HE WON THE STRUGGLE – May 29, 2023 – “I’m 22 years old, right? I’m drinking five or six (beers) and going out the next day and going 2-for-3,” Erceg told MLB.com last year. “I didn’t think it was (a problem). I made it into a game: ‘If I have four tonight that means one hit tomorrow. So, if I have eight, that will be two hits.’” The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll, and in 2020, he batted .180 for the Sugar Land Lightning Sloths of the Independent Constellation Energy League. Finally, with his pro career in jeopardy thanks to…
Author: Leonard Buschel
HE’S A STAR – May 26, 2023 – As per the reports gathered from what the actor said during his interviews, it was revealed that Hardy was an adventurous young kid. While always looking for trouble, the Peaky Blinders actor found calmness in drinking his worries away. At the young age of 13, the Venom actor became addicted to alcohol. In an interview, Hardy recalled the moment he discovered drinking. Being an alcoholic at the age of 13 was already bad since later on, Tom Hardy‘s school had to forcefully expel the actor for stealing. After being admitted into…
HE WHO HAS THE GOLD MAKES THE LAW – May 30, 2023 – The second US circuit court of appeals in New York determined the company can shield its owners from legal claims in exchange for a $6bn contribution to the company’s broader bankruptcy settlement, in a ruling that also cleared the way for Purdue to settle lawsuits tied to America’s devastating opioid epidemic. The company has tried to use its bankruptcy to resolve thousands of lawsuits, many filed by state and local governments, alleging that OxyContin helped kickstart a crisis that caused more than 500,000 US overdose deaths over…
CORRECTIONAL CORRUPTION – May 30, 2023 – Auditors also uncovered shortcomings in how the prison, which sits on the grounds of Fort Dix in Burlington County, tracks employee sick leave. That signals some staff abuse sick time and could result in schedule disruptions and a need for increased overtime, according to the report. Investigators blamed record-keeping deficiencies and insufficient oversight by both facility and state Department of Corrections officials. “Failure to properly record costs for each facility distorts the department’s ability to accurately compare spending between facilities and cost per inmate calculations,” Kaschak wrote in the May 17 audit.…
SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING – May 26, 2023 – “I don’t ever see myself the way other people see me. There’s never a point in my life where I loved my body, never ever,” Fox said in a video interview with Sports Illustrated. “When I was little, that was an obsession I had of like, ‘But I should look this way.’ And why I had an awareness of my body that young, I’m not sure.” A discrepancy between how someone perceives themselves and how others see them is a hallmark symptom of body dysmorphia. Also known as body dysmorphic…
TWOgetherness – May 29, 2023 – Carl Radke made a commitment to live a sober lifestyle shortly before Summer House Season 5 premiered back in early 2021, and more recently, he celebrated two years of sobriety this past January. His now-fiancée, Lindsay Hubbard, also abstained from drinking alcohol for a period of about five months, starting at the end of 2021, because as she said on the Season 7 premiere, Carl was “struggling with his own sobriety around the holidays” and she wanted “to support him.” That following spring, though, Lindsay made a change. As she put it, “Now…
“Behind every great fortune there is a crime.” – Honoré de Balzac, 1799-1850
LIFESAVER – May 22, 2023 – The Food and Drug Administration endorsed Opvee, a nasal spray update of the drug nalmefene, which was first approved as an injection in the mid-1990s but later removed from the market due to low sales. Naloxone comes as both a nasal spray and injection. It’s not immediately clear how the new drug will be used differently compared to naloxone, and some experts see potential downsides to its longer-acting effect. The drug will be available via prescription and is approved for patients 12 and older. In studies funded by the federal government, Opvee achieved similar…
FILM REVIEW – May 22, 2023 – Anorexia, of course, is a deadly serious condition, and there are numerous dramas that have dealt with it. But the scaldingly subversive premise of “Club Zero” is that in this movie, anorexia has been institutionalized. It is being taught — as a form of dominating self-discipline, higher ethical values and religious zeal. The students, in eating less and less, think that they’re investing in the environment and speaking truth to power. The enjoyment of food gets replaced, for them, by the enjoyment of being high on abstinence. And Ms. Novak is just getting…
PLEASE KEEP SCROLLING – May 24, 2023 – “…The current body of evidence indicates that while social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote in the advisory. “At this time, we do not yet have enough evidence to determine if social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents.” The advisory acknowledges the positive impacts of youth social media use, noting that social platforms connect young…
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT – May 23, 2023 – The law would take effect from 22 May 2026 to give businesses time to adapt to a policy that mimics existing rules for other food and drink products, said Donnelly. “With that information, we can make an informed decision about our own alcohol consumption. Packaging of other food and drink products already contains health information and, where appropriate, health warnings. This law is bringing alcohol products into line with that.” Hildegarde Naughton, the minister for public health, wellbeing and the national drugs strategy, said medical evidence showed even low levels of…
THE FINAL WAR – May 24, 2023 – Yet, outside of this day, we never forget the countless veterans who made it home but now fight new battles. Unfortunately, substance use, drug overdose, and suicide have claimed the lives of countless veterans. In Rhode Island are over 60,000 veterans, with around 3,000 living in Cranston, most of whom are wartime vets. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 3.9 million veterans have a substance use disorder or mental illness. Moreover, substance use disorders significantly increase suicidality among veterans ages 18 and older. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors…
IT’S COMPLICATED – May 24, 2023 – Navajo leaders said they will staff a Phoenix operations center to help Navajo tribal members displaced when sober living homes caught up in the fraud investigation are indicted or their Medicaid funding is cut off. “I view this as a humanitarian and a human rights crisis,” said Navajo Attorney General Ethel Branch, adding that the goal is to get victimized people into treatment programs and ultimately back with their families. Branch said she believes the operators of the homes should also be investigated for human trafficking, but that has not been part of…
GOT TO GET IT UP – May 23, 2023 – This made me lethargic, tired all the time and unmotivated to do my job. I figured this was my ‘underlying depression’ and not the SSRIs. After a few more months I went back to my GP and he switched me over to sertraline (Zoloft). This made my genitals even more numb and I was unable to orgasm. I moved to Australia around this point and my mood became incredibly low, with frequent mood swings and more dark, intrusive thoughts. Again, I never made the connection to the SSRIs and thought…
SOBRIETY ON THE AIR – May 23, 2023 – Lakey said he hoped the podcast would help people realise their negative relationship with drinking sooner. “Every time I am out people confide in me that they would like to be sober, so I thought making a podcast might help people and prevent me having to cop all the bad beer breath,” Lakey said. “You don’t have to wait until you hit rock bottom. You know in your heart of hearts if you have a problem. I consciously tried three times to get sober before it stuck, but I just knew…
ANYONE CAN QUIT – May 24, 2023 – After two decades of hard drinking Phil Hoye had accepted alcohol was going to kill him. “I thought, ‘This is what I’m going to die of,’” he told ABC Radio Melbourne’s Jacinta Parsons. “I’m already too far in — I’ve already stuffed my body.” Mr Hoye says he enjoyed being drunk at first. Then it got to the stage where his first drink was at 10am and he’d have polished off a bottle of whisky by 3pm. “And that’s at work,” he says. “Then I’d knock off and go buy some beers…
TASTY – May 24, 2023 – He said that tooth enamel is attacked within 10 minutes. Naik said: “The phosphoric acid attacks the enamel in your teeth, while the artificial sweeteners like aspartame hit your system. Aspartame may trigger taste receptors and trick your body into thinking it has just processed sugar.” Naik says that in 20 minutes the drinker’s body switches to its “fat storage mode”, citing studies from The Nurses’ Health Study that connect such beverages to a higher risk of high blood pressure and type two diabetes. Naik claims the caffeine and aspartame combination results in a…
VIDEO – IS THERE ANY OTHER KIND? – May 20, 2023 – There are 12 different business licenses a person can apply for in the adult-use market, and there are additional licenses for medical cannabis. To be eligible to operate a business, you need to be at least 21 years old and fill out all necessary paperwork and pay license fees. It’s not cheap – a cultivator license, for example, will cost $10,000 to apply, $20,000 for the initial license, and $30,000 to renew. Costs vary depending on the operation. Smaller businesses seeking a cannabis “microbusiness” license would pay less.…
EVERYTHING MATTERS – May 25, 2023 – People struggling with addiction may exhibit changes in their physical and emotional health, such as insomnia, weight loss or gain, mood swings, and a lack of energy. Additionally, addiction can cause individuals to withdraw from activities they once enjoyed and isolate themselves from friends and family members. As humans, we are social creatures by nature. So, when we withdraw from social activities or fail to meet commitments, a deeper issue may be at play. It’s possible that the individual may be struggling with an addiction, and it’s essential to take note of…
KNOW YOUR FRIENDS – May 25, 2023 – Frequent binge drinking after daily responsibilities are taken care ofJustifying drinking as a way of unwinding after work, a busy day with the kids, or as a rewardFrequent intoxication and smelling of alcoholLoss of control around alcohol useHiding alcohol in strange places such as the garage, at the office, in bushes or in the carDrinking between work times or appointments, or drinking just enough to keep their alcohol levels topped upBecoming irritable, anxious, restless and unable to sleep if unable to drinkRegularly drinking in the morning or at odd times of the…
THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD? – May 25, 2023 – Fusion leadership, however, emphasized the center would not be a methadone clinic but a comprehensive behavioral health treatment facility that offers methadone in conjunction with clinical services and therapy. While traditional clinics often cause loitering due to individuals waiting outside for the prescription drug, Fusion will operate by appointment only and require patients to wait inside the building. Albany County Legislator Alison McLean Lane, who represents the village, was the first to confront the company and cited \concerns regarding the president, Florida native Mitch Baumann, and his inexperience operating treatment…
HIGHER POWER – May 25, 2023 – Emotionally and physically beaten up by her addiction to meth, Anna entered a year-long recovery program for women in Greeneville 13 months ago called Recovering Hearts. She said she entered the drugs recovery ministry “because I was desperate for wanting a better life. I was tired of running. “I was told I had to go into a program or lose my daughter. The Lord did it. That’s only God. I never thought I’d be in a program one full year. “At first, I never thought I’d see the day I’d have custody” of…
BEAUTIFUL HELPING HAND – May 26, 2023 – Gish flew here from Nashville where she was working on a film and mingled with patrons at the Brooke’s House coffee and chocolate shop in the town’s south end. “I think it is a beautiful model for women in sobriety, recovery and I want to do everything I can to help and advocate for its growth,” said Gish. Gish began her acting career in her teens starring in the 1986 film, Desert Bloom. READ@DCNewsNow
STEP ONE? – May 24, 2023 – The time is now to change our laws and policies about psilocybin so that adult access is possible. Psilocybin mushrooms bring on mystical-like experiences that may be vital to healing alcoholism. Psilocybin is a powerful psychoactive compound found in certain mushrooms. Humans have utilized this naturally occurring medicine for more than 6,000 years to experience healing. The effects are likely caused by changes in serotonin activity and new connections that form in the brain. The healing is immediate and long-lasting for many. New research out of the University of New Mexico is…
NOTHING BUT HEART – May 25, 2023 – Jason has experienced intense pain in his life, particularly after losing his father suddenly after he collapsed on the set of his hit show “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter” when the actor suffered an aortic dissection in 2003 (via The Sun). Jason has shared what a deep and loving relationship he had with his father, so the sudden loss was particularly intense and heartbreaking. However, besides using alcohol to dampen pain, Jason says initially he began using alcohol to help overcome anxiety. He says it made him feel…
AMERICA LOVES ADDICTION – May 23, 2023 – The DEA did not respond to repeated questions from The Associated Press about its handling of the case against Morris & Dickson Co. or the involvement of a high-profile consultant the company had hired to stave off punishment and who is now DEA Administrator Anne Milgram’s top deputy. But the delay has raised concerns about how the revolving door between government and industry may be impacting the DEA’s mission to police drug companies blamed for tens of thousands of American overdose deaths. “If the DEA had issued its order in a timely…
ABOUT TIME! – May 25, 2023 – Boston Children’s Hospital has launched the first Division of Addiction Medicine at a pediatric institution, reinforcing the importance of addressing substance use in children and adolescents providing multidisciplinary care for youth working towards recovery. For more than 20 years, Boston Children’s has led the increasingly important work of identifying, diagnosing, and treating substance use problems and disorders in adolescents and young adults. Moving the field forward to provide the best possible support for patients and families has always been the priority. Our nation faces epidemic levels of substance use disorders and overdose deaths,…
LEGALIZING IT – May 26, 2023 – That need for oversight was demonstrated on Wednesday when state officials terminated a $1.5 million grant agreement with a drug recovery nonprofit in Klamath Falls accused of failing to submit completed expenditure and data reports and buying a building for more than double the authorized amount. That $1.5 million is just a drop in a huge bucket — $264.6 million has been allocated to date for recovery centers — and state officials have a massive responsibility to ensure the money does what it is supposed to: combating drug use in a state with…
VIDEO – WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE – May 25, 2023 – “Like they don’t understand that getting sober is hard, and then on top of being sober you have your mental health. So when you get sober your mental health really suffers because you’ve been masking it with drugs all along.” “Dealing with your sober self for the first time is really rough because if you have mental health issues like I do you can’t always jump right into something,” Cherecwick said. “So like you have to get meds that are going to stabilize it, and not everybody wants to…
BROTHERLY LOVE– May 25, 2023 – On March 22, 2007, Jamie orchestrated a kidnapping. He had his brother picked up, drugged to sleep and transported across state lines to Los Angeles, where Jamie imprisoned him against his will for 30 days — that’s multiple felonies for those keeping score — all in a Hail Mary to finally force his older sibling off the drugs that were killing him. Ultimately, Jamie’s actions would destroy his relationship with his famous brother, Steven Adler, the drummer who helped launch one of the most successful rock bands of all time, Guns N’ Roses. But…