Suicide Prevention

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Suicide Prevention May 10, 2011 I will never forget the first time I learned what suicide was. I was in 5th grade and a young girl was explaining how her mother had passed away. It was inconceivable to me and I remember feeling completely devastated, shocked, and confused. I was just barely beginning to grasp the concept that my Mom wouldn’t be here forever, and now this? “How is that even possible?” When I look back at my childhood, I usually find it humorous – the way I thought the world was. I thought all babies came from just a kiss. I thought that police officers could hear you through the radio in your car, so I always behaved extra good. (Now that I think about it, that was probably a scare tactic form my parents). I thought that my Mom made peanut butter toast by spreading on the peanut butter and then putting it in the toaster. I could go on and on about the way I perceived the world and the way things worked when I was a child. Now that I’ve grown-up, my perception and understanding of nearly everything has changed. I understand that we don’t live forever, I know where babies come from and I learned the hard way about peanut butter toast. But I still feel the same way about suicide as I did on that playground at recess in 5th Grade; devastated, shocked, and confused. Whenever suicide enters my life through work, the news, or personally it is still inconceivable. Please read this week’s article to learn how to spot signs of suicidal behavior, what questions to ask, and where to get help. As always, MINES is here for you. Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Psychology of Performance – 20 – Early Attachment and Adult Performance Implications

Our early attachments to our primary caregivers may have significant implications for our ability to perform throughout our lives. The good news is that there are mindfulness techniques that can help integrate the information and energy associated with the various attachment categories so that as adults our performance does not have to be limited by the early learning associated with these attachments.

Siegel &  Hartzell, M.Ed., (2003, p.102-112) in their book, Parenting from the Inside Out, describe four patterns of attachment derived from the work of researchers such as Mary Ainsworth, Mary Main, and Erik Hesse, among others. As infants we most likely have one of the following patterns (which can vary by caregiver): Secure, Insecure-Avoidant, Insecure-Anxious/Ambivalent, or Insecure-Disorganized.

Secure attachments are described as having a parental interactive pattern characterized by the parent being emotionally available, perceptive, and responsive. The child sees the parent as being a source of comfort during times of distress, a safe haven, being available, and a secure base. This creates a sense of well being from which the child can go into the world to “explore and make new connections with others” (p.104).

Insecure-Avoidant patterns are associated with parents who are emotionally unavailable, imperceptive, unresponsive, and rejecting. These children avoid closeness and emotional connections to the parent (p.104).

Insecure-Ambivalent patterns are described as having parents who are inconsistently available, perceptive, and responsive and intrusive. The child cannot depend on the parent for attunement and connection. The child develops a sense of anxiety and uncertainty about whether they can depend on their parents (p.105).

Insecure-Disorganization patterns are created by parents who are frightening, frightened, chaotic, disorienting, and alarming to the child. This pattern is often associated with abuse. This creates a situation in which abuse is incompatible with a sense of security. The child develops coping responses that lead to difficulties in regulating emotions, trouble in social communication, difficulties with academic reasoning tasks, a tendency toward interpersonal violence, and a predisposition to dissociation – a process in which normally integrated cognition becomes fragmented (p. 106).

The good news is that for those with insecure attachments there are mindfulness techniques described in Siegel’s book, Mindsight, that can help the individual integrate the insecure attachment memories, patterns, and information in a manner that frees them up from “automatically or habitually” engaging in the pattern in their adult relationships.

The implications of early attachment for the psychology of performance are significant. Secure attachments allow for a base of security which in adulthood can manifest in collaborative interactions in the business environment, for example. The social psychology of group performance is enhanced when members can communicate directly and problem solve from a position of trust. Contrast this with an avoidant attachment pattern in which a team member has a fundamental approach to relationships that is one of distrust and self-reliance. This team member is there in name only and will be perceived as not cooperating, being a maverick, and “not playing well in the sand box.” The anxious attachment style may show up as an accommodating or pleasing style. This person sacrifices their own opinions so as to fit in, may frequently be checking in with the “boss” for approval and reassurance. The group loses this person’s gifts as the person may give in rather than be proactive on a decision point. The disorganized attachment style may contribute to significant disruption in a work group or team’s performance because the person will become overwhelmed during a conflict with either a chaotic or rigid response, either of which can disrupt the flow of energy and information needed for higher performance.

The culture of an organization often is set by the leader of the organization. Part of the definition of culture is the shared set of assumptions as to how we do business. From this, it is possible to see how the impact of the leader’s attachment could influence the culture of the organization. For example, if the leader has an anxious attachment, the organization may have a strong press to accommodate customers, resulting in a high emphasis on customer service which could range from being useful to problematic if taken to a dysfunctional level.

Have a day filled with mindful integration,

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.
CEO & Psychologist

Emotional Resiliency

As an organizational development consultant, I have the privilege of working with a variety of teams.  So what does that have to do with being “single and satisfied”? It’s a good question and one that lead me to think about the fact that every team that I work with is made up of individuals who bring their unique life experiences to the work place.

I am often called to work with teams who are facing challenges as a result of the impact of the, the current economy, a lack of confidence with the organization’s current leadership or large scale changes in the work environment.   I often hear about the symptoms that clearly indicate there is some level of dysfunction; poor morale, lack of trust, turnover, unresolved conflicts, and unskillful communication. It’s no wonder that our division has been asked to facilitate more workshops on “Emotional Resiliency” than ever before in the firm’s history.

Emotional resiliency is defined as our ability to bounce back from challenges. It’s our ability to view disappointments and setbacks as temporary and situational and to find the means to work through them rather than be defeated or defined by them.

People who exhibit emotional awareness, have the ability to persevere, can demonstrate perspective taking abilities, maintain a sense of humor and optimism and seek support tend to be more emotionally resilient.  Whether you are single and satisfied or single and dissatisfied, emotional resiliency is a life skill that transcends the status of all relationships. It’s a life skill that can enhance our ability to celebrate and embrace what we love about being single and cope with the ups and downs of being single.

Emotional resiliency is a trait you can develop. To learn how you can strenghten your own emotional resiliency, you can read more about it by following this link.  There are a number of workshops that focus on learned optimism and emotional resiliency.  There are course descriptions that highlight the key take away skills.

Marcia Kent, MS
President, BizPsych

Psychology of Performance – 17 Mirror Neurons

In his book The Mindful Therapist, Dr. Dan Siegel discusses the role of mirror neurons in actions that have a perceived intention behind them. He stated that the mirror neurons function as a bridge between sensory input and motor output that allows us to mirror the behavior we see someone else enact (p.36).  Practically this means that when we see someone drinking from a glass, the mirror neurons become activated (firing off electrical currents called an action potential). If we were to drink from the same glass, the same specific neurons that fired when we saw someone else drinking also become activated. Dr. Siegel said “We see a behavior and get ready to imitate it,” (p.36).

The implications of this line of research are significant for performance. For example, if you watch a movie with alcohol being consumed and you are in recovery, now you have internal neuronal firing similar to drinking the alcohol yourself. Now you have to override the neuronal firing with “white-knuckling it,” or better yet with mindful awareness, or you will increase your probabilities of a relapse.

The upside of this research is that seeing others perform a behavior successfully – mentally rehearsing the image – would theoretically strengthen the neuronal firing and increase the probabilities that you will execute the behavior successfully. This concept is foundational to performance coaching. As coaches, therapists, and bosses we need to think about our current training techniques and how they incorporate watching, rehearsing, and doing as part of the sequence.

Have a day filled with Mindfulness,

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO & Psychologist

MINES and Associates

Budgeting for the 2nd Half of the Year

The Back to School shopping season has come and as we scramble to get school supplies and clothing for the kids, we suddenly realize that summer is almost over. Many of us get a little blue over that feeling that the “fun in the sun” has ended. As fall comes, we also typically take another look at our personal finances AFTER the summer of fun and try and get back on course. Sure, some anxiety pops up as we look at the vacation expenses and realize we went over budget. But, with a well-thought-out, written budget, we can get back on track quickly.

Did you realize that many company EAPs (Employee Assistant Programs) have financial services as a benefit? MINES and Associates offers its’ clients financial assistance as a session. So if you have a robust EAP, you could talk to a financial advisor to review your current budgeting strategy. As noted, fall is a great time to take another look at where you have been and where you want to go. Reviewing all aspects of your family finances with particular emphasis on budgeting will help you map out your plan and then keep with it.

In this challenging economy that we are living in today; it is nice to know that there are “free” ways to get some financial advice. Check with your employee benefits department to see if your EAP provides financial advice. If not, mention to your manager that you would like them to consider using MINES & Associates EAP.

Happy fall!

Allan Benson

School’s out for the Summer

Summer is Here!

Even though Alice Cooper’s 70’s hit “School’s Out for Summer” was released almost 40 years ago, it never seems to get old. I have heard it numerous times in recent weeks on the radio. Even iTunes downloads are up as schools close for the summer and kids celebrate.

Summer means the fun begins for millions of children across America. Swimming, rec centers, movies, amusement parks, concerts, restaurants, and shopping malls are just some of the many areas that will get very busy. Parents have just completed frustrating and time-consuming searches for special daycare arrangements for children who normally are at school. If you are still having challenges finding help, don’t forget that many EAP’s (Employee Assistance Programs) such as MINES’ EAP offer a childcare concierge service. This service provides assistance in finding the help that is needed. EAPs are typically provided as a benefit through your employer.

Summer also means graduations; kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, trade schools, community colleges and universities. All children and young adults are going through transitions in their lives. While one would suspect there is more pressure on the high school student moving out and going to a university in a distant state, don’t forget the 5 yr old who is going off in the BIG Yellow bus to a school outside of Mom’s sight, for the WHOLE day.  These children, as well as their Moms, can have some anxiety dealing with these changes. It is not uncommon for a mother and child to speak with a therapist who can talk to them about dealing with the anxiety of these great new opportunities. MINES has a number of workshops and programs that are available through parent’s workplaces that will take the edge off of this anxiety before it becomes depression. MINES counselors, therapists and professionals can help to resolve these issues now before school starts again in the fall.

Summer can also be a challenge financially. The children want to “do something” that costs extra money. Family budgets aren’t prepared for these extra costs. Family vacations are typically taken; and who hasn’t been on a vacation that didn’t cost more than budgeted?  And most importantly, many parents are unemployed or under employed due to these challenging economic times. MINES also has financial and legal assistance programs that can help resolve many types of financial challenges.

MINES is here to help make your summer less stressful, more meaningful, and most importantly, fun. Check out our website http://www.minesandassociates.com to learn more about what we can offer.

Effects of 2010 Gulf Oil Spill and Mental Health

We’ve begun to see editorials, videos and news stories about the effects of the Gulf Oil Spill on behavioral health.  Most recently I watched an expose about the effects of Exxon-Valdez on alcohol and substance abuse, increases in divorce rates and suicide attempts and how experts warned of the same fallout from the Gulf crisis.  Additionally, mental health experts are warning that the current crisis could dredge up unresolved feelings from Hurricane Katrina.   Here is a link to the story and video:

http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=12548123

We wish the best to all those impacted by the gulf oil spill. 

Posted by Ian Holtz (Sales @ MINES and Associates)

Psychology of Performance -13 Too Many Hats!

In BizPsych we often run into CEO’s, VP’s, Managers, and Supervisors who have performance problems related to “wearing too many hats”.  Elliot Jacques’ work described a variety of systems and organizational design problems that resulted in inefficiencies, interpersonal problems, bottlenecks, and other performance issues. When a person is “collapsed down” or in the weeds, which means they are below their role in a business, higher-priority strategic thinking, decisions or actions can be neglected or result in outright failure. Wearing multiple hats means that none of the roles assigned to that person will get full-time attention. In smaller businesses this may be a “sweat equity” issue, however, the results are still the same. I encourage you to look at your position, how many roles do you have and what is the performance result?

Have a day filled with Equanimity

Bob

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO & Psychologist

How to Save 25-50% from Previous Years Claims

I am almost as excited as our clients to announce that after the pass of the first quarter we’ve been able to demonstrate to our new self-funded clients a savings of up to 50% from the previous year’s quarter on behavioral health and substance abuse claims.

Providing our clients with cost-containment mechanisms to counter the effects of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act has been, in their words, “a major relief.”

For some groups this isn’t a big deal.  But if it is for you – ASK ME HOW?

Posted By Ian H.

(303) 953-4083
Sales, MINES and Associates

Psychology of Performance – 11 What happens when the C level is impaired?

As a business psychology firm, we get to consult and intervene with top performers in the C-Suite whose performance has dropped. There are many factors related to the performance drop. For this blog I am addressing those at the C level who are using enough alcohol that it affects their performance in overt and subtle ways. More than two drinks a day puts a person at risk for health and behavioral problems. It is not uncommon for one a C level person to get referred to us who is drinking 4-8 oz of alcohol per day and they report that they do not have a problem. How this shows up at work comes in the form of “fuzzy thinking”, just not as sharp as they used to be; missed deadlines (which at this level can be disasterous for the company; health markers deteriorting, which creates succession concerns; interpersonal behavior becomes unskillful or unwholesome such as kissing employees who do not want to be kissed, irritable outbursts, avoidance of difficult decisions; behavioral risks such as driving while under the influence, emabarrassing the organization at public functions. The costs to the company and the individual can be enormous. The good news is that the majority of alcoholics who are employed can get into treatment, return to sobriety and regain their previous level of performance. The motivation to get into recovery is provided by the employer requiring them to get help or lose their job. We have seen many successes. If you think you may fit any of these descriptions please contact your employee assistance program or if you do not have one, call us, we will help you get treatment.

Remember, I like you.

Bob

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.

CEO & Psychologist

Mines and Associates