PASSING IT ON – Nov. 24, 2021 – I love the double dopamine hit that comes from buying something new—the rush when you click “purchase,” and the second one when it arrives at your door and you tear open the box. And there are plenty of real benefits to our incredibly efficient online shopping network: grocery shipping is shrinking food deserts, rural communities with few store options can quickly and easily get items they otherwise couldn’t have, and the time we used to spend driving to stores and searching for things that may have been out of stock we…
Author: Leonard Buschel
WHAT’S NEXT? BABY FORMULA? – Nov. 27, 2021 – Behind that 100,000 figure, they said, is an ongoing surge in the number of cocaine, methamphetamine and other drug deaths that are connected to the simultaneous use of fentanyl. “Probably more than half of the cases involve fentanyl mixed with another drug,” said Dr. Robert Anderson, the chief of mortality statistics at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The co-use of fentanyl and other drugs distinguishes this wave from the ones that came before it, which were characterized by the growing use of prescription pain medications and then the…
TOURIST TRAPS BUMMED OUT – Nov. 24, 2021 – The South Dakota Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s ruling that nullified a voter-passed amendment to the state constitution that would have legalized recreational marijuana use. Gov. Kristi Noem instigated the legal fight to strike down the amendment passed by voters in November. Though the Republican governor opposed marijuana legalization as a social ill, her administration’s arguments in court centered on technical violations to the state constitution. The high court sided with those arguments in a 4-1 decision, ruling that the measure — Amendment A — would have…
REAL SOBER SISTERHOOD – Nov. 24, 2021 – Following the traumatic event, Willis and her sisters stopped communicating with the “Ghost” actor for three years. Willis is now shedding light on that period of estrangement. “90% of the time, if we look at someone else and see something that feels triggering, it is usually triggering because it is something we don’t like about ourselves,” Willis said on “Addiction Talk.”… “So, if we are holding judgement for someone else, I think, it is really important to take time and do an inventory in yourself and go, ‘Wow, this feel so…
WATCH – EVEN GODS DIE – Nov. 26, 2021 – In the history of the theater, only a handful could call Mr. Sondheim peer. The list of major theater composers who wrote words to accompany their own scores (and vice versa) is a short one — it includes Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Jerry Hermanand Noël Coward. Though Mr. Sondheim spent long hours in solitary labor, usually late at night, when he was composing or writing, he often spoke lovingly of the collaborative nature of the theater. After the first decade of his career, he was never again…
RESPECT YOUR ANCESTORS – Nov. 24, 2021 – The first thing Kevin Strickland did after being exonerated for a triple murder he didn’t commit was visit his mother’s grave. “To know my mother was underneath that dirt and I hadn’t gotten a chance to visit with her in the last years … I revisited those tears that I did when they told me I was guilty of a crime I didn’t commit,” Strickland told CNN’s Brianna Keilar Wednesday. At the age of 19, Strickland, who is now 62, was convicted in 1979 of one count of capital murder and…
WATCH – SHRINKAGE? – Nov. 28, 2021 – • All desire comes from us feeling like we lack something, which can bring us into a dangerous, vicious habit because there will always be another model to find. We have to choose our models wisely whether they are famous influencers across the globe or our closest friends. We also have to know when the model is inflaming us with the desire for something that’s going to bring real fulfillment or whether it’s going to bring a dopamine hit or allow us to fantasize about a life that we’ll probably never…
MAYBE EVEN MORE… – Nov. 26, 2021- Ultra-processed foods are highly reinforcing – they can shape your behavior to keep you coming back for more. For example, teachers and parents use ultra-processed foods to reward good behavior in children to increase the likelihood that kids will continue to behave. In rats, researchers have repeatedly found that sweet tastes are more reinforcing than even highly addictive drugs, like cocaine. The high failure rates of diets make it painfully clear that ultra-processed foods can trigger strong, often irresistible urges to use despite a desire to quit. In contrast, nutritious, minimally processed…
“I chose and my world was shaken. So what? The choice may have been mistaken; the choosing was not. You have to move on.” —Stephen Sondheim
IT COULDN’T GET WORSE – Nov. 20, 2021 – The consequences of this racist motivation have been huge. Studies consistently show that minorities have been disproportionately targeted and incarcerated for drug possession. A specific example was the longer sentences for crack (vs. powdered) cocaine possession in the 1980s. Incarceration contributes to multigenerational poverty. Not only does a person lose personal income by being incarcerated and paying related judicial costs, but also the entire family loses income and parental involvement. We need better ways of helping people with addiction, but within the context of drug laws, addiction is a red…
HOMELESS FOREVER? – Nov. 10, 2021 – “Absent a change in federal law, HUD does not have the discretion to admit users of marijuana, including medical marijuana, to the Public Housing program,” the letter states. Norton said in a press release that she’s “very disappointed in HUD’s decision to refuse to protect residents in federally assisted housings who use marijuana in compliance with their state and local laws.” “Americans are continually evolving on the issue of marijuana use, with rapidly increasing in support,” the congresswoman said. “This response shows even more why Congress should enact my bill that would…
ONLY ONE? – Nov. 10, 2021 – “Bottom line: what starts during work-from-home may well continue as employees return to their workplaces. Employers that truly care about the health of their employees must be ready.” The study found that 21% of respondents have used marijuana, and of those who have used, 41% say they have done so to cope with stress, 38% for anxiety, 20% for loneliness, and 31% for depression. Meanwhile, 13% of survey respondents have spoken with a therapist as a result of anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. Alcohol consumption has also surged during the…
ANY IS BETTER THAN NONE? – Nov. 16, 2021 – As we’ve mentioned, both inpatient and outpatient programs use a variety of therapy techniques for addiction counseling. Some of the more common types of behavioral therapy methods used to treat substance use disorder include: Cognitive-behavioral therapy for substance use disorders (CBT for SUD): According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, this type of therapy explores the relationship between how you think, feel, and behave as it relates to substance use. In recovery, CBT also teaches new connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions. Dr. Goldman says this will also include learning…
MOST OF US ARE – Nov. 15, 2021 – Recovering from addiction sometimes takes years, or working through multiple programs before it sticks. Pile a mental health condition on top, and recovery can seem insurmountable. Steve McComb, a peer support specialist with the county’s Mental Health Court program since 2014, knows firsthand. “One of the things we like to say, and one of the things I’ve learned from Steve, is that just because someone fails the program doesn’t mean we didn’t help them,” said Mary Wolfinger, coordinator of the program since 2009. Now with a decade of sobriety behind…
ACCEPTANCE IS THE KEY – Nov. 17, 2021 – “I was kind of strong-armed into treatment because I didn’t want to do it on my own,” said Merritt. “The phone is real heavy when I would try to ask for help in the right way. But when I had to call the dope man, it was super light.” Now at 42, she’s been sober for four months. “I went to a sober living house and that really helped me,” she said. “It was little accomplishments that helped me stay sober, and getting into a routine, And what works for…
STRAIGHT UP – Nov. 19, 2021 – To celebrate 32 years of sobriety, I ran a 5k (3.1 miles) in West Burlington at a benefit for Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice called “Miles and Memories.” Considering how close to death I was a couple of times, I consider the Hospice race apropos. I like to do something of this nature every year on my sobriety birthday as a celebration of a healthy body and mind. Last year we did a half-marathon (13.1 miles) right here at the Empty Nest Farm. The year before it was a 5k at a pumpkin…
WATCH – NOTHING CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES – Nov. 19, 2021 – Nikki King, who designs addiction treatment programs, discusses the alarming number of drug overdoses in America during the pandemic. more@CNN
CARRY THAT WEIGHT – Nov. 18, 2021 – Waves of agony repeatedly knocked the breath out of me, as pressure built behind my eyes, producing visual auras that blurred my sight and made me nauseous. The pain was so unique, so all-encompassing, that I lost all rational capabilities, screaming and kicking as if possessed. My first such debilitating experience occurred when I was around 10 years old. When suffering from a migraine, I didn’t feel human anymore. Like a nightmare or a bad trip, the pain and terror only grew and lasted for hours. My sense of self was…
WATCH – WAITING FOR THE MAN! – Nov. 18, 2021 – Local organizations trying to fight addiction in Central New York are still waiting for support promised by lawmakers. More than $90 million from the American Rescue Covid Relief Plan has been allocated for substance abuse treatment across the state. “I’m aware of efforts that are happening at the state and federal level to try to get the money to us faster but we still don’t have it,” says Helio Health CEO, Jeremy Klemanski. The push for help comes as the CDC is reporting an alarming number of overdose…
OR THAT BREAD IS FULL OF SALT – Nov. 18, 2021 – Nearly half the people interviewed didn’t recognize tramadol as an opioid, but even more common opioids such as morphine or methadone were misidentified by at least a quarter of responders. Oxycodone was the opioid that was most correctly identified (85% of responders were correct), followed by fentanyl (78% responders). Several non-opioid drugs were confused with opioids, too. A third of responders thought omeprazole (an antacid) contained opioids, and a quarter thought hyaluronic acid (a skin medication) did. more@QZ
NEXT STOP…CNN? – Nov. 18, 2021 – Methadone is a tightly controlled treatment for drug addiction, and patients must go to a clinic to receive the medication. That decades-old requirement was lifted during the coronavirus pandemic when the federal government let patients take home up to a 28-day supply of methadone. The original policy was meant to ward off diversion of the treatment, which is itself a synthetic opioid. But public health experts — and even former ONDCP officials — worry it prevents some people from seeking treatment. President Biden may keep a version of the pandemic-related change, where…
WATCH – BEST TO BE SICK AND TIRED – Nov. 17, 2021 – Petersen said family is a vital motivator for any person struggling with addiction. “It’s important to be able to step into it and offer someone a solution,” Petersen said. The last thing that Petersen said will compel a person to recover is a grim headline. “You’re not going to scare them into sobriety,” Petersen said. more@KDVR
BETTER THAN A COURT CARD? – Nov. 18, 2021 – Prisoners at risk of committing alcohol-fuelled crime will be forced to wear an electronic tag when released to detect if they have been drinking. In what the government has called a “world first”, serious and prolific offenders known to reoffend after consuming alcohol will be banned from drinking once they are freed from prison. They will be tagged with devices which monitor alcohol levels in sweat… more@Independent
IS THIS A NEW HORROR MOVIE? – Nov. 18, 2021 – In at least one of the cases so far, the marijuana tested positive for fentanyl, a highly potent opioid that can be lethal in minuscule doses, the Connecticut Department of Public Health [DPH] announced on Thursday. “This is the first lab-confirmed case of marijuana with fentanyl in Connecticut and possibly the first confirmed case in the United States,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani in a statement. There have been over three dozen such incidents reported to the DPH since July, in which patients said they were only smoking…
EXCITEMENT IS CERTAIN – Nov. 20, 2021 – These young people do not assert what “it” is, but they are comfortable claiming, “not this.” Eve Tuck, professor, educator, and activist, writes about the power of such refusal in the face of oppression: “[R]efusal is a generative stance, not just a ‘no,’ but a starting place…” (Tuck and Yang, 2014, p. 812). Indeed, the rise in young people reporting identifications of “not religious” and “just Christian” to describe their religious identities carry a similar thread of refusal; this “no” is not a dead end but an invitation to imagine what…
CHAPTER 11, IN A GOOD WAY – Published 2018 – WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THE ROOMS of Alcoholics Anonymous? IS THERE ONLY ONE path to recovery? These and other questions are answered in 365-daily inspirations. Miracles of Recovery was written–not just for those addicted but for the parents, the spouse–anyone touched by the disease. Using the 12-Steps as its’ foundation, Miracles of Recovery embraces a holistic solution as a practical approach for those who must face life on life’s terms, clean and sober. Encouraging and thought-provoking, Miracles of Recovery inspires with Universal Truths, because once we know better, we do…
EVEN IRON JOHN HAD TO DIE ONE DAY– Nov. 22, 2021 – In a 1990 documentary “A Gathering of Men,” Bill Moyers and Bly explored the changing role of men in modern America. In 2009, the University of Minnesota Andersen Library sponsored a four-day symposium on Bly which included readings, workshops and a bus trip back to Madison, where Bly reunited with old friends and toured his old writing studio, which had been moved off the farm to the Lac Qui Parle County Museum, furniture and books intact. At a ceremony at the museum, Bly’s niece, Julie Ludvigson, recalled…
WATCH – AND KINDNESS TOO – Nov. 19, 2021 – But now in this sobriety, she is looking at her life with these new eyes and asking yourself, ‘Am I willing to sacrifice my soul to be a part of this game?’ What you find is you have two women; you’ve got this woman who is fierce and ferocious and a boss, but then there’s this other person. And only the audience gets to see— not the people in Daniella’s world. And she is this young, scared little girl that didn’t get the love she needed. That’s trying to…
IS THIS A LASTING TREASURE, OR JUST A MOMENTS PLEASURE? – Nov. 19, 2021 – Based on our current estimates, 15% of Americans meet the threshold for food addiction, which is associated with diet-related disease, obesity and poorer quality of life. This prevalence is remarkably in line with that of addictions to other legal and accessible substances. For instance, 14% of people in the U.S. meet the criteria to be diagnosed with alcohol use disorders. It is clear from our research that people do not experience this addictive pull from all foods. Ultra-processed foods that have artificially high levels…
WATCH – THE REAL LIFE TED LASSO – Nov. 20, 2021 – This morning’s live interview on #WakeUpAmerica on @newsmax. I share about the book, the documentary and the journey of the MLK team throughout the years! more@Facebook