The Science of Resiliency: Keys to Communication. Prevention Advocacy Service

Transcription

1 The Science of Resiliency: Keys to Communication Prevention Advocacy Service

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4 Keys to Resiliency

5 Communication is Key Children who learn about the risks of alcohol drugs from their parents are much less likely to use them. Yet a third of teens have never had a serious discussion with their parents about the dangers of alcohol or drug use and only one in seven have had an in-depth conversation with their parents about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

6 Early on, establish an open dialogue on a variety of topics with your children. Make your expectations about substance use clear to your children. Make talking with your children about substance use a natural part of your continuing discussion with them, rather than just a onetime event. When discussing alcohol and other drugs, be honest and focus on the facts appropriate to your child s developmental stage. Use news events, TV shows, videos on the internet, or real-life occurrences as teaching opportunities. If your child asks about your history of substance use, don t lie, but first focus your response on your child and why he or she is asking.

7 Family Time is Key Simply put, the more often children eat dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs. Since 1996, this finding has been confirmed year after year by CASA surveys as well as other prevention surveys. The nightly ritual of a family dinner gives families a relaxed, nourishing context for coming together, connecting, and communicating. Additionally, parents who dine with their children every night know where their kids are in the evening and whether homework has been done. They get a sense of what s on their kids minds, who their kids friends are, what their kids are interested in, and how their moods change.

8 What if I can t make dinner happen? Share every available meal on the weekends. Have breakfast together. Take your child out to lunch once a week or once in a while. Go for walks together after work/school or on the weekends. Take advantage of one-on-one time in the car; offer to drive your kids to or from school, to their activities, friends houses, movies. Take mini-holidays together, such as afternoon trips to visit family, or go to museums, parks, or other towns. Have family meetings. Don t overschedule your child s after-school activities, and don t let those activities take away time from family dinners.

9 Brain Development is Key The adolescent years are a critical window of risk for substance use disorders, because the brain is still developing and some brain areas are less mature than others. The parts of the brain that process feelings of reward and pain crucial drivers of drug use are the first to mature during childhood while the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for risk assessment, making decisions, and controlling impulses typically doesn t mature until the mid-20s

10 Everyday rewards during adolescence such as hanging out with friends, listening to music, and playing sports cause the release of the chemical Dopamine in moderate amounts. Dopamine is believed to be a teaching signal that helps the brain learn to repeat behaviors that are pleasurable. All of the substances of abuse nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opioids increase the levels of dopamine in the brain and hijack this process. The high produced by drugs represents a flooding of the brain s reward circuits with much more dopamine than natural rewards generate.

11 Amygdala Serotonin levels decrease during emotional intensity Limited interaction of the triumvirate brain

12 Brain Nutrient Deficiencies Omega-3 supports synaptic plasticity Omega-3 is essential for normal brain function. Omega-3 has membrane-enhancing capabilities in brain allowing vital molecules to pass through. Omega-3 seems to have its impact on the brain by increasing cell communication and brain function. Omega-3 fatty acids can not be synthesized by humans, requiring a dependence on dietary sources

13 Omega 6:3 ratio should be 3 to 1 In the US, the ratio is as high as 20:1 Dennis Embry, 2010 Paxis Institute

14 Dennis Embry, 2010 Paxis Institute

15 Humans evolved to walk 5 to 12 miles per day for survival. Achieving these survival goals involves the reward centers of the brain, including releasing dopamine in the brain, signaling pleasure. We barely move.5 to 1.2 miles per day, thanks to electronic media, lack of recess activity, and fear of crime in neighborhoods. Without movement, our brain reward centers do not fire properly. When our brain reward centers are not stimulated, we fail to learn and depression sets in, requiring bigger and bigger signals for humans to feel any pleasure or reward.

16 Dennis Embry, 2010

17 Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor is a chemical produced in the brain that is important for energy homeostasis. The act of movement releases BDNF, which can be described as brain fertilizer. BDNF wires the brain to remember how the reward center was activated. Thus, the more you move to get rewards, the more you remember.

18 Dennis Embry, 2010 Paxis Institute

19 Sleep is Key A lack of sleep can have serious consequences on our brain. During the sleep, the brain does some housekeeping tasks, clearing things that aren t important, storing crucial information learned, and restoring the nerves networks to wake up again ready for a brand new day. But sleeping less means that we re depriving our brain of its essential needs and we will struggle on our activities during the day.

20 We get 1 hour of sleep less than we did 30 years ago. Data going back 100 years shows that we are sleeping 20% less than we did then. 1 hr of sleep = loss of 2 years cognitive maturation & development. Circadian system phase shifts in adolescents keeping them up later. Light Pollution especially LED lights.. One increased hour of sleep decreases teenage car crashes by 25%

21 Less than 8 hours of sleep = a 300% higher rate of obesity than those who get 10 hours of sleep. Odds of obesity went up significantly for each hour of loss sleep. Sleep loss increases hormone ghrelin (hunger) and decreases leptin (fullness) and increases cortisol (stress). Neuropeptides that communicate a need for food and a need for sleep overlap.

22 Technology Technology poses distinct challenges for us as parents and for our children s development and safety.

23 Issues Surrounding Technology Use Relationships and Social Skills Issues The overuse of mobile devices can be harmful to children s health due to a lack of physical activity. Being online can be dangerous (Bullying, predators) Mobile device overuse reduce sleep quality children learn by watching us how to have a conversation, how to read other people s facial expressions. And if that s not happening, children are missing out on important development milestones.. (aprosodia)

24 Protecting your child Make sure your child knows they can come and talk to you Always seek legal counsel if your feel your child is in trouble Don t sneak around looking at your child s phone, do it openly with them. Technology Curfew

25 Safety Know who they are communicating with Limit social networking sites Discuss digital footprints Keep identifying information private Continually engage your child in critical conversations

26 60 min physical activity per day 2 hours or less recreational screen time per day 9 11 hours of sleep per night in children aged 8 11 years. Associations between 24 hour movement behaviours and global cognition in US children: a cross-sectional observational study- The Lancet

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