ACTING NATURALLY – April 13, 2021 – Most people at least know someone who suffers from an addiction, but it’s often not talked about in our culture. In an effort to help break barriers associated with addiction, here are 19 celebs who have been super open about their experiences! more@BuzzFeed
Author: Leonard Buschel
NAKED SOUL – April 12, 2021 – Lena Dunham is ready for mental health to not be considered a secret anymore. The multitalented star revealed on The Drew Barrymore Show that she at first was resistant to seek treatment given the stigma surrounding addiction. “We are in a culture that sees illness as weakness,” Dunham explained. “We are in a culture that sees sick women as hysterical women and we are in a business that doesn’t look kindly at illness because people are working at such a pace with so much money involved that for people to be in any…
A LEGEND IN OUR MIDST – April 13, 2021 – When Oleg passed, he left me his autobiography to complete. As I interviewed top Soviet actors and directors, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Walter Hill, Roger Donaldson, as well as friends and colleagues across three continents, I decided his story was worth a film. … Oleg Vidov was born with an angel on his shoulder in a now-dead totalitarian country that did not tolerate the concept of individual freedom or rule of law. Travel outside the USSR was a privilege denied to all but a small number of the cultural elite but because…
by Christopher Dale WHAT WOULD BILL W. DO? – April 20, 2021 – Undoubtedly, Bill would be impressed with, and grateful for, the technology. But unlike an airborne Washington, for Bill the novelty would soon wear off. “No coffee-pouring or seat-saving? No hearty handshakes and welcoming hugs? No common ground-creating warnings against crosstalk and extraneous discussion? No Steps and Traditions posted on walls?” Soon, I’m confident Bill W. would notice something else omitted – something that so many of us have found lacking over the year-plus-long Zoom rooms experiment. Someone as perceptive as Bill would soon realize that the missing…
LOCK DEM UP? – April 16, 2021 – “I want to make my arguments to him, as many other advocates will,” Schumer said. “But at some point we’re going to move forward, period.” Schumer is likely worried, at least in part, about a primary challenge from the left in the future — something Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has openly discussed. But there’s a bigger issue here for Biden. Increasingly, the president is out of step with not just his party but the country and perhaps even most Republicans on marijuana legalization. Marijuana legalization is extremely popular. Gallup and the Pew…
LISTEN – SLIMS OUT – BLUNTS IN – April 8, 2021 – Michael Wilson at United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 says prohibiting worker misclassification and union busting actually fits in nicely with the purpose of the new industry. “This is an industry that was specifically designed to combat some of the problems and failures that were caused by the War on Drugs,” explains Wilson. “And specifically the impact on certain communities, especially Black communities and brown communities.” The issue of what kind of worker protections exist for the newly-created marijuana industry is likely to be one of the…
STUCK IN THE WEEDS – April 17, 2021 – It’s important to note that smoking marijuana doesn’t come without risks, particularly if you do it every day. Here is what could possibly happen, so you can be aware of the risks…”Make no mistake about it, smoking marijuana daily carries with it very real potential for addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that between 9% and 30% of those who use regularly will develop marijuana use disorder,” says Dr. Mary Gay. “I have observed significant negative effects on clients who habitually use marijuana including reduced academic performance, job loss,…
JUSTICE DEFERRED IS JUSTICE DENIED – April 16, 2021 – When George Floyd’s girlfriend Courteney Ross took the stand for the prosecution, she described the couple’s struggle with drugs as part of the nation’s deadly opioid epidemic. “It’s a classic story of how many people get addicted to opioids,” Ross testified. “We both suffered from chronic pain. We both had prescriptions.” During the opioid crisis, millions of Americans became addicted to prescription painkillers, then turned to street opioids including fentanyl. “We tried really hard to break that addiction many times,” Ross said. Her account broadly matches the way scientists, addiction…
WATCH – ADDICTION FOR PROFITS – March 25, 2021 – Purdue had allegedly paid doctors to write more opioid prescriptions, according to the three federal criminal charges the company pleaded guilty to in November. Purdue was to pay more than $8 billion and agreed to close down the company. The company didn’t have $8 billion in cash, so Purdue agreed to dissolve itself and use its assets to create a new “public benefit company” controlled by a trust or similar entity designed for the benefit of the American public. The plan was swiftly criticized by dozens of state attorneys general.…
THREE WEEKS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN – April 14, 2021 – “Nobody wants their child’s life defined in one moment of a bad decision,” Ms. Whyte said. “My daughter was more than one night, more than an overdose. She was defined by 23 years of greatness to my family.” While we planned David’s funeral, Christmas lights began to blink awake throughout the neighborhood, and new reporting in The Times that week cast light on the nature of the crisis that killed him. McKinsey & Company, the prestigious consulting firm that helped Purdue Pharma “turbocharge” opiate sales, had proposed awarding Purdue’s…
MAY HIS MEMORY BE A BLESSING – April 13, 2021 – so he found himself “possessed by the darker side,” bound to a cycle of drug dependence and insufficient rehab. Fame changed his life, but not in many of the ways that mattered … “Slippin’” is a stunning centerpiece in DMX’s catalog, a liberating sermon where he got to purge his long-standing demons. Thirty seconds into the video, he’s shown in the back of an ambulance on a stretcher as paramedics try to revive him. Nearly 23 years later, he laid in a hospital bed on life support for a…
WITH A SONG IN HIS HEART – April 15, 2021 – It comes after Deadline revealed that World of Dance host Jenna Dewan was set as one of the judges for the series. The series, which is exec produced by NCIS: Los Angeles stars LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell, will film in Australia in late May. Come Dance with Me will feature talented young dancers from across the country, who will invite one inspirational, and untrained, family member or other adult who has supported their dance dreams to become their dance partner for a chance to strut their stuff…
THE PROMISES COMING TRUE – April 16, 2021 – John Stamos credits his sobriety to his decision to get married and have children. The “Fuller House” actor, 57, joined Howard Stern on SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show” to promote his new Disney+ series “Big Shot” and opened up about meeting his now-wife Caitlin McHugh, and what part sobriety had in that. According to the star, Stamos met McHugh on the set of “Law & Order: SUV”, but she was in a serious relationship with another man at the time. “She was just a nice, really beautiful, normal girl, and I…
“A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.” ―Frank Zappa
GET ’EM WHEN THEY’RE YOUNG – April 6, 2021 – As kids begin to notice unhealthy behaviors in others, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, eating a lot of sugar, not eating vegetables, or drinking too much soda, talk about it. Take the opportunity to talk about why people may make unhealthy choices and how your child can make healthy decisions based on what their bodies need. One study found that children as young as 3 are able to recognize alcoholic beverages and differentiate them from other drinks, so they need to hear that kids should not drink alcohol because it…
WATCH – MIGHT AS WELL FACE IT… – April 6, 2021 – A lot of people are seeking out constant recognition and approval from people like bosses, family and friends. It is an issue called “validation addiction” that can cause low self-esteem and stifle one’s true character. FOX59 spoke with Mory Fontanez, the CEO of 822 Group and a purpose coach about the signs of this addiction and how to break it. For more information on Fontanez’s work, click here. more@Fox59
LISTEN – SO EASY TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE – April 4, 2021 – Kate has written a book called ‘The Accidental Soberista’ which details the unexpected bliss of an alcohol-free life. Speaking to Alive and Kicking Clare McKenna, she explained that she was a social drinker who, while not having a problem, found alcohol ingrained in her life. “I was a social drinker, a normal drinker in Irish society, I suppose, I would have had the normal teenage years, drank quite a lot through my 20s, never to a worrying degree, it was always acceptable,” she said. “Then in my…
WATCH – IT TAKES A TRIBE – April 5, 2021 – The video, Norris-Barrett explained, shows White describing the traditional nature-based approach he took to recovery at Red Lake Chemical Health. “You see Carl pick the cedar,” she said. “For us, the cedar is a medicine. The video is a beautiful way to show how he did it, how he found sobriety. It shows the lake and the land. Spiritually, Native people are connected to the land, and that’s where everything around us comes from. We connect to that in the video.” Funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse…
WATCH – HBO DOES IT AGAIN – April 7, 2021 – HBO Max has released a teaser for filmmaker Alex Gibney’s upcoming documentary about the opioid crisis, The Crime of the Century, which will air in two parts on May 10th and 11th. The film is rooted partly in a confidential Justice Department memo issued in 2006 that laid out a criminal case against Purdue Pharma, claiming the company knew how addictive OxyContin was but was misleading the public and Congress about its dangers. A case was never brought against Purdue, and the opioid epidemic only grew in the ensuing…
ONCE AN ADDICT…? RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE! April 11, 2021 – Attention to the fentanyl and methamphetamine found in Floyd’s system following his death goes beyond the courtroom: Duke University is investigating the posting of Floyd’s toxicology report on a Black History Month display with a handwritten note that read, in part, “Mix of drugs presents in difficulty breathing! Overdose? Good Man?” In Denver, someone spray painted “Fentanyl Floyd” over a mural depicting his image. Social media abounds with vitriolic comments about Floyd’s addiction and relapse. “You don’t ever hear a cancer patient being talked about negatively,” said Mohammad. “Substance abuse disorder…
WATCH – SOBER MUSCLE INC. – APRIL 5, 2021 – “I was a good kid. Good grades, I was focused, I was easy going, I was happy,” he recalled to News 3. But it wouldn’t last. Addiction returned to Ashburn’s life in his 20s when he began abusing alcohol. The years that followed included multiple DUIs, arrests and even some jail time. “I had gotten to the point where, you know, I had lost everything,” he said. It was a second stint in rehab in 2017 that would cause Ashburn to change course, when he says a doctor told him…
WATCH – FOOTBALL FANS ONLY – April 6, 2021 – Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby details his road to sobriety on ‘NFL Total Access’ more@NFL
WHAT’S LEFT TO BELIEVE? – April 7, 2021 – In a landmark experiment, scientists have found fresh evidence that a subatomic particle is disobeying one of science’s most watertight theories, the Standard Model of particle physics. The gap between the model’s predictions and the particle’s newly measured behavior hints that the universe may contain unseen particles and forces beyond our current grasp. In a seminar on Wednesday, researchers with Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, announced the first results of the Muon g-2 experiment, which since 2018 has measured a particle called the muon, a heavier sibling of the electron that was…
CRACKED ME UP – April 9, 2021 – ‘And that is hard to believe unless you read the book and then I’m surprised you have shoes on.’ Biden, who writes in graphic detail about his crack addiction, replied: ‘Yeah, I made it today. Pants were the problem.’ The flippant remark was all the more ironic because one of the photos found on the abandoned laptop shows Hunter standing in his underwear. One Twitter user commented: ‘Bravo. This is late night comedy alright. The fact Hunter Biden is on @JimmyKimmelLive joking and laughing about his laptop shows us how much of…
DEMI LOVATO’S MINI-BAR? – April 9, 2021 – “Alcohol and drug use problems can have devastating impacts on individuals, their families and our communities,” says Khan. Efforts in Utah to address the state’s opioid epidemic have been successful, but Khan says continued vigilance on that front is needed. Khan says these are the key signs that someone you know may be struggling with addiction … “Long-term, recovery from addiction is quite attainable. It involves a multi-dimensional approach that includes developing skills to cope with life on life’s terms, as well as developing a social and emotional network of support,” says…
NO ONE LIKES PAIN – April 9, 2021 – Doctors have been prescribing opiate painkillers since the Bronze Age, and by the time the Civil War broke out in 1861, opiates were the most commonly prescribed medicines in America. During and after America’s bloodiest war, in which 750,000 people were killed with millions of survivors left in chronic pain, Army doctors saw opiate medicines as the most “indispensable drug[s] on the battlefield—important to the surgeon, as gunpowder to the ordinance.” Syringe-wielding surgeons gave morphine injections—cutting-edge technology back then—to dull the unbearable pain stemming from gruesome gunshot wounds and last-ditch, hacksaw…
BUSINESS NEWS – April 9, 2021 – IBC would pay the nonprofit, which for about 20 years had not accepted insurance, a single upfront fee for its members and then get out of the way, avoiding the usual policing of such care. But then IBC wouldn’t have to pay if the patient was readmitted during the three months after discharge. The risk that Caron took paid off. Data released Thursday at the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit by Caron and IBC showed that a relatively small 5.6% of the 71 IBC members treated at Caron in 2019 were readmitted…
THE HELL IT’S NOT! – April 8, 2021 – When the fall semester ended, I was finally forced to view myself as a whole. I realized that I had failed to take care of my body and that my self-esteem was significantly worse than at the start of the semester. For those with body dysmorphic disorder and other body image issues, it is easy to ignore household mirrors. But, once you are stuck in a Zoom meeting for hours on end, it’s nearly impossible to avoid your image. The effects of staring at your own reflection can wreak havoc on…
LISTEN – MILKING THE SYSTEM – April 9, 2021 – Missy Owen started the Davis Direction Foundation to support recovery after her son, Davis, died of a heroin overdose in 2014. She said the problem is that anyone can open a sober living house. There is no permit or certification required … Desperate parents paid for the chance to help their loved ones heal from active addiction, but finding an affordable sober living facility does not guarantee access to therapy or even regular drug screening. Often, a person with as little as two months sobriety becomes the house manager. In…
WATCH – STAYING ALIVE – March 23, 2021 – Charlie shares what it was like growing up the son of a famous actor, Martin Sheen as well as the sibling of Emilio Estévez. When did his loved ones first intervene to help Charlie understand that he had a problem? Stories of partying or working with Rob Lowe, George Clooney, John Cryer, Nicolas Cage, Micheal Dougless, Laura Dern and others. We talk about the steps towards sobriety, his relationship with his father now as well as stories from the set of some of his films and Two and A Half Men.…