Author: Leonard Buschel

IF WEED ONLY KNOWN BETTER – May 13, 2021 – Children, she said, are coming into the E.R. with a condition known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) at increasingly alarming rates. This condition, which once was hardly seen, is now “occurring across the state,” Rep. Caraveo says. She describes a teenaged patient who “required hospitalization and frequent follow-up from our office to control abdominal pain and electrolyte abnormalities from her rapid weight loss.” Rep. Caraveo talks about both the physical toll the condition takes on kids as well as the psychiatric issues that are arising from the use of too-potent…

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DRINK TO START OVER – May 14, 2021 – Brené Brown has been sober for 25 years, and took to Facebook recently to talk about what her sobriety has meant to her life. The bestselling author, podcast host, and speaker is inspiring multitudes once again with her words — this time about her own life journey. In keeping with her message of vulnerability, she’s revealing details about the challenges she’s personally faced in order to reach those who need to hear her message. Along with spreading the knowledge of her success, she’s shared tips for those…

ROLE OF A LIFETIME – May 11, 2021 – Living with Holiday for such an intense stretch of time seems to have gifted Day the opportunity to consider different ways of being and thinking, particularly around the ideas of beauty and sexuality. “I feel now, after playing Billie, that I’m honoring her, and the strength that is femininity. I’m definitely in a healthier place to enjoy that because I’m outside of the addiction, if you will. So, yeah, it’s been really fun, because it’s been very new for me.” Day’s willingness to be so open, steered by her vulnerability and…

WATCH – SOLD IN VENDING MACHINES – May 12, 2021 – Until the pandemic struck in March 2020, Rohr and her Kalamazoo-based staff rarely encountered Kratom, or it was mistaken for an opiate in a patient entering rehab. She sees it more and more and primarily because it has been readily available. “It doesn’t show up on our urine drug screens, and the withdrawal that they have from it is just like opiates,” Rohr said. “In Michigan you can go to any tobacco store, gas station and purchase it. It’s something they smoke and it’s a mix between an opiate…

IT WORKS IF YOU WEAR IT –  May 13, 2021 – Avoiding addiction relapse is no small feat, however. Relapse is common during recovery, especially when the patient isn’t receiving treatment. One study has shown about a third of patients relapse within three months of completing inpatient treatment, although results improve for patients who completed longer-term courses of treatment. It can take years to equip a patient with the skills and tools to stay sober, and for many, this is a lifelong struggle. Access to ongoing, cost-effective care allows patients to go beyond detox and eliminating substance use to examine…

CRIMINAL INJUSTICE SYSTEM – May 14, 2021 – “Unfortunately, mental health seems to only come to the forefront when there are cases of tragedy,” he said. Experts say the episode demands a larger public conversation about how people with mental illnesses are treated while incarcerated. “The tragic death of Jamal Sutherland has yet again brought to light the disparities in the lack of proper procedures to ensure the safety of an individual during a mental health crisis,” said Rob Aitcheson, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ Charleston office. Since the 1960s, the state’s Department of Mental Health…

“Only when we are brave enough to explore our darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light” —Brené Brown

HAPPENING TODAY – May 14, 2021 – Rosenblum, a former federal prosecutor and state judge serving in her third term as attorney general, has prioritized expanding understanding of addiction, treatment and recovery within the state’s justice system and assisting local and state leaders in their missions to treat substance use disorder and create communities free from addiction. Dr. Lembke, professor and medical director of addiction medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, was one of the first in the medical community to sound the alarm regarding opioid overprescribing and the opioid epidemic. Her book—Drug Dealer, MD: How Doctors Were Duped,…

SECRET PASSWORDS – May 12, 2021 – The switch from in-person to online at the onset of the pandemic was overnight. “It all happened really quick,” recalls Anne, the group’s elected “overall chair” for 2020. (All names have been changed or abbreviated in accordance with the interviewee’s wishes.) “When we got the call from the church saying we were shut down, we got it that day, like two hours before our Sunday meeting. It was all very trial-and-error, let’s just get it up and see what happens.” Without a clear protocol or time to convene for a vote, Anne and…

ONE MORE SAD LOSS –  May 11, 2021 – In the April 12 post, Colt discussed the fallout from a sexual misconduct allegation he faced while at the University of Colorado (where he played football before transferring to Hawaii), as well as the aftermath of a near-fatal car accident that family and friends believe led to a series of legal troubles down the line, including multiple arrests for driving under the influence. “I’ve been through a lot in my life,” Colt captioned a photo of him from a 2007 ESPN cover story. “I was a convicted felon for a crime…

FOLLOW THE MONEY – May 5, 2021 – It was an American epidemic long before Covid-19. Opioid addiction and overdoses have scythed through the US heartland, often compounding misery in regions already ravaged by economic desperation. Between 1999 and 2019, more than 247,000 people died in the US from overdoses involving prescription opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2019 alone, nearly 50,000 Americans were killed by overdosing on powerful synthetic drugs like fentanyl. These questions may start to be sorted out in West Virginia, where a trial has just opened with Big Pharma firms McKesson…

WATCH – FOOD FOR THOUGHT –  May 6, 2021 – According to the association, that’s a 30% spike in teens compared to the year prior to the pandemic. Officials at Denver Health say they’re experiencing similar numbers. ”We’ve always accepted air ambulance into our hospital because we take so many patients from out of the state and out of the country. Prior to COVID happening, about 15 to 20 percent of our patients were air ambulanced into Denver Health. Since COVID we’ve seen that number jump up to 60% of our patients get air ambulanced in,” said Jeana Cost, Executive…

WATCH – PAYING IT FORWARD – April 30, 2021 – “Every minute that we could be there that quick, we were that close, it was amazing. A saved life got to save a life,” said Theo Shackleford, who also works at ARC. As Trout left the EMTs to do their job, in recovery himself, he knows just how much those minutes mattered. “Unfortunately, I’ve been on the receiving end of it, and this time I was just lucky enough to be the one administering the Narcan, then receiving it. I was just glad to be able to give back what…

DAYLIGHT! – May 1, 2021 – Women of all ages arrive in damaged condition, spirits broken, having lost it all. They have no jobs, no homes, no family support, and no solid reason to believe anything is ever going to change. Valerie, 39, told me she was molested throughout her childhood by a stepfather, ran away as a teenager and was raped and beaten during years of homelessness. Jasmin, 27, said she was dominated by a boyfriend who used her as a punching bag, broke her nose and pushed her in front of a moving vehicle. She finally ran for…

NEVER SAW SCARFACE? “DON’T GET HIGH ON YOUR OWN SUPPLY” May 10, 2021 – The Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office and the Central Virginia Drug and Gang Task Force (CVDGTF) say they have been actively investigating multiple individuals for the distribution of methamphetamine. EDITOR’S NOTE: Not meant to stigmatize Meth dealers… more@WSET

EVERYONE’S OPINION? – May 2, 2021 – THE UNITED STATES is still grappling with the deadly coronavirus pandemic, yet, sadly, that is far from the nation’s only public health crisis. The opioid addiction epidemic that was already raging before March 2020 appears to be getting worse, in part because hardships and isolation stress brought on by covid and the attendant economic shutdown are adding to mental health strains. Whereas annual drug overdose deaths in the United States had hovered around 70,000 — an intolerably high level — from 2017 through 2019, evidence suggests that they accelerated last year. Provisional data…

THE WHOLE FAMILY ISN’T TOXIC – May 4, 2021 – I had never before heard of the novel, called The Company You Keep, and I was quite sure the author, Neil Gordon, was a complete stranger to me. I’m happy to report that I am not now nor have I ever been a bouffanted cheerleader, a widow, or, perish the thought, a Republican. How had my name, always a bit comical and offbeat to my own ear, ended up in this book? Had Neil Gordon and I crossed paths? Had he perhaps known my father, also a writer? Was there…

LISTEN – MONEY BUYS FREEDOM – May 3, 2021 – But a growing group of public officials and activists is mounting a last-ditch effort to derail the plan, describing it in legal briefs as an unethical, and possibly unlawful, use of the bankruptcy court’s power. Late last week, 24 state attorneys general as well as the attorney general for Washington, D.C., filed a new brief describing the proposed settlement as “unprecedented,” “unjust” and “unconfirmable as a matter of law.” “The bankruptcy system should not be allowed to shield non-bankrupt billionaires,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey in an interview with…

CALIFORNIA NODDING – April 22, 2021 – Supervised injection sites have emerged around the world in recent years, part of a movement to rethink treatment for people addicted to powerful opioids — including heroin, fentanyl and some prescription pain killers. People get very sick when they try to stop taking the drugs, making it hard to stop using them. Overdose deaths have surged nationwide in recent years, prompting debates in state Legislatures about how best to tackle a problem that is rooted in public health and public safety. These sites are legal in Canada, but illegal in the U.S. The…

VIDEO – THE MOST TRAGIC IRONY – May 5, 2021 – A Modesto man devoted to living a better life was hit and killed by Brandon Howze, who was allegedly drunk at the time. Friends of Ray Galindo say the tragic irony is Galindo was leaving an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting when it happened. Galindo spent over a decade in and out of the program. On Tuesday, friends and family attended his funeral. DUI arrest and crashes have been increasing in the Central Valley since the pandemic, according to Rhonda Campbell, Victim Services Specialist at Mothers Against Drunk Driving Sacramento. “Drunk…

STATE’S RIGHTS – May 6, 2021 – Not only do such ads permeate the YES Network, TV home to the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets, but DraftKings actually sponsors the Yankees’ pregame show. The in-program advertising is part of an exclusive partnership the gambling site has with Major League Baseball. What message is that sending to a younger fan base, one that MLB executives have openly courted amid sagging youth interest in the national pastime? On sports talk radio, seemingly every third ad is for gambling sites — including “readers” in which hosts cheerfully dare listeners to “put their…

WATCH – REDEMPTION SONG – May 5, 2021 – “I’d always struggled with the desire to drink—every single day—but had been able to put long stretches of sobriety together. This time was different. I was on the brink of losing my family and—if something didn’t change—my life.” Clark never served a mission, but had his own encounters with missionaries and mission stories. A friend of Clark’s invited him to the rebaptism of the missionary responsible for his conversion. In flipped roles, the friend had reached out to the former missionary who had faithfully served but then spent subsequent decades separated…

NATURAL HIGH – May 6, 2021 – It’s the feeling of being so thankful for my sobriety. I wake up every day thanking god that I’ve got it. My life has just gotten so much better from quitting drinking. I’m never hungover, I’m able to focus on my music so much more. My relationships and friendships are excelling. When I see these amazing things happening right before my eyes, why would I want to go back?” The Bravo star and DJ continued, “Then it’s the whole matter of getting over the fact that you think that you’re missing out on…

WATCH – HUMAN INTEREST STORY – May 7, 2021 – An old store sitting off Old Town Street may not look like much, but one day it’ll be everything the town needs. “We are all together; if you can look around you see black and white, drug addicts, police officers, people in depression. All of us are coming together to make our community better,” says DeWitt Cooper, Galax Police Chief and God’s Storehouse board member. “If we can create this partnership that can go long-term, the benefits to the community are just immeasurable,” said Galax City Manager Keith Barker. With…

WHO CARES? – April 29, 2021 – The term “languishing” was coined by sociologist Corey Keyes, PhD. His research has suggested that the absence of a mental disorder does not necessarily equate to mental health and well-being. Instead of focusing on conditions like depression, Keyes favors an approach called “predictive health,” which monitors predictors and behaviors that are linked to positive mental health and well-being. Positive emotions, life satisfaction, a sense of meaning, interactions with society, and positive relationships are all concepts that are tied to our sense of mental well-being. Matthew Iasiello, MA, an Australia-based researcher and PhD candidate…

MUSICAL INTERLUDE – May 2021 – “Clumsy” is a song recorded by American singer and rapper Fergie for her debut studio album, The Dutchess (2006). The song was released as the album’s fifth single on September 25, 2007. more@YouTube

IF IT’S IN A PACKAGE, IT’S PROCESSED – May 7, 2021 – Scientists already knew prior to this study that the Western diet of heavily processed foods was linked to health issues. “Broad changes in societal dietary habits, especially consumption of processed foods that are frequently rich in fats and simple carbohydrates but lacking in fiber are widely believed to have contributed mightily to the increased incidence of chronic inflammatory diseases that has accompanied industrialization,” the authors write at the start of their paper. By contrast, non-processed foods are those which are closer to the form in which they would…

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – April 29, 2021 – Peter Werth was born in South La and raised in a poor area of El Monte. My dad was a WW2 POW and when he came to America he carried back a lot of turmoil with him. Soon after arriving in the states he joined the US army and became a sharp shooter in Korea where he proudly served his 4 year term. Honorably discharged with colors, the LAPD recruited him to be a highly ranked DEA cop. Mix that with alcohol and a wife who was also a closet alcoholic and…

TURNING HEARTACHE INTO HEALING – May 5, 2021 – I am an anesthesiologist who administers fentanyl every day to patients. I have also heartbreakingly lost both of my adult sons to accidental opioid overdoses. I came to understand what opioid addiction looks like from a parent’s perspective, but, in the beginning stages it was very hard to detect, even for me. Everything that I share here, I have seen up-close in my home. I’m sharing these details so other parents can understand. The first signs of drug use are subtle. First, you might find a few pills either in a…

WATCH – DID DO HARM – April 30, 2021 – They had a short break on Friday before returning to one of the longest running deliberations in the history of the Oklahoma County courthouse. “They’ve never told us they’re deadlocked,” said attorney Tommy Adler. “They’ve just told us they want to keep working.” Adler has been representing Nichols for four years. He was hired to fight the murder charges state Attorney General Mike Hunter brought against the physician for the deaths of five of her patients. Prosecutors accused the doctor of running a “pill mill” and claimed she showed a…