A Faucet of HOPE for Stress Relief by Linda Larson Schlitz

Purpose Driven Recovery Academy (PDRA) is Linda Larson Schlitz newest support service for people.

Suicidal, addicted to drugs and alcohol with no hope in sight, I decided to take the advice of a 16 year old girl who told me that a higher power, whom I call God had a plan for me and if I would ask Him, He would tell me what it was and give me a new purpose. That was in 1976! I am 68 years old now and have spent my life helping people recover from whatever ails them. I have been a counselor for 30 years and have become an international bestselling author, speaker and Life Coach and I feel like I am just getting started.

Recovery has many different connotations. Some think of recovering after a surgery or illness. For others it is about recovering from an addiction to alcohol, drugs, or other substances. Or perhaps it is a mental illness that someone may be challenged with that they are seeking treatment and recovery for.

And then there is the pain of a relationship breakup or divorce. Having worked with veterans and other victims of PTSD for the last 30 years I have come to have great appreciation for the brave men and women who are facing tragedy and death every day as they work in law enforcement, the military, emergency services and medical to name a few. They see things that most of us only imagine and they have to make decisions that will change lives forever. These things take time to recover from because they change the chemistry in our brains, and make us mentally sick.

STRESS!!! It is one of the leading killers of people throughout the world, but research is giving us some clues on what to do about it. Dr. Caroline Leaf, is a neuroscientist specializing in cognitive and metacognitve neuropsychology and her research has found that “all stress is fear based.” I had to let that sink in but I find it to be true. Whatever I feel stressed about it is because I am thinking about a situation that could have a bad outcome and I wonder what is going to happen “IF.” If what? If I don’t do it right? If something bad happens? If I lose control and can’t manage the outcome? If I am alone? It is all about fear. Fortunately, we have been created with these amazing brains that just by thinking about things we can transform them. I know it sounds like that is way too simplistic but the good news is that it is very simple and a couple of tweaks.

We are hearing a great deal more about “neuroplasticity and neurodivergence” and it is awesome that people are beginning to be more open to mental health because stress causes mental illness. All of us are mentally and emotionally ill when a tragedy happens but the stigma is still so large on acknowledging that our brain is simply a different part of our bodies that needs to be taken care of. It needs the right food, drink and nurturing. What we think matters! A few years ago I discovered “debtclock.org” a website that tracks the national and world debt on a real time basis. It shows that The United States spent $4,255.1 billion on health care in 2021 and that doesn’t include the cost of the loss of productivity and attendance at work, the people on welfare, unemployment or disability that is related to their mental and physical health. I believe that if we make changes we can save a trillion dollars in the next 5 years. So what is the solution? I have found the three Gs to be the simplest solution that can bring mental
transformation immediately. Studies have shown that gratitude literally changes our brain chemistry minimizes, anxiety and depression and gives us more energy so practicing these 3 G’s throughout the day is a great start to change.

The first G is Gratitude. Make a list of EVERYTHING you are grateful for and don’t forget to put down toilet paper, the # 1 thing that the homeless veterans that we brought into our sober house listed at what they were grateful for after having a home and basic needs met.

The second G is to write down what you are Good at. When I first became a counselor research at that time showed that we need eight positives to every negative interaction to balance self-esteem. The newest research shows that we need 12 positives for every negative we hear or say to ourselves! If we don’t receive a lot of positives from others, we need to say it to ourselves. We also fail to realize or recognize that other people are giving us positive affirmations very often, but we don’t let them sink in or we don’t believe them. Make a list of everything you’re good at and if you don’t realize what it is, ask your friends, family or coworkers.

The third G is Goals. Whether it’s getting out of bed in the morning or simply brushing your teeth, these are goals that we reach that we don’t take the opportunity to give ourselves credit for. A lot of people are too depressed to get out of bed so, if you have gotten up good for you, write it down as your first thing to be grateful for and the first thing that you are good at. Why does a simple strategy like this work? Because we are craving the chemical dopamine and these three strategies make us feel better. Gratitude releases the chemical dopamine to bring us positive feelings and increase the neurotransmitters that control the rest of our body. When we are feeling good we are less anxious and depressed. We have better focus and motivation, and we have hope.

For me, HOPE is something we all need a lot more of and it is defined by getting Help Opportunity Praise and Encouragement. I believe we are all Faucets of HOPE and if we just let our creator flow through us to share our experience strength and hope we can literally transform the world, have positive interactions, and good mental and physica health. If you are looking to that end, I can help!

Backround

I am the recipient of the Athena Award, the Red Cross Hometown Hero of the Year, The Alignable Local Business Person of the Year in 2020/2021 and 2023, received commendations from Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin and have been on every major television network and many podcasts sharing my work with homeless, mentally ill, chemically dependent veterans and others who have mental health and substance abuse issues.

I have been speaking professionally for the last 35 years and recently trained all the Chief Judges and other regional judicial staff in Wisconsin. I have done corporate training for companies and churches all over the world and have done trainings at International Counselor Conventions and have provided continuing education hours for many different professionals. I am the author of “Ditzy Blonde Faucet-It’s a God Thing” on dealing with ADHD and other mental health issues, “Speak to Me God I’m Listening-365 Daily Meditations for Those Who Hear God Answer Life’s Toughest Questions” and I am a co-author of Elizabeth Clamon’s Book “The Fiercely Unstoppable Entrepreneur-Lead With Purpose, Overcome Challenges, and Take Control of Your Destiny Purpose Driven Recovery Academy (PDRA) is my newest support service for people who are looking
to recover from whatever they are struggling with. For a small fee you can take courses and get discounts to private coaching. To take my complimentary free course “Learning to Live With Whatever Ails You” just go to the PDRA site

You can learn more about me at https://lindalarsonschlitz.com.
To reach me for coaching, speaking or training you can email me at [email protected].
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