SHE’S NEVER GIVEN UP – Dec. 6, 2021 – Gloria’s story, is shocking in the brutality of the reactions she received when she reached out for help. At every turn, as a girl and a young woman, she was knocked down, put behind bars in prisons, and sent to terribly oppressive institutions. As a young gay African American girl growing up in a Queens household overrun with drug abuse and childhood trauma, it is not surprising that she ended up becoming an addict who spent years homeless on the streets of New York. However, when you hear Gloria’s story,…
Author: Leonard Buschel
TIME’S UP – Dec. 8, 2021 – The 62-year-old former rapper, hip-hop and reality TV star, whose legal name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr., pleaded no contest in Henderson Municipal Court to a misdemeanor nonviolent coercion charge, admitted he took a cellphone, and paid $640 in fines, a court official and his defense attorneys said. “Mr. Drayton and his family are grateful to bring an amicable close to this matter and appreciate everyone’s support as he continues his one-year journey of sobriety,” defense attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said in a statement. Drayton was arrested late Oct. 4…
NOT THE AMERICAN WAY – Dec. 5, 2021 – The overhaul has been drawn together by at least six government departments, the BBC understands. It will form part of a wider week of law and order announcements for the government, which a source involved in the drug strategy said had frustrated some of those who worked on it – who wanted to make clear these measures would lead to fewer crime-focused drug policies. The government has been asked to comment. The diversion strategy is expected to be twofold – short prison sentences for drug use will be complemented with…
DR. WHO KNEW? – Dec. 5, 2021 – “The accounts of drug misuse in parliament given to the Sunday Times are deeply concerning,” Lindsay Hoyle, House speaker, told Sky News on Sunday. “I will be raising them as a priority with the Metropolitan Police next week.” The Metropolitan Police service did not immediately return a request for comment. The report came just as Johnson was set to announce a 10-year plan to hold drug offenders responsible and combat crime in England and Wales. On Monday, he was pictured with police in the city of Liverpool while wearing a dark…
IT’S NOT A GAME – DEC. 8, 2021 – Some games already appear to be attempting this feat, but it can be hard to distinguish between those which “other” the mentally ill and those that have done genuine research either by staffing mental health professionals or by sharing first-hand experience. Here are some of the best portrayals of mental illness in video games. One of the most ambitious attempts to show mental illness in a video game came in the form of the British developer Ninja Theory’s “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.” It explores the struggles of mental health using the…
AND NOT A CRIME – Dec. 8, 2021 – And that support means approaching addiction and substance use not as a moral decision, but as a chronic relapsing brain disease. “It’s no different than many of the other chronic diseases in so many aspects like diabetes and hypertension,” said the drug czar. In addition to expanding funding for harm reduction efforts, the Biden administration also announced on Wednesday a framework for states to create syringe exchange-friendly laws. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who use syringe exchanges are five times more likely to enter…
MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING? – Dec. 8, 2021- SAMHSA will distribute $10 million per year over the next three years. Grant recipients must use the funds to support harm reduction services. Harm reduction service providers will be asked to develop or expand evidence-based services that may include, but not be limited to: the provision of sterile syringes, safe sex kits, prevention education about synthetic opioids and other substances, overdose prevention kits including naloxone distribution, peer worker engagement, medical services, case management and referral to treatment. Warm handoffs that facilitate engagement in care and referrals to treatment for individuals seeking these…
THEY SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH FACES – Dec. 8, 2021- “For more than two decades, opioids have wreaked havoc on New Yorkers and Americans across the nation — causing pain, addiction and death,” Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our ongoing trial has been about the role companies like Allergan and its predecessors played in helping grow this epidemic, profiting while Americans suffered. As part of the settlement, Allergan will be barred from selling opioids in New York for the next 10 years. Katharine Nichols, a spokeswoman for AbbVie, the parent company, said…
LISTEN – GRAND SLAM FOR LIFE – Dec. 9, 2021 – Williams, who is still playing competitively at age 41, thinks that professional athletes are some of the best people to promote conversations around mental health. It’s why she’s taken up her own efforts to help de-stigmatize mental health. Currently the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and BetterHelp, an online portal that provides direct-to-consumer access to mental health services, are offering one month of free therapy for anyone who wants to speak with a licensed professional right now. Venus Williams has taken on the role as the lead pitch woman.…
“I always count my blessings more than I count my money. I don’t work for money, never did.” —Dolly Parton
NO AGE LIMIT – Nov. 29, 2021 – Burton Burt, owner of Recovery Awareness counseling center in Gainesville, said aside from the recognizable health signs, like having a fatty liver or cirrhosis, there are other warning signs of addiction. These include failing to complete daily tasks, using while at work and drinking earlier in the day. Additional signs of a problem are constantly craving to drink, underperforming in school and jobs, damaging relationships due to alcohol use and repetitively losing consciousness while drinking or “blacking out,” Leeman said. Burt also believes college culture sets students up for failure. “You’re…
FROM ROLLING TO HURLING – Nov. 26, 2021 – There have been reports of a “mysterious vomiting illness” linked to marijuanaand there’s a name for it, too: Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome. “Doctors are seeing it more often now,” says Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, BCPS, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS) at the School of Pharmacy, director of the MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program, and a clinical pharmacist who practices in the field of palliative care. So what are the symptoms of Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome? Read on for 5 essential things you need…
NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT – Dec. 3, 2021 – The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education chief executive, Caterina Giorgi, said the statistics were “concerning”, and that a clear picture of the impact of harmful alcohol use during the pandemic was only just emerging. “Australia tops the world in both the number of times people report getting drunk and in seeking emergency medical treatment for alcohol … Both of those indicators suggest people are drinking at fairly risky levels,” she said. “We’ve seen a steep increase, which has sustained for calls for help to drug and alcohol hotlines,…
DECRIMINALIZE ALL DRUGS – Dec. 2, 2021 – While some drug users actively seek out fentanyl, many die without knowing that a different drug they had consumed — cocaine, for example — was laced. “It’s not that fentanyl is attracting more users or creating new users,” Bryce Pardo, a drug policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, told The New Republic. “It’s just a very dangerous time to be a drug user and to be buying street drugs.” Many experts say the pandemic played a leading role in last year’s surge. Public health resources were already stretched to the limits,…
LISTEN – MUSIC AND TALK – Dec. 1, 2021 – Tonight I will be speaking on Alcoholism in the black community. For two hours we will be listening to brave soldiers speak on their experience with dealing with alcoholism. One will speak on their current struggle with alcoholism … one will speak on her experience being married to an alcoholic … one will be speaking on their current recovery … and of course I will be sharing my journey/story with alcoholism and I had I was able to overcome the addiction. I will be asking those hard questions ……
WATCH – TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES – Dec. 2, 2021 – Griffin was referring to the 2017 photo of her holding a bloody effigy of then-President Donald Trump’s head. She lost her job at CNN over the photo and was investigated by the Secret Service before being cleared two months later. Griffin said she didn’t blame her addiction on Trump or the backlash that resulted from the photo — including her being “blacklisted,” in co-host Joy Behar’s words— but she did say the incident was “much more frightening than cancer,” due in large part to feeling like the world hated…
ONE DRUNK TO ANOTHER – Dec. 3, 2021 – Elton John has explained why he feels compelled to try and help fellow musicians struggling with drugs and alcohol abuse. Appearing on The Jonathan Ross Show, which airs tomorrow night (Friday 4 December) on ITV, the musician said he became emotional when reflecting on Rocketman, the 2019 film that includes depictions of his own struggles with addiction. “I had a lot of support when I was ill and [in] rehab,” he said. “You support your friends through thick and thin. I had a lot of support when I went through…
WATCH – SHE WILL BE MISSED – Dec. 2, 2021 – Courtney Lovell was her long-time friend, and co-founder of Our Wellness Collective in Columbia County. As part of Morgan’s recovery from drug addiction, together they spent the last year or so attending Laurie’s weekly virtual meetings. Morgan said, “It made me feel confident and better about myself to the point where I felt the confidence to seek healthy relationships and to amend the relationships I’ve broken with my family. Janet said, “I believe everyone in our Tuesday meeting felt the same, we all felt connection, so warm and…
REQUIEM FOR AMERICA – Dec. 2, 2021 – The junkie narrative tends to reduce addiction to the substance or behavior the addiction revolves around, and/or the aims and griefs that drive it. For the junkies of “Requiem for a Dream,” the blame is put on heroin, amphetamines, and the characters’ eponymous pipe dreams for material gain and familial love. For the junkie of “Euphoria,” the blame is on polysubstance abuse and the character’s loss of her father. What unifies these otherwise disparate excuses for addiction is a yearning for stabilization, particularly through a functioning family unit. Common models of…
BIG PHARMA STRIKES AGAIN? – Dec. 1, 2021 – Studies show naltrexone has few side effects that are typically not long-lasting. The drug blocks brain receptors for the effects of heroin and even alcohol. “There’s more and more physicians now that are starting to practice addiction medicine,” said Tom Welch from BioCorRx. That’s one company working with pharmacies offering implants with the naltrexone compound. “But we need to get this widespread so anyone who needs this and that it’s appropriate for can get it,” said Welch. The company said it has an Investigational New Drug (IND) with the FDA…
GOD HELP US – Dec. 4, 2021 – The MPHD surveillance system has detected an increase in fatal drug overdose activity over over the past 24 hours. We urge residents to check in on loved ones, do not use alone, and call 911 in case of a possible overdose. Anyone suffering from drug addiction should call the Tennessee Red Line 1-800-889-9789.. click here For more resources. more@Eminetra
WATCH – FINGER LICKIN’ GROSS – Dec. 2, 2021 – A fitness fanatic who challenged himself to only eat KFC for a month revealed he gained one kilogram of weight every three days. Conan Visser packed on eight kilograms altogether by sticking to a strict diet of a burgers, fries and deep-fried chicken meals for 30 days. Mr. Visser, from Brisbane, was hoping to raise awareness about the detrimental effects fast food and alcohol can have on mental and physical health. The fitness guru began the challenge weighing in at a healthy 165 lbs. Four weeks later, he weighed…
SUFFERING BEHIND THE SMILES – Dec. 18, 2021 – Tommy’s eating disorder had already robbed him of his semi-professional football career. He’d played for West Brom and the Scottish national team, but serious nerve damage left him with him with no feeling in his right leg. Tragically, this wasn’t his lowest point. Tommy had a heart attack, putting him in a coma for three long months. “They thought I would never wake up,” he tells me. In very serious cases, eating disorders like Tommy’s anorexia can lead to organ failure, including that of the heart. What’s shocking is that,…
WITH SMOKE, MIRRORS AND FILTERS – Dec. 3, 2021 – “People with eating disorders can get trapped in a vicious cycle of content related to disordered eating and weight loss,” says Nagata. In cases like these, he says, hospital staff may need to take away a patient’s access to social media to help with their recovery. Eating disorders and body image issues have become more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, Engeln says. One study from the University of Pennsylvania published in November found that the number of people hospitalized for eating disorders in the US doubled during the pandemic.…
WATCH – FILMS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE – Dec. 3, 2021 – “My part in particular,” Green said. “When you see it, you see young people really responding to these creative exercises and learning coping skills, protective factors, that we know will help them in their adult lives.” Green says nearly everyone either fights a silent battle with addiction, or knows someone who does, and hopes this film inspires others to join in the fight against addiction “I want people to walk away from this movie with hope,” he said. “But also, with a call of action that the…
LISTEN – READY FOR HER CLOSE-UP – Dec. 1, 2021 – Almost 6 years after first meeting him, Ahbra has been working alongside Leonard to put on the REEL Recovery Film Festival (Now in its 13th year) and the Experience, Strength & Hope Awards’ Gratitude Dinner. Both of these events are dedicated to increasing awareness of and reducing the stigma associated with alcoholism, addiction and mental illness. As far as Ahbra is concerned, she is a sober woman with 3 grown children and she is grateful and proud to work alongside American and International filmmakers who make honest films…
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Dec. 3, 2021 – Claudia Schwarz is a Board Certified, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has decades of experience in various mental health settings. In addition to having a successful private practice since 2003, she worked the past several years as a Therapeutic and Educational Consultant, and is a Clinical Member of IECA. She is currently the National Director of Clincal Outreach at the J. Flowers Health Institute. She is committed to helping to strengthen and support people with therapeutic needs and to bridge the gap between therapeutic support professionals. Claudia has well established…
SHE’S SINGING LIKE A SOPRANO – Dec. 1, 2021 – In a recent interview with The Guardian, Falco, 58, revealed that she’s been sober since she was 29, after finding herself in a place where she was controlled by her alcoholism. Falco revealed that she didn’t even begin drinking until she was in college, and sought alcohol as a way of compensating for her shyness, which was impacting her confidence level. “I was a non-drinker for years, then I had my first drink at college and I found nirvana,” Falco recalled, explaining that booze felt like “the answer to…
WATCH – AND IT’S FREE – Dec. 1, 2021 – Dr. Martin Paulus, who is a psychiatrist with the Laureate Institute for Brain Research said a team is studying the teenage brain and the side effects of social media. He shared some scary comparisons. “Social reward which is essentially what social media capitalized on is activating the same brain systems that drugs like cocaine or meth activate.” In fact, Paulus said a child’s brain on social media is the same as someone addicted to drugs. The addictive process gives a jolt to the brain. With any addiction, the brain…
CLEAN IS NOT A JUDGMENT – Dec. 2, 2021-For context, Demi previously revealed that they were “California sober” — i.e. only drinking alcohol and smoking weed in moderation — in their documentary, Dancing with the Devil. They decided not to be totally sober following their near-fatal 2018 overdose and explained, “Telling myself that I can never have a drink or smoke marijuana, I feel like that’s setting myself up for failure because I am such a black and white thinker.” more@BuzzFeed