VIDEO – BEST SOBER ACTOR AWARD? – Dec. 14, 2023 – Drew is joined by “Slow Horses” star and Hollywood icon Gary Oldman to chat about sobriety, his upbringing, and more! WATCH@DrewBarrymoreShow
Author: Leonard Buschel
VIDEO – RECOVERY CHAT – Dec. 15, 2023 – President Biden’s son spoke to Moby on his podcast “Moby Pod” about his love for painting in the second part of a two-part interview with the musician. “I paint at least eight hours a day, which I love,” he told Moby. “It is my meditation. The interview was released the same week Hunter Biden made a rare public statement outside the Capitol, bucking House investigators requests for a closed-door deposition as part of Republicans’ ongoing impeachment inquiry. “I paint at least eight hours a day, which I love,” he told Moby.…
AUDIO – GET THEM HELP! – Dec. 15, 2023 – Perched above a major highway in central Los Angeles sits an unassuming high school where students are all too familiar with the sound of ambulance sirens. This fall, the principal has called an ambulance about five times because of suspected student drug use. We’re just extra cautious,” he says. “Before, if the kid had a migraine, the kid had a headache, the kid looked a little tired. OK, let’s rest. Let’s get you going. Now, let’s check the blood pressure. If it’s high, let’s play the safe side. Let’s…
ECSTASY FOR BIG PHARMA – Dec. 14, 2023 – The biotech company MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) is a step closer to official approval for its MDMA-based therapy that supposedly treats post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If approved, MDMA would then have to be rescheduled so it can be available as a prescription medication. The proposed therapy uses “a combination of MDMA, psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) and other supportive services to treat PTSD,” the release stated. A 2021 meta-analysis in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that although “MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has been shown to be an effective therapy…
VANITY CAN MAIM – Dec. 14, 2023 – Some have even needed to be hospitalized for severe nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, but their cases seem to have resolved after they were given intravenous fluids and medications to control nausea. From Jan. through Nov., Poison Centers reported nearly 3,000 calls involving semaglutide, in 94% of calls, this medication was the only substance reported. Semaglutide was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2017. It is sold as Ozempic when used for diabetes and Wegovy when used for weight loss. Even when used as directed by a doctor,…
“I am a lover of what is, not because I’m a spiritual person, but because it hurts when I argue with reality.” – Byron Katie
PUT ON A HAPPY FACE – Dec. 7, 2023 – By the time she was 12, Lilly was addicted to drugs and had been sexually abused by her grandfather. Her life was filled with issues that no child should ever have to face. After years of struggle, Lilly landed at Birmingham’s Lovelady Center, where she found God and received help overcoming addiction. She also found resources for eliminating some of the barriers that held her back. But one visible barrier remained: Drugs had done a number on her teeth. They were a broken and decaying mess. “There were times…
REALITY SOBRIETY – Dec. 7.2023 – The reality star will also share more about her sobriety journey. It’s a brave move, and one to be celebrated. As the VIP Manager of Republic Garden & Lounge, Maddi is around alcohol day and night. However, she hasn’t had a sip of it in eight years and intends on keeping it that way. As for her decision to share her sobriety on camera, the reality star said it was for “accountability” purposes. “It helps me stay sober.” Publicly sharing her journey isn’t only helpful for Maddi; she said her story has touched…
TAX DOLLARS AT WORK – Dec. 7, 2023 – It’s not easy to know what goes on inside Mississippi jails — unlike in many states, they’re not subject to mandatory health and safety standards — but lawsuits and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation reports provide some visibility. Mississippi Today and ProPublica read sworn testimony by family members, jail staffers, administrators, sheriffs and other inmates regarding deaths in jail during the commitment process. We reviewed medical and jail records. We compared suicide prevention policies to nationally recognized guidelines. And we shared key facts about these cases or the policies in effect…
IT’S JUST WRONG – Dec. 6, 2023 – Ten people were indicted by a grand jury on felony charges including patient brokering following a sober-living homes sting operation, the Arizona Attorney General’s office announced on Wednesday. Fraudulent “sober living homes” have been operating in Arizona for years. They sign up patients on the American Indian Health Plan, then hold them in facilities without treatment. According to Native American communities, people have been kidnapped and imprisoned in these homes, and some have even died. The people running the homes bill Arizona’s Medicaid program for services they don’t provide. Attorney General Kris…
AND THAT AIN’T GOOD – Dec. 2023 – The collected data show that the most workaholic workers have on average a worse mood than the others.” For most people, it quickly gives way to a compulsion to continue the activity even though it objectively makes you quite miserable. What should we take away from all this? The optimistic end to Webb’s struggle with overwork absolutely shows that it is possible to wrestle yourself free from an unhealthy obsession with work. But the first step to doing that is definitely to realize that you do in fact have an unhealthy obsession…
AUDIO – COMPASSION WHERE IT’S NEEDED – Dec. 7, 2023 – Drug use and homelessness are complex issues, and many people automatically link the two together. However, did you know that a minority of Utah’s homeless population are adults with a substance abuse disorder? For this 25%, low-barrier shelters encourage unhoused individuals to seek resources by eliminating obstacles to safe and warm places. Despite what people may think, housing people with a substance abuse disorder does not lead to increased use. In fact, lack of shelter and an inability to pay rent can lead to stress that triggers substance…
A WOMAN SCORNED – Dec. 6, 2023 – Dr. Amy L. Cohen, 35, of Narbeth, was taken into custody after an investigation was triggered by harassing and antisemitic threats being sent to the family of a woman who was dating Cohen’s ex. She was arrested on attempted murder charges and is accused of trying to set fire to a 99-year-old woman’s home — over an ex. According to investigators, Cohen allegedly left typed-out threatening notes to the woman’s family, claiming the woman promoted Islamophobia and that they needed to move out of Pennsylvania or they would be hurt. he…
THIS IS NO MICKY MOUSE STUDY – Dec. 1, 2023 – The researchers first gave the rats cocaine, and the animals learned how to self-administer the drug. Eventually, they developed either high or low levels of addiction. To study how addiction in the absence of drugs affected the brain, the researchers next withheld the drug to make the rats go through withdrawal. The researchers found that rats with stronger addiction had differences in genes related to energy production and usage. “The way cells use energy is very important for addiction related behaviors,” said Telese. One way that energy could…
NO KIDDING – Nov. 29, 2023 – “Your body needs insulin to metabolize sugar. Insulin helps transport the glucose into the cells of the body,” says Tina Cheng, D.O., a pediatric endocrinologist from Good Samaritan University Hospital in New York. When you eat foods containing carbohydrates, like dairy products, grains, beans, fruit, vegetables and sugary foods, the body breaks them down into glucose (aka sugar). The pancreas then produces insulin to move sugar from the bloodstream into the cells to use for energy. Foods considered simple sugars, like cane sugar, fruit juice, honey and syrup, are metabolized more quickly than…
HARD TO FORGET – Dec. 6, 2023 – “I was 20 years old fishing for King salmon in Alaska. Unfortunately, all I remember was the terrible hangover I had. I had drank over 30 shots of vodka and whatever else I could get my hands on. I can still feel the throbbing in my head and the pulsing vein on my temple.” El Moussa went on to reflect that he was “drinking my life away” at that time, writing that “at 19 my life went downhill in what felt like overnight. I gained 50 pounds, lost my confidence, lost…
REALLY? – Dec. 8, 2023 – We sat down with Cary Claiborne, CEO and president of Adial Pharma, to discuss the challenges of treating alcohol abuse and company’s solution – a serotonin-3 receptor antagonist that could affect neurotransmitters like dopamine and modulate the behavioural effects of alcohol. READ@BioPharmaReporter
VIDEO – A VERY GOOD THING – Dec. 7, 2023 – In Pekin, anyone looking for drug addiction treatment can walk in and drop off drugs and paraphernalia without being charged. While just one person has come forward so far this year, Police Chief Seth Ranney believes the Safe Passage program still saves lives. “From my experience, when they come here, they’ve tried everything, and it hasn’t worked. This is their last stop,” said the chief. Since it started in 2016, 63 people have come to the Pekin Police Department with opioid drugs, seeking help. All were referred to inpatient…
BUT NOT FOREVER – Dec. 8, 2023 – Eventually, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and prescribed Concerta, leading to my exposure to stimulants. The concept of taking a pill to improve one’s mood was introduced to me at a very young age, so the beginning of my addiction story is not unique. Like many teenagers, I experimented, but the difference lies in the timing. In 2006, when I was 17, research was published suggesting that OxyContin was addictive. READ@Newsweek
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SMARTing – Dec. 7, 2023 – The young women, some of whom were once married but separated from their husbands following devastation caused by the killer drinks, have been driven to desperate measures to tackle alcohol harm. Using sports, the young mothers hope to woo the sober men back to the field to sharpen their talents instead of spending their leisure time at drinking dens. Already, the single ladies have formed various football teams that have been training at Wandui Primary School, a platform they also use to sensitize locals about the dangers of alcoholism. Illicit…
MAYBE? – Dec. 7, 2023 – Dear Hera, Is it possible to stay in a (happy) relationship with an addict? When I met this person three months ago, it was by chance, and we fell in love very quickly. He’s smart, sexy, emotionally intelligent, charismatic, kind and thoughtful; I have never felt so loved and understood. Initially, I wasn’t aware of the extent of his cocaine use – I knew he used it, but not how much a part of his life it was – but as we got to know each other it became more apparent. His experience with…
VIDEO – IT’S COMPLICATED – Dec. 7, 2023 – As an injecting drug user for 20 years, I have personal experience with ibogaine. My life was transformed – potentially saved – when I used ibogaine to rid myself of withdrawal from heroin. I then spent years treating others with ibogaine … Ibogaine, a psychedelic root found in West Africa, is considered an agonist therapy that works to prevent withdrawal and reduce cravings for opioids. Even in the best-case scenario though, ibogaine treatment is likely decades away from being accessible to the general public, let alone Kentucky’s hardest-to-reach communities. While exploring…
BUT STILL SOBER – Dec. 6, 2023 – Between her life-altering decision to get sober and the way she’s dabbled in getting several tiny tattoos—including matching tattoos with Morgan Wade. I chose to stop alcohol because I had returned from a trip and just wanted a reset to my healthy habits, but turns out, I didn’t miss it, and still don’t. I feel so clear mentally and physically. I don’t have those days waking up feeling bad, and overall that helps with everything. SC: What is your favorite thing about being a Housewife now that you’re 13 seasons deep?…
VIDEO – LISTENING and LOVE – Dec. 7, 2023 – In this video interview, Alexa Connors, LMSW, discusses changes to the U.S. addiction treatment system that could improve results. Connors is assistant director of The Dorm, an intensive outpatient treatment program for young adults in New York City and Washington, D.C. What I think we’re really seeing is that addiction across the globe is on the rise. Within the last year, 15% of people reported having a substance use disorder or substance misuse, and about 94% of those people did not receive any treatment for it. If we’re thinking…
EUPHORIA HAS A PRICE – Dec. 10, 2023 – Ross told her husband she’d gone out and used methamphetamine and crack cocaine, according to a Miami-Dade County medical examiner’s report. That morning, Ross’s husband found her dead of an overdose, slumped in a bed at their Airbnb, two pipes and a baggie with powder residue at her side. Toxicology tests revealed she’d consumed cocaine and fentanyl — plus two other drugs belonging to a class of opioids known as nitazenes. One of those drugs is estimated to be 43 times more potent than fentanyl. Ross’s mother, Cathy Sheely, had never…
AUDIO – IT’S A START? – Dec. 6, 2023 – MAT is only effective when combined with psychosocial modalities but the treatment needs to be more widely-adopted, according to Cooper Zelnick, the company’s chief revenue officer. Zelnick, who is in recovery himself, sees improving access to Groups’ multi-pronged approach to OUD as core to the company’s mission. Zelnick: The first reason we are able to do this against the backdrop of an industry that remains predominantly fee-for-service is that we are very focused on delivering great outcomes, being transparent about those outcomes with our plan partners and being willing to…
MONEY MATTERS – Dec. 3, 2023 – “If it gets blown up, nobody gets anything,” Carter, of Maynard, Mass., said of the settlement. “And still nothing is going to happen to the Sacklers.” Ed Bisch, who lost his 18-year-old son, Eddie, to an overdose in 2001, opposes the settlement because he said the Sacklers will still keep billions of dollars of wealth accumulated over the years. He pointed out that the $6 billion payout would be stretched out over 18 years, and that more than $50 billion has already been allocated to states through settlements with other pharmaceutical companies, drug…
BY STUDYING – Dec. 7, 2023 – Erin Calipari comes from a basketball family. Off the court, as a biology major she gravitated toward hormones and neurotransmitters. She grew fascinated with the neurobiology of how and why drugs such as cocaine and opioids are addictive, Off the court, as a biology major she gravitated toward hormones and neurotransmitters. She grew fascinated with the neurobiology of how and why drugs such as cocaine and opioids are addictive, as she learned about the effects of ecstasy on the serotonin system. “I thought drugs were so cool because they hijack the brain,” she…
NO SLIPPING … ON THE ROCKS – Dec. 7, 2023 – Whether you are watching commercials on TV, scanning your social media, or listening to the radio, the idea of alcohol use being equivalent to holiday merriment is everywhere. These influences can make the holidays challenging for someone in recovery from addiction or struggling with an active addiction. If you are planning to attend a holiday gathering with family, friends, or colleagues from work, make a plan now to stay sober. Knowing in advance how you are going to manage thoughts of substance abuse is important to your success.…
PRAYERS – Dec. 4, 2023 – Cullen Johnson Hill, who was first runner-up in the Miss America 1995 pageant, gave an unfiltered look at “what addiction looks like” to inspire others to quit drinking. “I’ve just come from jail, serving my time that I owed from my second DUI, and this will be my journey,” she said in a Nov. 29 TikTok video. “I’m so much better when I’m sober. You’re like, ‘Yeah, no kidding, because you look like crap.’” Pointing out her black eye and short haircut, Cullen explained that she wants viewers to see what her life…