IMITATION IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY? – Nov. 7, 2022 – “What literally helped me get through each day when trying to stop consuming alcohol initially was listening and playing Elton and Bernie Taupin’s timeless songs. “I was also inspired to start making my own music by becoming a close friend of Elton’s original and current drummer, Nigel Olsson. “As it’s Elton’s last ever tour this year, I’m marking the occasion by touring every single state in the US, playing covers of his songs.” Tom said learning about Elton’s own battles with addiction was an inspiration for his own…
Author: Leonard Buschel
BATTLE OF A LIFETIME – Nov. 7, 2022 – Pereira started training kickboxing at the age of 21 and turned pro after a 25-3 (25 knockouts) amateur record. As per some sources, Pereira still struggled with his alcohol problems when during the first four years of his professional career. However, he managed to beat his alcohol urges when he thought about his future. He amassed an overall pro record of 33-7. He is an eight times Glory kickboxing champion. Other than that, he won the WGP and Pan-American championships. After a successful kickboxing career, he transitioned into MMA and…
VIDEO – A SONG OF DESPAIR? – Nov. 7, 2022 – Jessica Simpson responded on Instagram after her Pottery Barn advertisement recently went viral for all the wrong reasons. “I needed to be in my studio today because this is where I ground myself and heal,” Simpson captioned the clip, in which she’s seen singing along to her 2020 track “Party of One.” CLICK FOR MORE
WOMEN SUFFER TOO – Nov. 13, 2022 – In October 2011, I walked into a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. My drinking and drugging days were over … Meanwhile my non-addict wife, her own wounds still fresh from my years of substance abuse, stayed home and stood still. Meanwhile my non-addict wife, her own wounds still fresh from my years of substance abuse, stayed home and stood still. Her path to healing was… what exactly? CLICK FOR MORE
SCIENCE MAY ONE DAY DO SO… – Nov. 10, 2022 – Altering the types and ratios of microbes in the human gut is incredibly complicated and would almost certainly have unwanted affects beyond any addiction-related benefits. “But happily, we already know that glycine and sarcosine — an amino acid the body uses to make glycine — are not toxic and are easy to take,” says Sperandio, whose work is supported by the National Institutes of Health. Sarcosine is a relatively common nutritional supplement popular among athletes and already available over the counter in stores. “There is a lot that needs…
SITTING STILL AND BREATHING – Nov. 6, 2022 – This type of treatment is still being developed, Garland said, but the trials conducted have shown it is more effective than the usual treatment that people who are suffering from addiction receive. “We found that the MORE therapy reduced opioid misuse by 45% at the nine-month follow up point, which was nearly triple the effect of standard supportive therapy,” Garland said. “At the same time, we found that the MORE therapy reduced chronic pain itself, so 50% of patients treated with the MORE therapy reported experiencing clinically significant reductions in…
2019 EXPERIENCE STRENGTH AND HOPE AWARD WINNER TELLS ALL – Nov. 7, 2022 – Jodie Sweetin is reflecting on how more people are able to understand the “disease of addiction” in recent years. In an interview with Jezebel, the Fuller House star, 40, discussed how much conversations of substance abuse and addiction have changed since she first shared her own struggles several years ago. The actress battled a crystal meth addiction after Full House ended its eight-season run in 1995. “I think coming out and talking about it honestly like myself or Matthew Perry or other people have done, I…
A DISTANT RELATIVE – Nov. 10, 2022 – The damp lifestyle, a term originally coined by TikTok user Hana Danly, refers to operating somewhere in between sobriety and heavy drinking. Someone who chooses to live “dry” or sober is choosing to completely remove alcohol from their life, whereas a damp lifestyle is about choosing moderation. Living damp means that you still drink from time to time, but you avoid going overboard. “A damp lifestyle involves drinking in moderation, drinking to savour a drink or drinking a little on special occasions. It’s basically the avoidance of binge drinking which is…
OPINION – Nov. 9, 2022 – For many, self-medicating can be a slippery slope, Koob said. In addiction treatment facilities, he said, intoxicants are discouraged in favor of nonintoxicating medications that curb cravings and withdrawal: buprenorphine for opiates, nicotine patches for cigarettes, naltrexone and acamprosate for alcohol. I called my friend Nick J., a 59-year-old Santa Monica actor and comedian who has been sober for 31 years. I sometimes use him as a sounding board for questions about addiction and sobriety because he has been active for decades in Alcoholics Anonymous and has sponsored hundreds of alcoholics over the…
MORE WILL BE REVEALED – Nov. 4, 2022 – She would drink to deal with her feelings but started to realise she would become “aggressive” and “violent” when under the influence. After her addiction drove her to be hospitalised, a family friend pointed her in the direction of support groups. Now on the right path, she started getting back into fashion and fitness modelling which she first dabbled in 17 years ago. The model is now five years sober and has been able to lend “non-judgemental guidance” to struggling people who reach out to her online. Eliza, from Bournemouth,…
MEDIA MATTERS – Nov. 9, 2022 – The documentary was made possible through the active participation and leadership of Horizon Media. Bill Koenigsberg, CEO and founder of Horizon Media, serves on the board at Partnership to End Addiction and enabled the production of this compelling documentary. “So many people, in some way, are affected by drug addiction. Whether individually, a relative, a friend, or a colleague, no one is immune – but everyone can take the necessary action to ensure we begin to address the issues without stigma,” said Koenigsberg. “The unfortunate shame associated with drug addiction gave rise to…
MORE THAN ZERO – Nov. 5, 2022 – In 2008, Bentley was arrested and pleaded guilty to heroin possession. He was mandated to 12-step programs but relapsed. Finally, in 2009, he met a guy who would help him kick his drug addiction for good. “I met a guy who had been sober and didn’t know, that I was struggling,” the “Hunger Games” star told us. “He just talked about what a beautiful life he had now, and how he’s looking out the window at the trees, and I missed that. And I thought I want that back. CLICK FOR MORE
WALL STREET MAKES THE RULES – Nov. 6, 2022 – In Reynolds’s filing against the menthol ban, it wrote that, broadly, it “fully supports F.D.A.’s goal of reducing tobacco-related disease.” But, it contended, “menthol smokers would simply switch to nonmenthol cigarettes or turn to riskier options such as illicit market cigarettes.” The company declined further comment beyond its filing. As the smoking population in the United States has fallen to 13 percent from 21 percent in 2005, far from a peak of about 45 percent of adults in 1954, and public opinion has turned against cigarettes, the legal and political…
THE ANSWER IS ON THE TABLE – Nov. 8, 2022 – If that were the case, people who live with binge eating disorder — a psychiatric diagnosis — might be no more at fault for overeating than a patient with Parkinson’s disease is for their tremors. That question led doctors to try a new treatment different from anything ever attempted to help people with this common but underreported eating disorder. At least 3 percent of the population has it, said Dr. Casey Halpern, a neurosurgeon at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his colleagues decided to try deep brain…
CHILDHOOD IS A DANGER ZONE – Nov. 4, 2022 – Trauma in adulthood is also associated with a four-fold increase in the risk of a later mental disorder. The researchers point out, however, that there is less evidence for this type of pathology. Study the history of the sufferer Given these results, Bridget Hogg, a researcher at the IMIM-Hospital del Mar, psychologist and first author of the study, believes that patients need an approach that not only takes into account physical factors, but also their history. In this sense, “It is necessary to guide the patient through their life history,…
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS – Nov. 14, 2022 – With 54.6 million people expected to travel over the holiday period — a 1.5% increase from 2021, this Thanksgiving is expected to be the third busiest since AAA started tracking travel volume in 2000. CLICK FOR MORE
INSURANCE NOT NECESSARY – Nov. 9, 2022 – Mindfulness is a form of meditation that emphasizes focusing only on what’s happening at the moment and dismissing intrusive thoughts. Sessions often start with breathing exercises. Next might be “body scans” — thinking about each body part systematically, head to toe. When worried thoughts intrude, participants learn to briefly acknowledge them but then dismiss them. Instead of ruminating over the troubling thought, “you say, ‘I’m having this thought, let that go for now,”’ said lead author Elizabeth Hoge, director of Georgetown University’s Anxiety Disorders Research Program. With practice, “It changes the relationship…
VIDEO – SO CAN SOME OF US – Nov. 7, 2022 – A former homeless drug addict has turned his life around and is now an up-and-coming graffiti pop artist hosting an exhibition in an east London gallery. Opake, also known as Ed Worley, was recently offered a lucrative contract by a top gallery, but he turned the offer down and chose Quantas Gallery, where he decided to host a homeless breakfast with Centrepoint. His exhibition, “Sanity Through Repetition”, follows the influences of his personal journey through addiction. CLICK FOR MORE
PARTY OF ONE – Nov. 7, 2022 – Jessica Simpson has assured her fans that while she appreciates their concern for her health and sobriety, their misplaced comments still hurt. The pop star posted a video of herself to Instagram on Sunday night in which she animatedly sings along with her 2020 song “Party of One,” using the caption to address the recent comments she received regarding her now-viral Pottery Barn commercial that questioned her sobriety. Simpson continued, “The most important thing I have learned through the last 5yrs without alcohol being a guard for escapism, is that I…
EVEN IN BLUE STATES – Nov. 9, 2022 – Researchers have long known that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to be prescribed lifesaving addiction treatment options than white people. But even when Black and Hispanic patients start a prescription for buprenorphine — the most popular medication to help those in recovery fight cravings — the typical duration of their treatment is shorter than that of white patients, according to a new data analysis published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. The analysis, which sorted through 15 years of prescription data by race and ethnicity, also revealed that the percentage…
“Our beliefs control our bodies, our minds, and thus our lives.” – Dr. Bruce Lipton
WELCOME HOME – Nov. 11, 2022 – It’s a late sunny afternoon when my daughter Tirsa, now in sixth grade, arrives home from school. She runs in, drops her school backpack, and heads upstairs to my home office in Pennsylvania. She gives me a brief, energetic hug and steps back. “Hey, Dad, were you in a war?” I turn and point to the pictures next to the window that overlooks the front yard. She notices a small framed snapshot on my desk from Vietnam and says, “Who’s in that picture with you?” “That was a good friend, Buster, but…
VIDEO – THE MAN IN THE MIRROR – Oct. 28, 2022 – He also raps, “Reflectin’ on Malcolm and the shit I thought but never said it/To Peter, Robin, to Kevin,” he raps. “All my other friеndships that could have, would have, should have/And thеn they ended.” Following Mac Miller’s death of addiction in 2018, Macklemore shared a poignant statement about addiction, encouraging his fans to not stay silent about their struggles: “You reached out to me at times when others didn’t. You were human. And we shared the same disease. A disease that is out to kill us,…
SITTING IN NATURE IS OK TOO – Oct. 30, 2022 – Studies of walking’s benefits date back to the 1950s, with the last decade of research preoccupied with the rise of “10,000 steps a day” challenges and the use of pedometers and activity trackers. What they tell us is that while all these tools urge us towards lofty step counts, there isn’t exactly a magic number to achieve. The figure 10,000 was dreamed up as part of a 1960s pedometer marketing campaign in Japan, and a recent study indicates that half that amount can be beneficial, with a plateau in…
IT’S GRADUAL AIN’T IT? – OCT. 28, 2022 – Addiction and the road to it is an individual one, says Deena Manion, a doctor of psychology, a licensed psychotherapist and chief clinical officer of Westwind Recovery in Los Angeles. “Each person’s experience of addiction is slightly different,” she explains. Among the various substances that some people abuse, there can be wide variations in the specific symptoms, but there are some common signs you might notice. These can generally be split into two broad categories: Behavioral/emotional changes and physical changes. Behavioral and emotional changes An increase in lying.Mood changes, especially extreme…
LET’S GET MONEY FROM CHILDREN – Oct. 31, 2022 – This is one reason why I’ve been a bit more comfortable inviting Apple’s products into my home, compared to Google’s, or Amazon’s, or Facebook’s Meta’s, or (to a lesser extent) Microsoft’s. It’s about where each of those companies makes its money. If the products have no up-front cost, and most of the company’s revenue is coming from ads or other kinds of targeting-derived, tracking-derived products, as the saying goes, “you are the product.” It might be pollyanna-ish of me to base purchasing decisions on this gut feeling, but as long…
MAGICAL HEALINGS – Nov. 2, 2022 – Most had been severely depressed for more than a year and were aged around 40, the researchers, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said. After one 25mg dose of Comp360 psilocybin, alongside psychotherapy: one in three were no longer diagnosed as depressed at three weeks one in five saw a significant improvement at 12 weeks Study author and consultant psychiatrist Dr James Rucker said the drug was thought to have “a direct action on the brain, putting it…
DON’T DRINK TOO MUCH – Oct. 31, 2022 – Justine explained that as a little girl, she always ‘dreamed big’ and hoped that one day she would get her ‘dream career in the music industry’. ‘Music was my life. It infiltrated every single moment of my being. From the second I woke until the moment I fell asleep, I would close my eyes and see myself on stage. I would open my eyes and see the spotlight,’ she said. But being a musician and performing made her anxious. ‘Cue alcohol … The social lubricant. The liquid courage. The “take…
THEATERS ARE A VORTEX – Oct. 30, 2022 – It wasn’t hard for playwright Christian St. Croix to figure out how to focus his latest play, “The Pros and Cons of Feeding Stray Cats,” which follows two transition-aged youth who meet at a weekend program for teens who’ve been arrested for drug-related offenses. During their weekend work, they find two stray cats that are hungry and form a friendship while caring for the cats. The play was commissioned by the Playwrights Project, in partnership with SAY San Diego and Elevate Youth. After hearing about St. Croix’s work from another…
VIDEO – RUNNING UP THE HILL TO MAKE A DEAL WITH GOD – Oct. 31, 2022 – Lara had been a runner prior to her ‘rock bottom’ moment in 2020, but the exercise became a sacred place for her to focus. “Once you realize how capable you are of running it becomes such a beautiful escape. To me it’s my alone time,” Lara said. And as a Latina, Lara said there is a stigma about seeking mental health. “There is definitely a negative stigma in our culture that having therapy means you’re crazy and I feel like I had to…