*-Table of Contents-*

• 12 ways to show your parents...
• If you live with someone who drinks too much or uses drugs.
• Sleep Information.
• 17 Ways to Manage Stress
• 7 Warning Signs of a Drinking Problem
• 9 Symptoms of Major Depression

12 Ways to Show Your Parents What a Fine, Upstanding, Totally Responsible Person You Really Are.

1. Get things clear.  Be sure that you and your parents agree to existing limits, rules, and expectations--what they are mad what they mean.
   
   
2. Make lists of agreed-upon responsibilities.  Post them where everyone can see them.  There'll be no question whether Tuesday is your night to do dishes or take out the trash, or whether mowing the lawn is something you do for money or as part of your chores.
   
   
3. Make contracts.  Write out the precise understandings, obligations, and conditions underlying agreements and commitments between you and your parents.
   
   
4. Come up with a schedule.  This is an especially good idea if you're the forgetful type.
   
   
5. When in doubt, check it out.  Why risk trouble just because of confusion or misunderstanding? Ask for clarification if you don't understand a rule or expectation.
   
   
6. Observe your own behavior.  Often, there are patterns to a person's irresponsible behaviors.  Analyze yourself.  Do you tend to goof up only in certain areas? If so, why? If you can discover patterns, you can find solutions.
   
   
7. Write yourself a note.  Leave it in a place so obvious that it screams to be noticed.
   
   
8. Do it NOW.  The longer you put something off, the greater the chance you'll forget it, or something else will come along to entice you away.  Get it over with--whether it's a chore, a phone call, a practice session, or an appointment.
   
   
9. Take the bull by the horns.  Be active.  Don't let problems occur through passivity or inattention.  Responsibility exists; look for it, talk about it, and ask your parents to be specific when they accuse you of being irresponsible.
   
   
10. Give advance notice.  Anticipate problems so you can work out solutions ahead of time.  Example: If you agree to baby-sit your little brother next Friday night and you've just been invited to a party at the same time, don't wait until Friday afternoon to say you can't baby-sit.  Bring it up as early as you can.  You'll avoid looking irresponsible and inconsiderate, and you'll increase the chances that plans can be changed.
    
    
11. Get in trouble for a good reason.  If you're going to be labeled irresponsible, try to be irresponsible on a high plane of behavior--one where you take an action based on careful consideration, high principle, and integrity.  Make sure your parents realize that the course you charted was a conscious choice and not mindless stupidity.
    
    
12. Make that call.  When you don't turn up on schedule, it's parent nature to assume the worst: you've been kidnapped, murdered, mugged, or drugged.  By the time you get home your parents will be so worried that they'll want to kill you.  All of this can be avoided with one phone call.  This doesn't mean you're a baby checking in.  It means you're smart enough to know what's in your own best interests, which in this case happens to coincide with your parents' best interests.  If you simply lost track of time, call anyway.

If You Live With Someone Who Drinks Too Much or Uses Drugs

1. One in four kids under the age 18 lives in a family where a person abuses alcohol or suffers from alcoholism.  Countless others are affected by family member's use of drugs.  So you are not alone.
   
   
2. Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a disease.  When one member of the family has this disease, all family members are affected.
   
   
3. You didn't cause it, you can't cure it.  You need and deserve help for yourself.
   
   
4. It's important to find caring adults who can help you.  Talking with them really helps.  Find an adult--a teacher, school counselor or nurse, friend's parent, doctor, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or neighbor--who will listen and help you deal with problems at home.
   
   
5. Join a support group.  They're great places to meet other young people who are struggling with the same problems at home that you face.  To find a local support group, talk to your school counselor or social worker.  Or join Alateen, a group for teens who are affected by someone else's alcohol or drug use.  To find a meeting near you, look in the phone book under Alateen, ask your school counselor, clergy person, or another adult you trust, visit the Web site (www.alateen.org), or call 1-888-425-2666 toll-free.
   
   
6. Get involved in activities at school and in the community where you can hang out with other young people, use your special talents and strengths, and learn new skills while you are having fun.
   
   
7. Even if the person with the disease doesn't get help, you can still get the help you need to feel better and to have a safe and productive life.

Sleep Information

Most adolescents and teens today are sleep deprived.  If you’re one of them, try these tips from the National Sleep Foundation.  For more information, go to www.sleepfoundation.org

1. Sleep is food for the brain.  Get enough of it and get it when you need it.  Even mild sleepiness can hurt your performance-from taking school exams to playing sports or video games.  Lack of sleep can make you look tired and feel depressed, irritable and angry.

2.      Keep consistency in mind.  Establish a regular bedtime and waketime schedule and maintain it during weekends and school (or work) vacations.  Don’t stray from your schedule frequently, and never do so for two or more consecutive nights.  If you must go off schedule, avoid delaying your bedtime by more than one hour, awaken the next day within two hours of your regular schedule, and, if you are sleepy during the day, take an early afternoon nap.

3. Learn how much sleep you need to function at your best.  You should awaken refreshed, not tired.  Most adolescents need between 8.5 and 9.25 hours of sleep each night.  Know when you need to get up in the morning, then calculate when you need to go to sleep to get at least 8.5 hours of sleep a night.

4. Get into bright light as soon as possible in the morning, but avoid it in the evening.  The light helps to signal the brain when it should wake up and when it should prepare to sleep.

5. Understand your circadian rhythm.  Then, you can try to maximize your schedule throughout the day according to your internal clock.  For example, to compensate for your “slump (sleepy) times”, participate in stimulating activities or classes that are interactive, and avoid lecture classes or potentially unsafe activities, including driving.

6. After lunch (or after noon), stay away from coffee, tea  colas and other beverages with caffeine, and nicotine, which are all stimulants.  Also avoid alcohol, which disrupts sleep.

7. Relax before going to bed.  Avoid heavy reading, studying and computer games within one hour of going to bed.  Don’t fall asleep with the television on---flickering light and stimulating content can inhibit restful sleep.  If you work hours during the week, try to avoid working night hours.  If you work until 9:30pm, for example, you will need to plan time to “chill out” before going to sleep.

17 Ways to Manage Stress

1.     Be active.  Exercise lifts your spirits and helps you feel more relaxed.

2.     Eat right.  A healthy, well-nourished body is a better stress-fighter.

3.     Avoid caffeine.  It can make you feel edgy and tense.

4.     Get enough sleep. It’s hard to deal with stress when you’re tired and run-down.

5.     Express your feelings.  Talk about them.  Write about them.  Stuffing or ignoring your feelings can add to your stress.

6.     Laugh it up.  Laughter reduces stress.

7.     Know how to relax.  Learn and practice relaxation techniques—deep breathing, meditation, tensing and releasing your muscles—and other ways to calm down when stress strikes.

8.     Get organized.  Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place.  Then you won’t get stressed-out trying to remember where you left your books, your keys, or something else you need right now.

9.     Simplify.  Are you cramming too much into your days, nights and weekends?  Prioritize your activities.  Start saying no.  Make time for yourself—for things you like to do.  Including, sometimes, doing nothing at all.

10. Build strong relationships.  Family members and friends can be your support network when things get too stressful.

11. Be a planner.  Get a calendar and write down your projects, test dates, and other important stuff.  Make a homework and study schedule you can follow.  Planning will help you feel more in control of your life.

12. Talk about your problems.  Find someone you trust and can talk to.  Share your problems.  Ask for help when you need it.

13. Don’t sweat the small stuff.  Figure out what really matters and let other things go.

14. Get a new attitude.  Try seeing your problems and pressures from another perspective.  Learn to accept the things you can’t change.

15. Forgive your own mistakes.  Are you hard on yourself whenever you mess up?  Tell yourself that mistakes are learning experiences.  At least you know what not to do next time.

16. Be yourself.  Trying to be something or someone you’re not can be stressful.

17. Be happy with what you have.  Instead of thinking about everything you want, think about what you already have.  Maybe it’s enough.

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