SURRENDER TO WIN – Mar. 12, 2026 – “What else was I going to do, die? That was the reality of where my addiction was heading.” After experiencing all the success “Messy” had to offer, Lola Young is now on the path to being clean. The 25-year-old South London singer recently opened up to Rolling Stone about her journey toward sobriety, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings … and checking herself into a holistic treatment facility, following her on-stage collapse at last year’s All Things Go Festival in New York. At the time, the incident brought her tour to an abrupt halt.…
Author: Leonard Buschel
ALPHA CENTAURI? – Mar. 7, 2026 – Those who don’t like to drink booze but still need a buzz at the end of a long week are increasingly embracing the “California sober” lifestyle, which shuns alcohol and embraces cannabis as a so-called “healthier” alternative that doesn’t come with hangovers. Sparking up a joint or splitting an edible with a friend doesn’t come with the same risks as alcohol consumption, studies show: Per the CDC, more than 170,000 people die every year from excessive drinking. That includes deaths related to chronic drinking and from consuming too much alcohol on one occasion.…
AUDIO – AND WROTE A NEW BOOK – Mar. 11, 2026 – Toronto author Jowita Bydlowska told the world how she got sober in her 2013 bestselling memoir Drunk Mom. What she didn’t expect was that her next book would chronicle her relapse in the years that followed. In Unshaming: A Memoir of Recovery, Relapse and What Comes After, Bydlowska confronts … confronts the shame of relapsing after becoming, as she puts it, the “poster girl for sobriety.” The book opens with her regaining consciousness after a bike accident on the Toronto Island boardwalk in the summer of 2020. She…
MARLBORO OR MORE MALT? – Mar. 9, 2026 – The boys are teaming up for another business venture. Clooney, 64, Randy Gerber, 63, and Mike Meldman, 67, said this “premium” drink is for people who want to live a “healthier” lifestyle, but not give up the “taste, ritual, camaraderie, and satisfaction” that comes from drinking alcohol. “We wanted to create a beer that lets you enjoy the moment, as well as the morning after,” Gerber. “Something real, refreshing, and crafted for the way we actually live today.” “We love beer, we just don’t always want the effects that come with…
And FREEDOM – Mar. 12, 2026 – The book chronicles Julian’s 37-year relationship with alcohol — from the highs of rugby club culture and pub nights to the sobering realization that his health, mental clarity, and future were at risk. Honest, humorous, and unfiltered, Booze explores how alcohol became both companion and captor, and how stepping away from it transformed his life. “This book was never meant to preach,” said Julian. “It’s simply my story — the good, the bad, and the moment I realized something had to change. If sharing it helps even one person reconsider their relationship with…
RIGOROUSLY HONEST – Mar. 12, 2026 – The LOVE ISLAND reality star said he was 11 days sober on Monday, March 9. The Love Island season 7 star appeared on TMZ’s Previously On… podcast on Monday, March 9, and revealed he was 11 days sober at the time following a stay in a rehabilitation facility. Shepard said he had been addicted to opioids and relapsed while filming Love Island’s spinoff, Beyond the Villa, and hid his issues from production, according to TMZ. “I know how this road goes, okay? I’ve had plenty of friends that are not here today that…
BEWARE OF WIPING – Mar. 13, 2026 – The people who are most likely to be contaminated with a deadly bacteria from certain brands of banned wet wipes, have been revealed. Brits have been advised to steer clear of these brands, as their use has led to the deaths of six people. You should probably have a look through the first aid kits and medicine cabinets in your house to make sure you don’t have these four brands lying around. Using these wet wipes could lead to death, as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Medicines and Healthcare…
SOBRIETY TIME – Mar. 12, 2026 – Helen Farrell says that it takes a lot of courage to let the words “I’m an alcoholic” come out of your mouth. She spoke to The Sligo Weekender about gaining this courage and speaking out against injustices, as she said that she decided to take … Helen Farrell talks about facing her fears, giving up alcohol and ‘speaking out’… Read More
POPULATION CONTROL? – Mar. 9, 2026 – A law limiting the number of treatment beds in each county stands in the way. “I have two teenage daughters,” said Josh Barker, who leads the Attorney General’s Office’s opioid epidemic effort and is in recovery himself. “If they got hooked on drugs, I have no place to send them in this state.” Barker said there are some programs for youth who are already deeply entangled with the legal system. But if a kid with substance use disorder decides to get treatment, they have to go to Pennsylvania, North Carolina or Utah. In…
VIDEO – WATCH MORE MOVIES – Mar. 13, 2026 – Directed by Luke Jaden via ArtClass, the short explores Ken’s daily realities as a recovering alcoholic. Documenting the routines and rituals that help him to stay sober, the film – which was created without a script or rigid production plan – follows Ken’s lead, exploring what it’s really like to live a day in his life. Shaped by Ken’s wisdom and personal anecdotes, the film doesn’t attempt to embellish or glamourise the realities of recovery, and instead offers an honest depiction of choosing sobriety, and the ways that decision intersects…
TRAGIC – Mar. 12, 2026 – Drug consumption habits were changing. Specifically, she said people were moving away from opiates such as heroin and into the likes of cocaine, ketamine and crack. “Unfortunately, drugs continue to have adverse effects across all of Suffolk, all ages – it touches individuals, families and communities,” she said. According to the report, there are 183 adults in treatment in Suffolk due to ketamine use, a 251 per cent increase since 2022. Support available for vulnerable residents as heating oil prices soar. Meanwhile, the county has also faced increased pressure on its services due to…
2nd CHANCES MATTER – Mar. 12, 2026 – Sarah Newberry first connected with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Transitional Assistance Reentry Team (START) while incarcerated within the County Sheriff’s correctional system. The START team met with Newberry nine times to evaluate her needs, explore her goals for community re-integration, and connect her with treatment options. Newberry agreed to participate and was transported to a treatment facility. Regrettably, she struggled to maintain sobriety and later became homeless again. On May 29, 2025, the West Valley – Innovative Remote On-site Assistance Delivery (InnROADs) Homeless Outreach team encountered Newberry at Memorial Park in…
NEW MAN ON THE BLOCK – Mar. 12, 2026 – “Hey everybody. Two years sober today. Two years sober,” the “Please Don’t Go, Girl” singer, 53, began a March 11 video posted to Instagram. “When I say sober, I’d say it’s been two years since I had a Manhattan on the rocks, or a vodka soda.” He went on to encourage others who might be considering giving up alcohol, sharing, “If you’re thinking, ‘Hmm, I could never do that. It won’t be fun. I’ll never laugh again,’ it’s not true. Is my life perfect? No! Is it better? Yes!” He…
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – 1947-1997 – New York City – “Money” She saidI’m young enoughI’m old enoughTo paint a smileI tasted heaven and hellHeaven stay awhileA good friend is rare findTheir straight talk can ease your mindA good pimps gonna rob you blindMoney money moneyI feel like a pawn in my own worldI found the system and I lost the pearlIt’s breaking me downWell, you won’t wake you don’t shakeYou just make the soundGo round and round and round and roundBleed a littleBleed a littleBleed a littleBleed a littleTil you freedom calls youSomewhere outChildren laughLike meteorsRolling down the grassMothers…
STICK WITH THE WINERS! – Mar. 17, 2026 – Catherine Carlen was born in Cookeville, Tennessee. She studied acting in New York City with legendary teachers Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, and Susan Batson. She is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio, and works in television and film. She currently lives in Lake Balboa, California. She has a beautiful talented daughter, who is an executive at Focus Features. She goes to AA meetings on a regular basis. Anytime she’s out of town, she’s in a meeting. She is so grateful that Alcoholics Anonymous is all over the world. She loves…
AUDIO – THEY ARE MAGICAL – Mar. 13, 2026 – A chemical neuroscientist named David Olson, then a graduate student at Stanford, told me that he encountered these studies and was “struck by the ability of a substance, with a single dose, to have such long-lasting effects.” He wanted to know how the drugs worked. He followed closely as researchers began investigating the effects of mind-altering substances on depression, anxiety, substance-use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions. These studies often identified positive results, sometimes marked ones, and they sparked discussions about a new mental-health paradigm. Might we one day…
JUST ANOTHER SEX ADDICT? – Mar. 10, 2026 – Getting into Rikers is only slightly easier than breaking out of it. The Uber dropped us off at a parking lot outside the facility, where we waited in the frigid cold for a prison official to pick us up. Then, after an obstacle course of barbed-wire gates and metal detectors, we arrived at the crumbling cinder-block structure that Weinstein has called home for the better part of two years. Over the past few years, the 73-year-old has been hospitalized for a laundry list of maladies: diabetes, a heart operation, cancer. Spinal…
SCIENCE OF RECOVERY – Mar. 13, 2026 – The Narconon program, developed by L. Ron Hubbard, includes a drug-free withdrawal process, a unique detoxification method, and Life Skills Courses to help graduates maintain a stable, drug-free life. The organization currently operates 32 residential drug and alcohol rehab centers across 16 nations worldwide. “Life had become completely unmanageable; I didn’t care about anyone. And I had come from a good family; we were well-off, but my addiction took me to a really dark place. All the people that had been around me then are either dead or in prison now.” ……
RELIEVES BOREDOM – Mar. 4, 2026 – People who stop using don’t experience the same physical withdrawal symptoms that opiates cause, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to quit. The drug hijacks the brain, flooding the reward centers with dopamine. This positive reinforcement tricks the brain into feeling like it’s doing something good instead of destructive. Even if someone successfully quits, the odds aren’t in their favor. About 24% relapse to weekly use, and another 18% return to a treatment program within a year. Andrew Eagle, a former postdoctoral researcher in Robison’s lab and the paper’s lead author, found a…
MUSIC MATTERS – Mar. 13, 2026 – Boogie On Rosie Woman taps into that tradition, offering a space where women in the jam community can share stories of sobriety, resilience, and connection. Hosted by longtime fan Rosie, the podcast grew out of her own sobriety journey and deep involvement in the Phish community. “My niche is extremely specific,” Rosie explains. “I’ve built a presence in the Phish community through my sobriety journey.” The podcast currently features 29 episodes, each exploring stories of resilience, creativity, and connection within the broader jam community. The upcoming 30th episode will feature an interview with…
HANGED MAN – Mar. 8, 2026 – “What’s the worst gambling addiction story you’ve ever heard?” I thought it would be worth it to share people’s stories. Fair warning, some are pretty intense. Here are some of the most moving: If you watched the recent Super Bowl, you may have noticed seeing more advertisements for sports betting websites than ever. Advertisements like these are new-ish, and still a bit shocking — it was fairly recent, in 2018, that the US legalized sports betting in 38 states. Since then, gambling addiction has seemingly been on a sharp rise. According to a…
GOD SAVE THESE KIDS – Mar. 12, 2026 – A new study in 15- to 25-year-olds finds that ADHD treatment improves outcomes for young people with ADHD and substance use disorder — including a 30 percent decrease in mortality — but they are less likely to receive ADHD medication. The pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can interfere with daily life, raising problems at home, work or school. In a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the researchers found that despite having an ADHD diagnosis, young people who also have a substance…
Face BOOKED – Mar. 12, 2026 – After about a month of hearing from addiction experts, therapists, platform engineers and executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, 12 jurors are listening to closing arguments before deciding whether social media companies should be liable for harms caused to children using their platforms. Closing statements in the trial began … Thursday at the Spring Street Courthouse in Los Angeles. Lawyers representing the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman, and those representing the two defendants, Meta and Google-owned YouTube, are making their respective cases to the jurors. TikTok and Snap were also named defendants in the lawsuit, but…
SUPPORT THE ARTS – Mar. 12, 2026 – A new play at Blackfriars Theatre called “The White Chip” (https://www.wxxinews.org/show/connections/2026-03-12/stories-of-addiction-and-recovery) tells the story of one man’s struggle living with addiction and his path to recovery. Our guests tell us what we can learn from the play — and from lived experience. In studio: Matt Ames, director of “The White Chip”Katelyn Machnica, Actor #1 in “The White Chip” Then in our second hour, a local house ravaged by fire last year has made a list of properties identified for the potential for revitalization. The Morgan-Manning House in Brockport suffered significant damage after…
FANTASY? – Mar. 12, 2026 – What’s the most addictive drug? Newly published research indicates that when focusing on persistent drug memory, craving, and addiction, the most addictive illegal drug is cocaine. In contrast, the drugs most likely to cause immediate death are opioids. My work focused on the dopamine hypothesis. The dopamine (DA) surge from cocaine is far greater than DA increases from food, sex, or social interactions. The brain interprets cocaine use as extraordinarily valuable, cementing this association and reinforcing the behavior producing it. But this DA-centric model doesn’t explain why relapses occur months or years after stopping…
VIDEO – I FOUND MY HEART… – Mar. 12, 2026 – San Francisco is receiving nearly $100 million in state Proposition 1 funding to address addiction and mental health issues for people living on the streets, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Thursday. The state funding will extend treatment and recovery services at three sites, including a sobering center and two in-patient treatment facilities … A portion of the funds will also add dozens of addiction treatment beds to a facility on Treasure Island. Construction on that project is set to start this next winter. Read More
“If you’re going to be crazy, you better get paid for it or else, you’re going to be locked up.” – Hunter S. Thompson, b. 1937 Kentucky – d. 2005 Colorado
AND CALL YOUR SPONSOR – Feb. 28, 2026 – Partying sober isn’t some shiny, effortless lifestyle choice — it’s a practice, a muscle, a boundary you learn to hold even when the room is loud and the drinks are flowing. Demi Lovato has lived that tension publicly and painfully, and now she’s finally in a place where she can talk about it with clarity instead of shame. Her approach is messy, honest, and rooted in survival. – These are the four tips Lovato actually uses in real life, the ones she’s learned through trial, error, and a whole lot of…
NOT US!!! – Feb. 26, 2026 – The actor criticized stories targeting the couple, specifically public sightings of them and Anka’s involvement in his sobriety journey, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “What I saw when I googled you were the words, ‘Jason Bateman makes rare red carpet appearance with wife, Amanda Anka at the premiere of new show DTF St. Louis,’” host Jimmy Kimmel said during their interview on Wednesday’s episode. “And I thought the word ‘rare’ was interesting.” “Well, here’s the thing, Jimmy,” Bateman responded. “In today’s media climate, these people, they like clickbait. It’s a phrase where they gotta…
TEARS MATTER! – Feb. 25, 2026 – Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe was one of metal’s most prominent hellraisers through the late 2000s, and the talismanic singer is the first to admit that his drinking got way out of control by the time the 2010s rolled around. Randy explains that it was while on tour with Metallica …”I had been trying to get sober for a while, fucking around for about four years,” he says. “I wouldn’t drink at home because my wife at the time was sick of my shit – I can’t blame her. And I would…