WHERE WAS HR? – Feb. 27, 2020 – Vazquez, 35, filed the lawsuit on Feb. 8 in Marin County Superior Court. The suit seeks special damages, general damages, punitive damages and attorney fees. Carter could not be reached for comment. Vazquez, who has struggled with an addiction to heroin and amphetamines since her late 20s, said it took her nearly five months to get her insurer, Kaiser Permanente, to place her in a drug treatment center. A one-month stay at Serenity Knolls, which includes room and board, costs $27,000. “I was at a crisis point,” Vazquez said in an…
Author: Leonard Buschel
COMEBACKS HAPPEN IN RECOVERY – Feb. 27, 2022 – Shawn first took drugs at the age of 14, starting with cannabis and Valium. His addiction to substances then grew and he started a life of crime to fund his habit. He first went to prison at just 17. But the former Sherwood Road resident has been clean from drugs for two years now which he says has ‘transformed his life’. Shawn now lives in Castleford, West Yorkshire, and works at Reflections House Recovery as a mentor to people who are battling addictions. He told Grimsby Live: “I was born and…
FRONT ROW OR FRONTAL LOBOTOMY? – Feb. 26, 2022 – Helberg got into comedy because it was on his bucket list, he says by phone from his home in Southern California. He had been interested in theater when he was young but had put off trying stand-up comedy out of fear. “I took a class and did a workshop and did a little recital at The Improv in 2008,” he says. “I hit the ground running and started doing open mics because it was not as terrifying as I thought it would be.” Several years later, after years of…
MOM’S NEED NOT APPLY – March 1, 2022 – “The nature of the marketing [detailed in the report] really sought to exploit emotions, the fears and the ambitions of, women and families at a time when they’re potentially most vulnerable,” said Dr. Nigel Rollins, research leader for the report at a press conference. Rollins is a scientist with the Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Division at WHO. The report’s survey questions included one about women’s desire to breastfeed and found a strong desire to do so, ranging from 49% of the women in Morocco to 98% of the women from…
VIDEO – FAMILY COMES FIRST – March 1, 2022 – But after the birth of his little girl, eight, he knew he had to make a change in order to give her the best life he could. Photos from before and now show he is barely recognisable. “I looked like I was moments from death,” Austin, from Ohio, USA said. “It was destroying my daughter’s heart. “I just want people to know that there is always hope, even if it feel like there isn’t.” Austin says he started drinking and smoking marijuana when he was aged only 11, as…
TO SAVE HIS LIFE – Feb. 27, 2022 – He has recounted stories of his partying and drug abuse from a young age, including how he first became sober at the age of 23. At the time of his admission, a source close to him said: “John’s friends and family are happy that he’s finally getting some help and focusing on his health. “His fans know he’s struggled in the past with sobriety, he has talked about it openly. Unfortunately he has struggled again during the pandemic. “He’s on board with his recovery, he’s not fighting against rehab.” In…
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Mar. 3, 2022 – David Brian Green is a UK citizen (from Nottingham, England) who has been a permanent resident of Canada since 1998, currently based in Victoria BC on Vancouver Island. He is a widely respected international healthcare management consultant. David has enjoyed a 30+ year career in the private healthcare sector, in International Health Insurance underwriting, Healthcare Management & Provider delivery in major medical & addiction recovery service lines, operating on most continents. He has lived and worked in more than 50 countries and in key strategic locations; London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore,…
HOW THE MURDERERS WENT FREE – Feb. 27, 2022 – For decades the Sackler name was synonymous with often extravagant art world philanthropy – since 2009, the Sackler Trust had given around £170m to art institutions in Britain alone. Of late, though, it has been tarnished by its association with OxyContin, the addictive painkiller at the heart of the ongoing opioid epidemic in America that has claimed around 500,000 lives there. Keefe’s book, which is about to be published in paperback, reveals in forensic detail how the Sacklers’ vast fortune was built in part on the profits made by…
VIDEO – THE SOPRANO FAMILY ARE PIKERS – Marc 3, 2022 – Purdue said on Thursday that the new settlement would provide additional funding for opioid abatement programs, overdose rescue medicines, and victims, while putting the company on track to resolve its bankruptcy case on “an expedited schedule.” When the bankruptcy plan takes effect, Purdue Pharma will cease to exist. It will emerge as a new company, Knoa Pharma LLC, owned by the National Opioid Abatement Trust, an entity controlled by creditors of Purdue. Opioid overdose deaths soared to a record during the COVID-19 pandemic, including from the powerful synthetic…
DEATH PREVENTION – Feb. 25, 2022 – Other harm reduction objectives include decreasing the stigma associated with addiction, increasing education on safer substance use, encouraging protected sex, and connecting people who use drugs with health and social services or support groups. There are also overarching aims like preventing transmission of blood-borne or sexually transmitted infections, discouraging the use of shared needles or equipment, and decreasing the number of overdose deaths. Harm reduction also comprises addiction facilities, support groups, and medical services, including wound care, vaccinations, and COVID-19 masks. Sex education, STI testing and treatment, condoms, and pre-exposure prophylaxis are other…
DO YOU? – Feb. 28, 2022 – In her book “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence,” Dr. Anna Lembke makes the case for how technology, with its promise of nonstop engagement and flashing lights, can be addictive. And while addiction may make one think of hard drugs or alcohol, activities like video games, social media apps, and sites like YouTube can also become unhealthy addictions. The professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine said tech addiction can have consequences such as low mood, irregular sleep, attention problems, increased anxiety and poor academic performance. Anya Kamenetz,…
ALGORITHMS ARE THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL – Mar. 1, 2022 – Biden wants to “stop discriminatory algorithmic decision-making that limits opportunities for young Americans,” the White House said. “When a girl searches for jobs online, platforms will too often push her away from fields like engineering that historically have excluded women,” the fact sheet contended. “Searches for ‘Black girls,’ ‘Asian girls,’ or ‘Latina girls’ too often return harmful content, including pornography, rather than role models, toys, or activities.” “Two out of five adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression. And, Black and Brown communities are disproportionately under-treated —…
THAT’S A LOT OF DOPE – March 2, 2022 – Biden’s 2022 proposed budget provides a total of $17.5 billion for drug trafficking supply reduction efforts. The Biden policy to combat drug addiction and overdoses calls for universal access to medication for opioid use disorder by 2025. The White House said Biden is seeking to increase funding for public health and illicit drug supply reduction, to remove barriers to drug abuse treatment, and to reduce harm and save lives while fighting drug trafficking. Specifically, the White House said, that includes efforts to eliminate unnecessary barriers that prevent medical providers…
DO NO MORE PHARMA – Feb. 28, 2022 – Dr. Ruan has been serving a 21-year sentence in federal prison, convicted in 2017 for illegally prescribing opioids and related financial crimes. To collect millions of dollars in fines, the government seized houses, beach condos and bank accounts belonging to him and his business partner, as well as 23 luxury cars, such as Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Ferraris. On Tuesday, lawyers both for Dr. Ruan and for Dr. Shakeel Kahn, who is serving 25 years on charges related to pill mill clinics in Arizona and Wyoming will argue before the Supreme Court…
CHANGE OF HEART TOO – Feb. 27, 2022 – After dealing with the tragic loss of a son to addiction in 2019, Paul Williamson and his wife have built a thrift store and ministry for people battling the disease. Outreach for Addiction Ministry is more than just a thrift store. Williamson, his wife, and others on the non-profit’s board hold meetings each month for people going through addiction recovery and operate a sober living home. “I stood beside him through much of his battle as much as I could and he eventually lost his life,” said Williamson. “Through his struggle.”…
VIDEO – THIS IS NOW – Feb. 28, 2022 – It’s making addicts and the people who love them feel less alone, and it’s illuminating the dark reality of addiction for people who might be struggling to understand. The show’s not just entertainment—I’d argue it has the power to change people’s lives. As a child of the ‘90s, Jessie Spano’s pill problem on Saved by the Bell comes to mind as the first depiction of drug use I remember seeing on television. Overwhelmed with studying for the geometry midterm and preparing for a performance at The Max, Jessie turns to…
IT’S TELEVISION – March 1, 2022 – …community service, moving home with her mom, going to Alcoholics Anonymous for the first time, backsliding, and finally committing to sobriety. It’s a lot of material for three episodes, but that’s also where Sam is on her journey: unable to recognize herself as a genuine alcoholic, she wants to fast-track the process. She tries to skip steps and make amends with her ex-best friend Brit (Sasha Compère) before she’s ready, and wants to rekindle a sexual relationship with sober pal James (Garrick Bernard) despite his warnings about early-sobriety relationships. more@Collider
THE ADDICTION THAT LOVES SUICIDE – Feb. 27, 2022 – Delaney is one of 4.3% of adult residents in New York who are having problems related to their gambling, according to the New York Council on Problem Gambling. That percentage, representing more than 600,000 New Yorkers, is a number that people battling addiction like Delaney and affected others like Kelly, as well as prevention specialists and clinicians say will grow since mobile sports betting became legal in New York last month. In many ways, Delaney’s experience mirrors the overall image of sports betting in the state. As New York announced…
VIDEO – HAHA? – Feb. 27, 2022 – “It was not dinner, it was an intervention for me. My least favorite kind of intervention,” said Mulaney. “I knew right away it was an intervention. You know how bad a drug problem you have if when you open a door and see people gathered, your first thought is, ‘This is an intervention about my drug problem. There’s no other reason people would be behind a door.’ “ There were six friends in person in New York and six more in Los Angeles on a Zoom call. Mulaney leaned into the Zoom…
“Mistakes are great, the more I make the smarter I get.” —R. Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983)
AS WE TRIP THE ROAD OF HAPPY DESTINY – Feb. 9, 2022 – All this because, after that August day, Wilson believed other recovering alcoholics could benefit from taking LSD as a way to facilitate the “spiritual experience” he believed was necessary to successful recovery. We know this from Wilson, whose intractable depression was alleviated after taking LSD; his beliefs in the power of the drug are documented in his many writings. “I am certain that the LSD experience has helped me very much,” Wilson writes in a 1957 letter. “I find myself with a heightened color perception and…
MEDIA: BOOKS MAKE SENSE – Feb. 25, 2022 – “The Urge” ultimately unfolds as far more than an addiction memoir. Arriving at a time when the so-called opioid epidemic has become a defining crisis of our time, it presents both the personal history of someone reckoning with mind-altering substances and an argument for a reframing of the idea of addiction. “It is,” Fisher writes, “the story of an ancient malady that has ruined the lives of untold millions, including not only those of its sufferers but also the lives touching theirs, and yet it is also the story of…
VIDEO – ANGEL OF MERCY OR ANGEL OF DEATH? – Feb. 22, 2022 – In an email sent in late November 2018, Gregory Dresbach wrote to his supervisor: “Well, here we go again.” It was in reference to how patient Melissa Penix had received an order of 2,000 micrograms of fentanyl. “Obviously there is great concern for the doses that were ordered and were given, especially in the context that the patient was able to report her pain was just prior to administering such large doses of these very dangerous drugs,” Dresbach’s email continued. The day before Penix received that…
NO MORE SHAME – Feb. 17, 2022 – I know that safer use supplies keep people safe, that’s why I was so disgusted to see misdirected outrage in response to the federal government finally providing funding to harm reduction programs. Despite the misleading headlines, our communities aren’t facing a problem around the distribution of so-called “crack pipes,” or as we call them, stems or straights. The real problem is the historical lack of investment in public health solutions that connect people to support and care. And it’s no coincidence that funding of “crack pipes” is what’s fueling all this debate…
IS HOLLYWOOD, AGAIN, GLAMORIZING DRUG ABUSE IN EUPHORIA? OR IS IT TRUTH TELLING? – Feb 21, 2022 – TV and film elevate storylines by incorporating interesting people, exciting visuals, brilliant dialogue, and a strong soundtrack in an effort to reel the viewer in. That’s their job. Our job as the viewer is to watch and interpret it, compare it to our own experiences, empathize with humans, become triggered, address trauma, feel seen, take away a message, et cetera. I’m glad Euphoria exists, and I’m glad the show provides a warning message with resources. more@HarpersBazaar
REMEMBRANCE OF TIMES PAST – Feb. 21, 2022 – There were pre-announcements that something big was coming. Wondering what it was got everyone’s curiosity. I did not know the guys who brought it in. The one I saw was supposedly a relative of a friend of my older brother and someone I knew, but he was five or six years older than me. He lived in the Phipps Houses. For the first couple of weeks it was given away for free. Then there was a $2-per-bag cost. It hit hard. When I say it hit hard it was actually very…
THE ENGLISH RELAPSE TOO – Feb. 21, 2022 – Arg broke his silence for the first time since we revealed paramedics rushed to save him, claiming he is full of regret for putting his life in danger and vowed it will NEVER happen again. Speaking from his home in Woodford Green, Essex, the TV favourite said: “I had a very bad relapse after having some cravings for a while, but instead of ringing my therapist I had a drink for the first time in two years. “Addicts always say one drink is never enough – if it was, I…
ADVOCATE FOR SOBRIETY – Feb, 22, 2022 – Patrick Kennedy is marking a major milestone in his journey from addiction as he celebrates 11 years of sobriety. Kennedy, 54, the son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and a former representative for Rhode Island, went sober in 2011 after years of addictions to alcohol and prescription pain medications. “Today marks 11 years sober for @PJK4brainhealth,” his wife, Amy Kennedy, wrote on Twitter. “His commitment to sobriety inspires our family, and fills our lives with joy and love.” “Patrick, I am so proud of you,” she continued. “Thank you to…
HARM REDUCTION SAVES LIVES – Feb. 23, 2022 – Kristina Peterson anxiously tapped the heels of her boots on the tile floor inside the brightly lit lobby. Moments earlier, she had given her date of birth to an intake coordinator and answered an inquiry about the drug she planned to use.“Heroin,” she said, referring to the tiny glassine envelope stamped “Off White” tucked inside her black purse.For much of the last decade, Peterson has been hooked on heroin, her addiction becoming increasingly severe and public. Occasionally, she has shot up in quiet corners of subway stations as she waited for…
HEART ACHE FOREVER – Feb. 24, 2022 – But on December 19th Jenna received a phone call that her sister was cold and unresponsive on the floor … “I also knew that she had that watch on but it didn’t always work it didn’t always charge right she was always constantly having to go back in there for them to fix it there was always some type of malfunctioning going on then i got told she was wearing it and it was working”. Jenna was told that they did receive the notification that her sisters heart stopped but it…