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Strong EAPEmployee Assistance Program August 2010Know aboutColorectal CancerIf you don’t smoke, what cancerpresents the highest risk, evenif you feel healthy as an ox?Answer: colorectal cancer(CRC). CRC is the leading causeof cancer deaths in the UnitedStates among nonsmokers.The good news is that CRCdeaths are dropping because ofeducation and the willingnessof people to get screened for it.Nearly 50% of people between50 and 75 years of age have notbeen screened for CRC. Whatabout you? Don’t procrastinatewith this one. Talk to yourdoctor or health care providerto learn about screeningoptions, how early you shouldget screened, associated risk,and your next steps. Avoidbeing one of the 140,000people diagnosed each yearwith CRC. Source: Centers forDisease Control, Press Release,July 6, 2010Strong EAP550 White Spruce Blvd,Rochester, NY 14623(585) 475-0432 • 1-888-764-3456www.urmc.rochester.edu/EAPNew Information on Inhalant AbuseResearch shows that a 12-year-oldwill more likely use an inhalant to gethigh or to feel good than any othersubstance except alcohol, includingcigarettes, marijuana, hallucinogens,cocaine, or prescription drugs. Thissame pattern was found among bothgirls and boys. Inhalants are legal,everyday products—such as spraypaints, glue, and gasoline—the vaporsof which can be inhaled intentionallyBinge Drinking and the Young BrainCould binge drinking and its effect oncognition be the cause of the surprisingdecline in the academic performanceof your college student? The AmericanMedical Association has compiledevidence that the brains of teenagersand young adults are more sensitiveto the negative effects of alcohol frombinge drinking than those of matureadults. The brain is still growing at thisto get high. When they are used asinhalants, these substances can bedangerous or deadly. Some indicatorsof inhalant abuse may include hidingrags or empty containers of the abusedproducts in one’s room/closet, unusualbodily odors, dazed looks, or dizziness.Source: National Survey on Drug Useand Health, 2010 and Consumer ProductSafety Commission: A Parent’s Guide toPreventing Inhalant Abuse, #389age, and researchers noted that youngbinge drinkers do worse on memory,learning, and thinking tests. Girls doworse on spatial relations and boys doworse on attention. Source: AmericanMedical Association’s Report onAlcohol’s Adverse Effects on the Brainsof Children, Adolescents, and CollegeStudents, 2009.Talking to Children and Youth about the Oil SpillDisasterLike other national and internationaldisasters that get significant mediaattention, the grief, loss, and changecaused by the oil spill disaster can leavechildren feeling frightened, confused,and insecure. Children may experiencepersonal consequences of the oil spillthrough their family or community,watch it on television, or overhear itbeing discussed by adults. Parents andeducators can respond to emotional orphysical reactions with the help of a newresource, “Tips for Talking to Childrenand Youth About the Oil Spill.” Searchand find it at www.Samsha.gov. Source/Search: “Tips for Talking to Childrenand Youth About the Oil Spill Disaster”,www.Samhsa.gov

Just Do It: ExplainedYou’ve heard of the “just do it”motivation technique. Most people donot understand that there are two partsto this simple “take action” strategy.Whether it’s sticking to an exerciseprogram or trying to clean out a messygarage, this technique can get youmoving if you remember these two steps:1) visualize yourself doing the task whilesimultaneously acting on it and, just ascritical, 2) avoid trying to “motivate” or“psych” yourself into wanting to do it.Tempted to Quit Your Job?A lot of people have the impulse toquit their jobs out of anger, but if theurge ever strikes in the heat of themoment, cool down by considering: 1)You’re angry now, but will you be ableto work with the people around yougoing forward? 2) Can your employeeassistance program help you examineissues you are facing that are promptinga desire to quit? 3) What are thechances that things will change or canbe changed for the better soon? (i.e.the environment, coworkers, ability tohandle the event that you are facingExercise for Brawn and BrainExercise is not underrated, but it isundersold. Physical stamina, strength,and endurance are all known benefitsof exercise. But what about increasedmental acuity, building neuropathways,improved mental stamina, and improvedcognitive functioning? It’s all there.Research increasingly points to theTrying to motivate yourself underminesyour goal. Why? It is difficult toovercome resistance to something yourbrain knows is inherently “painful”.Instead, win over this resistance withsuccess and feel motivated as a result oftaking action. Use this strategy with youraction goals and you’ll find with practicethat “just doing it” works. Source:Why Can’t I Change, available at www.thinkingthingsdone.com.at this moment, etc.) 4) Is this the jobthat can take you forward toward yourgoals? 5) What immediate needs doesit fill? Suddenly quitting a job is notlike in a TV show. Almost always, thestakes are high if you quit and enter apool of other job seekers while losingthe potential of a positive reference.Consider your options. Avoid theemotional anguish, relationship stressat home, and the financial impactof suddenly leaving your employer,especially if you do not have anotherjob lined up.benefits of exercise for improvedbrain functioning. If increased physicalstamina alone isn’t enough to get youmoving and shaking, knowing thatit may help you think better shouldgive you second thoughts! Source:Womenshealth.gov, Search: “FitnessBoosts Brain Power”.Dealing with Grief—Some Dos and Don’tsGrief is painful, but it is a naturalpart of healing from loss. Ifyou learned, while growingup, that feelings should notbe shared, you may find griefadditionally challenging. Notall grief involves the death of aloved one. You can experiencegrief from the loss of health; ateenager growing up and leavinghome; a change in life status; nolonger feeling safe after a violentincident; loss of possessions; ora change in environment, likea neighborhood you’ve movedaway from. Grief doesn’t comewith instructions, but if it did,it might include the following:1) Do talk about what you’refeeling, even if it’s hard toidentify what you’re feeling whenyou experience loss. 2) Do believethat it is OK to ask loved ones forhelp and support. 3) Do take careof your daily responsibilities soyou do not later feel even moreoverwhelmed. 4) Do try to getregular exercise. 5) Do eat healthyfoods and get plenty of sleep.6) Do not use alcohol to manageemotions related to grief. 7) Dostick with your routine or getback to it soon. 8) Do considerpostponing important decisionsin the acute stages of grief. 9)Do believe that a professionalcounselor can be a source ofsupport, even one without asimilar grief experience.Strong EAP550 White Spruce Blvd,Rochester, NY 14623(585) 475-0432 • 1-888-764-3456www.urmc.rochester.edu/EAP