Leonard’s I Gjijtrse;
adult Ufa in priam.' I believe be bad
been in jail from age 12 until age 38,”
deecribea Wayn Brown, education
al specialist of the Confidence
Chib.
“He was prone to violent be
havior and would often speak in
tong nee,” Brown relates. ,
Leonard was suffering from a
disabling mental illness. Hie past
and experiences had resulted in such
a high degree of deviant behavior
that be was not able to function in
society. The balance of Leonard’s
life would have probably continued
as it had been. He waa periodic
ally locked up in Memorial Hos
pital's mental ward or from time to
t time Institutionalized in State men
tal health facilities such as Brough
ton.
However, fortunately Leonard’s
life found a better course when he
was referred to1 the Confidence Club,
a self-help County-supported organ
isation in Charlotte. When he be
came a member, he was able to
choose between three areas of low
stress jobs: kitchen, maintenance or
clerical. The work is volunteer but
he would have to report each day
from 9 a m. until 2 p.m. He could
also participate in fundraising ac
tivities and extra activities such as
bowling or going to the beach.
Leonard would have to follow the
conduct code of the dub. If he was
involved in a fight, he would be
suspended from work for a week. It
was also his responsibility to take
Ms medication.
“Today, Leonard runs the snack
bar efficiently,” states Brown.
“There are no problems with his
behavior. He is completely trust
worthy and he reports to work at 8
• m. promptly each morning. If you
were to meet him now you’d say he
is one of the sweetest persons.”
Brown has good thills to say
about almost all of the 30-45
people who" are members of-, the
Confidence Chib. They range in age
.between the early 20s to 90s, some
are college graduates, ethers are
high school graduates, and
others have not completed junior
high. They have all been, at one
Wayn Brown
. .Educational specialist '
tune, certified mentally ill, though
the illnesses differ in type and
severity, and they have all been
referred to the Confidence Chib by a
licensed professional.
The Confidence Club, the first and
only facility of its kind in Charlotte,
there are 20 throughout the state of
North Carolina, once operated out of
the Mental Health Building on
Billingsley Road- Recently, they
acquired a histdHcal home in which
to house their facilities. It is lo
cated at 801 Sunnyside Avenue.
The Clubhouse employs Brown, as
educational specialist, also two
social workers and one nurse. They
are there to assist the members of
the club when necessary. *‘We don’t
babysit them,’’ comments Brown.
“They run the place themselves. We
are there just in case something they
are not able to handle coines up."
The purpose of the ‘ Confidence
Club is to help people who’ve suf
fered from mental illness to be
come capable and productive mem
bers of society again. “People who
have nervous breakdowns often for
get how to do many things. Also, if
they’ve been given shock treatment,
a whole segment of their memory
may be blocked out. It’s very dif
ficult for them to become fully
functional," explains Brown.
"Left as they are, they become
very dependent. They usually live on
Social Security benefits or B.S.I.
Without a job, they begin to feel
uaeless - without a tense of purpose.
Or they are ill-treated by other*.
Many live in rooming houses
where they may not have heat. They
are often overcharged for things.
Some people think they can do
anything to a mentally ill person, if
they believe no one cares about
them.”
the Confidence Club is a place
these disabled and discarded per
sons can re
learn the customs of society. They
learn to hold a steady Job and cope
with its responsibilities. They learn
to manage their money, find living
quarters, and handle their neces
sities. In other words, they learn to
Jive in toe world again.
“The key to tbe success of toe club
is' that- the members are around
people with similar problems and
they know they are accepted. They
are comfortable here and toe Jobe
give them a sense of being pro
ductive,” Brown informs.
Take, for instance, Hob. He was a
graduate of Appalachian State, a
member of a very wealthy family.
But somewhere along the way Bob
succumbed to schizophrenic be
havior.
“He was extremely withdrawn
and lethargic, totally non-produc
tive. When you’d talk to him he
would just sit and stare, making you
feel very uneasy,’’ Brown de
scribes.
“Now, Bob is a model mem
ber,” boasts Brown. “He is on the
Hospitality Committee. He wel
comes new members and shows
them around the facilities. He works
in the clerical unit- that puts to
gether a bi-monthly newsletter.”
Bob was very helpful during the
Confidence Club’s recent open
house. “It was very exciting,”
comments Brown.
In April or May of this year, the
Confidence Club will develop a job
placement department. “We will go
out and secure low stress jobs for the
members. Many of them already
have begun asking for Jobs outside
the club. But we don’t encourage
them to find jobs on their own. Many
jobs are high stress and we’d hate
for them to go out and fail.”
ccording To Dr. Alvarado
ood Addictions Just As Real As
' *■' * * All*.
I loijocco Addictions
By Audrey C. Lodato
Post Staff Writer '
Are you a chocoholic? Can your
1 day not begin until ycAi’ve had
several cupa of coffee? Do you reach
for a candy bar or -other sweets
during the afternoon and get
“antsy" if you can’t have one?
Pregnant women are not the only
ones subject to cravings for par
ticular foods. While not every crav
ing is a sign of addiction, food
addictions do create cravings, na
turopathic physician Dr. Gil Alva
rado remarked during a recent in
terview. - V _ - -t /.
“Someone who {*aa,«n addiction
craves if (the fo«Fshe or bejftf
Addicted to) aO the time,” Dr.
Alvarado explained. "People can
isvb food addictions Just like they
• tave alcohol addictions, dgaratte
'addictions, and drug addictions. An i
addiction can come from either a
physiological, or a psychological
sociological base,”- he continued.
“Invariably, both at these will be
involved. We’re not compartment
alized people. What happens on a
physical level is not separated from
the psychological level.”
According to Alvarado, the body
tries to tell us what it needs, bat its
messages are sometimes misinter
preted. He told of a study involv
tag young children who were given
free rein over what they ate from a
table of unprocessed foods. Over the
course of a month, the children
chose a balanced diet, even though
on any particular day they might
have eaten only one or two types of
food At the end of the first month,
other foods such as sweets, soft
drinks, and processed foods were
added to the table. Immediately, the
children gravitated toward these
foods Whan this happened, said
Alvarado, "they lost their innate
sense of balance," and ho huger ate
a nutritious diet. Ha theorised that
the new foods set them up to crave
stimui*nt*. tvmm cravings, it wouid
Dr. GO Alvarado
....Many causes of cravings
food allergies sometimes cause
cravings for the very food to which
the person Is allergic, the naturo
path noted. Other factors include a
weak digestive tract that craves
simple carbohydrates, such as sugar
and refined flour, which are easy to
digest; weakness in another part of
the body which may. need to be
stimulated; hypoglycemia; dia
betes; social habits associated with
fun (associations often built and
' nurtured by advertising); and asso
ciations learned by havti* been
rewarded with sweets as a child.
Alvarado commented, "Some peo
ple eat because they’re depressed,
and then become depressed because
they eet." Such circular reactions
can easily maintain a craving for
particular foods.
Interestingly, when the body
needs B vitamins, He explained, it
craves something sweet, because
foods that are innately sweet have B
vitamins. If, however, you feed It
processed sugar, not only don’t you
get the needed vitamins, but you
also deplete your already low sup
ply of B vitamins because they ere
necessary to metabolize sugars.
Thus, you creates downward spiral.
Dr. AJvaradd'ffl* asserted that a
food such as chocolate, which con
tains both sugar and caffeine, will
stimulate the adrenal glands; these
glands will be depleted, however,
with regular use of caffeine.
Although the problem of over
weight as a whole cannot be
blamed on addictions to various
foods, those involved in well-known
weight-loss programs agree that
food addictions can pose a serious
problem.
Jean Pigg, a diet instructor for
Weight Watchers, knows that from
experience. She recounted her own
“cold-turkey” withdrawal from
Pepsi after years of drinking
“many more than two or three” a
day.
Several participants from Over
eaters Anonymous, who did not wish
their identities to be revealed, also
spoke about addle tiros. One stated,
“I go into a depression like an
alcoholic when I’m coming off a
sugar high. I stay depressed for
three days. A friend gets depressed
for two weeks.” She added that she
knows of several alcoholics who,
when they stopped drinking, be
came addicted to certain foods.
Another OA member referred to
her “trigger foods,” things she
“can’t eat Just one of ” These
foods, she stated, set off her par
ticular addiction.
When I began Interviewing for this
article, I secretly hoped to find a
simple solution to my own case of
“chocohoUsm.” Alas, apparently
there Is no easy solution. Accord
ing to all the people 1 talked with,
self-discipline, determination, and a
change of eating habits are all going
to have to be Involved. As I left Us
office at the end of our interview, I
told Dr. Alvarado, "Well,! guess I’ll
have to go home and finish that Jar
of chocolate chips before I can get
started.”
That, I accomplished. I’m still
welting for the determination
Public Hearing Set For Mecklenburg County /
1 - + A A
wfflbothrmUubawtth curb and gut
tor. The present Mdoot right of way
wlD be expanded to 1M feat with con
■tructton easements.
The public la Invited to attend the
questions Or submit inatertol' oer
talntng to the project. AddltWI
material may be submitted until
February n to Oaarga £ Walk,
manager of highway doolgn,
NCDOT. P.0 Baa »»t. 'toMgh. N.
c. nn.
A map of the proposed widening
project and'rtght of way andcapieo
available for public review at the
NCDOT district office si Hickory
NeweU Road and the office of Randy
Jonas, MO B. Trade Street la
For additional Information about
tho hearing, contract W< A. Oarrett
Jr., public hearing ottcer, NCDOT,
P.O. Bos Mil, Raleigh. N. C. S7tU
or call (Mt) 7SS-MM.
"ir-■ ..-.
^Subscription to
The Charlotte Post
will keep you
Informed of
community news.
Call 376-0496 ' *
— - . - -
Each of these advertised items is required to be readily available for
sale at or below the advertised price m each AAP Store eicepi as
specifically noted m thrs ad JM
■ i ■kkT'sTVT i <'m ■ ! ■ i u -\y.. rTiTt" ~u ;“p l\Tn'uTiTriTi: ^ H
1 ITEMS OFFERED FOR SALE WOT AVAILABLE TO OTHER RETAIL DEALERS Off WHOLESALERS B
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WHOLE MARKET STYLE
m m MORE THAN 73% LEAN
Top Sirloin iGrgund Beef
Tenderloin f?™* ’ST* *|18
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lb. Trimmings !S!IerSIjw*1x leah lb.
Ground 4aA ■■■■hbmb■
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W U.S.D.A. INSPECTED FRESH™"^^
Fryer Drumsticks I
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Fr*«h with Quaht^ FIRST OF THE SEASON
Juicy Nectarines 11
Tomato L J
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2 c. n.TQ6 J
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2 Itr.
btl.
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_
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