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HEALTH
NEW HEALTH STAFF
Mary Brickcll has been hired as the Tribal Health Clerk.
Mary is 21 years old and lives in Willamina.. She will be
taking phone calls for the health staff when they are
working away from the office. Mary will also be sched
uling appointments for the Tribal Health Clinic.
Margaret Provost, Alcohol PreventionEducation
Counselor, started to work on December 14, 1987.
Margaret will be busy locating Indian children in grades
K -12. She will be doing presentations in the schools
and the community on alcoholism and Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome. If you have any questions call Margaret at
879-5211.
Welcome Mary & Margaret!!!
ALCOHOL PROGRAM
The Alcohol program is now in full swing. The office is
open and we are accepting referrals from different
agencies throughout the six county service area.
I want to take the opportunity to invite you fellow tribal
members to come by and have a cup of coffee and look
us over. My office is open to al of you. If you have any
questions, I'll do my best to answer them. My office
hours are 8 to 5 Monday Thursday.
Come on by and lets get to know each other so that I
might serve you better.
Have a really good year!
Don't Drink and Drive!
Monte Ring
Alcohol Counselor
MYTHS AND REALITY OF
ALCOHOLISM
ALCOHOLISM
A chronic, primary, hereditary disease which progresses
from an early physiological susceptibility into an addic
tion characterized by tolerance changes, physiological
dependence, and loss of control over drinking. Psycho
logical symptoms are secondary to the physiological
disease and not relevant to its onset.
Alcoholism is known to be a true physiological disease,
which transforms its victims, leaving them with little or
no control.
Alcoholics are not morally or psychologically defective
people, but innocent victims of a chronic and progressive
disease.
The Myth and the Reality
MYTH: Alcohol is predominantly a sedative or depres
sant drug.
REALITY: Alcohol's pharmacological effects change
with the amount drunk. In small quantities alcohol is a
stimulant. In large quantities, alcohol acts as a seda
tive. In all amounts, however, alcohol provides a rich
and potent source of calories and energy.
MYTH: Alcohol has the same chemical and physiologi
cal effect on everyone who drinks.
REALITY: Alcohol, like every other food we take into
our bodies, affects different people in different ways.
MYTH: Addiction to alcohol is often psychological.
REALITY: Addiction to alcohol is primarily physiologi
cal. Alcoholics become addicted because their bodies
are physiologically incapable of processing alcohol
normally.
MYTH: People become alcoholics because they have
psychological or emotional problems which they try to
relieve by drinking.
REALITY: Alcoholics have the same psychological and
emotional problems as everyone else before they start
drinking. These problems are aggravated, however, by
their addiction to alcohol. Alcoholism undermines and ,
weakens the alcoholic's ability to cope with the normal
problems of living. Furthennore.the alcoholics's
emotions become inflamed both when he drinks exces
sively and when he stops drinking. Thus, when he is
drinking and when he is abstinent, he will feel angry,
fearful, and depressed in exaggerated degrees, m
MYTH: If people would only drink responsibly, they
would not become alcoholics.
REALITY: Many responsible drinkers become alcohol
ics. Then, because it is the nature of the disease (not the
person), they begin to drink irresponsibly.
REPORT CITES INDIAN
HEALTH PROBLEMS
A new state study shows that Indians have higher birth
rates and infant death rates than most other Oregonians,
that they are far more likely to die from accidents,
alcoholism and murder, and that their deaths occur at a
much earlier age.
The 45 page study, one of a series of Oregon Health
Division reports on the health of minority groups,
presents a generally bleak picture of Indian health,
particularly for infants and young adults:
Indian infants are 40.4 percent more likely to die during
their first year of life than infants of other races. Almost
half of the Indian infants who died were born to women
who had not received adequate prenatal care. Indian
mothers are more than twice as likely as other mothers
to be in so-called "high risk" categories under 18 years
of age, unmarried and receiving inadequate prenatal
care.
Younger Indians - those between 15 and 44 years of age
- are far more likely to die than are people in the
general population. The death rate for that age group is
87.8 percent higher than for all Oregonians.
The study shows that more Indians die from from
accidents than from cancer, stroke, diabetes, birth
defects and lung disease combined. Accidents, mostly
traffic accidents, account for about one in five Indian
deaths compared with one in 17 for all Oregonians.
Doug Hutchinson, executive director of the Oregon
Commission on Indian Services, said he is not surprised
by the statistics. " ; ;
"They are pretty much in line with historic state and
federal figures," he said. "Unfortunately Indians have
always been leaders in the negative indicators of the
good life, and at the bottom in the positive aspects."
The Health Division said it intends to convene a meeting
of a group of Indian health providers "to discuss the
implications of the report."
"To improve their health status, attempts must be made
to provide more family planning and prenatal care
clinics, as well as child care services and alcohol treat
ment programs," the division said.
from The Oregonian
WEIGHT LOSS CONTEST
The beginning of a new year usually brings thoughts of
behavior changes. For example, "I will lose the weight
that I gamed over the holidays".
The Tribal Health Program is holding a weight loss
contest starting the first week of January.
A lunch will be served for participants on January 7,
1988 at the Tribal Office.
Contest rules are:
MARATHON
The Walflht ContMt antra LUSCHS Unite flRST I
J2UUa0 8t: J.un Onrlut-Aiur.. np.HFH; Luuiun Tancon.-.. CUM: K-tlilmn q...fU--, "'I. "11
CRMS 1, Regiatratlon will ba accepted January 4-4. Each peroonteaa aliould
Elfnof actaxfala an apeotntaent with tha coordinator to act wtiylit goale. All
participant Mil receive Lifeetyle Kit.
1. Diabetica and othere with apaoial aadical concema ahould coneult with
thalr doctor prior to registration.
). rabroary 1 (am participant will haw a chanoa ta revlee their goal.
rmw 4. Nonary will ba tha final walgM-ln.
UM
I. X fraud prlM will ba givtn to tht taaa earning tha aoet polnte in a two
AU aonth pariod. A prise will la awardud to tha Individual carniirg tha want
TMIS aura In tha whola two aonth pariod. Four Individual! will receive an
iKoorable amtion.
TSAHIIO i. Teaaa of four ptopla will chooaa a nana. Tha taaa aeabore will ba
UP nunbtrod II, 1, , 41 ao that wtlojit and ooale can ba kapt eecret. Tea
poinu and individual atara will bt poatad aach weak In tha creak root
(no wtiohta will ba lletedl.
Wliat-U 1. Every peraon auat weigh-in. Scaring la aa followa:
1 for reaching goal ! for not welghlng-ln
0 for. not reaching opal 0 for going over goal
ecoaaenM goal la a weight loaa of 1 to 1 pounda par week (12 pound
grace ia allowadl.
I. Each participant trill weigh-In every Monday before S pa on the acale
provided U the Tribal Health Office
. t. Individuate loaing arm than lot of their Ideal Body Height in 1 aonth
will be diaauallflad. (Thia ia oonaiderad aedically unsafe.) Unaound
dieting la not allowed.
10. All partielpanta agree to donate .00 for prtjae. The donation auat be
aade prior to January U.
11. lack participant la allowed to call tha nutritionist for Information
during the oontaot. Health tlpa will ba given each week.
12. tech peraon la encouraged to rely or taaa asatare for eupport and to
provide aupport foe your fellow tea tea. Try to touch baaea regularly.
11. native kaerlcana and ataff at Indian Prograaa say participate.
Individual, at their Ideal body weight are not eligible to participate.
AU Individuate in which weight loae le aedically oontraindicated ate not
eligible. Participants auat be II yeata of age or older.
14.
Participation la Halted to ao people.
- at. Tribal Health MU
to-ardlnatori: Taaa, fry and lomtt ftirtls