GREED CAN KILL – March 22, 2023 – Victims are told to sign papers to claim the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state Medicaid agency for low-income residents. Under AHCCCS’ American Indian Health Program, health care providers can receive funding, including coverage for behavioral health services, the FBI said. The FBI statement said, “Organizers are allegedly telling renters that they must change their identification (driver’s license, etc.) to Arizona in order to receive Arizona Medicaid benefits.” Special Agent Antoinette Ferrari said the fraud is a federal crime against members of Indigenous communities. “They are taken off reservations and…
Author: Leonard Buschel
NO OVERTIME FOR YOU! – March 17. 2023 – Investigators found that the facility did not pay the affected employees overtime and minimum wages for all hours worked and failed to keep proper payroll records, all of which are violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In some cases, the treatment center paid workers providing patient care and other services as little as $400 per month, according to the investigation. The Wage and Hour Division determined that Kline Welsh Behavioral Health Foundation paid affected workers salaries that fell below the federal minimum wage when they worked between 41 and 63…
LOVE GONE WRONG – March 14, 2023 – Ryan Edwards, star of MTV’s “Teen Mom,” admitted to stalking and threatening his ex-wife Mackenzie and was sentenced to substance abuse treatment after entering a guilty plea. Ryan, 35, was arrested on two separate occasions on February 10 for alleged harassment, drug paraphernalia, and controlled substance possession, as well as a violation of an order of protection. According to the Ashley’s Reality Roundup, on Tuesday, Ryan had an urgent case in Hamilton County Court in Tennessee. After being charged with harassment, he admitted guilt in a court in the United States. The…
VIDEO – AFTER WORK ACTIVITIES? – March 16, 2023 – “I want to assure the community that we are already in the process of thoroughly investigating this matter to find the source of this dangerous substance, and will do everything within our power to prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law,” Hackensack Police Department Officer in Charge Capt. Michael Antista said. “I want to thank the great men and women of the Hackensack Police Department for their swift response and once again proving their expertise in times of crisis,” he added. Antista said that fentanyl is often…
HE GETS THE ASSIST! – March 20, 2023 – Herren said the most common question he hears from students is, “How do I help someone that I care about?” “Kids are looking for some info. on how to intervene in somebody’s life,” he said. “It’s at every school. You want them to reach out for resources at school.” Herren’s story is full of broken promises and lost opportunities as well as wise advice and ominous warnings he ignored, always choosing his addiction over everything and everyone else in his life. At age 10, when his mom first threatened to leave…
PATIENCE IS ESSENTIAL – March 15, 2023 – Lil Uzi Vert is in a new phase of his life centered around sobriety. The 27-year-old says that his creative process during the making of Pink Tape was better as a result of this decision for a variety of reasons. The “Just Wanna Rock” artist was walking through the streets of Beverly Hills when approached by TMZ Hip Hop about supposedly making over 680 songs while working on Pink Tape. The Philadelphia artist confirmed this and said their friends have been helping them decide which songs will make the album. Of course,…
VIDEO – TEACH THEM FAST – March 17, 2023 – And only 10-20% know where to get Narcan. “It doesn’t require a hospital or a clinic,” Habecker said. Narcan is administered as a nasal spray and the state of Nebraska provides it free to participating pharmacies. It’s free to you, too, you just need to ask. In 2021 at least 221 Nebraskans died of Opioid overdoes. That’s why having Narcan close by is so important. “It’s coming into everyday life. That’s the level at which it’s moving in, meaning people are running into opiates in a negative way,” said Topher…
VIDEO – WHAT WOULD BILL W. SAY? – March 21, 2023 – Nick Lachey has been ordered to attend anger management classes and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Multiple outlets report the 49-year-old singer’s court-ordered classes come after a heated exchange with photographer Jody Santos in March 2022. ET has reached out to both Lachey and the Beverly Hills Police Department for comment. In a statement to ET, the Los Angeles District attorney explained, “Mr. Lachey has not been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. Instead he is participating in LADA’s Prefiling Diversion program which was established in 2017. As part of…
VIDEO – LIFE SAVING ROCK HISTORY – March 12, 2023 – ‘Okay, let’s get you to the hospital right now.’ I had this bag of about an ounce of Persian heroin and about an ounce of cocaine, and I was just doing as much as I could in the hospital parking lot. Finally, we go in, and Perry was like … saying to the nurses, ‘Listen, I’m going to be really honest with you, he’s really on a lot of drugs right now, so why don’t you wait on giving him any medication.’” “I couldn’t get any enjoyment about being…
REALLY A STAR, NOT A STATISTIC – March 14, 2023 – As Colin Farrell earns universal acclaim for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin, we must remember that the ‘Colinnaissance’ has, in fact, been years in the making. The In Bruges checked into rehab for the first time in 2006, sharing later that his substance abuse had gotten “out of control” as he had developed a high tolerance over the last 16 years. “It accumulated to the point where I couldn’t put my foot on the brake anymore,” he told Craig Ferguson. He started drinking at 14 and never…
LEARNING THE ART WAY – March 16, 2023 – All eyes were on performances of the UPJ Dance Ensemble, UPJ Theater Club and UPJ Black Action Society members in the Cambria Room of the Student Union. In the back of the room, informational resources for local recovery centers and counseling services were available. The event was organized by UPJ student Fiona Knoster, who gave opening remarks, but the featured speaker was Miss Pennsylvania Alysa Bainbridge. “’What can this girl with a crown on her head have to say about addiction?’” Bainbridge said, anticipating the crowd’s thoughts. “I love to break…
“I would never die for my beliefs, because I might be wrong.” – Bertrand Russell
VIDEO – DOCUMENTARIES RULE – March 9, 2023 – Between then and now, the museum announced it would no longer accept donations from the Sacklers and excised their name from its galleries. Once the Met’s most cherished VIPs, they would now be persona non grata on the stage that welcomed Goldin. The same goes for the many other venerable cultural institutions, from the Guggenheim to the Tate to the Louvre, that Goldin and her activist group P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now) successfully pushed to end their association with the Sacklers, as Poitras’ cameras rolled. Beauty tells the unlikely story of…
VIDEO – NO MARCHMAN ACT in TENNESSEE? – March 10, 2023 – Oh my God, what to do? I called 911 and reported the strange call. The operator said she would send an officer to my house. The Metro police car pulled up in my driveway and I ran to the car in my robe. The officer told me to go back into my house. He was on a call and would come to my door shortly. I looked out the window for intolerable minutes watching him. Finally, he exited his car. His head was down. I knew it was…
ONE FEELING AT A TIME – March 9, 2023 – Every single story is important and this is mine. We are all human. Of course we will fall and make mistakes. We will walk through really hard things in life but it’s how we get back up again. We can learn and heal. Hard times are not final. Difficult circumstances don’t have to hold us down or define us. There is hope. Always hope. Right here, I am grateful and proud and ready for all that is to come. Remember it is never to late change the direction of your…
A MUST READ INTERVIEW – March 9, 2023 – When asked what sparked the change, Chyna said, “Honestly, I’m just changing everything about me. So, [there’s] people that I had to cut off … certain business relationships. I had to kind of cut off different ways of making income. I wanted to just really focus on me.” The mother of two continued, “And mind you, I’m getting older, and I’m trying to set an example for my kids, and hopefully inspire some people to even try it, you know … Because we’re around alcohol and drugs, and it’s really easy…
VIDEO – IS PIZZA? – Nov. 2022 – Over four decades of clinical experience, renowned physician and addiction expert Dr Gabor Maté has seen how health systems neglect the role that trauma exerts on our bodies and our minds. Medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today’s culture stresses our bodies, burdens our immune systems and undermines emotional balance. Now, in his most ambitious and urgent book yet, Dr Maté connects the dots between our personal suffering and the pressures of modern-day living – with disease as a natural reflection of a life spent growing further and…
VIDEO – BRING BACK MASKS – March 10, 2023 – “Seventy-five percent of prescription drugs, including antidepressants, antihistamines, and blood pressure drugs have dry mouth as a side effect,” says Katz. So, if you find people frequently backing away when you’re talking, ask your doc if your meds might be to blame. If so, sipping more water, chewing sugarless gum, or maybe switching to a different drug could help. In other instances, chronic bad breath could signal that something is amiss elsewhere in your body. And — believe it or not — the specific scent may provide clues that can…
A DOPE FOR DOPAMINE – March 9, 2023 – Living with addiction doesn’t always involve drugs or alcohol. Identifying many types of addiction can help you find the help you need to finally end a vicious cycle. We’ve created this guide to help you understand the complex signs of addiction. If you recognize these patterns in yourself or someone you love, you can help change a life. Continue reading to learn the real causes of addiction and addictive behavior. What Is Addiction? Think about the last thing that made you feel good. Perhaps it was spending time with friends, biting…
NO MERCY, NO PEACE – March 9, 2023 – The 43-year-old has been struggling with drug abuse throughout her adult life and was jailed on drug charges on February 24. She is being held at the Kootenai County Jail in Coeur d’Alene, 66 miles from where Xana and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, and two housemates, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, were murdered on November 13, 2022. Brian Kohberger, a PhD student in criminology at nearby Washington State University in Pullman, was arrested on December 30 and is facing a trial this year on murder charges. Northington said that she was…
VIDEO – HERO THROUGH AND THROUGH – March 9, 2024 – “The gentleman that I work with are living examples that there is life after addiction,” said Intake Coordinator Derek Dare. “It’s just nice to see the family and motivations that’s allowed them to get to where they’re at. We couldn’t be more proud of the graduates that we have here.” Those in the program have to earn their GED while learning how to develop their faith. One resident says everything lined up for him to be in Adult & Teen Challenge, even through some hesitation. It got to the…
DOG GOD – March 13, 2023 – “If you look at a fully-grown person, there’s first activity in the retina of your eyes, immediately transferred to the brain regions in the back of your brain. Here your brain makes sense of what you’re seeing and where. There is a special part of the brain, the fusiform face area that responds maximally to faces. However, when you look at babies, there’s activity in your orbitofrontal cortex (an area strongly involved in emotions and pleasures, located just above your eyeballs) at the same time as the activity in the fusiform face area,”…
NO NEED TO EXAGGERATE – March 15, 2023 – The eponymous star of “Daisy Jones and the Six” revealed that she was determined to showcase the novel’s depiction of substance abuse in a respectful way, especially given her family history. Keough is the granddaughter of Elvis Presley and daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, both of whom struggled with addictions to painkillers and prescription drugs. Keough’s character Daisy Jones is shown taking pills, cocaine, and more in the Prime Video series. “Because this is something I’ve experienced in my family, I wanted the moments in which you see Daisy’s addiction to…
VIDEO – GREAT INTERVIEW – March 2, 2023 – Macklemore joins Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in studio to talk all about how his song ‘Thrift Shop’ changed his life, inspiring others in their sobriety journey as well as attending a Knicks Game at Madison Square Garden and being ‘nervous’ to go on camera! Click@ElvisDuran
YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK – March 14, 2023 – I worked on Capitol Hill and in state houses across the country for years, before a seemingly benign OxyContin prescription for pain sent me into a decade-long tailspin that nearly ended my life. If I had not been able to access medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment with buprenorphine, I would not be here today. Since the beginning of my recovery in 2015, I’ve made it my purpose to increase access to treatment for every single American who needs it—without shame, judgement or unnecessary barriers. On Feb. 24, the Drug…
THE KIDS ARE NOT ALRIGHT – March 13, 2023 – The revelations were disclosed in a lawsuit over social media addiction that had been filed previously but with key portions sealed from public view. An unredacted version filed over the weekend in federal court in Oakland, California, offers details about how much engineers and others, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, knew about the harms of social media and their misgivings about it. “No one wakes up thinking they want to maximize the number of times they open Instagram that day,” one Meta employee wrote in 2021, according to the filing.…
DOCTOR FEELGOOD – March 14, 2023 – In his early years as a primary care doctor in Boston, addiction devoured Grinspoon’s practice and his life. He snorted oxycodone in his office, wrote fraudulent prescriptions for his wife and their children’s nanny, and colluded with patients to share medications. He has no memory of the overdose he suffered, and yet he’ll never forget it. Massachusetts Physician Health Services, which supports doctors and medical students fighting substance abuse disorders and other mental health issues, helped Grinspoon get his life and career back on track, and then hired him to do the same…
AND IT’S LEGAL – March 15, 2023 – Headlines in 2022 declared Oregon to be the “worst in the nation” for addiction. But many local experts in behavioral health say state rankings should be taken with a grain of salt. The most often quoted rankings, created by the advocacy group Mental Health America, rely heavily on the responses to an annual survey conducted by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. But since the survey collects information about people’s self-reported drug use, it is likely capturing a combination of different things – regional differences in rates of use,…
DO TRY THIS AT HOME – March 14, 2023 – The discomfort level of alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to quite bothersome. Finding a treatment for alcohol withdrawal might sometimes be difficult. You’ve probably been drinking for a while if you have an alcohol addiction. Long-term alcohol consumption is frequently brought on by an underlying illness or physical discomfort that was treated with alcohol. The secret to a successful detox is to speak with an expert in addiction treatment prior to starting, to be aware of the alcohol withdrawal schedule, and to be aware of detox techniques. Additionally,…
INSTAGRAM STAGE DOOR PARENTS – March 10, 2023 – Claire, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, has never known a life that doesn’t include a camera being pointed in her direction. The first time she went viral, she was a toddler. When the family’s channel started to rake in the views, Claire says both her parents left their jobs because the revenue from the YouTube channel was enough to support the family and to land them a nicer house and new car. “That’s not fair that I have to support everyone,” she said. “I try not to…