ONE PAGE AT A TIME – Feb. 9, 2022 – Less of an instruction manual and more of an inspirational tale, Clare Pooley, a high flying Cambridge-grad, career woman and mum of three kids, opens up about her transformation to sober life. Maybe the best option for those who are questioning their own drinking habits but not quite ready for a self-help book, Pooley weaves in research and advice such as: ‘How do I know if I’m drinking too much?’ and ‘What do I say to friends and family?’ for a much softer approach. • A definite self-help book, this…
Author: Leonard Buschel
VIDEO – WATCH AND WEEP – Feb. 10, 2022 – The overdose epidemic continues to ravage cities across America and right here in Indiana. More than 100,000 people died to drug overdose last year in America. A new film titles “The Addict’s Wake” focuses on the devastating effects of heroin, meth and opioid addiction in the charming small community of Brown County. more@Fox
AUDIO – IT’S SO 1980s – Feb. 9, 2022 – “These comments are misleading and misinformed,” an HHS spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement about the crack pipe claims that have sparked some outrage online. The program is meant to “support community-based overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs, and other harm reduction services,” according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of HHS that’s in charge of the grant program. It’s authorized under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, according to the grant document. “No federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent…
DEATH REDUCTION? – Feb. 11, 2022 – A short distance from the headquarters of technology giants on Market Street in San Francisco, Pauline Wise left a city-run drug addiction facility after smoking fentanyl. Wise, 42, said that destitute men and women were inside injecting heroin, smoking crack cocaine and crystal meth as commuters walked past. “If you’re not used to it, it might be a shock,” she said. “You will see people using. You’ll see people shooting up.” more@TheTimes
GREED KILLS – Feb. 5, 2022 – Court papers state that before her death from suicide, Selena had struggled for two years with addiction to Instagram and Snapchat, and was hospitalised for emergency psychiatric care to treat depression and low self-esteem. Her family told the news network that Selena would become violent and physical when her phone was taken away, and once broke her older sister Destiny’s nose in a fight. “We definitely started noticing that she stopped interacting with us, and she was a very recluse toward the end of everything, and she just always wanted to be on…
VIDEO – MOVIES ARE MAGIC – Feb. 10, 2022 – Chrissy Metz, the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated star of “This Is Us,” stars alongside “It” actor Wyatt Oleff and Fin Argus in Jamie Sisley’s drama “Stay Awake,” which premieres at the Berlin Film Festival this week. The feature — which is based on Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name — centers on brothers Ethan (Oleff) and Derek (Argus), who are trying their best to navigate the pressures of teenage life while tending to their mother’s (Metz) debilitating prescription drug addiction. Based on Sisley’s experience growing up in small-town…
VIDEO – 24/7, 365 – Feb. 10, 2022 – “I got fired on a Wednesday, the Super Bowl was on a Sunday. So once my kids got picked up on their usual schedule on Thursday, it was game on. I was like, ‘Okay, so I’ve got no job,’” O’Toole added. “So it was game on.” Sensing something wasn’t quite right, O’Toole’s most well-known broadcast partner came to his assistance, making a trek to his residence in the small town of Orono, Ontario. “Jay Onrait actually came out to my house,” O’Toole added. “He’s like, ‘Where are you?’ I’m like,…
AUDIO – $1,000,000,000,000 – Feb. 8, 2022 – Opioid overdose deaths cost the U.S. economy $1 trillion a year, the U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking said Tuesday, a “staggering amount” it says underlines the “direct and escalating threat” the opioid epidemic poses to the economy, public health and safety and national security. More than 550,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses over the past 20 years, according to the report. Almost 200,000 of those deaths involved synthetic opioids, the most common being illegally manufactured fentanyl. Overdoses caused by the drug are the leading cause of deaths for Americans…
VIDEO – NO MORE FUTURE – Feb. 6, 2022 – The researchers calculated the years of life lost from their standard life expectancy, determined from the 2017 Social Security Administration Period Life Table, minus age at death, finding more than 1.2 million years of lost life among young people, with males outnumbering females in incident deaths. “This is just completely unacceptable from a public health standpoint, because every one of these deaths is preventable,” Hall said. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended in 2016 universal screening for substance use, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) as part of routine…
SINGLE WHITE FEMALE – Feb. 7, 2022 – Freeform’s Single Drunk Female takes a stark look at the morning after. The show follows Sam (Sofia Black-D’Elia), a 28-year-old blogger forced into confronting her alcoholism when she is arrested for assaulting her boss after coming into work drunk. Without a job and with a lot of AA meetings to attend, Sam has to take a step backwards and move home from New York City to the suburbs of Boston with her overbearing mother, played perfectly by Ally Sheedy. Sam soon learns that what she thought of as fun, harmless partying was…
VIDEO – SUPER TROOPER – Feb. 10, 2022 – Martin’s parents were summoned to pick up her daughter, while Martin rode with trooper Hathaway to the Hennepin County Jail. Ten years later, Hathaway and Martin recall the conversation they shared at the jail. “I remember saying right before you got booked in,” Hathaway tells Martin, “‘Please don’t do this to your daughter. She needs a mom. I know because my mom left when I was 10.’” Hathaway went on to share with Martin that both her parents had struggled with alcohol, which led to her being raised by her aunt…
AUDIO – GUPPY ABUSE? – Feb. 5, 2022 – Zebrafish might seem an odd choice in studying human health, but they share 70 per cent of their genes with us and are a popular nonhuman organism used by scientists to study biological processes. They are also incredibly social, making them well-suited for behavioural studies into psychiatric disorders and drug discovery. However, past drug research using zebrafish has studied “chronic” administration — putting fish in a drug solution for weeks. Since humans require (at the very least) some sleep, this administration can’t accurately reflect human consumption patterns. To address this…
VIDEO – On The HERO’S JOURNEY – Feb. 4, 2022 – “I got a lot of help from a lot of wonderful people. I started doing volunteer work after I’d been sober for a while, and through that I met my wife 18 years ago,” he said, referencing his wife, Leah Delaney. Delaney has four sons with his wife, including their late son Henry, and has also found success in his acting career. “I had the courage to pursue the career that I really wanted to. Things are better now,” the star said. “I’m not hungover. I’m not wondering if…
VIDEO – NOT A NETWORK PROGRAM – Feb. 8, 2022 – “You’re not a good person, Rue,” her mother Leslie tells her while she scans her eyes for remorse during an intense standoff, while Rue stares back in search of any sign of fear or weakness — an opening to manipulate the confiscated drugs back into her orbit. The chilling episode opens in the middle of a confrontation between the pair and youngest sibling Gia, as they learn how far down Rue has spiralled again into addiction. With her hefty supply of narcotics flushed down the toilet, she lashes out…
VIDEO – REBUILDING WITH TEARS – Feb. 7, 2022 – Author David Magee has written numerous books about business leaders and sports figures, but he has now turned the focus inward for his latest book, “Dear William.” It’s an unflinching look at his life struggles, which he says was his way of coming to grips with the death of his son from opioid addiction. Jim Axelrod shows us how it is more than a story of sorrow, but one of resilience and hope. more@CBSNews
AUDIO – WORTH A LISTEN – Jan. 29, 2022 – Carl Erik Fisher: I’m glad you asked about the term “disease,” specifically, because it’s a real stumbling block. And different people mean a lot of different things by disease. I wrote a piece in The New York Times about being skeptical about the label disease. And a lot of people took that as a personal affront, like I was questioning the reality or the way they make sense of disease. And that wasn’t my intent at all. The problem I see is that disease can mean, at a baseline, that…
GROWING UP – Feb. 9, 2022 – In his book, Dr Berger suggests that Bill Wilson concluded that the ultimate purpose of practicing the 12 Steps was to achieve emotional sobriety. (2021, p.23) Wilson wrote about the concept of emotional sobriety, or more accurately – the lack of it, in his Grapevine article ‘The Next Frontier: Emotional Sobriety’, which was published in January 1958 (Wilson’s original letter was written in 1956). In the article, Wilson identifies his difficulties with emotional sobriety and resulting depressions as stemming from his unhealthy [emotional] dependencies upon people and external circumstances to meet his unhealthy…
THE FRIENDLY SKIES ARE BACK? – Feb. 4, 2022 – On Southwest, non-alcoholic beverage service will also be expanded on February 16 to include options such as tonic water, Coke Zero and hot chocolate. The beverage service is available on flights of 176 miles or more. “Customers have expressed a desire for more beverage options, so we’re delighted to restore additional on-board offerings as a part of the Southwest hospitality that our customers know and love,” said Tony Roach, vice president of Southwest customer experience and customer relations, in the news release. The union representing Southwest Airlines flight attendants…
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”—Anais Nin, 1903-1977 (full name: Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmel)
HE JUST DID IT – Feb. 2, 2022 – Scientists say their discovery could lead to the development of a drug that blocks oxytocin for those with hypersexual disorder. Lead author Dr Andreas Chatzittofis, of the University of Cyprus in Nicosia, said: ‘We discovered that men with compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) had higher oxytocin levels compared with healthy men. ‘Oxytocin plays an important role in sex addiction and may be a potential drug target for future pharmacological treatment. The study compared 64 men with a sex addiction to 38 normal men, using blood tests, and found that those…
DRINK UP – Jan. 25, 2022 – “I chose to align with and endorse a brand that is at the forefront of creating awareness for addiction and actively supporting the recovery community,” Macklemore said in a press release. “As creative director and a new investor of the already impactful brand, I am excited to combine my creative passions with a great product in an effort to save lives. Together, our goal is to inspire and educate individuals on addiction and support those who are in recovery.” For his first project as creative director, Macklemore has produced a series featuring…
HORIZON OR CLIFT? – Jan. 29, 2022 – Virginia Tech scientists examined alcohol use disorder recovery in 110 adults who had met criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence in the International Quit and Recovery Registry, an online data collection site and forum developed at Virginia Tech in 2011. People with “slow life-history” strategies were more focused on future rewards and personal growth. They exhibited positive economic, health, and personal development behaviors. They were more likely to be in remission from alcohol use disorder. People with “fast life-history” strategies were more focused on immediate rewards and showed comparatively reduced concern for…
OPEN TO MIRACLES – Jan. 29, 2022 – Ish Shuey is a certified recovery mentor with Transformations Wellness Center, a nonprofit substance use disorder treatment center in Klamath Falls. Her job is to provide personal support to those struggling with addiction by acting as one-on-one support for people who are working to get clean and sober. Shuey is not just some clinician in a white coat who studies addicts and addiction for a living — she has lived through many of the same experiences as those she helps. Her job is to use those experiences to guide people to…
HE WON’T BE IN JAIL FOR LONG – Jan. 28, 2022 – Under the scheme, he only accepted cash at his clinic where he prescribed oxycodone and oxymorphone, two of the most addictive opioids with high street value, the federal prosecutor’s office said. Roland Williams and others created fraudulent medical records, including MRI reports and Michigan Automated Prescription System reports to give the appearance of legitimacy, authorities said. During the conspiracy, Dr. Kirkpatrick prescribed more than 574,604 dosage units of opioids, according to the Justice Department. more@DeadlineDetroit
FATE? DESTINY? LUCK? – Jan. 28, 2022 – Health care providers can help reduce risk by taking certain precautions, Weiner says. One is to prescribe non-opioid medications whenever possible (or tell patients to use them once their pain subsides) and make sure that patients are educated about how to use opioids and dispose of them safely. When a patient has one or more risk factors—like those Weiner and his team identified—providers should consider spending more appointment time with them to make sure they know how to use the medication safely, or call them to check in following their visit, Weiner…
PRAYERS FOR PHIL – Jan. 30, 2022 – Phil, who is father to Emily in Paris star Lily Collins, announced that he was going on tour with his fellow Genesis bandmates last year but many fans are concerned about the rock singer’s health. Collins injured his neck in 2009, which was caused during an accident while he was performing on stage and left him needing surgery. Luckily, the surgery was successful but the musician unfortunately lost feeling in his fingers. The only way that the legendary musician, well known for his drumming skills, could use his drumsticks was to…
BOOK REVIEW – Jan. 11, 2022 – Attempts to bridge the two philosophies are liable to devolve into mere intellectual exercises, or else to peter out in the banal advice that therapy sessions ought to begin with a period of concentrating on the breath. (For anyone who’s ever paid out of pocket for a therapeutic “hour,” the idea of using valuable minutes that way may evoke strong feelings.) But in “The Zen of Therapy,” a warm, profound and cleareyed memoir of a year in his consulting room prior to the pandemic, the psychiatrist and author — and practicing Buddhist —…
JUST IN TIME – Feb. 1, 2022 – The FGF21 analogue tested by Flippo and his team was originally developed by Pfizer as a long-lasting version of the original hormone, with the goal of treating diabetes and obesity in humans. Unfortunately it petered out in clinical testing: The compound was great at helping humans lose weight, but not very effective at reducing blood glucose levels for diabetics. So Flippo and his team took this compound off the shelf to see if it might have a new life as an inhibitor for alcohol cravings. Don’t worry—the monkeys in this study…
AWAKE AND SING – Jan. 30, 2022 – In Greater Manchester, some felt their final hopes of eventually getting their treatment evaporate at the start of this month. Health leaders announced that most surgeries would be cancelled as the Omicron wave has grounded swathes of the workforce testing positive or having to isolate. Patients living with painful conditions have told the Manchester Evening News that agonising delays have come at a cost. They are forced to depend on strong painkillers, including addictive opiates such as morphine and codeine, and opioids like tramadol and fentanyl, for even longer. t’s even…
MARRIAGE VOWS – Feb. 2, 2022 – Mr Joyce, from Warndon, said: “Last week I admitted to myself that I am an alcoholic and it is about time I do something about it before it’s too late. “I now go to an AA meeting once a week which is an amazing experience and a chance to meet some amazing people who aren’t afraid to admit to the same problem I have. “The boxing match is going to be a night to remember for the lovely people of Worcester because the Wesley Joyce haters will get the opportunity to see…