I recently had an enlightening conversation with a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor.
We briefly and candidly discussed my life, and focused on my anger issues stemming from my childhood. There were some of what I presumed to be the usual Q&A prior to this type of discussion:
- Grow up in a “normal” home with both parents present most or all the time? Yes.
- Parents get along okay? Seemed like it. Never saw them fight or argue; presented a united front.
- Siblings? Yes, five brothers and one sister.
- Get along with each other okay? Sometimes, but plenty of bickering and fighting.
- Abuse drugs or alcohol growing up? Nope; no interest or desire to experiment.
- Parents or siblings use or abuse drugs or alcohol? Use for sure; abuse, not sure.
When asked why I fought a lot in primary school, I answered: “Before going to school, I was outside all day long. In school, I hated being penned up in a classroom all day. The payback for my bad behavior was notes home from school, and some physically persuasive ‘counseling’ from my dad when he got home from work.”
School Wasn’t for Me
I didn’t care for the confines of a school classroom, nor did I like my father’s approach to modifying my behavior. Middle school and the opportunity to move around more, inside and outside, cured my primary school misdemeanors. It was a simpler life with fairly simple solutions.
Fast forward to our present-day society. We’re hyper focused on EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY and the perils associated with information overload and sensory overload have manifested themselves in many ways.
The worst and most talked about manifestation concern alcohol and drug abuse.
A Simpler Life Can Be Hard Today
Our Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, released a report entitled “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health.” It’s an alarming report:
- Substance misuse is a major public health challenge.
- Over 20 million Americans – roughly six percent of our total population – have substance use disorders.
- 78 people die every day in the United States from an opioid overdose; that number having nearly quadrupled since 1999.
- The addiction problem touches all ages and affects us all.
The report provides additional and useful information for positive change:
- There is “a neurobiological basis for substance use disorders with potential for both recovery and recurrence.”
- Recovery “has many pathways that should be tailored to fit the unique cultural values and psychological and behavioral health needs of each individual.”
- Our response to this crisis is a moral test for America.
Setting aside the most recent moral test for America – the 2016 presidential debates and election – let’s focus on this moral crisis that’s been in the making for a long time. We need to examine it thoughtfully.
My ‘No Brainer’ Ideas
I take a common-sense approach to most things in my life, and here are my “no brainer” suggestions for our addiction problem, with a focus on ages birth to late teens/early 20s.
- Institute a simple, cost effective neurological exam for all our “newer model” Americans:
- Infants
- Toddlers, preschoolers, school age children, and adolescents.
- If it’s not already happening, require our education system to provide substance abuse prevention education. Make the material compelling and informative to captivate and educate everyone.
- Institute life skills-based training to support child development and promote overall health.
I equate the neurological exam to taking a new car in for its first maintenance. The substance abuse prevention education is like the maintenance checks you have performed every 10,000 miles thereafter. When you do this, your car is reliable and works better. Why not consider simple, cost effective, and preventive maintenance for our youth?
Of all the things I’ve done in my life, I’d place life skills-based training consistently at the top of “most valuable.”
For me, it began in pre-school with playing outside all the time. It continued with school activities, which were educational and inclusive, and participating in community sports. It included music, dance lessons, church, then college, service to country as a Navy SEAL, and most recently, coaching future SEALs.
Now that I’m older, do I still participate in life skills-based training? You bet! Along with everything else I do, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It keeps me balanced, it’s fun, and I thrive on a healthy challenge.
If your experience is minimal, or it’s been too long; it’s not too late. Go for it!
As Albert Einstein said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
Never stop learning. Time to challenge yourself and immerse in something new and exciting and you just might find it transformational.
