TSUNAMI OF PAIN – Dec. 16, 2021 – Nine out of 10 therapists say the number of clients seeking care is on the rise, and most are experiencing a significant surge in calls for appointments, longer waiting lists and difficulty meeting patient demand. Our analysis found that the higher demands for therapy are happening in every region and at similar rates in red and blue states. Former patients have returned for care, and new clients are seeking therapy for the first time for anxiety, relationship problems, racial justice issues, financial stress and other issues that have surfaced during the…
Author: Leonard Buschel
STILL BILLIONAIRES NO MATTER WHAT – Dec. 17, 2021 – “Every day, 265 people are dying. The attorneys are getting richer because they’ve still got a job to do, and lives are being lost,” she said. “When is somebody going to say, ‘This is all about the lives?’” Avi Israel also lost a son to opioid addiction, but sees this week’s ruling differently. Like Juaire, he has dedicated his life to fighting addiction, starting Save the Michaels of the World, a group that has helped get 1,200 people in western New York into addiction treatment this year. He said…
NOT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Dec. 17, 2021 – She added that watching it initially helped her feel cool and like she was “one of the guys.” Ultimately, however, she admits it led to her suffering nightmares because some of the content she watched was so violent and abusive. It also shaped the way that she saw sex, dating and herself in general. “I’m so angry that porn is so loved, and I’m so angry at myself for thinking that it was OK,” she continued. “Women’s bodies don’t look like that. We don’t come like that.” This isn’t the first…
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING – DEC. 17, 2021 – While exercise addiction has not been accepted as a mental health disorder in the DSM-5, (“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition”), researchers describe it as a behavioral addiction, or excessive behavior that results in adverse consequences. Similar to other addictions, a person with the addiction will be aware of the negative impacts of their behavior and consider these consequences, but they proceed with exercise anyways. Based on the criteria for behavioral addiction, exercise addiction is characterized by: Tolerace: Increasing the amount of exercise to feel…
MOVIES ARE REEL – Dec. 12, 2021 – Another somewhat common take can be seen in films such as Martin Scorcese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, where a young businessman quickly becomes corrupt as he’s overwhelmed with power and money—much of which he spends on extravagances and drugs. The film demonstrates in an almost comical manner the harm of persistent drug use, as well as the denial that comes along with it. Similarly to My Own Private Idaho, however, the film doesn’t show the tiring struggle that comes with recovery. This way of telling the story can be justified,…
LITERALLY DYING TO BE THIN – Dec. 17, 2021 – “The more I interacted with those types of videos, the more they started to show up,” said Andie, 14, of the app, which has one billion users, many of them kids like her. “I wasn’t able to see how it was affecting me.” Several months after being on TikTok, Andie, already a small girl, had dropped more than 20% of her body weight and her hair was falling out, her mother said. She was diagnosed with an eating disorder and began months of treatment at various facilities. Since September,…
WATCH— WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? – Sept. 17, 2021 – One of us (Anders) has a background in computational neuroscience, and now works with groups such as the AI Objectives Institute, where we discuss how to avoid such problems with AI; the other (Thomas) studies history, and the various ways people have thought about both the future and the fate of civilization throughout the past. After striking up a conversation on the topic of wireheading, we both realized just how rich and interesting the history behind this topic is. It is an idea that is very of the moment, but…
THE RECOVERY EVENT OF 2021 – The 11th Annual, at the Skirball Cultural Center, returned Wednesday, December 15, honoring Leigh Steinberg, author of The Agent and the inspiration for the character, Jerry Maguire in the eponymous film and Courtney Friel, KTLA News Anchor and author of Tonight at 10: Kicking Booze and Breaking News. The awards dinner was presented by Writers in Treatment, an organization “dedicated to reducing the stigma of substance abuse and mental illness by showcasing the talents and contributions of and artists.” Founded by Leonard Buschel, the organization helps individuals to get clean and stay sober so they can lead fulfilling lives. When asked how…
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” —Joseph Campbell
THE FAMILY THAT CRIMES TOGETHER SHOULD DO TIME TOGETHER – Dec. 16. 2021 – Under the crush of thousands of lawsuits, Purdue filed for bankruptcy restructuring in September 2019, which automatically put a hold on all the claims against it. Nearly two years later, Judge Robert Drain, the bankruptcy court judge in White Plains, N.Y., confirmed a plan that had been approved by a majority of creditors who voted. Purdue would be formally dissolved and would re-emerge as a new company called Knoa Pharma that would still produce OxyContin but also other drugs. The new company’s profits would go…
AND SO MUCH MORE – Dec. 3, 2021 – A birthday without cake, presents and miles from her high school friends, may not be the ideal celebration for most. However, Madero was grateful to spend any time in residential treatment — even her birthday. “I wasn’t worried about whether I was going to pass my math test, or are my clothes going to be ironed for school tomorrow?” Madero said. “No, my situation was: Where am I going to lay my head at night?” Today, Madero is 20 years old, sober and a community guest specialist at an adult…
NO TIME TO DIE – Dec. 11, 2021 – Others have long lists of questions for Michelle Baass, director of the California Department of Health Care Services, the agency charged with overseeing the industry. How are death reports handled and in what time frame? Does the director ever personally read death reports? Do you know that former DHCS staffers have gone on to take jobs as consultants to treatment programs overseen by their erstwhile colleagues? … there were 61 death complaints and about 540 “jurisdictional complaint inquiries” to DHCS in the last fiscal year, said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-NorrisPetrie-Norris, chair…
WHO’S EVEN TRYING? – Dec. 3, 2021 – Even more so, sadness and anxiety have ensnared many young people in a vise-like grasp. “Likes” and “views” on social media have caused some of them to continuously compare themselves to morally bankrupt “influencers” who perhaps became famous by happenstance. These influencers provide a polished version of themselves, not the reality. In turn, young people yearn for their lives and looks — and may become depressed when it becomes unattainable. Drug usage falls squarely in line with this issue as well, because their inability to achieve perfection or their desire to…
BUT COULDN’T FIND A BUYER? – Dec. 3, 2021 – Recently, the first look of Hardy’s famous period crime drama, Peaky Blinders Season 6, was unveiled. The actor is back with his iconic role of Alfie Solomons. On top of that, the actor’s name has also been making the rounds as the frontrunner in the list of who can be the next James Bond. Tom Hardy knows how to keep himself busy and while his past is his past, there is something that he said, which may come to his fans as a shock. Back in 2015, the Venom…
ACTING HIGH – Dec. 4, 2021 – Former co-stars didn’t immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment regarding the allegations made in Grassle’s book about Landon. Despite their ups and downs, Grassle insisted she made peace with the actor before he passed away in 1991 at age 54 from pancreatic cancer. Grassle, 79, spoke to Fox News about writing her book now, and what it was like bringing the beloved series to life, as well as the moment she realized it was time to get sober. Fox: What inspired you to write this memoir now? Karen Grassle: This…
BECAUSE YOU COULD FEEL AGAIN – Dec. 4, 2021 – On check-in, I was told I have a disease that’s progressive, fatal and incurable, and that I have a one in three chance of dying from it. My life had fallen apart so dramatically over the course of the previous year that I was in desperate need of any solution. The events that led me to rehab are hazy. There was a painful breakup, a redundancy. Then, in October 2015, I was hit by a truck. Signed off work, with my hand in a cast, and tending to a…
IS SHE CALLING BILL WILSON A MURDERER? – Dec. 4, 2021 – That’s the thorny question raised in “Opioid Reckoning,” a new book published last month by University of Minnesota Press by independent scholar and Macalester College historian Amy C. Sullivan. A provocative look at the limitations of conventional addiction treatment in the face of the modern opioid epidemic, the “reckoning” in Sullivan’s title stands for the collision between the polite traditions of getting sober in the Twelve Steps, and the need for ideology-free addiction medicine in the face of a deadly scourge. “The key takeaway from the Minnesota…
WHY WOULDN’T HE? – Dec. 3, 2021 – Before the pandemic, Mr Stone worked as a scuba instructor overseas, but had to return to Staffordshire when tourism dried up. He has taken a year off to focus on his latest challenge and hopes to set two Guinness World Records for the most triathlons in a year and the most consecutive ones in a year. “I am very fortunate to be in the position that I am in and I just really want to find out what I am capable of. And if this goes well, maybe there will be…
WHO DECIDES WHO GETS HELP? – Dec. 8, 2021 – A class-wide scheduling of fentanyl-related substances may sound wonky, but you don’t have to be a doctor to know the dangers of this policy. As a medical professional, I believe in a public health approach to addiction. And as an advocate for racial justice, I fight to ensure everyone is able to receive the treatment they need. As lawmakers debate the best way forward, they could learn a thing or two from the work on the frontlines of the overdose crisis. It’s not the rise in fentanyl cases that…
SAY IT ISN’T SO SANTA – Dec. 3, 2021 – “The COVID pandemic wreaked havoc in the lives of many New Yorkers, including those vulnerable to addiction,” said DiNapoli. “Skyrocketing substance abuse over the past 18 months has created an overwhelming need for addiction treatment and recovery services. The Office of Addiction Services and Supports was inadequately inspecting and certifying residential treatment programs even before that, but when the state hit pause on inspections at residential treatment facilities during the pandemic, it put patients’ safety, security and treatment at even greater risk. We can never abandon vulnerable New Yorkers.…
IS LOVE THE ONLY SOLUTION? – Dec. 9, 2021 – Maia Szalavitz writes for the New York Times about her experience being hooked on heroin. In her case, it wasn’t the happiness that sucked her in; it was the “relief from my dread and anxiety, and a soothing sense that I was safe, nurtured and unconditionally loved.” The isolation during the pandemic likely contributed to this skyrocketing problem. Anyone can see the draw of addicts to the drug if they feel alone or despondent. We can empathize with drug abusers who use it to keep those feelings of love,…
THE EASIER, SANER WAY? – Dec. 10, 2021 – “It doesn’t address the underlying condition. It’s not preventing ongoing conditions, it’s just allowing life to be saved and reducing harm.” Harm reduction workers, such as those who work with the NC Harm Reduction Coalition (NCHRC), know all too well. Their goal is to reduce negative consequences of drug use and overdoses through promoting programs such as syringe exchanges and the distribution and education of overdose-reversing drugs like naloxone. Public health officials, advocates and other stakeholders gathered Tuesday at The Chapel at Dix Park for the screening of “Harm Reduction…
BUT ONLY IF YOU’RE AWAKE TO BEGIN WITH – Dec. 6, 2021 – Moderate consumption — using weed less than 20 days during the past month — didn’t create short sleep problems, but people were 47% more likely to snooze nine or more hours a night, the study also found. Why is short and long sleep a problem? “Large population-based studies show that both short sleep and long sleep are associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as the long-term progression of things like atherosclerosis, diabetes, coronary artery disease and any of the major…
PERFECT! – Dec. 8, 2021 – Dr. Nathaniel Day, medical director for the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program administered by AHS, says people should realize that fentanyl and carfentanil contaminate most street drugs. That’s one reason Day applauds the funding of Sublocade in Alberta. “This medication is going to revolutionize the way that addiction medicine is approached in Alberta,” Day said. “If I were worried about my own child who was using opioids, I would want them to get on Sublocade,” he said. “The reason is that the medication’s there. It’s there for a month. “There can’t be a bad…
WATCH – ‘IT’S NOT EASY, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE’ – Dec. 8, 2021 – Four members are a part of the official PWLE team, with community nominations put forward as well. “There has been a tremendous amount of support,” Many Guns said. “I’m hoping this will be an annual event for the community.” She wants people know they aren’t alone. “The Blood Tribe has a team of professionals, of community members, of family members who care and love you,” she said. “The hardest thing to do is to reach out and take that first step.” Chantelle Day Chief struggled…
UBER – Dec. 4, 2021 – “Because alcohol is a depressive, it might make you feel down and cause anxiety symptoms. Heavy drinking can also make medicines less effective, causing feelings of depression to increase.” However, cutting back on booze doesn’t have to mean missing out on holiday festivities. Instead, there are a variety of ways to have a good time without overindulging in alcohol. Mr. Preston explained: “Cutting back on alcohol doesn’t have to mean abandoning your social life, but maintaining sobriety in a social atmosphere, particularly during the holiday season, can be difficult. “Educating yourself on alcoholism…
WHEN HONESTY BECOMES THE GOAL – Dec. 3, 2021 – “A big part of my sobriety is to lean into the truth. To be comfortable with who I am. And I’m actually surprised by how easy it’s been to open up to people,” Poyer said. “I had built it up into this big thing in my mind. Even when I got sober and went to my first AA meeting back in March, I was so nervous that someone was going to recognize me that I didn’t even open my mouth. I just sat there listening the whole time, on…
WATCH – FROM E.T. to FINDING HER WAY HOME – Dec. 9, 2021 – The actress is known for her bright and bubbly personality, but she told “CBS Mornings” that she did not talk to people about her sobriety for years because it was a “quiet, confident journey.” “I just want to figure this out and go about this with no profession, no public anything. Let me do this quietly and privately. And now it’s been long enough where I’m in a lifestyle that I know is really working on a high road for my little journey, and there’s…
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO SAVE OUR CHILDREN? – Dec. 7, 2021 – Although blame for adolescent distress is often pinned on social media, the research suggests that screen time alone does not account for crisis. Rather, social media and other online activities act more to amplify an adolescent’s existing mental state, causing some to feel more distress and others to experience enhanced feelings of connection. Bonnie Nagel, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Oregon Health & Science University who treats and studies adolescents, said that online interactions appear not to satisfy core needs for connection. “I don’t think it is…
LIFE IMITATING ART? – Dec. 9, 2021 – But, as it turned out, playing an alcoholic wasn’t that much of a stretch for her. She later realized that she herself had a drinking problem and checked into rehab. She stayed sober for 15 years before she began drinking again, and she’s now logged almost eight years sober, she told NPR this week. “I also had the disease of alcoholism, but I didn’t know it at the time,” Gless tells Yahoo. “When I played those roles and I played Christine, I just thought I was a social drinker … with…