Strengthening resilience Published Oct. 13, 2016 By Earl Rivers Hurlburt Field ADAPT Program HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- The DoD Center of Excellence for Psychological Health defines resiliency as "the ability to withstand, recover and/or grow in the face of stressors and changing demands."To enhance Airmen, organizational and community resilience, the U.S. Air Force implemented the Comprehensive Airman Fitness holistic approach. This approach is built upon the following four domains of fitness: Physical: Endurance, nutrition, recovery and strength. Mental: Awareness, adaptability, decision-making and positive thinking. Social: Communication, connectedness, social support and teamwork. Spiritual: Core values, perseverance, perspective and purpose.“The USAF CAF model equips Airmen with the knowledge, skills and tools required to continually assess and adjust to their environment, which enables our Airmen to sustain the necessary balance of physical endurance, emotional stamina, cognitive skill and spiritual well-being needed to execute our central mission – to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace,” said Capt. Emily Turner, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment program manager with the 1st Special Operations Medical Operations Squadron and licensed clinical social worker. An Airman’s resilience is further strengthened through choices such as the responsible use of alcohol. To promote the responsible use of alcohol, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends low-risk drinking.“Low-risk drinking is men consuming no more than four drinks on any single day and no more than 14 drinks per week; and women consuming no more than three drinks on any single day and no more than seven drinks per week,” said Tech. Sgt. Kenyatta Dixon, NCO-in charge of the ADAPT program with 1 SOMDOS and international certified alcohol & drug counselor. “A standard drink contains about a half an ounce of pure alcohol. Generally, this amount of pure alcohol is found in 12 ounces of regular beer, eight ounces of malt liquor, five ounces of wine or 1 and a half ounces of 80-proof liquor.”In addition to the practice of low-risk drinking to sustain overall well being, consider the following "10 Ways to Build Resilience" from the American Psychological Association:#1-Make connections. Good relationships with close family members, friends, or others are important. Accepting help and support from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens resilience. Some people find that being active in civic groups, faith-based organizations or other local groups provides social support and can help with reclaiming hope. Assisting others in their time of need also can benefit the helper.#2-Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. You can't change the fact that highly stressful events happen, but you can change how you interpret and respond to these events. Try looking beyond the present to how future circumstances may be a little better. Note any subtle ways in which you might already feel somewhat better as you deal with difficult situations.#3-Accept that change is a part of living. Certain goals may no longer be attainable as a result of adverse situations. Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed can help you focus on circumstances that you can alter.#4-Move toward your goals. Develop some realistic goals, and do something regularly - even if it seems like a small accomplishment - that enables moving toward your goals. Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask yourself, "What's one thing I know I can accomplish today that helps me move in the direction I want to go?"#5-Take decisive actions. Act on adverse situations as much as you can. Take decisive actions, rather than detaching completely from problems and stresses and wishing they would just go away.#6-Look for opportunities for self-discovery. People often learn something about themselves and may find that they have grown in some respect as a result of their struggle with loss. Many people who have experienced tragedies and hardship have reported better relationships, greater sense of personal strength even while feeling vulnerable, increased sense of self-worth, a more developed spirituality, and heightened appreciation for their life.#7-Nurture a positive view of yourself. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.#8-Keep things in perspective. Even when facing very painful events, try to consider the stressful situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Avoid blowing the event out of proportion.#9-Maintain a hopeful outlook. An optimistic outlook enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want, rather than worrying about what you fear.#10-Take care of yourself. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with situations that require resilience. The key is to identify ways that are likely to work well for you as part of your own personal strategy for fostering resilience. To assist Hurlburt Field commanders, first sergeants, leaders and supervisors in strengthening Airmen’s resilience and promoting responsible use of alcohol, the Hurlburt Field ADAPT program provides a wide range of prevention, education, evaluation, counseling, treatment and aftercare services to active-duty members. The ADAPT Program is located at 130 LeTourneau Circle in building # 90311, which is positioned directly behind the youth center. The ADAPT staff can be reached at (850) 881-4237. Family members of active-duty members should contact TriCare-partner Value Options at (800) 700-8646 for information and assistance in obtaining substance use evaluation, counseling and treatment services.