Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, job, and freedom in all just pursuits. -- Thomas Jefferson

Freedom is from within. -- Frank Lloyd Wright

Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry is own weight, this is a frightening prospect. -- Eleanor Roosevelt

What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom "to" and freedom "from."--Marilyn von Savant

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. -- George Orwell

If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace. --Franklin D. Roosevelt

Stats/Facts of the Month

Shoplifting is North America's # 1 property crime.

Shoplifting has doubled since 2000.

Shoplifting is most active in the month of December.

Sophisticated security systems alone do not stop all shoplifting.

A typical retail business will suffer losses of between 1% - 8% of total gross sales due to retail shrinkage.

The tax base is reduced and jobs are lost as a result of shoplifting.

More than 50% of employees will look the other way while a shoplifting incident is in progress.

Half of the employees steal to some degree.

Source:

EvanCarmichael.com

Person of the Month:

Memorial Day just passed. President Obama made his annual speech to the recent graduating class of West Point Academy and also just announced his timetable for drawing down the war in Afghanistan. And, of course, news of the VeteransAdministration

dysfunction just hit a fever pitch.

I'm not a veteran and none of my immediate family ever served in the military. I can only imagine the sacrifices of both troops and their families.

I pause to think a couple thoughts: one, it's easier to start wars than to end then; and, second, it's easy to say we support our troops but do we really think of them if we send them, often recklessly, into harm's way and, further, don't support them (and their families) when they return... if they return?

As much as I believe in evolution of our species, sometimes I wonder how much we really have evolved in terms of our abilities to wage peace and to rise above politics to fix important, if complex, problems.

Book of the Month:

Taking Back What's Been Stolen from You

Elizabeth Corsale &

Samantha Smithstein

People with a compulsive stealing disorder often feel helpless about their compulsion and hopeless they can ever stop, even after they have been arrested and face frightening charges, jail time, and/or loss of relationships.

Taking Back What's Been Stolen offers hope by providing a program based on the accumulated knowledge of decades of experience helping people stop stealing. The first workbook written for people w/ kleptomania/compulsive stealing disorder, it offers effective and practical methods to stop this destructive behavior, gain control of their lives, and become free to create a life of choice, and ultimately of deeper meaning.

Note: If you are a therapist and are considering using this workbook as part of treatment, you may want to consider contacting the Pathways Institute (www.pathwaysinstitute.net) for training and consultation to work in this area of specialization.

Film of the Month:

My Mother's Garden

Written and Directed by

Eugenia Lester

"My Mother's Garden" is the story of 61-year-old Eugenia Lester, whose hoarding disorder pushed her children to leave home when they were quite young. Cynthia Lester was 13 when she left - unable to find a place to sleep in the house amidst all of the garbage.

Filmmaking became a way for her to cope with her mother's condition. Read a Q&A with producers below.

Question: Why did you make this film?

Answer: I originally went into this project to seek help for my mom's illness and get a better understanding of who she is. The camera allowed me to separate from the burden of having to overcome being a child of a parent with a mental illness and see my mother through a more open lens.

Question: How did Hoarding Disorder affect your family?

Answer: I think my Mom's mental illness made it difficult for her to handle the many struggles of everyday life. Her depression and emotional problems led to lack of work and impoverished living conditions. We also had very little structure and/or proper guidelines for how to cope with every day stressors. We basically had to take care of ourselves and were easily drawn into unhealthy lifestyles.

Question: What is your relationship like with your mother and brothers?

Answer: We are surprisingly really close now, but not in your typical family "Brady Bunch" way. I think it signifies the strength and bonds families who go through hardships can have. Just because you come from a broken home does not mean that you can't be an example of a strong family.

Question: Did making the film bring you closer to your family or cause extra tension?

Answer: At times both. My family is used to me running around with a camera because it has been my passion since my teacher in junior high introduced me to film production. I feel it kept me closer to them because I made it my job to bring this family together and follow the progress for the past three years. Sometimes the camera did get in the way and I would turn it off. I went into this project telling myself, my family is the most important, documenting the crisis comes second. Also, I think my family was worried how people would react when exposing this to the world, but overall we are all in unison that this will hopefully raise awareness about the issue of mental illness and create healthy dialogue for people to come forward and seek help in their communities.

Question: Having been through it, what would you say to a family who was facing this crisis? What is the best way to get help?

Answer: Seek professional help. It's a long process, but don't give up and take baby steps. Always start where the person is at, not where you think they should be. An intervention can be a powerful thing, but it could also be overwhelming. Make sure to take care of yourself in the process, you can't help anyone unless you are emotionally and mentally
ready.

Question: How is your mother doing now?

Answer: She is living at a facility which monitors her health and living situation. We are still looking for more resources which promote rehabilitating people with mental illness into society. It's very sad that the mental healthcare system doesn't have enough resources for this. She is going to computer classes at the Pasadena senior center and feels connected to her community. She is receiving medication management at the UCLA compulsive hoarding out-patient center.

Question: What are your professional plans after this project?

Answer:I think it's important for me to fully understand the socio-economic reasons why people are outcast in society. Therefore, I would like to continue to pursue my interests in social work and get my MSW. I would also like to continue making documentaries and possibly a fictional story based on my life.

THE SHULMAN CENTER CELEBRATES 10 YR ANNIVERSARY!

The Shulman Center on the move and in the news...

July 14-16, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on compulsive shopping and hoarding at the 13th Guest House Annual Leadership in Faith Conference in Chicago.

July 24-26, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on hoarding disorder at The National Association of Social Workers Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

August 6-8, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on compulsive hoarding at the Addiction Studies Institute in Columbus, Ohio.

August 21, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on hoarding disorder at the metro-Detroit chapter of NAPO (National Association for Professional Organizers) in Novi, MI.

August 22-24, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on compulsive stealing, spending and hoarding at the National Conference on Addictive Disorders in St. Louis, MO.

September 16, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on compulsive stealing, spending & hoarding at the Thelma McMillen monthly professional medical lecture series in Torrance, CA. Free.

September 18, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on hoarding disorder at the metro-Detroit monthly meeting of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers).

October 7, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on compulsive shopping/spending at the 4th Lifestyle Intervention Conference in Las Vegas. See www.lifestyleintervention.org

November 7-8, 2014--Mr. Shulman will present on DSM-5 changes at the Annual Michigan Association of School Social Workers in West Michigan.

April 29, 2015--Mr. Shulman will present on hoarding disorder at the annual Michigan Conference on Mental Health and the Aging in Lansing, MI

Please Follow us on Twitter @terrenceshulman or @TheShulmanCenter and on Facebook at The Shulman Center.

Please check out share on our new and improved blog at:

blog.theshulmancenter.com.

NOTE: If you're a therapist, please consider contacting us to enroll in our brief, affordable local or virtual training to become more proficient at assessing and treating compulsive stealing, spending and/or hoarding disorders. See: Shulman Center Training

WHAT DOES FREEDOM / INDEPENDENCE MEAN TO YOU?

Singer Janis Joplin once sang in the song "Me and Bobby McGee": "freedom's just another word for nothing less to lose." It's an oft-repeated and iconic line. Many of us have felt the brunt of loss over the last year--job, money, home, possessions, relationships, health, and beyond.

There's no making light of loss, of course, but I recall a friend --a former shopaholic--who lost her home, most of her job income, and truckloads of things she had accumulated over the years. As she downsized from her home to a smaller rental home to yet another smaller rental home and purged most of her non-essential materials things, she remarked how much lighter, happier, and free she feels. She embarked upon a new chapter in her life and, with some anxiety, she felt hopeful and excited about the chance to reinvent herself and also reclaim parts of her authentic self which she had lost sight of.

Sometimes, things just weigh us down. Can you relate?

As we approach the U.S. 4th of July Independence Day holiday, take a moment to consider what freedom and independence mean to you? In these ever-challenging and globally volatile times, it is easy to focus on the importance of financial independence and freedom from anxiety. These are wonderful goals. Still, maybe we can appreciate whatever freedoms we do currently enjoy. For most of us, we have our physical freedom to move about and our freedom of self-expression and our freedom to pursue a life of authentic meaning and purpose.

We can also claim our independence from addictions and from dysfunctional relationships and our right to vote independently for what we believe in.

Freedom doesn't just mean doing what we want to do every moment independent of others. We must co-exist among a multitude of individuals and systems with which we don't always agree but compared to most systems and countries, we have many more rights and privileges which we too often take for granted. Life may not be perfect but this holiday allows an opportunity to soak in the gifts of freedom and independence that we may not have had in the past or may not have in the future.

So, whatever you're doing this holiday--relaxing, spending time with family or friends, enjoying the weather and some fine food--slow down and embrace our freedoms and independence--two of our greatest assets.

WEB OF BUYS: ADDICTED TO ONLINE SHOPPING

by Terrence Shulman

Ever since the Internet was created two decades ago, both it and our lives have continued to morph and change at a increasingly fast pace. Any new invention--such as the TV--can either be friend or foe. For many, the Internet is like crack cocaine: cheap, easy, and incredibly addictive!

Think about it. Because most of us use the Internet regularly, we can't live without it! And many get sucked into behaviors that, previously, took at least a little more effort to engage in. We have Internet gambling, video and other games, pornography and hook-ups, news and other info, access to drugs and alcohol and, of course, shopping.

2013 was the first year where online sales surpassed "in-store" sales. Holiday season online sales were up 3.5% over 2012 while "in store" sales were down 21%.

Now, not everyone who shops at stores or online becomes a shopping addict but it's safe to say that the Internet makes it more tempting and more likely that we could get hooked.

Overshopping and overspending have been around since the dawn of time but these problems have only recently been considered as potentially addictive-compulsive disorders. In 2006, Stanford University conducted a study that concluded about 6% of Americans (18 million) suffered from "compulsive buying disorder." And the University of Richmond, two years later, put that number at closer to 10%. Interestingly, nearly as many men as women may suffer from compulsive shopping or spending.

In addition, some recent statistics have proclaimed that the average American carries about $10,000 (Ten Thousand Dollars) in debt due to extraneous/leisure spending and that the number one reason why couples argue and break-up is due to arguments about money and spending or "financial infidelity"--lying about or hiding purchases.

It's been hard to quantify what percentage of "shopaholics" primarily struggle with Internet shopping but, after a nearly a decade of counseling people with this problem, I can safely say that the majority of them increasingly do. As a side note, shopping over the TV has also become more common and, likewise, more problematic, as more and more people are watching TV and the number of home-shopping networks has ballooned from several to several hundred. Supply and demand at work.

How do you know if you're addicted to shopping--whether at stores, on TV, or through the Internet? Well, it's just like any other addiction, actually. You could be in denial, of course, but ask yourself these questions: might this be a problem for me? Do others think it's a problem for me? Am I falling behind in paying my bills due to my shopping? Do I buy things and often don't even use them? Is my home becoming cluttered? Do I hide my shopping from loved ones or lie about it? Do I feel irritable or agitated if I go for a while without shopping? Is shopping interfering with work or other important activities or relationships? Is my shopping getting more frequent, more expensive, or out of control? Have I tried to stop or slow down but found it hard to do? If it walks and quacks like a duck, it might be a duck.

However, if you are addicted to shopping, the goal is not necessarily complete abstinence from shopping or spending - as would be recommended or necessary with drugs, alcohol, or gambling. Rather, it's more like recovery from overeating - we have to learn what is driving the emotional and out-of-control shopping and how to change our lifestyle and coping skills to help us engage in more balanced and appropriate behavior. It can be done with the right help. Many will need specialized counseling, support groups such as Debtors Anonymous, medication, family support, and knowledge from books such as Bought Out and $pent! Recovery from Compulsive $hopping and $pending.

Overshopping is overshopping whether it's at high-end stores, thrift stores, garage sales, or through the TV or Internet. But, for most, it's harder to avoid the Internet than the stores. Most people have e-mail. Most people use the Internet for work or personal research. Most participate in social networking. Besides, online shopping sites bombard us daily with prompts and "flash sales", often at our weakest moments.

So, then, what can one do if one is addicted to Internet shopping? Here are some recommended steps:

The first step is to admit you have a problem.
Ask for and receive help from loved ones and, likely, a skilled therapist.
Don't shop alone for a while - just as sex or gambling addicts must stay out of dangerous places for instance, sex parlors, casinos, and porn and gambling sites.
You may need to unsubscribe from shopping websites that send you emails or social media messages.
You may need to cancel your credit card that is on file with online stores.
You must find other healthy activities to fill up your time.
You may need to install software to prevent you from accessing certain websites (similar to a TV channel blocker).

I've been honored and gratified to have successfully counseled many clients who've been compulsive shoppers and spenders. Once they've taken the first steps to acknowledge a problem and seek help, we can discover what needs they are really trying to fulfill and it has nothing to do with the stuff. Most people get hooked on shopping, especially Internet shopping, when they are feeling depressed, low self-esteem, empty, angry, or unsupported. The tragedy is that their shopping seems to temporarily soothe them but only complicates their lives. The Internet may be a dangerous neighborhood to hang out in. Get out of there and to a safe place. Get help now!

See: Web of Buys

WHEN STORES STEAL FROM CUSTOMERS!

Whole Foods Overcharges Customers Investigation Finds

LOS ANGELES (AP) June 2014 - Whole Foods will pay about $800,000 in penalties and fees after an investigation found the grocery retailer was overcharging customers in California.

State and local inspectors discovered that purchased foods weighed less than the label advertised and the weight of salad bar containers wasn't subtracted at checkout, prosecutors said. In addition, the grocer sold prepared foods like kebabs by the item rather than by the pound as mandated by law.

The pricing discrepancies violated consumer protection laws regarding false advertising and unfair competition, prosecutors said.

Whole Foods must pay $210,000 to each of the city attorneys of Santa Monica, Los Angeles and San Diego, who brought the case against the retailer. Whole Foods must also reimburse county and state agencies that conducted the pricing investigation and pay $100,000 to a weights and measurements enforcement fund.

As part of an agreement covering five years, the grocer must appoint state- and store-level pricing accuracy managers, and each of the 74 Whole Foods stores in California will face random quarterly audits.

The consumer protection case was brought against Whole Foods Market California Inc. and Mrs. Gooch's Natural Food Markets Inc., the two subsidiaries of Whole Foods Market Inc. that operate its California stores.

Whole Foods issued a statement noting that the company cooperated with the yearlong investigation and prices were accurate 98 percent of the time. The Austin, Texas-based retailer vowed to improve internal procedures to reduce human error, according to the statement.

JACK HAYES INTERNATIONAL

26th Annual Retail Theft Survey Results Highlights

The Alarming Facts!

The world has always had its share of liars, cheats, and thieves. However, Shoplifters and Dishonest Employees continue to be apprehended in record numbers by U.S. Retailers. Highlights from this year's survey include:

Participants: 23 large retail companies with 23,204 stores and over $660 billion in retail sales in 2013.

Apprehensions: Participants apprehended 1,180,720 shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2013, up 2.8% from 2012.

Recovery Dollars: Participants recovered over $199 million from apprehended shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2013, up 4.0%.

Shoplifter Apprehensions: 1,102,635 shoplifters were apprehended in 2013, up 2.5% from 2012.

Shoplifter Recovery Dollars: Over $144 million was recovered from apprehended shoplifters in 2013, up 4.5% from 2012. An additional $98.6 million was recovered from shoplifters where no apprehension was made, up 22.2% from 2012.

Employee Apprehensions: 78,085 dishonest employees were apprehended in 2013, up 6.5% from 2012.

Employee Recovery Dollars: Over $55 million was recovered from apprehended employees in 2013, up 2.5% from 2012.

One in every 39.5 employees was apprehended for theft from their employer in 2013. (Based on over 3.0 million employees.)

See: www.jackhayesinternational.com

SHOPPING ADDICTION THERAPY PROGRAM WORKS!

http://www.shopaholicnomore.com/research-news/multi-faceted-group-treatment-program-shown-decrease-compulsive-buying-behavior/

MEN CAN BE SHOPAHOLICS, TOO!

By Georgia Watson

As you sign for the fifth package of the week, the courier smiles at you. "Shopping again, love?" You nod dutifully, not wanting to admit that the box belongs to your husband...they all do.

We all joke about being shopaholics, especially after a splurge in the Zara sale, but how do you deal with a true shopping addict? And what if that addict was your husband, father or brother?

A study from the American Journal of Psychiatry found that the percentage of women shopaholics was only marginally larger than that of male addicts. Out of 2,513 people that they surveyed, 6% of women were diagnosed as compulsive shoppers compared to 5.5% of men. It has been estimated that in Britain, there are 4 million women and 3 million men that suffer with the condition named 'Oniomania' by professionals.

"Little things tend to show up at our house in packages from all over the world, every few days," says Alice Starling*, whose father suffers from Oniomania, "We have a new car or bike every few months I'd say. It does keep him happy. If my dad was working this much and wasn't able to spend, he would end up depressed, I think."

Alice's fathers' spending has caused her family to fall into debt. Her grandparents have had to move into the family home so that their annex can be rented out to gain an extra income. "All our rooms have been changed and our living room has been cut in half to create an extra room. It's tough. But it's doable. That's the biggest effect dads spending has had on us," she says.

Traditionally, men have not been recognized as being afflicted with Oniomania (Compulsive Buying). This is because most of the previous surveys have been answered by women. As shopping is viewed as a female pastime, the idea of male compulsive shopping has been less explored. However, due to recent findings it seems that the ratio of male to female sufferers is almost equal. But why, and how, are men becoming increasingly addicted to shopping?

Leading Psychologist, April Benson Ph.D, is the author of 'I Shop Therefore I Am: Complusive Buying and the Search for Self.' She explains that: "The ease of shopping on the Internet, along with the anonymity that it provides, is largely responsible for more men becoming addicted to shopping." With Internet retail sales reaching £29 billion in 2012, it has become easier than ever for men to shop anonymously on laptops, smartphones and tablets. These male shopaholics are more likely to spend out on gadgets, technology, CDs, tools and books.

Alice's father buys a number of cars and motorbikes. "And property, he's invested in a few flats and houses, including a few abroad," she adds, "He buys lots of little things too, car parts, motorbike parts, jackets, jumpers, jeans, junk food, novelty items like a water buffalo skull we had up in our living room for a while, a life size 'fester' [butler] that talks and moves."

A shopaholic must identify their shopping trigger, be it stress at work or a lack of self confidence, before they can be on a road to recovery. Replacing shopping with something healthier can be useful, as can attending cognitive behavioral therapy sessions.

"They need to understand what it is they're really shopping for and find a way to get that with life enhancing activities rather than life-eroding behaviors," explains April Benson, "We all need to remember that we can never get enough of what we don't really need."

SPOTLIGHTS:

"In Recovery" Magazine

There's a wonderful relatively new quarterly recovery magazine I want to let you know about. It's called "In Recovery." Founded 2 years ago by Kim Welsh, a recovering person herself, in Prescott, Arizona--home to many treatment centers and half-way houses, this magazine has something for everyone. I visited Kim in October 2013 and was honored to be invited to write a regular column about process/behavioral addictions--starting Spring 2014.

The magazine is available in hard copy as well as online at:

www.inrecoverymagazine.com

3rd Millenium STOPLifting Online Education Course!

3rd Millenium Classrooms out of San Antonio, TX has been offering high-quality online education courses for alcohol, marijuana and shoplifting issues for many years now. I've been honored to help them fine-tune and update their shoplifting course which many are court-ordered to complete after an arrest.

3rd Millennium Classroom's STOPLifting is an online intervention course designed to assist shoplifters in examining and altering their attitudes and behaviors towards shoplifting. The course incorporates evidential examples and related follow-up questions to discover the student's motives behind shoplifting, reveal possible patterns in his or her behaviors, and identify potential triggers and ways to cope. Through STOPLifting's unique motivational interviewing style, students are encouraged to evaluate the personal consequences of shoplifting and how they affect the individual, his or her family and those around him or her. See: www.3rdmiclassrooms.com

Clutter-Hoarding National Clean-Up Services

See: http://www.clutterhoardingcleanup.com/

Honesty is its own reward.--Anonymous

Walk in peace.

The Shulman Center 2014 Ongoing Events Calendar

Ongoing ...

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana court system has a court-ordered, facilitated educational program for retail fraud offenders. The program is based on material from Mr. Shulman's book Something for Nothing: Shoplifting Addiction and Recovery.

Mr. Shulman created a 1-hour employee theft online course with360 Training. Learn why people steal from their jobs, how to deter it, prevent it, and what to do when confronted with it. Enroll at: http://theshulmancenter.360training.com

Mr. Shulman created an online continuing education course on compulsive shopping and spending called Bought Out and $pent! based on his book and Power Point presentation. The course, CEs offered, through The American Psychotherapy Association. at: http://www.americanpsychotherapy.com

"In Recovery" Magazine

www.inrecoverymagazine.com

3rd Millenium STOPLifting Online Education Course!

See: www.3rdmilclassrooms.com

RESOURCES OF NOTE...

THE SHULMAN CENTER THERAPIST TRAINING PROGRAM!

If you're a therapist and wish to be trained & certified in the assessment/treatment of compulsive theft, spending and/or hoarding, CONTACT THE SHULMAN CENTER NOW! See:

http://www.theshulmancenter.com/counselor-training.html

3rd MILLENIUM STOPLifing ONLINE EDUCATION COURSE!

www.3rdmilclassrooms.com

IN RECOVERY MAGAZINE--PRESCOTT, ARIZONA

GET A BOOST with MONEY LIFE-COACHING

Tom Lietaert of Sacred Odyssey and the Intimacy with Money programs offers individual money coaching as well as various group workshops on money. Check out Tom's two websites at:

www.sacredodyssey.com / www.intimacywithmoney.com

CONSULTING AND EDUCATION ON FRAUD

Gary Zeune of Columbus, Ohio has been a friend and colleague of mine for nearly two years. He has been a consultant and teacher on fraud discovery and prevention for nearly 30 years. He is interviewed in my book Cluttered Lives, Empty Souls: Compulsive Theft, Spending & Hoarding. I recently saw Gary in action recently when he presented an all-day on fraud to metro-Detroit accountants. See: www.theprosandthecons.com

RECOVERING SHOPAHOLIC BLOG AND EDUCATION

Debbie Roes is an educator and recovering shopaholic and offers a free insightful blog and e-Newsletter to help you. See:

http://www.recoveringshopaholic.com

THE FLY LADY ASSISTS WITH CLEANING & DECLUTTERING

I recently was told about a website resource that lists strategies for cleaning and de-cluttering and sells various books and products that help with this; so, I'm passing it along... See: www.flylady.net