College students with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) drink more alcohol than their peers, according to a new study published earlier this year in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

In addition to the problems normally associated with alcohol abuse, the students' heavier drinking also exacerbates their PTSD symptoms, the study found.

"The study doesn't identify what traumas led to the students' stress disorder, but it's safe to assume a good portion of them are survivors of child abuse and/or neglect," says Rayne E. Golay, psychotherapist, child advocate and award-winning author of The Wooden Chair, (www.raynegolay.com), a novel that illustrates the post-traumatic stress in the wake of child abuse and neglect.

Parental alcoholism is often a factor in child abuse and neglect. It's compounded by the risk that as adults, these children model their behavior on their parent - including drinking alcoholically.

Golay, who specializes in addictions counseling, says that in her many years in practice, she saw one common misconception among her alcoholic patients: They all believed that their drinking didn't affect anybody but themselves.

"That's simply not true. In a home with an alcoholic parent, everyone suffers, the most vulnerable being the children," Golay says. "They live in an insecure and unstable home, and because the alcoholic parent's behavior is unpredictable and terrifying, the children learn to be constantly on guard."

Not everyone who drinks alcohol is an alcoholic, Golay is quick to note. And she's not anti-alcohol. However, she urges parents and young adults to seriously evaluate whether alcohol is a problem in their lives, because there are solutions.

Golay offers these suggestions for people who suspect alcohol may play too important a part in their lives:

• Ask yourself the following questions; if you answer "yes" to one, alcohol may be a problem in your life.
Have you had the morning after drink? Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble? Does your drinking cause problems at home? Do you tell yourself you can stop any time you want although you keep getting drink? Have you neglected your duties because of drinking? Has anybody suggested you should stop drinking?

• Try having one drink every day for a month.
"One drink -- that is, 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor -- one drink, no more, no less," Golay says. "If you can do that, you're probably not an alcoholic." She suggests this test because most alcoholics can remain completely abstinent for a length of time, but they're unable to stop after one drink. To an alcoholic, one drink is too much and a million isn't enough.

• If you think alcohol is a problem, a 28-day Minnesota Model treatment program gives good results. Golay mentions Faith Based Treatment (www.SoberRecovery.com), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (www.samhsa.gov) among other options.

The residential Minnesota Model combines detox and counseling built around the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (www.aa.org). Individualized, it includes the patient's family.

"It's effective because it starts with detox from all mood-altering chemicals, which is
imperative for lasting sobriety," Golay says. "It also aims to break down denial. It forces
the patient to take a serious look at the consequences of alcohol in his or her life."
No matter which treatment the individual chooses, aftercare and continued attendance     
at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are of vital importance for lifelong sobriety.

"When the protagonist, Leini, in my book The Wooden Chair, is a young woman, she realizes that she's relying more and more on alcohol to cope with daily life," Golay says.

"Leini also recognizes that the abuse she suffered as a child and her parent's drinking are family patterns passed down to her from her maternal grandmother through her own mother. In my book The Wooden Chair, Leini determines to end this cycle by getting professional help."

About Rayne E. Golay

Rayne E. Golay, (http://www.raynegolay.com/), is a certified drug and alcohol counselor whose work with addicts informs her understanding and insights into the consequences of child abuse. She has a Master's in Psychology and is a lifelong reader and writer. The Wooden Chair, published in 2013 by Untreed Reads, won the Royal Palm Literary Award for mainstream literature in the 2005 Florida Writers Association's competition.  She hopes that this story inspires witnesses to speak up for children whom they suspect are suffering from any form of abuse and/or neglect.

Hellyer has been sidelined by a lower body injury after briefly returning to the lineup for the Mallards' loss Sunday to the Mavericks in Missouri.  Hellyer missed two games before returning to the ice Sunday.  The 27-year old native of Brandon, Manitoba, has scored ten goals and totaled 25 points in 42 games this season after last year being named Central Hockey League Rookie of the Year.

Frazee has been forced out of the line-up by an upper body injury.  The 23-year old North Vancouver product missed Sunday's game after playing in each of the Mallards' first 43 tilts.  Among CHL rookies Frazee is tied for third in goals (13) and points (31) and tied for fourth in assists (18).  Frazee has been moved to IR retroactive to Saturday while Hellyer's move is retroactive to Sunday.

Lee joins captain Darren McMillan and fellow alternate captain Mike Stinziani in wearing a letter for the Mallards.  Jim McKenzie also donned the "A" before being called up to the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild last month.  Lee has enjoyed a strong first season with the Mallards and of late has been the team's hottest forward.  The 25-year old Calgary native leads the Mallards in goals (16) and is tied for the team lead in points (38).  Lee, who last year spent what was his rookie campaign with the Rapid City Rush, has posted a plus/minus rating of +10 while playing in each of the Mallards first 44 games this season.  Lee is in the midst of a six game point scoring streak (3-7-10) and has piled up 17 points (five goals and 12 assists) in his last 12 games.

DAVENPORT, IA -  River Bend Foodbank Executive Director Tom Laughlin recently announced the hiring of Steve Morenz, of Rock Island, IL, as the organization's first Director of Finance and Human Resources.

"The operations of food banks across the country have changed immensely in the more than 30 years since I was hired as the first Executive Director of the River Bend Foodbank," said Laughlin.  "With increased responsibilities in all aspects of our organization, the time was right to hire someone with the skills and background necessary to not only handle accounting and finance responsibilities but also take a lead role in the hiring and support of other future employees.  Steve is that person."

Having earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and a Masters of Business Administration, Morenz has more than 20 years of experience in the field, first in healthcare and eldercare and then with non-profit organizations.  He was most recently the first Director of Finance for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Association, a position he held for six years.

In 2013, the River Bend Foodbank collected, stored and redistributed nearly 8 million pounds of food to more than 300 charities which serve people in need.  These non-profits include food pantries, soup kitchens and those that manage programs that assist and low-income children and elderly.  The Foodbank serves 17 counties in Illinois and 5 in Iowa.

It's the running o' the green at the annual CASI St. Patrick's Day Races on Saturday, March 15, starting at the River Music Experience, 129 Main St. in downtown Davenport, Iowa, with a 1 mile family fun run/walk and a 5K race beginning at 9 am.

You'll be done with the run in plenty of time to see the annual Grand Parade on Saturday with floats, bands, and family clans. The parade starts at 11:30 a.m. in downtown Rock Island, Ill. The parade proceeds through Rock Island to the Centennial Bridge, and then crosses the bridge over the Mississippi River and marches into downtown Davenport, Iowa.

Immediately following the parade, a Post Parade Bash is held at the RiverCenter, 136 E. 3rd St. in downtown Davenport from 1-4:30 p.m. Entry to the Post Parade Bash is by membership, with $15 memberships available at the door. The Bash includes food, drink, and entertainment.

There is a free Kid's Craft Day at the John Deere Pavilion in downtown Moline on Saturday, March 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. John Deere Pavilion celebrates the American heartland from the first horse-drawn plow to the latest modern-day combines and tractors that people can climb on and sit in the cab. The whole family can enjoy interactive, hands-on computer displays.

CSI: The Experience opens March 1 at the Putnam Museum, 1717 West 12th Street in Davenport, Iowa. This traveling exhibit immerses guests in hands-on science while leading them through the challenge of solving a crime featuring guidance from the CBS show's characters. Through hands-on activities with real equipment, as well as multi-media presentations, guests will understand different science fields' role in cracking crimes. Exhibition hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 Noon to 5 p.m.

The Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, takes you into the beautiful world of glass blowing and glass sculpture with four exhibits including: Kids Design Glass with kid's mythical monsters come to life in glass sculptures; Katja Loher: Videoplanet - Orchestra where videos are projected on suspended weather balloons and glass bubbles; Landscape, a floor-to-ceiling landscape created of glass; and Roman Glass Works showcasing the art of ancient Roman glassblowing.

The Family Museum, 2900 Learning Campus Drive in Bettendorf, Iowa, completed its final phase of its new permanent exhibit galleries. The ThinkShop is a place where families and children use real tools in a supervised setting to build one-of-a-kind inventions in a highly-interactive, hands-on space. Through the use of real building materials and recycled components, kids can bring ideas to life.

You'll feel a spring in your step as you walk through over 20,000 square feet of blooming flowers, dazzling ponds, waterfalls, and hundreds of garden-related displays by the area's landscape architects and garden designers. Attend seminars by Melinda Myers during the Flower and Garden Show at the QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Ave. in Rock Island, Illinois.

Even if the flowers aren't quite blooming outside, you can get a taste of spring at these Quad Cities indoor gardens. The Quad City Botanical Center's impressive 70-feet tall skylight peak in the Sun Garden conservatory offers a breathtaking tropical paradise with hundreds of jungle sized palm trees and exotic tropical plants and flowers in a year-round garden, located at 2525 4th Ave. in Rock Island, Illinois.

The Vander Veer Botanical Park is famous for its numerous floral shows and tropical plants, a tradition of over 100 years. Going on in March is the Spring Floral Show. They're located at 215 W. Central Park in Davenport, Iowa.