OPINIONS ARE SPLIFFED – March 11, 2021 – Mr Green’s case is (sadly) all too familiar for clinical practitioners in psychiatry. Substance use comorbidity in psychotic disorders has been described as the rule rather than the exception, and it is often deleterious to the clinical course of illness.1 Cannabis (marijuana) is one of the most commonly used substances by patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses. Modulation of the endocannabinoid system by the main psychoactive component in marijuana, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, can induce acute psychosis and cognitive impairment.2 Over the past 2 decades, there has been extensive research on the association between cannabis…
Author: Leonard Buschel
EASY AS RIDING A BIKE – March 4, 2021 – To cope with my father going missing, I started drinking nonstop. I couldn’t find any way to maintain happiness. I went on like that for two or three years, and I was let go from my job—I was a bike fitter at a bike shop—for drinking while working. Once when I was coming off a binge, and I hadn’t had a drink for maybe 18 hours, I started violently convulsing; I had a grand mal seizure. I knew at that point that I was physically addicted and needed medical help.…
HIGH ON ARRIVAL – March 11, 2021 – Phillips, whose parents were both in popular 1960s folk rock band the Mamas & the Papas, described her struggles with addiction after her tumultuous childhood during the annual Conference on Addiction at Utah Valley University on Thursday. While attending a screening for “American Graffiti,” the early George Lucas film that Phillips acted in when she was 12, Phillips said she learned shocking details of her youth — ones she’d forgotten. At the time of the screening years after the film’s initial release, Phillips was by then a mother in her 30s. A…
MARKETING? – March 8, 2021 – When Margaret and John Millington’s son Simon was in the grips of an opioid addiction, his parents wanted to send him to a rehabilitation program. The only one available was called Narconon. When he emerged at the end of three months he was better than they had ever seen, but he relapsed soon after and four years later died from an overdose, leaving his five-year-old daughter Maddie without a father. … Mrs Millington said “if there had been options, we wouldn’t have paid [for Simon] to go to Narconon”. “It was the only option…
ANY DECREASE IS A WIN – March 10, 2021 – At the beginning of the global pandemic, uncorking a bottle of wine seemed to be the thing to do. A grip on a champagne stem felt like a grip on life, virtual happy hours were all the rage and there were plenty of memes about drinking making the rounds. But a year into quarantine, Dry January has come and gone, yet evidence suggests sobriety is sticking around. And it’s not just those who struggle with alcoholism who have embraced a sober lifestyle. There’s a growing group of people that are…
PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX – March 8, 2021 – As an emergency medicine physician, I often ask patients about their upbringing. Some describe terrible situations where I admit to myself that if I had been raised similarly, I might be escaping with drugs, too. I ask where they get the $50-$200 a day needed to sustain their habit. Many get others hooked because new users become paying customers. Then there’s petty crime, prostitution, and the major violence that plague our streets. I remember a discussion with one patient who had been a big-time dealer, and I asked him what he was…
DR. DEATH – March 4, 2021 – Blatti pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in Nassau County Court and was ordered jailed pending a March 30 court appearance. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge. “This doctor’s prescription pad was as lethal as any murder weapon,” Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said. A message seeking comment was left Thursday with Blatti’s lawyer. Prosecutors said they believe this is the first time a New York doctor has been charged with murder in the second degree under the theory of depraved…
VIVA LA HIERBA! – March 10, 2021 – MEXICO CITY — Lawmakers in Mexico approved a bill Wednesday night to legalize recreational marijuana, a milestone for the country, which is in the throes of a drug war and could become the world’s largest cannabis market, leaving the United States between two pot-selling neighbors. The 316-to-129 vote in Mexico’s lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, came more than two years after the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that the country’s ban on recreational marijuana was unconstitutional and more than three years after the country legalized medicinal cannabis. The chamber approved the bill…
UNLAWFUL URSINE ACTIVITY – March 10, 2021 – If there’s anything people on the internet love more than cute animals, it’s tales of Reagan-era drug-induced depravity. So on Tuesday, when Variety reported that actor Elizabeth Banks’ upcoming project would focus heavily on a bear involved in a botched drug smuggling operation, people on social media reacted in much the same way a coke-addicted ursine would if someone broke out a credit card and a rolled-up $20 at a party: with extreme interest and excitement. The story of the cocaine bear starts with the tale of Andrew Carter Thornton, the well-off…
WATCH – ENJOY THE BUFFET – March 11, 2021 – “I called [my recovery case manager, Charles Cook] and was like, ‘Something’s not right. I’m living one side of my life completely legalizing and this other side following a program that’s telling me if I slip up, I’m going to die,” she told Glamour for the magazine’s March 2021 cover story. “I think I want to try this balance thing in the substance side of my life, too.” The unique approach worried her team, Lovato admitted, although they ultimately decided that “She deserves this opportunity to make that choice for…
“We are here together, making a chain of love to protect our families. Let us fight with love, faith, and courage so that our families will not be destroyed.” —Sophie Cruz, age 10
by Julie Lyons, LICSW PUTTING OURSELVES BACK TOGETHER – March 12, 2021 – Coming out about addiction to the public, friends and loved ones these days may not have the shame that it did in the past; it may even seem easy, but it is only one part of an internal battle for emotional freedom. There could be hidden twists and turns that carry a powerful stigma; mental illness. Attempts to get down to the causes and conditions necessary to recover can be excruciatingly painful at times and cause relapse over and over. Reprieve from addiction can become impossible even when deeply…
WATCH – THE GOOD STIMULANT – March 11, 2021 – Federal aid from the $1.9 Trillion dollar Covid Relief Bill recently passed, will make a difference for many treatment centers helping them balance the changes brought on by the pandemic. more@WOWT
AMERICAN SPRING – March 10, 2010 – Recognizing the increased need for SUD treatment services, the massive spending bill includes funding for numerous substance use disorder programs. While the focus in the bill centers on publicly funded treatment, a substantial amount of funding is still available for all SUD treatment providers… This legislation includes: 1. $1.75 billion for each of the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment and Community Mental Health programs administered by SAMHSA. 2. $80 million for mental and behavioral health training for healthcare professionals and public safety officers. 3. $20 million for a national evidence-based education and awareness…
WATCH – DRAWING A LINE, NOT DOING ONE – March 1, 2021 – “I’m used to seeing people like me multiple times per week, but with social distancing and restrictions on gathering size, I have not gotten to see people like me and it’s been really horrible and really lonely and a huge adjustment period.” Lexi started working with Hope Creates 4 years ago. “The other people that I’ve met here are the same, I would not know these sober artists, I wouldn’t be doing art anymore if it wasn’t for Hope Creates.” It had such a lasting impact on…
YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND? – March 2, 2021 – People who walk through the glittery door of showbiz almost always go down the slippery slope of drug addiction coupled with alcoholism. To cope up with the demands of a brutal public life, artists have fallen back on drugs time and again to make themselves feel “normal”. For a commoner who looks up to these larger-than-life figures and their glamorous lifestyles, the idea of popularity being overbearing might be a little hard to grasp. But in truth, the very act of maintaining this God-like stature can make one extremely wretched. Moreover,…
A PARTNERSHIP FOR GOOD – March 3, 2021 – “We are thrilled to welcome ARcare to our Patient Care Network as a collaborative member—our first from the tri-state area of Arkansas, Mississippi and Kentucky,” said Bob Poznanovich, Vice President of Business Development for Hazelden Betty Ford, the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of addiction treatment, co-occurring mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services. “Our shared mission—to provide quality, comprehensive, evidence-based care centered on the whole person—makes for a natural partnership, and our varied experiences and expertise will allow us to learn from each other as well,” Poznanovich…
ONE FROM THE HEART – Feb. 26, 2021 – Cannabis, or marijuana, is increasingly used both recreationally and therapeutically worldwide. 7,8 Particularly, the major chemical compounds excreting these effects are D-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). While the benefits of cannabis are numerous, few of them are cardiovascular-related, and cannabis’ true risk to the cardiovascular system is poorly understood. In terms of adverse cardiovascular consequences, THC appears to impart most of the negative impact, but larger and longer-term outcomes are lacking. 7,8 Mechanistically, THC stimulates the sympathetic nervous system while concurrently inhibiting the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to increased heart rate…
AT LEAST YOU HAVE TO KNOW SOMEONE – March 4, 2021 – It has spread throughout the United States, as well as worldwide. Each Al-Anon Family Group has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the 12 steps of AA ourselves by encouraging and understanding our alcoholic relatives, and by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics. We, too, are a 12-step program of our own recovery and our own return to sanity. “Progress begins when we stop trying to control the uncontrollable and when we go on to correct what we have…
AND OF BEING EARNEST – March 3, 2021 – As human beings, we are all defined by our personal experiences, both positive and negative. Our experiences make us who we are, and in many ways, they connect us to the people in our environment. We’re naturally drawn to people who share similar experiences, particularly difficult ones. That’s why support groups are so impactful when it comes to grieving, coping and recovering. People who have been diagnosed with cancer find solace and support in the presence of other cancer sufferers. The same is true for mothers who have lost children or…
UNCIVIL WAR – March 3, 2021 – Jenkins, who lives in upstate New York, says her mom, Sonya Hughey, had a hard life, first using crack cocaine when she was a teenager. The loneliness and isolation of the pandemic made Hughey’s substance use disorder worse. She was using methamphetamines and in November she was arrested. According to Jenkins, her mother tried to get help. “She asked, you know? Can I get the rehab? I have a drug problem. They said no. Rehab wasn’t an option for her.” In December, Hughey who was 48 years old used methamphetamines contaminated with the…
GIVE HIM AN A+ – March 5, 2021 – He started writing that book in March 2020 and finished it in October; “Battling Addiction, Bondage and Temptation” was published in January. Cobb said he struggled with nicotine addiction and anxiety problems. “Tobacco really took a toll on me, physically and spiritually,” Cobb said. “I felt shame all the time. I prayed God would help me get through it.” Although he lives in Dallas with his parents, Darrell and Pamela, Cobb spent summers, holidays and spring breaks in Tupelo with his grandfather, Henry Cobb. The elder Cobb taught automotive technology at…
ADDICTION RULES – March 2, 2021 – “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to stopping drug-dealing doctors like Rodos,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “As a physician, he was well aware of the inherently dangerous nature of the drugs he was selling. But because of his greed and sometimes to satisfy his own lecherous intentions, he took advantage of vulnerable people struggling with addiction, piling on to the enormous opioid epidemic ravaging the neighborhoods of Philadelphia.” “It’s hard to understand how a longtime physician, trained to help and to heal people, could be this depraved,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special…
ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE – March 2, 2021 – “Just for anonymity purposes,” Steve explained. “It’s our AA tradition.” Steve says the last year has been rough for recovering alcoholics, and not just because of the stress of living through a pandemic. Not being able to see supportive AA members in person has been particularly hard. “You lose some of that connection online and it’s so important, especially for people who are just finding their way in recovery,” Steve said. Face-to-face meetings are starting to open back up again as COVID-19 restrictions ease. According to Steve, more people…
GREEDY BASTARDS – March 5, 2021 – There are numerous sources out today that have reported substance abuse problems in the financial services sector have seen a huge decline since the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. According to these reports, from the likes of the Business Insider and other publications, the financial sector has seen itself travel through several phases where different types of drugs were considered popular. In the 70’s it was cocaine and marijuana (which is still considered popular now) and in the 80’s and 90’s it was the likes of GHB, ecstasy and Ritalin. While we may have…
NEVER TOO YOUNG – March 4, 2021 – A representative of Alcoholics Anonymous San Antonio, Pam, who wished to remain anonymous, said the program spreads by word-of-mouth, is voluntary and is not funded by anyone other than its members. Pam said the stigma of addiction is now fading with the discovery that it is a disease. Alcohol Abuse Disorder changes a person’s brain chemistry and some people are genetically predisposed to it. Alcohol addiction leads to increased tolerance, brain and body damage, and social issues. Like any disease, if ignored, the symptoms get worse. A.A. wants you to know that…
NOT THE SAME? – March 4, 2021 – For women, the greatest risk factors for opioid relapse were depression, more severe withdrawal and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For men, the strongest risk factors included use of multiple substances and a history of conduct disorder. That’s a behavior problem in which rules or basic rights of others are violated. For both women and men, younger age was also a relapse risk, the findings showed. The University of Southern California (USC) study was published online recently in the journal Addiction. The researchers said their findings may point the way to gender-targeted treatments.…
LOVE AND CHARITY – March 5, 2021 – They recommended another facility several hours away, but by the time they arrived, her daughter was in withdrawal. Again, the hospital didn’t know how to help. “I was like, “What is going on? How is it that two hospitals did not see this as an emergency?’ “ Ladd says. “I just held her, cried with her, all of the things. As a mom, I was angry.” Eventually her daughter entered a residential treatment program, and she’s been in recovery since. But the crisis was a turning point for Ladd, who vowed to…
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? – March 6, 2021 – As a certified intervention professional, certified life and recovery coach, Amanda is utmostly motivated to help others thrive. After starting her company in the start of 2020 and incorporating in March, they have grown tremendously and have been fortunate enough to help many families. In a year where many people have lost everything, Next Level Recovery Associates has built something beautiful and been able to help people get their life back in the time where people need it most. ‘I love being able to show others there is hope, a way…
ANOTHER DANGER OF GETTING TOO HIGH – March 4, 2021 – Local and federal health officials say now’s not the time to indulge in any of the abovementioned turtle-touching activities. Infectious disease experts are investigating a salmonella outbreak that’s linked to the normally harmless pets. So far, eight cases have been diagnosed in Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. “While most people don’t think that a tiny turtle purchased for a few bucks on the side of the road could put you in the hospital, it can and does happen,” Coleman Terrell, acting director…