SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH – Oct. 23, 2023 – I was sick of drinking. Sick of thinking about drinking. Sick of buying, hiding, and disposing of my drinks.I was sick of the lies rolling off my tongue like the truth once had. Sick of the dual life. Of managing the impossibility of moderation.Sick of walking on eggshells. Sick of pretending to be okay. Sick of being in survival mode.Sick of isolation. Sick of crying. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.So, so, so tired.Fast forward 4 years. My life today is a direct result of addiction and…
Author: Leonard Buschel
NPR AUDIO – IT’S ALWAYS COMPLICATED – Oct. 24, 2023 – Whether it be opioids, alcohol or other drugs, millions nationwide have succumbed to addiction and need help. Treatment can be challenging, though, as people entering recovery often need comprehensive and multifaceted care. Destinee Lucier, assistant clinical director at Lake Avenue Recovery and Addiction Treatment Center in Worcester, joined All Things Considered host Arun Rath to break down what evidence-based treatment is available. What follows is a lightly edited transcript. Arun Rath: Is addiction treatment always complicated? Destinee Lucier: Yes. So with addiction treatment, there is no “one size…
“The most common form of despair is not being who you are.” – Soren Kierkegaard
ACCIDENTAL? – Oct. 17, 2023 – Carolyn Andriano, 36, was found dead in a hotel room in West Palm Beach, Florida, on May 23, according to West Palm Beach Police Department spokesperson Mike Jachles. Her death wasn’t made public until this week. Andriano died an overdose of methadone, fentanyl and alprazolam, Jachles said. She testified in 2021 that she had been addicted to “pain pills and cocaine” and that she had taken them “to block out” Epstein’s sexual abuse. For four years, Epstein had abused her at his Palm Beach mansion, starting in 2001 when she was 14, she said.…
AUDIO – WITH A PROFESSIONAL – Oct. 19, 2023 – The first key step is to educate yourself and management on all aspects of addiction and recovery. Increasing understanding through training reduces stigma and equips managers to identify signs of addiction, handle sensitive conversations, and make reasonable accommodations to support recovery. Take time to thoroughly review and update your drug-free workplace policy with a lens of support and rehabilitation over punishment. Outline counseling services and treatment programs available to proactively assist employees struggling with substance abuse disorders. As Jennifer Morehead, CEO of Flex HR, advises, “Policies should clearly encourage…
HONEST 5th STEP – Oct. 20, 2023 – ‘That’s when I was confusing the universe, because I’m not a bad person, but I was doing crappy things.’ ‘Sobriety, I’m telling you, is a huge thing,’ he told The New York Times, recounting how his drinking may have affected the trajectory of his career. ‘I would go into a party or a meeting, and I’d have to get a little drunk. “Hey, that makes me charming, that makes me funny — that makes me fuzzy.” And people saw that,’ he recalled. ‘There was a fuzz around me, women, the business.…
VIDEO – YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT – Oct. 16, 2023 – On today’s Alternative to Meds Podcast, host Debbie Nelson is delighted to welcome Dr. David Wiss to discuss the importance of nutrition during recovery. As an accomplished dietitian, Dr. Wiss has found a powerful correlation between poor health and poor nutrition. His goal is to bridge the current gap between mental and physical health by pushing people to focus on how adequate nutrition can improve them both. Join Alternative to Meds Center as we discuss how your nutrition plays a fundamental role in your journey of recovery. Your…
RE-CIRCUIT CITY – Oct. 18, 2023 – Mindfulness-based interventions are therapeutic approaches that incorporate mindfulness practices into various aspects of treatment. These interventions aim to cultivate mindfulness skills in individuals and apply them to promote well-being and address a range of psychological and physical health conditions. Substance use disorders have a significant impact on individuals and society, affecting millions of people worldwide and costing billions of dollars annually. Substance use disorders are associated with negative neurobiological and psychosocial outcomes, including brain dysfunction, intense cravings, hazardous behaviors, and mental health problems. The high relapse rates within the first year of treatment…
VIDEO – STRAIGHT OUTTA 12 STEPS – Oct. 20, 2023 – On the latest episode of A Safe Place, hosts Lil Yachty and Mitch discussed this with their guest, Lucki, who confirmed that he’s been clean from some drugs for several months now, though there are still others he’s hoping to conquer. “I thought I’d never stop popping pills, but I stopped popping pills,” the 27-year-old reflected during their interview. “But lean, though? Pills don’t taste good, lean taste good,” Lucki added, earning a laugh from his friends. “You know I’m 10 months clean?” Yachty asked, surprising some…
VIDEO – MUSIC MATTERS – Oct. 12, 2023 – KEYRIS MANZANARES: Linda MacDermott and her music therapist, Jim Borling have been meeting for 20 years. Each one of their sessions starts like this, setting an intention. LINDA MacDERMOTT: My first session was, I have a hole in my soul and I feel like I just feel like I have a hole in my soul. And so, kind of that was the intention to see what’s going on. That’s the best I could do. So, I grew up, through my childhood every type of abuse that can happen, happened. And…
VIDEO – NOW START OVER? – Oct. 10, 2023 – The first eleven steps in the Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) approach to recovery focus on the individual answering questions about finding freedom from alcohol and other drugs. Even the eighth and ninth steps, which call for making amends to those one’s addiction has harmed, are suggested to free recovering people from the burden of shame (A.A.’s Steps Eight and Nine: Acts of Integrity). The final twelfth step now turns attention outward while also expanding the concept of recovery well beyond the problem of addiction. In this series on the 12…
SURRENDER TO WIN – Oct. 15, 2023 – Addiction treatment offers many benefits that are pivotal in the recovery process. First and foremost, recovery provides a structured and supportive environment that helps individuals break free from the cycle of addiction. The structured nature of treatment programs, whether inpatient or outpatient, offers a daily routine that eliminates the triggers and temptations often present in the outside world. This controlled environment is essential in the early stages of recovery, where the risk of relapse is significantly high. It’s here that individuals can start rebuilding their lives with the help of therapists, medical…
VIDEO ONLY – MOTHS TO A FLAME – Oct. 17, 2023 – Homeless people who camp nearby said that the area around the Blackburn Center is a popular hangout. Many are on the waiting list to get inside. WATCH@YouTube
GIVE UP LINES ONLINE – Oct. 18, 2023 – In Kentucky, 48% of those who started buprenorphine treatment via telehealth remained in treatment for 90 continuous days, compared to 44% of those who started treatment in non-telehealth settings. In Ohio, 32% of those who started buprenorphine treatment via telehealth remained in treatment for 90 continuous days, compared to 28% of those who started treatment in non-telehealth settings. The research was conducted as part of the HEALing Communities Study, the largest addiction prevention and treatment implementation study ever conducted, which is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and…
VIDEO – GRAFT? – Oct. 18, 2023 – The Environment Department will be focusing on a few key areas to do this: Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Bernalillo. Kenny said it’s crucial to understand the impact of fentanyl and other opioids near public schools. “I don’t think there’s anyone in New Mexico who isn’t affected by opioid abuse and illicit drugs like fentanyl,” Kenney said. Officials will use the data collected over time to understand what steps they should take to keep fentanyl and other opioids away from schools. The department will spend $600,000 on the program. WATCH@KOAT
GOOD IDEA? – Oct. 19, 2023 – The process grants legal immunity from prosecution if a person undergoes voluntary or involuntary treatment. The process would allow individuals to petition for their release and require an application to commit someone to go through the Court of Common Pleas. “While naloxone and other life-sustaining medications have reduced our death rate, it does not address the underlying substance use disorder,” Laughlin said. Since 2018, more than 1.4 million doses of naloxone have been distributed by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and almost 90,000 doses of naloxone were given by emergency responders,…
VIDEO – JOINING THE MEN’S CLUB – Oct. 20, 2023 – New research from St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne has found a dramatic increase in people with alcoholic hepatitis since Covid. While it has traditionally been a disease mainly of older men, doctors have noticed a rise in young women being hospitalised. WATCH@YouTube
VIDEO – ART IMITATES STRIFE – Oct. 20, 2023 – Venable said he never set out to write a play about addiction, rehab and sobriety but they are topics he knows well. Addicted to drugs and alcohol, he says he hit rock bottom in 2004. “I started a 12-step recovery and have been sober since then, which is almost 20 years,” he recalled. “It saved my life. Everything I have now in my life is a result of that.” The characters in his play, which is set in the common room of a rehab facility, have been in the…
VIDEO – ART HEALS ALL – Oct. 19, 2023 – “We got to look at each other like we’re human. We’re actually just people trying to do the right thing,” Haye said. Janet Osborn is an art therapist who helps with the program. She said art can reach deep inside people “It can help with relaxation. It can help calm the mind. It can help be even just a distraction. It can be fun. You can learn about yourself,” Osborn said. When these groups come together, it can break down barriers. “In the future, maybe people who are struggling with…
FREEDOM FEELS GOOD – Oct. 20, 2023 – “So we work very hard to try to conceal the things we think might make us vulnerable, the things that people might think are wrong with us,” added Hendriksen, a clinical assistant professor at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. “We worry that those perceived fatal flaws will be seen and pointed out, and we will bear negative social consequences because of that.” Alcohol may help quiet such insecurities – that would otherwise prevent us from having unbridled fun – by disinhibiting us and desensitising our senses, said Dr Jodi…
VIDEO – LA WOMAN – Oct. 15, 2023 – “I believe that my obsession with my sobriety is what keeps me steadfast in this mindset,” she explained. “I revisit my rock bottom moment, recollecting why I chose to get sober, and then I look at my life and realize that I owe my sobriety for being here. That alone is sufficient to keep me sober.” She continued, “I remain sober for myself, first and foremost, because failure to do so could likely result in a relapse. But also, when I look at my child (Ocean), I think to myself, ‘Oh…
LET THEM EAT CAKE – Oct. 23, 2023 – The sites employ medical and social workers who guard against overdoses by supplying oxygen and naloxone, the overdose-reversing drug, and by distributing clean needles and other resources to opioid users. New York City has two sites, the only ones operating openly in the nation. Safe drug consumption facilities have reversed thousands of overdoses in the United States and abroad, helping people who use potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl avoid the worst consequences of a volatile drug supply. In the United States, the sites represent a novel form of “harm reduction,” which…
BOUNTIES ON THEIR HEADS – Oct. 18, 2023 – But a yearlong Mother Jones investigation tells a different story, shedding light on a large, profitable, and often-overlooked patient base: foster kids. Thousands of foster kids have been admitted in recent years to UHS’s psychiatric facilities, where they typically stay for weeks or months, sometimes leaving far worse off than when they arrived. Some of their claims echo allegations that have come up in damning government and mediainvestigations about UHS for years: that the facilities improperly use physical force and chemical restraints, fail to provide adequate treatment and staffing, admit…
THEY DON’T HAVE TO DIE – Oct. 20, 2023 – While methadone is easily the most effective drug currently approved to treat opioid addiction, it’s accessible only at specialized clinics that require patients to participate in counseling, submit to frequent drug tests, and show up in person each day to receive a single dose. “One of the major and main reasons why so many people are dying right now is because being on methadone just sucks, and for a lot of people, it’s worse than continuing to use drugs,” said Aaron Ferguson, the outreach manager for the Urban Survivors…
VIDEO – LA HOSPITAL LOVES BONDAGE – Oct. 15, 2023 – Hospitals are forbidden under federal law from restraining psychiatric patients except to prevent them from harming themselves or others. Restraints can be used only when other steps have failed and are widely discouraged by psychiatric professionals, seen as a measure of last resort that frays trust and can traumatize patients. At L.A. General — a public hospital serving some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the nation’s most populous county — the psychiatric inpatient unit has restrained patients at a higher rate than in any other…
AUDIO – A DISCONNECT? – Oct. 12, 2023 – “People conflate these crises,” said Dr. Margot Kushel, a UC San Francisco professor who led the largest representative study of homeless people in three decades, released earlier this year. “They are related but they are far from one and the same.” Huntington, a college town and riverside port city along the border of Ohio and Kentucky that was once dubbed the overdose capital of America, illustrates the knotty relationship between the two plagues. Nearly two-thirds of the homeless people here self-reported that they were struggling with addiction this year. But cheap…
VIDEO – F**KING BE CAREFUL – Oct. 11, 2023 – A member of a New York City drug-dealing crew blamed for the fentanyl-laced heroin death of actor Michael K. Williams was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison. Luis Cruz was the third of four defendants to be sentenced in connection with the drugs linked to the death of Williams, who overdosed in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment in September 2021. He died four hours after authorities said he bought the heroin from another member of the crew. A federal judge in Manhattan imposed the prison time on Cruz, who…
HORRIBLE – Oct. 18, 2023 – Soon, the sheriff arrived and immediately administered Naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. But Badger, a pharmacist, was confused. Brooke was a talented student who couldn’t wait to begin college that fall. “She had the whole world in her hands,” Badger said through tears. “There was no way in my mind that [Brooke] had died of a drug overdose.” In the ensuing days, Badger’s husband and son were able to gain access to Brooke’s computer and, with it, her Snapchat account. They found screenshots of what looked…
AUDIO – NO MONEY FOR ADDICTS – Oct. 20, 2023 – What’s clear is that each decision — whether to fund a treatment facility or buy a squad car — is a trade-off. The settlements will deliver billions of dollars, but that windfall is dwarfed by the toll of the epidemic. So increasing funding for one approach means shortchanging another. “We need to have a balance when it comes to spending opioid settlement funds,” says Patrick Patterson, vice chair of Michigan’s Opioid Advisory Commission, who is in recovery from opioid addiction. If a county funds a recovery coach inside…
LOOKING WITHIN IS EVEN SCARIER – Oct. 28, 2023 – “The growing interest and use of screen-based technologies throughout the world made me think about its pros and cons,” study author Adeena Ahmed, a clinical psychologist at Lifeline Rehabilitation Centre Islamabad in Pakistan, told PsyPost. “As I read previously published articles related to screen-time addiction, I realized that very little importance has been given to this topic,” Ahmed said. To analyze these issues, Ahmed conducted a study involving 150 adults from Rawalpindi and Islamabad in Pakistan who completed the Internet Addiction Test, a questionnaire consisting of 20 statements designed…