another new trend at
the very end of 2008, and it somewhat
amazed me. The ends to which some
youth and adults will go to leave
their reality behind is truly
astounding. Check out the article on
i-doser and the impact of binaural
beats on the brain. Then, if anyone
has information on how this NEW HIGH
is impacting our youth, PLEASE fill me
in, and I will share it in an upcoming
newsletter.
Clearly, weight concerns are
everywhere in 2009. So, we are
bringing back the "Freshman
15" article to keep the focus on
communication with your college kids
and the very real potential for
obesity and related health problems.
We at LEGACY also want to keep a focus
on confronting STRESS in our lives.
Not a new trend, but a seriously
escalating one in light of the economy
and financial pressures affecting
everyone.
In addition, 80% of high school teens
tell us on surveys that they are
seriously STRESSED! Stress to succeed
and meet personal, parental and social
expectations is motivating more and
more of our teens and college students
to use illegal pharmaceutical drugs to
enhance studying on a regular basis --
or to escape pressures in their down
time.
So, we are close to completing our De-Stress
for Success Workbook and will have
a new website up and running for you
shortly! To read more follow the link
in the article below.
As always, we welcome your comments
and suggestion for future topics of
interest to you.
JANUARY "NEWS OF HOPE" CONTENTS
. Trend 2009: VIDEO GAME AND
INTERNET ADDICTION
. Trend 2009: HEARD OF i-doser.com??
. Trend 2009: ADDRESS THE STRESS -
Workbook and Workshop from
LEGACY
. Trend 2009: WEIGHT UP in College:
Beware the FRESHMAN 15!
. Trend 2009: LEGACY OF HOPE
confronts Pharmaceutical Drug Abuse
Pics above from Susie's travels in
December, 2008:
Pics 1 & 2 - Florida's
DFYIT (Drug Free Youth In Town) put on
two energetic and well-attended annual
conferences - 1 day for middle school
and 1 day for high school. Very
impressive to see the great number of
schools with students committing to be
alcohol and drug free role models!
Pics 3 & 4- The South
Carolina statewide Drugs of Abuse
Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC was
quite a success with close to 350
attendees from law enforcement,
recovery, education, and mental
health.
Check
out past newsletters with subjects
worth reading!
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Trend
in 2009: Video Game and
Internet Addiction
I had the good fortune of
hearing Dr. David Walsh,
President of the National
Institute on Media and
Family (NIMF) speak on
Video Game and Internet
Addiction at the Hazelden
Youth & Addiction
Conference on November 13,
2008 in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
You may find a few trends
and insights from his
lecture as interesting and
thought-provoking as I
did:
1. Addiction to video
games/Internet is a real
addiction. It is being
seen in teens, university
students, and adults in
large numbers. "The
American Medical
Association has called for
a study of video game
addiction," says Dr.
Walsh.
2. The United States lags
in giving this addiction
credence and publicity.
China has stated that they
believe 10% of their
population is Internet
addicted. Chinese found
with this addiction are
required to go to a 6
month recovery facility.
3. Brain development ties
into youth addiction to
Video gaming/Internet. The
brain grows and prunes
cells based upon
experience and two of the
greatest growth spurts are
in young children and in
adolescence through
mid-20's. Basically, the
"teenage brain is a
brain in progress," says
Dr. Walsh.
4. According to Dr. Walsh,
the adolescent brain can
get "high-jacked by the
pleasure-seeking
impulses" of the brain
which are then satisfied
by video games.
The adolescent brain gets
chemically wired and
addicted to finding
pleasure from video games.
Dr. Walsh shared that 99%
of boys and 93% of girls
play video games. Kids, he
says, are in front of TV,
text messaging, Instant
Messages, video games,
etc. some 44.5 hours/week.
"Don't get me
wrong," says Dr. Walsh,
"I'm not saying that
video and computer games
are bad for kids. (some)
are a lot better than most
of what is on TV. "
However, "some kids get
hooked. Computer game
addiction is real and
growing."
There has been a
revolution in electronic
gaming in less than 10
years. Dr. Walsh shared
that in 1999, Nintendo
transmitted 250,000
polygons/second
(information packets). By
2007, X-Box is at 1
billion polygons/second.
The growing adolescent
brain is being bombarded
and it can lead to a
serious addiction.
Some of the signs and
symptoms that Dr. Walsh
recommends parents watch
for include:
1. "Teen feels great
while playing video game,
but unhappy, cranky,
irritable when not."
2. "Teen is angry when
asked to stop."
3. "Teen craves more
playing time."
4. "Teen spends most of
his/her time in bedroom
with video game system."
5. "Stays/wants to stay
home from school to play
video games."
6. "Tries to cut back on
playing time but
can't."
7. "He/she can't seem
to quit."
8. Teen sneaks time to
play (at night or before
school.
9. "Teen would rather
play video games than be
with family and
friends."
10. "More and more
friends are on line
friends."
Dr. Walsh says that some
parent-child arguments
about video and computer
games are just part of the
21st century world. "So,
don't panic if you have
your share of those. On
the other hand, don't
ignore signs of a real
problem with compulsive
playing.
He made some important
suggestions for
Intervention and
Prevention of Video
Game/Internet Addiction in
Youth.
1. "Set clear ground
rules about when, where,
how much, and what kind of
game playing is
allowed."
2. "Limit game playing
time."
3. "Require that
homework and other chores
be complete first.
4. "Keep video and
computer games out of
kid's bedrooms."
5. "Consistently enforce
the rule. If your child
refuses to cooperate,
restrict access for a
period of time."
6.
7. "If nothing else
works, go cold turkey. Get
rid of the games."
For
additional info and
research, visit the NIMF
website
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THE
NEW HIGH... HEARD OF
i-doser.com??? MAKE
SURE YOU DO...
It was Thursday, Dec.
26th, 2008, the day
after Christmas that I
got the call. It was
from a high school boy
I'd met at a
conference who was
committed to remaining
drug-free in spite of
teen trials,
emotionality and
stressful
circumstances in his
life.
He called concerned
--- deeply concerned
about a new
"HIGH" many
of his friends were
participating in. Some
were
"druggies"
excited about another
way to detach from
reality, others were
kids like him who
thought this was
virtually harmless ---
that's what the
Internet site
promotion says.
But some of his
friends were having
altered states of
consciousness that
lasted for days --
even while they were
partying or in school
or DRIVING. He was
seeing dangerous
behaviors and poor
choices from kids
listening to the
"binaural
beats" of
downloads from www.i-doser.com
These downloads are
designed to stimulate
different brain waves
in each hemisphere of
the brain, inducing
states comparable to
every drug under the
sun. I learned more
from a blog on
www.bloggernews.net.
Read the opening
paragraph below and be
prepared to give this
some serious
thought...
safe or unsafe?
Should our goal be to
make "getting
high" unncessary?
DIRECT FROM THE
BLOG:
In a world where
illegal drugs run
rampant, did getting
high just become much
easier? An online
music site may provide
a legal high that is
undetectable, has no
health side effects,
and can be performed
at your computer. I-Doser
is a new online
service that sells
musical tracks for
prices between $1-$5
per track. Each track
in their library is
named after a
particular drug, both
legal and illegal. The
tracks are supposed to
give the listener a
similar experience to
that of the drug it is
named after. These
tracks range from
alcohol, to marijuana,
to sleep aids, to
ecstacy, to crystal
meth, to heroine. The
site boasts itself as
a legal alternative to
the illicit drugs that
are rampant today.
This sounds very
interesting, but does
it work?
Read
the entire Blog and
website references... |
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HELP
WITH STRESS FOR
SCHOOL, OFFICE, AND
HOME from DR. KEN and
SUSIE VANDERLIP!
De-Stress for
Success® (DSFS) - The
Workbook
will be on sale soon!
Susie Vanderlip and
Dr. Ken Vanderlip have
been presenting the De-Stress
for Success®
workshops for the
last 16 years.
Soon the workbook will
be available including
a DVD that guides the
inexperienced through
yoga for the office
and classroom
(relaxing stretches
you can do in regular
clothes!), and Guided
Meditations by both
Dr. Ken and Susie.
Dr. Ken's meditations
are gleaned from using
guided light
meditations in his
private clinical
practice for over 25
years.
His deep resonant
voice has guided
hundreds to a place of
peace, calm and
problem resolution
that profoundly
enriches people's
lives.
Susie's meditations
have encouraged
thousands of teens,
teachers and school
counselors to relax,
refresh and find new
options in their
lives.
The Workbook will
refresh your body,
your mind and your
spirit with an amazing
set of tools and
techniques derived
from:
* Clinical Psychology
* Martial Arts
* Dance
* 12-Step Programs
* Meditation (Actualism)
* Progressive Muscle
Relaxation
* Emotional
Self-Defense©
* Yoga for the
Office/Classroom
Available soon at our
online Product Store.
Watch for announcement
and start thinking of
those who could use
help with the stress
in their lives.... and
who couldn't!
Read
more at our Product
Store
|
What
in the World is
"Freshman 15"?
Article by LEGACY's
summer intern and
Chapman University
undergraduate: Yuri
Choi
It is our pleasure to
include articles
written from young
people in the midst of
the issues themselves.
Valuable perspectives
for us adults.
Imagine being a young
freshman college
student your first
week of school. You
walk into the
cafeteria and there is
a buffet-style
breakfast, lunch, and
dinner all day long.
You grab the beef
ravioli covered in
Alfredo sauce and
fried chicken that you
rarely have back at
home when your mom was
cooking. After
spraying Parmesan
cheese on your
ravioli, you head for
the pizza and fries
bar where you also
pick up some ranch for
dipping both. Then you
grab some cola at the
drink bar, and you
definitely can't
forget the dessert bar
where there is
unlimited frozen
yogurt and carrot
cakes. Amazing, she
thought, my mom would
never make this at
home, and I can have
this everyday now!
Then the night comes,
and you are lured into
a couple of fraternity
parties where kegs are
being untapped faster
than you can finish
your beer, and bottles
of liquor everywhere.
Once you've had your
fair amount of drinks
at about 4 am, you are
looking for a sober
ride to take care of
the drunk munchies at
Taco Bell.
This may be a typical
weekend day and night
for an average
freshman in college.
This is also the
perfect formula for
the excessive weight
gain that some college
students inevitably
have to face in their
first semester of
college. And this
rather devastating
phenomenon also has a
special term - the
dreadful "Freshman
15."
You ask any recent
college student or
graduates these days
and they should be
familiar with this
term. It derives from
the idea that due to
the unhealthy eating,
sleeping, and drinking
habits, a typical
freshman is to gain
about 15 pounds on
average. Free of
adult/parental
supervision for the
first time for many
freshmen, these habits
develop and snowball
into a very harmful
cycle.
So should the
college-bound really
fear the "Freshman
15"? According to a
recent research
article, "The
'freshman fifteen'
(the 'freshman
five' actually):
Predictors and
Possible
Explanations" by
Holm-Denoma, J.M.,
Vohs, K.D., &
Heatherton, T.F. in Health
Psychology, 27,
while students were
gaining weight during
their early freshman
year of college, the
average weight gain
was only 3.5 lbs for
men and 4 lbs for
women. The 'freshman
fifteen' is more
realistically the
'freshman five.' While
this is still a
disconcerting weight
gain for many, it is
not as extreme as the
myth of the 'freshman
fifteen.'
However, it is still
true that students are
predisposed to
unhealthy eating and
lifestyle changes in
their first year of
college. So what can
you do as a parent to
make sure that your
son or daughter does
not suffer from
detrimental weight
gain as a freshman?
Holm-Denoma &
Heatherton's
"freshman
15" study notes
that one of the most
remarkable predictors
of weight gain is the
relationship a child
has with his or her
parents prior to going
to college. The impact
differed between men
and women.
Men were more
likely to gain weight
if they had
critical parents
between the times they
were seniors in high
school to college,
whereas women
gained more weight if they
had uncritical parents
who encouraged them to
be more independent.
The research suggests
that these results may
be due to the
different ways men and
women cope with stress
caused by their
parents.
When men have critical
parents who create
conflicts in their
lives, they are more
likely to go out in a
social setting and
increase their alcohol
and food consumption
to relieve the
tension. When women
are put into stressful
situations, they are
more likely to
restrict their food
intake, leading to
eating disorders such
as anorexia nervosa
and bulimia nervosa.
This explains why 90
to 95% of the eating
disorder patients are
women, and they
usually come from have
very critical,
perfectionist
families.
Good parenting may
seem tricky at this
point. Whether
critical towards your
child or not, it seems
that he or she may end
up eating and choosing
less healthy behaviors
in their first year of
college.
But don't panic!
Instead,
* Educate them about
healthy eating. This
does not mean that
your kids should start
a calorie-counting log
immediately, but do
remind them the
importance of a
balanced meal, even in
the tempting
all-you-can-eat
cafeteria.
* Suggest to (don't
TELL) them to turn
down the pizza bar for
a salad bar at least
once a day to eat
their vegetables.
* Encourage your son
or daughter to set
realistic goals to
help them from
consuming unnecessary
sweets and junk food,
such as only allowing
themselves to eat
dessert once every 2
days.
* Ask your college
kids if they would be
able to follow an
exercise plan.
Exercising not only
helps them keep a
healthy weight, but it
is can help stabilize
their moods. Many
freshmen in college
have a later class
start time than they
did in high school.
What about a 20-30
minute jog two to
three times a week
before classes start?
* Encourage a quick
breakfast to
jump-start their
metabolism. This
routine will allow
them to be alert for
their classes and feel
good for the rest of
the day.
* Exploring their new
school's gym might
also be a great way to
make new friends their
first year!
Another important
factor is alcohol
consumption. Telling
them directly
"Don't drink
because you are not 21
yet and that is
illegal," will not
stop them from taking
their free beers at
fraternity parties
they are invited to.
Give them some facts
and room to think
about them:
"Did you know that a
regular beer is 150 to
200 calories?
Drink 3 beers, and it
is more than the
calories of a regular
meal!" (http://www.beer100.com/beercalories.htm).
And if your kids
thought taking shots
of hard liquor is less
fattening for them,
let them know that a
regular shot is still
about 100 calories.
Alcohol over all has
the second highest
calorie density of all
food types! (http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Alcohol-Makes-You-Fat&id=601915)
In addition, alcohol
slows down the
body's ability to
burn fat in general.
Even with regular
work-outs, alcohol can
create a special layer
of fat on the stomach
to hide the
wonderfully toned
muscles one might have
underneath the layer.
In addition to these
caloric facts, many
college students binge
drink, and this is of
course potentially
lethal and for their
liver functions.
Now you can tell your
young adult children
when entering college
that Freshman 15 is a
myth, but Freshman 5
is still quite true.
It is important that
they pay attention to
what they consume,
whether it is food or
alcohol, because they
are not living with
their parents any more
and this sudden
freedom can lead to
very unhealthy eating
habits.
The most important
thing to remind them
is that they are not
completely free of
your supervision just
yet. Let them know
that you are still a
big part of their
lives by sending them
caring e-mails or
making short phone
calls to check in on
them.
Although getting
excessive with these
is not a good idea, most
freshmen in college
will secretly
appreciate your small
gestures to show them
that you care when
they are away from you
for the first time in
their lives. Such
guidance and care will
go long ways in
helping your first
year college kids to
stay healthy and
happy.
References:
Holm-Denoma, J.M.,
Vohs, K.D., &
Heatherton, T.F.
(2008. January). The
'freshman fifteen'
(the freshman five'
actually): Predictors
and possible
explanations. Health
Psychology, 27(1),
S3-S9. from PsychINFO.
Hoffman, D.J.,
Policastro, P., Quick,
V., & Lee, S.K.
(2006, Jul-Aug). Changes
in Body Weight and Fat
Mass of Men and Women
in the First Year of
College: A Study of
the 'Freshman 15'.
Journal of American
College Health, 55(1),
41-45. from PsychINFO.
LEGACY
OF HOPE is great for
College students, too!
Susie is an NCAA-approved
speaker as well. Check
it out! |
 |
LEGACY
OF HOPE confronts
PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG
ABUSE
LEGACY OF HOPE
includes the
heartwrenching true
story of Susie's first
husband and his death
from overdose of
alcohol, cocaine and
the prescription
painkiller Percodan.
His story is one of
enormous loss to
pharmaceutical drug
abuse and illegal drug
use. It is the story
of how pharmaceutical
drugs can devaastate
the lives of even the
accomplished and
capable. He was a
dentist with
education, loving
family and financial
success.
This is a
cut-to-the-chase
message for today's
youth who are
bombarded by media
that promotes the use
of prescription drugs
to cure all that ails
us. Our kids need to
know they are not to
be taken lightly; they
are not to be taken
recreationally; they
are not to be relied
on unless properly
prescribed.
LEGACY OF HOPE
creates awareness and
then re-ignites HOPE
in the lives of
children, adults and
families.
Whether it be from the
ravages of alcohol and
drug addiction,
domestic abuse and
violence, financial
devastation, lost
self-esteem or other
real life challenges -
LEGACY OF HOPE reaches
the wounded places and
touches them with the
light of compassion,
empathy and POSITIVE
CHOICES for a better
tomorrow.
We all need to know
that someone out there
DOES understand our
struggle and does
care.
If LEGACY OF HOPE can
help, get in touch at
800-707-1977 or
online.
To
Contact Susie and
LEGACY NOW |
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From all of us at LEGACY ...
Susie Vanderlip, CSP, CPAE - Ken Vanderlip,
PhD
Newsletter Assistant:
Yuri Choi
800-707-1977 |
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