Westland MS - Counseling Hot Topics

Monday is Mental Health and Wellness day and today we are going to talk about STRESS. Stress is the body's way of responding to a threat, a challenge or physical and psychological tension by increasing your heart rate and your breathing.

Kids our age get stressed over many different situations: stress can come from inside us, from parents, teachers, siblings, peers, peer pressure, work at school, sports we practice, and other things. These stresses are part of our existence and not all stress is bad. But, when the stress is intense it can take a toll on body and mind. Here are 7 tips to cope with the stresses of daily life:

1. Overscheduling – Overscheduling does not leave time for downtime. Our brain and body need to rest.

2. Make time for play – Make play with no pressure, just fun. Combine play with physical activities like riding a bike, throwing around the baseball, hiking, etc.

3. Make sleep a priority – Sleep is vital for boosting your mood, raising your grades and school performance. Get electronics out of your bedroom and sleep for at least 9 hours.

4. Listen to your body – If you have too many headaches or stomach aches you are stressed out. Slow down.

5. Get organized – Keep up with your work at school so you don’t get behind. Trying to catch up on work that snowballs will make you stressed out.

6. Learn to deal with mistakes – Understand that everybody makes mistakes and enjoy the feeling of getting out of a bad situation as a success.

7. Wellness – Learn relaxation techniques like breathing and meditation for kids.

Topic: Prevention of Underage Drinking and Alcohol Misuse with Tips to Avoid Getting Caught in Difficult Situations Part #1

Statistics on Youth and Drinking….

Drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States.
By age 15, about 33% of teens have had at least 1 drink.
By age 18, about 60% of teens have had at least 1 drink.

Negative Impact of Drinking on Youth…

It is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. Drinking among America’s young people poses enormous health and safety risks.

Aggressive behaviors
Property damage
Injury
Violence and death
Impaired judgement
Poor decision making
Engaging in risky behaviors
Drinking and driving
Sexual activity (unprotected sex)
Trouble in school or with the law
Associated use with other drugs
Can alter brain development, structure, function, cognitive and learning problems

Tips to Avoid Getting Caught in Difficult Situations Part #2

How to Build Drink Refusal Skills:

Plan ahead to Stay in Control:
Two types of Social Pressure:
- Direct Social Pressure- Someone offers you a drink
- Indirect Social Pressure- You are tempted to drink because you are around other drinkers
Pre-think your resistance strategies:
Leave the scene with an excuse
You are on an antibiotic and can’t mix your medication with alcohol
You can’t drink and drive
Just avoid going to the activity
Be clear, firm, friendly and respectful with your “No Thank You...”
No long explanation is needed
No vague excuses are needed
Look directly at the person you are talking to and make eye contact
Keep responses short, clear and simple

Remember, it is your choice, body and life.

Information taken from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism online 5/7/2018

Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and Your Health online 5/7/2018

Today we are focusing on the prevention of opiod and prescription drugs and the illicit use of marijuana.. Some prescription drugs can become addictive. The most commonly abused prescription drugs are pain relievers or opiods, tranquilizers and sedatives, and stimulants.

Marijuana is the MOST commonly used and abused drug in the United States, especially among adolescents and young adults. Most people use marijuana to make them feel happy or detached from reality but there are negative effects on your mind and mood too, For example--A distorted sense of time, paranoia, anxiety, depression and forgetfulness.

Don’t be afraid to say to NO: Sometimes our fear of what our friends think keeps us from doing what is right. Don’t let someone else make decisions for you!!

The harmful effects of Vaping and e-cigarettes

Why shouldn’t I use E-cigarettes?

Science shows that e-cigarettes contain ingredients that are addictive and could harm different parts of your body.

Right now your brain is still developing, which makes you more vulnerable to addiction.

I thought e-cigarettes didn’t have nicotine – just water and flavoring?

I used to think that too, but many e-cigarettes have nicotine and also other chemicals in them that can be quite harmful.

What’s the big deal about nicotine?

Nicotine is addictive
Using it at a young age may make it harder for you to concentrate, learn, or control your impulses.
Nicotine can even train your brain to be more easily addicted to other drugs.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention/Office on Smoking and Health

E-cigarettes.SurgeonGeneral.gov