Popular New Year's Resolutions

Popular New Year's Resolutions
Check out some New Year's resolutions that are popular year after year.

•Drink Less Alcohol
•Get a Better Education
•Get a Better Job
•Get Fit
•Lose Weight
•Manage Debt
•Manage Stress
•Quit Smoking Now
•Save Money
•Take a Trip
•Volunteer to Help Others


Drink Less AlcoholSmall changes can make a big difference in reducing your chances of having alcohol-related problems. Here are some strategies to try. Check off some to try the first week, and add some others the next. MFT Continuing Education

Keeping Track
Keep track of how much you drink. Find a way that works for you, such as a 3x5” card in your wallet, check marks on a kitchen calendar, or a personal digital assistant. If you make note of each drink before you drink it, this will help you slow down when needed.

Counting and Measuring
Know the standard drink sizes so you can count your drinks accurately (see back page). One standard drink is 12 ounces of regular beer, 8 to 9 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of table wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80–proof spirits. Measure drinks at home. Away from home, especially with mixed drinks, it can be hard to keep track and at times you may be getting more alcohol than you think. With wine, you may need to ask the host or server not to “top off” a partially filled glass.

Setting Goals
Decide how many days a week you want to drink and how many drinks you’ll have on those days. It’s a good idea to have some days when you don’t drink. Drinking within the limits below reduces the chances of having an alcohol use disorder and related health problems.


For healthy men up to age 65 —
•no more than 4 drinks in a day AND
•no more than 14 drinks in a week.
For healthy women (and healthy men over age 65) —
•no more than 3 drinks in a day AND
•no more than 7 drinks in a week.
Depending on your health status, your doctor may advise you to drink less or abstain.

Pacing and Spacing
When you do drink, pace yourself. Sip slowly. Have no more than one drink with alcohol per hour. Alternate “drink spacers” — non-alcoholic drinks such as water, soda, or juice — with drinks containing alcohol.

Including Food
Don’t drink on an empty stomach — have some food so the alcohol will be absorbed more slowly into your system.

Avoiding “Triggers”
What triggers your urge to drink? If certain people or places make you drink even when you don’t want to, try to avoid them. If certain activities, times of day, or feelings trigger the urge, plan what you’ll do instead of drinking. If drinking at home is a problem, keep little or no alcohol there.

Planning to Handle Urges
When an urge hits, consider these options: Remind yourself of your reasons for changing. Or talk it through with someone you trust. Or get involved with a healthy, distracting activity. Or “urge surf ”— instead of fighting the feeling, accept it and ride it out, knowing that it will soon crest like a wave and pass.

Knowing Your “No”
You’re likely to be offered a drink at times when you don’t want one. Have a polite, convincing “no, thanks” ready. The faster you can say no to these offers, the less likely you are to give in. If you hesitate, it allows time to think of excuses to go along.


Additional Tips for Quitting

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If you want to quit drinking altogether, the last three strategies can help. In addition, you may wish to ask for support from people who might be willing to help, such as a spouse or non-drinking friends. Joining Alcoholics Anonymous or another mutual support group is a way to acquire a network of friends who have found ways to live without alcohol. If you’re dependent on alcohol and decide to stop drinking completely, don’t go it alone. Sudden withdrawal from heavy drinking can cause dangerous side effects such as seizures. See a doctor to plan a safe recovery.



What’s a Standard Drink
In the United States, a standard drink is any drink that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol (about 0.6 fluid ounces or 1.2 tablespoons). Below are U.S. standard drink equivalents. These are approximate, since different brands and types of beverages vary in their actual alcohol content.

beer or cooler
malt liquor
table wine
80-proof spirits
gin, vodka, whisky, etc.


˜ 5% alcohol:
12 oz.
˜ 7% alcohol:
8.5 oz.
˜ 12% alcohol:
5 oz.
˜ 40% alcohol:
1.5 oz.


Many people don’t know what counts as a standard drink and so don’t realize how many standard drinks are in the containers in which these drinks are often sold. Some examples:

For beer, the approximate number of standard drinks in
•12 oz. = 1
•22 oz. = 2
•16 oz. = 1.3
•40 oz. = 3.3
For malt liquor, the approximate number of standard drinks in
•12 oz. = 1.5
•22 oz. = 2.5
•16 oz. = 2
•40 oz. = 4.5
For table wine, the approximate number of standard drinks in
•a standard 750-mL (25-oz.) bottle = 5
For 80-proof spirits, or “hard liquor,” the approximate number of standard drinks in
•a mixed drink = 1 or more*
•a fifth (25 oz.) = 17
•a pint (16 oz.) = 11
•1.75 L (59 oz.) = 39
*Note: It can be difficult to estimate the number of standard drinks in a single mixed drink made with hard liquor. Depending on factors such as the type of spirits and the recipe, a mixed drink can contain from one to three or more standard drinks.


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Excerpted from NIH Publication No. 07–3769
Reprinted September 2008

FAA Certifies Santa’s NextGen-Equipped Sleigh for Christmas Eve

Press Release – FAA Certifies Santa’s NextGen-Equipped Sleigh for Christmas Eve
PrintEmailFor Immediate Release
December 20, 2010
Contact: FAA Press Office
Phone: 202-267-3883


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WASHINGTON – Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspectors at the North Pole certified Santa One, the reindeer-powered sleigh piloted by Santa Claus, for its Christmas Eve round-the-world delivery mission.

Santa One, led by Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, is outfitted with new satellite-based NextGen technology, which will allow Santa to deliver more toys to more children with improved safety and efficiency.

“Children around the world will get their gifts on time, regardless of the weather, thanks to NextGen,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We’re proud to say NextGen is bringing Santa Claus to town.”

Rudolph’s red nose has been outfitted with avionics that will broadcast Santa One’s position via satellites to air traffic controllers around the world with improved accuracy, integrity and reliability.

“Santa’s cockpit display will help improve his situational awareness by showing him and his reindeer flight crew their precise location in relation to other aircraft, bad weather and terrain,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “NextGen will help make this an extra-safe Christmas Eve.”

The sleigh’s onboard systems have been upgraded with state-of-the-art, NextGen technology that will allow Santa One to maintain cruising altitude for as long as possible before making a continuous descent into cities and towns around the world. While maneuvering on rooftops, an advanced, onboard runway safety system will help reduce the risk of incursions between the sleigh and chimneys.

Santa’s reindeer-powered sleigh is already energy-efficient, but the NextGen technologies will further reduce Santa One’s carbon hoofprint. The shorter, faster routings means that Rudolph and the other reindeer will consume less hay, resulting in fewer greenhouse gases.

Unlike any other pilot, Santa has special permission from the FAA to fly thousands of domestic and international short-haul and long-range flights in one night. In keeping with the FAA's science-based proposal to give pilots more rest, Santa will arrange his flight plan based on his circadian rhythm. Mrs. Claus also assured FAA safety inspectors that she’ll make sure he gets plenty of rest before the flight on Christmas Eve.

Follow Santa’s progress on Christmas Eve at the NORAD Tracks Santa website: www.noradsanta.org

See how NextGen is going to improve the safety and efficiency of Santa’s rooftop descents: http://www.faa.gov/go/santa

LPC Continuing Education

Holiday Hints

The holiday season is a time for visiting and reconnecting with family, friends and neighbors. Sometimes this season can be sad or stressful for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. These hints are our gift in wishing you an enjoyable holiday season.

•Holidays can be meaningful, enriching times for both the person with AD and family. Maintaining (or adapting) old family rituals and traditions helps all family members feel a sense of belonging and family identity. For a person with AD, this link with a familiar past is reassuring and builds self-esteem, i.e. “Look at the beautiful family I created!”

•Set your own limits early, and be clear about them with others. You do not have to live up to the expectations of friends or relatives. Your situation is different now.

•Encourage family and friends to visit EVEN IF IT IS PAINFUL FOR THEM. Keep the number of persons visiting at one time to a minimum, or try a few people visiting quietly with the person with AD in a separate room. Most people with AD can pull it together for brief periods, if they have adequate private rest in between.

•Try some simple holiday preparation with the person with AD several days ahead. Just observing your preparations will familiarize him/her with the upcoming festivities; if they participate with you, they experience the pleasure of helping and giving as well as the fun of anticipation and reminiscing.

•Prepare potential quiet distractions (a family photo album or a simple repetitive chore like cracking nuts) to use if the person with AD becomes upset or over-stimulated.

•Try to avoid situations that further confuse or frustrate many people with AD:

◦crowds of people who expect the person with AD to remember them
◦noise, loud conversations or loud music
◦strange or different surroundings
◦changes in light intensity – too bright or too dark
◦over-indulgence in rich or special food or drink (especially alcohol)
◦change in regular routine and sleep patterns

•Try scheduling activities, especially some outdoor exercise, early in the day to avoid the fatigue from added activity at the end of a long day. Familiar holiday music, story-telling, singing or church services (even on TV) may be especially enjoyable.

•If you receive invitations to holiday celebrations which the person with AD cannot attend, GO YOURSELF. Enjoy the chance to be with friends and family who love you and enjoy your company, with or without your relative.

Preparing the Guests

1.Explain as clearly as possible what has happened to the person with AD. Give examples of the unusual behaviors that may take place: incontinence, eating food with fingers, wandering, hallucinations.

2.Explain that it may not be appropriate behavior but the person with AD has a memory loss and does not remember what is expected and acceptable.

3.Remind the visitor through phone calls or letters to be understanding and not to shun the person with AD.

4.If this is the first visit since the person with AD became severely impaired, tell the visitor the visit may be painful. The memory-impaired person may not remember the guest’s name or relationship.

5.Explain that memory loss is the result of the disease and it is not intentional.

6.Stress with the guests that what is important is the meaningfulness of the moment spent together and not what the person remembers.

Preparing the Memory-Impaired Person

1.Begin showing a picture of the guest to the person with AD a week before the arrival.

2.Spend more time each day explaining who the visitor is while showing the picture.

3.Arrange a phone call for the person with AD and the visitor. The conversation may help both. The call gives the visitor an idea what to expect and gives the memory-impaired person an opportunity to familiarize him/herself with the visitor.

4.Keep the memory-impaired person’s routine as close to normal as possible.

5.During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, guard against fatigue and find time for adequate rest.

For more information see: Holiday Visiting Tips, A Message from the Faith Community and Friends of Alzheimer’s Families (PDF, 381KB), prepared by the Duke University Aging Center Family Support Program and the Education Core, Bryan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Duke University Medical Center

For more information about Alzheimer’s Disease, contact:
The Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center:
1-800-438-4380
www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers
e-mail: adear@nia.nih.gov

A Service of the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

MFT Continuing Education

A Flu Vaccine that Lasts

NIH Scientists Consider Prospects for a Universal Influenza Vaccine

WHAT:
The costly, time-consuming process of making, distributing and administering millions of seasonal flu vaccines would become obsolete if researchers could design a vaccine that confers decades-long protection from any flu virus strain. Making such a universal influenza vaccine is feasible but licensing it may require innovation on several fronts, including finding new ways to evaluate the efficacy of vaccine candidates in clinical trials, conclude scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

In a Nature Medicine commentary, authors Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID director, and Gary J. Nabel, M.D., Ph.D., director of the NIAID Vaccine Research Center, contrast the envisioned universal influenza vaccine with today’s seasonal influenza vaccines. Current seasonal flu vaccines prompt immune responses that mimic those made following natural exposure to the flu virus. Both exposure and vaccination elicit antibodies directed at the roundish head portion of a lollypop-shaped flu protein called hemagglutinin (HA). But the composition of HA’s head changes from year to year, gradually becoming unrecognizable to previously made antibodies. Thus, vaccination—which induces antibodies tailored to that year’s HA head region—must be repeated annually to maintain immunity to the virus.

A universal flu vaccine would have to elicit a type of immune response that rarely occurs naturally, note Drs. Fauci and Nabel. A detailed understanding of flu virus structure may make such a vaccine possible, they add. For example, scientists have identified a region of HA’s stem that is shared among diverse strains, and a research group at NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center recently created influenza vaccines that elicit antibodies aimed at this shared region, rather than at the quick-changing head. Animals that received the experimental vaccines were protected from a diverse array of flu virus strains.

In essence, say the authors, thanks to the growing body of knowledge about flu viruses and their interactions with the cells of humans and animals they infect, it may one day be possible to make a universal flu vaccine that improves on nature. They also outline how such a vaccine might proceed through stages of clinical testing and on toward licensing. For example, they sort the 16 known influenza virus subtypes into three tiers based on their likelihood of causing widespread disease in humans. Drs. Fauci and Nabel suggest that vaccine development might be prioritized to produce first-generation universal influenza vaccine candidates that protect against multiple virus strains within the highest priority group. LPC CEUs
For more information about NIAID research on influenza, visit the NIAID flu Web portal.

ARTICLE:
GJ Nabel and AS Fauci. Induction of unnatural immunity: Prospects for a broadly protective universal influenza vaccine. Nature Medicine DOI: nm.2272 (2010).

WHO:
NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and Gary J. Nabel, M.D., Ph.D., director, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, are available to discuss their paper.

CONTACT:
To schedule interviews, please contact Anne A. Oplinger in the NIAID Office of Communications at 301-402-1663 or niaidnews@niaid.nih.gov.

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

December 2010

By presidential proclamation, December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. This month seems particularly suited to this observation because traffic fatalities that involve impaired drivers increase significantly during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods.[i] But impaired driving is a roadway hazard that exists throughout the year. In 2009, nearly 11,000 people were killed in crashes involving impaired drivers[ii]—or about one death every 49 minutes. As a Nation, as communities, and as individuals, we need to take stronger action to help ensure that our roads and those who drive on them remain safe throughout the holidays and every day.

In an average year, 30 million Americans drive drunk, and 10 million Americans drive drugged. SAMHSA’s new survey on impaired driving, State Estimates of Drunk and Drugged Driving, found that nationally 13.2 percent of all people aged 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol and 4.3 percent drove under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year. Some States recorded rates of drunk driving higher than 20 percent.

Furthermore, rates of impaired driving differed dramatically by age. While 11.8 percent of people aged 26 and older drove drunk, 19.5 percent of people aged 16 to 25 drove drunk. While 2.8 percent of the older group drove drugged, 11.4 percent of younger drivers did so.

President Barack Obama has made combating drugged driving a priority of drug control and has set a national goal of reducing drugged driving prevalence by 10 percent by 2015. To help achieve this goal, SAMHSA is working with the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the National Institute of Drug Abuse to develop standard screening methods to help detect the presence of drugs among drivers. SAMHSA also is advancing its primary strategic initiative: to prevent substance abuse and mental illnesses by creating prevention-prepared communities that can reduce the likelihood of these often-related problems and their consequences.

In issuing his proclamation, President Obama asked all Americans “to recommit to preventing the loss of life by practicing safe driving practices and reminding others to be sober, drug free, and safe on the road.” Talk openly about this issue and set a good example for others, especially young people, by making “one for the road” a nonalcoholic beverage. For evidence-based approaches on preventing underage drinking, visit the Too Smart To Start and Stop Underage Drinking Portal of Federal Resources Web sites.

SAMHSA wishes a safe and healthy new year in 2011 to all.


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[i] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2007). Fatalities related to alcohol-impaired driving during the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday periods. Traffic Safety Facts. From

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810870.PDF (accessed December 16, 2010).

[ii] National Criminal Justice Reference Service, U.S. Department of Justice. (2010). Impaired driving. From http://www.ncjrs.gov/impaireddriving (accessed December 16, 2010).

MFT CEUs

Stress Less during the holidays

Too often, the holiday season is a very stressful time, followed by a post-holiday letdown that can take us the rest of the winter to recover from. Learn more about the causes of holiday stress and what you can do to avoid it. MFT Continuing Education
Causes of holiday stress
Many factors can contribute to holiday stress. Some of the most common include:

•Too much of a good thing: eating, drinking and spending too much. An overabundance of parties and gift-giving may lead people to eat, drink and be merry – often to excess. Overindulging in rich foods, alcohol and spending can burden many people with the additional stress of dealing with consequences (weight gain, memories of embarrassing behavior and debt) that linger after the season is over.

•Family fatigue: too much togetherness. The holidays are a time when families tend to gather. While this can be a wonderful thing, even the most close-knit families can overdose on togetherness, making it hard for family members to maintain a healthy balance between family-time and alone-time.

•Not enough togetherness. For those who don’t have family, loneliness can be just as difficult. When everyone else seems to be getting together with family, those who rely more on friends for support can feel left out and alone.

•SAD can make you sad. As daylight diminishes and the weather causes many of us to spend more time indoors, many people are affected to some degree by a type of depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It’s a subtle, but very real condition that can be a source of stress and unhappiness during a time when people expect to feel just the opposite.

Minimizing holiday stress

Unlike many other types of stress, holiday stress is predictable. We can make plans to reduce the amount of stress we experience and the impact it has on us. Here are some tips to help you reduce holiday stress:

•Set your priorities. The flurry of baking, shopping, sending cards, visiting relatives and other activities can leave you exhausted by January. Pick a few favorite activities and really enjoy them. Skip the rest.

•Cut corners. If you can’t imagine the idea of skipping all some of the activities that usually run you ragged, find ways to simplify. For example, only send cards to those you’re in regular contact with or don’t include a personal note in each one.

•Watch your finances. Before you go shopping, plan a reasonable budget for holiday spending. Then, stick to your budget. King County’s Making Life Easier Program can help. The program offers financial consultation on issues such as budgeting and financial planning and 8 free counseling sessions with a licensed professional per problem per year.

•Change your expectations for togetherness. Think back to previous years and try to pinpoint the amount of togetherness with family and friends you can handle before feeling stressed out. Then, look for ways to minimize the stress. Try limiting the number of parties you attend or the time you spend at each. Or, reduce the time you spend with family to an amount that will feel special without leaving you exhausted.

•Nurture your heart. If holidays tend to make you feel lonely or depressed, make plans to meet with a friend, spiritual leader or counselor to get the support you need. If virtually everyone you know is with family during the holidays, consider volunteering to help others. Helping others can be rewarding and help fill the void you may be feeling.

•Take care of yourself. Your holiday plans should include steps to take care of your physical and emotional health. Remember to get enough sleep and eat nutritiously. Also, be sure to exercise daily if possible. Exercise and exposure to daylight can help reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of SAD.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year, experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer,spring or autumn, repeatedly, year after year. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), SAD is not a unique mood disorder, but is "a specifier of major depression". Once regarded skeptically by the experts, seasonal affective disorder is now well established. Epidemiological studies estimate that its prevalence in the adult population of the US ranges from 1.4 percent (Florida) to 9.7 percent (New Hampshire). Social Worker Continuing Education
The US National Library of Medicine notes that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up."[4] The condition in the summer is often referred to as reverse seasonal affective disorder, and can also include heightened anxiety.

SAD was first formally described and named in 1984 by Norman E. Rosenthal and colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health.

There are many different treatments for classic (winter-based) seasonal affective disorder, including light therapy with sunlight or bright lights, antidepressant medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, ionized-air administration,and carefully timed supplementation of the hormone melatonin.

Symptoms

Symptoms of SAD may consist of difficulty waking up in the morning, morning sickness, tendency to oversleep as well as to overeat, and especially a craving for carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain. Other symptoms include a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on completing tasks, and withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities. All of this leads to the depression, pessimistic feelings of hopelessness, and lack of pleasure which characterize a person suffering from this disorder.

Diagnostic criteria

According to the American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV criteria, Seasonal Affective Disorder is not regarded as a separate disorder. It is called a "course specifier" and may be applied as an added description to the pattern of major depressive episodes in patients with major depressive disorder or patients with bipolar disorder. The "Seasonal Pattern Specifier" must meet four criteria: depressive episodes at a particular time of the year; remissions or mania/hypomania at a characteristic time of year; these patterns must have lasted two years with no nonseasonal major depressive episodes during that same period; and these seasonal depressive episodes outnumber other depressive episodes throughout the patient's lifetime. The Mayo Clinic describes three types of SAD, each with its own set of symptoms. In the popular culture, sometimes the term "seasonal affective disorder" is applied inaccurately to the normal shift to lower energy levels in winter, leading people to believe they have a physical problem that should be addressed with various therapies or drugs.

Physiology

Seasonal mood variations are believed to be related to light. An argument for this view is the effectiveness of bright-light therapy. SAD is measurably present at latitudes in the Arctic region, such as Finland (64º 00´N) where the rate of SAD is 9.5%. Cloud cover may contribute to the negative effects of SAD.

The symptoms of SAD mimic those of dysthymia or even major depressive disorder. There is also potential risk of suicide in some patients experiencing SAD. One study reports 6-35% of sufferers required hospitalization during one period of illness. At times, patients may not feel depressed, but rather lack energy to perform everyday activities.

Various proximate causes have been proposed. One possibility is that SAD is related to a lack of serotonin, and serotonin polymorphisms could play a role in SAD, although this has been disputed. Mice incapable of turning serotonin into N-acetylserotonin (by Serotonin N-acetyltransferase) appear to express "depression-like" behavior, and antidepressants such as fluoxetine increase the amount of the enzyme Serotonin N-acetyltransferase, resulting in an antidepressant-like effect. Another theory is that the cause may be related to melatonin which is produced in dim light and darkness by the pineal gland, since there are direct connections, via the retinohypothalamic tract and the suprachiasmatic nucleus, between the retina and the pineal gland.

Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder is a milder form of SAD experienced by an estimated 14.3% (vs. 6.1% SAD) of the U.S. population. The blue feeling experienced by both SAD and SSAD sufferers can usually be dampened or extinguished by exercise and increased outdoor activity, particularly on sunny days, resulting in increased solar exposure. Connections between human mood, as well as energy levels, and the seasons are well documented, even in healthy individuals. Mutation of a gene expressing melanopsin has been implicated in the risk of having Seasonal Affective Disorder.