Mormons gone wild – Dec. 9, 2020 – Jen goes outside with Heather to remind us that it cannot be later than 1 p.m. and to give Lisa a chance to stir the pot a bit further. They come back in so Mary can call Heather a hypocrite with “very many faces” and Jen a “ghetto hoodlum.” Jen then brings up a previous incident in which Mary told her that if there were Black people outside of a 7-Eleven, she would go to a different 7-Eleven. Absolute yikes. This feud keeps getting deeper and more insidious and seems destined…
Author: Leonard Buschel
Prisoners of War – Dec. 9, 2020 – “They understand our concerns and recognize there is a substantial backlog,” he said. “What’s not clear yet is how quickly the backlog can be reduced.” Despite concern about delays, Fama also acknowledged that California’s prisons are ahead of the curve in terms of addiction treatment. In fact, some addiction policy experts say that the state’s prisons are still doing far more than those elsewhere in the country, many of which don’t provide any kind of medication for substance-abuse disorders. California’s sweeping treatment program was launched in response to years of rising opioid-related…
WATCH – Open books are easier to read – Dec. 9, 2020 – ET Canada’s Carlos Bustamante caught up with the superstar, who shared how all three of their life stories blended into the perfect podcast. “The producers at iHeart realized, well, the three of you guys have very similar pasts, you’re all sober, you’ve all been through hell and back, this could be a really interesting mashup and it truly has blossomed into a really amazing show,” he revealed. Continued McLean: “I have an AA meeting that I do every single day. I’ve been doing it since March…
A merrier Christmas for sure – Dec. 9, 2020 – Just this week, The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHRMC) released new guidelines around alcohol consumption. Under the recommendations, they suggested adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks in a week and no more than four in one day. Retrofitting these guidelines onto my previous drinking habits makes it pretty clear that my behaviour was unhealthy. I don’t think I ever had just 4 drinks in one day and definitely wasn’t sticking to the 10 a week suggestion either. When everyone around you is doing the same…
Do not offer to buy her one drink… – Nov. 26, 2020 – How she deals with it is a whole different story – if she hadn’t had that much of a booze-filled night with Alex, she maybe could have pieced the night together. In fact, in the trailer, we hear her clearly say, “I’m a crazy drunk flight attendant, not a killer,” and while we can’t tell if the latter is true, the former sure is. Dealing with her drinking habit seems to not be her priority though considering she’s still trying to figure out who killed Alex…
One solo at a time – Dec. 11, 2020 – The Bronx native’s drive to help fellow addicts led to his diving into a four-day-a-week, five-month training program to become a substance abuse counselor in training and certified recovery coach. Byrd also recorded two albums composed of songs that “…deal with addiction, recovery, hope and change for the better,” he said. The first outing came via 2017’s Clean Getaway followed up by the recently released Sobering Times. A true family affair, this project, like its predecessor, features photographic contributions by college student daughter Frankie. Byrd also made both albums…
Death Marches On – December 6, 2020 – In a study published in JAMA Psychiatry this week, researchers monitoring an emergency medical systems database in 47 states found that medics were responding to more than double the number of overdose-related cardiac arrests in May, at the height of the pandemic lockdowns, than they had in 2018 and 2019. “There have been controversies around the lockdowns — people arguing the treatment is worse than the disease, that it’s going to cause mental health and substance use issues, and that we shouldn’t have lockdowns,” said Leo Beletsky, a Northeastern University professor…
WATCH – It works if you work it? – Dec. 8, 2020 – But many of the workers in these rehab programs are not receiving pay. By not paying recovering drug and alcohol abusers, these programs do not provide the most effective approach to healing patients. Moreover, such arrangements are wrong — and illegal. Most rehab programs that require work act essentially as temp agencies, farming the rehab residents out to commercial enterprises. The work is often for third parties, such as tree trimming services, dairies, poultry processing plants or oil refineries. The wages are remitted not to the workers…
WATCH – Celebrities … they’re just like us – December 11, 2020 – Lizzo came forth reflecting on her journey of struggling with body image issues. In a Tuesday TikTok video, the American singer revealed she has struggled with anxiety because of self-image in the past and still has phases that make her doubt her confidence. “Like, you know, ‘What’s wrong with me? Maybe everything, [and] all the mean things people say about me are true.’ And, you know, ‘Why am I so disgusting?’ And [I was] hating my body.””I think these are normal [thoughts and feelings] and they…
This is your brain on resentment – December 12, 2020 – To be clear, the retaliation doesn’t need to be physically violent—an unkind word, or tweet, can also be very gratifying. Scientists have found that in substance addiction, environmental cues such as being in a place where drugs are taken or meeting another person who takes drugs cause sharp surges of dopamine in crucial reward and habit regions of the brain, specifically, the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum. This triggers cravings in anticipation of experiencing pleasure and relief through intoxication. Although these are new findings and the research in this…
Too little too late – December 9, 2020 – In one internal email sent in July 2018, a McKinsey executive appears to acknowledge the growing legal risk faced by Purdue Pharma over its opioid business. “It probably makes sense to have a quick conversation with the risk committee to see if we should be doing anything other that [sic] eliminating all our documents and emails,” McKinsey senior partner Martin Elling wrote in an email sent to another executive at the company. “As things get tougher here someone might turn to us.” The documents, released as part of a tsunami…
A dream deferred is a dream denied – December 11, 2020 – The shutdown of society worsened my disordered thoughts around food and body image and the aggressive advertising I’ve received for “home workouts” and “tips on staying thin in lockdown” have not helped. I’m not happy where I’m living and I’m desperately trying to find another place to live that won’t compromise me financially. I’m 21 now and in my fourth year of studying Law and Global Studies. I want to make material changes in women’s lives while also advocating for a radical restructuring of our world and society’s…
Medically Assisted Telephone – December 10, 2020 – New Yorkers who are using drugs alone, and who would like someone to stay on the phone with them and call emergency services if they become unresponsive, can now call the state’s new Never Use Alone hotline at 1-800-997-2280. The line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The New York hotline is a collaboration between Truth Pharm, a Binghamton-based harm reduction nonprofit, and the national Never Use Alone hotline. The operators are all volunteers, although anyone who’s also a Certified Recovery Peer Advocates can have their hours volunteered for…
Not another statistic – December 11th, 2020 – After getting clean, she started working there and helped other women in recovery keep tabs on their medications and appointments. She had found her purpose helping other women who were getting the same help she had sought. She called them “my girls.” At home, she was building a better life for her two young children. But when a challenging time left her hurting, she tried to self-medicate again, her mother said. She bought a pill and took it sitting in her car in a parking lot on Calhoun Road. “She didn’t…
WATCH – Talking the talk… – Dec. 11, 2020 – “Dancing with the Stars comes lots of attention, all of a sudden, and something that I was never comfortable with and still am not 100% comfortable with. But I used alcohol to basically numb.” Cheryl said. In their new podcast “Pretty Messed Up” on iHeart Radio, they discuss why they turned to alcohol or drugs and how they were able to overcome the addiction. “When I came back home reeking of alcohol, my youngest daughter said that I didn’t smell like her daddy. And that was the downfall for me.…
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” —Upton Sinclair
Psychedelics For Addicts? – Dec. 9, 2020 – A chemically tweaked version of the psychedelic drug ibogaine appears to relieve depression and addiction symptoms without producing hallucinations or other dangerous side effects. The results of a study in rodents suggest it may be possible to make psychedelic drugs safe enough to become mainstream treatments for psychiatric disorders, the authors report Wednesday in the journal Nature. “What we need is a medicine that is so safe that you can take it home and put it in your medicine cabinet just like you would aspirin,” says David Olson, the paper’s senior author…
Issues always come up… – Dec. 1, 2020 – “I had my first therapy session… That’s the first time I ever went, ‘Hey, I need to separate these two people’, which is Machine Gun Kelly and (my real name) Colson Baker. The dichotomy is too intense for me.” He also spoke of his hopes that undergoing therapy will have a positive impact on his own family. “The tools that I’ve been given to start with seem helpful, I think,” he said. I’m still kind of ripping my hair out: ‘Why am I not changing overnight? How am I supposed…
Staying on Track – Nov. 23, 2020 – Desormeaux’s highly successful career has been comparatively erratic in recent years, and the rider has made no secret of his struggles with alcohol. Most recently, he was suspended following an incident at Del Mar when, according to a California Horse Racing Board complaint, he got into a physical altercation with a TVG cameraman while intoxicated and shouted repeated racial slurs at the man. The Form reports he has completed his suspension for that incident but the CHRB’s ruling also required him to be evaluated by the Winners Foundation, a California-based organization that…
Jumping Jacks for Joy – November 30, 2020 – Just weeks after working out for 24-hours solid and raising over £2.5 million for Children in Need, Joe Wicks, AKA The Body Coach, shares his thoughts on movement for mental health benefits, parenthood and how meditation helps to quiet his always busy brain, on Happiful’s podcast. On top of his mammoth televised workout and keeping the nation moving throughout 2020, Joe has written and now released a new book 30 Day Kick Start Plan. The emphasis, he shares, is slightly different from his earlier work, as he wants to drive home…
WATCH – From the Heart – Dec. 1, 2020 – The year 2020 has exacted a psychological toll on Americans. Levels of anxiety and depression have skyrocketed alongside increases in drug overdoses and alcohol consumption. Meanwhile, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contained an alarming statistic: When young adults were asked if they had seriously considered suicide in the past 30 days, about 25 percent said they had. “The collective way a lot of people in the United States might be feeling right now is probably indicative of mental fatigue,” said Stephen O’Connor, a…
Leaving the helm to others… – Dec. 1, 2020 – You must pay to read entire article. When Mark Mishek took the helm in late 2008 of what was then the Hazelden Foundation, it was a turbulent time. As the new CEO of an organization he felt a long, personal connection to and had big plans for, his priority became weathering a recession. Some of his first decisions involved layoffs. more@BizJournals
Prison Dealer – Nov. 30, 2020 – Samuel Keeton, 41, of Menifee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and to conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott said. Keeton assisted the prison gang between March 2016 and at least October 2016 by picking up and distributing methamphetamine and heroin on behalf of the Aryan Brotherhood and delivering drug proceeds to their associates outside of prison. According to the plea agreement, he also smuggled phones, drugs and other contraband into California State Prison Sacramento with the help of Southern California lawyer Kevin MacNamara.…
WATCH – When the going gets tough… – Dec. 4, 2020 – Addiction specialists are encouraging employers to understand that working from home might not be the best environment for some people, especially those who struggle with addiction. “I meet people who say, ‘I relapsed because I’m home and I’m alone and I’m not busy with my job or the socialization of the job environment,’” said Andrea Lubeck of Inova Comprehensive Addiction Treatment Services. Addiction treatment and recovery are also more challenging now because many group and in-person therapy sessions can only be held virtually. “People are having a very,…
Is America a penal colony? – DEC. 4, 2020 – The holidays are always difficult for those who must navigate the mighty and destructive waves of addiction. It’s a painful time for families who are separated because of a loved one’s incarceration, whose young person is lost on the streets because of drug problems, whose children are in danger because of the violence of the drug cartels or those who have lost a loved one to an overdose. Often a family member is missing from the festivities because of stigma and shame. This Thanksgiving, my husband and I were…
Neither regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it – December 3, 2020 – I thought I could not tell a single beloved colleague about this significant part of my life I have to struggle with daily; I felt so alone. I had not accepted that I was sick. I continued with my sobriety journey, feeling isolated, knowing my family was far away. I hated that when I needed my mother’s hug or my sister’s hand on my shoulder, all I could get was a phone call. I was able to lean on my then-boyfriend, as…
Let’s hope we outlive the Drug War – December 3, 2020 – Access to methadone and buprenorphine—the most effective forms of treatment for people who struggle with opioid use—has been severely limited as a result. And on top of all that, people are using alone, increasing their risk of fatal overdose, because there is no one present to reverse an overdose with naloxone or seek additional medical services if necessary. Yet at the national level, people who use drugs have been repeatedly left out of the COVID-19 aid thus far, with the packages that could provide them relief (such as…
WATCH – The madness is horrific – Dec. 4, 2020 – Sheriff Dennis Lemma talks to Good Day Orlando about the rise in overdose deaths during the pandemic. more@Fox35Orlando
WATCH – MEDIA: FILM REVIEW – Dec. 4, 2020 – But today is different. As I’m writing these words, the warming sensation of the two shots of whiskey I pounded not 10 minutes ago is working its way through my body while a third shot sits comfortably by my side. Call it an act of creative boredom. Call it an excuse to day drink in the middle of a weekday. Call it what you will. But, for me, it makes sense. I do this today in homage to the movie I’m reviewing, Another Round from director Thomas Vinterberg. The Swedish/Dutch…
I get clean with a little help from my friends – December 5, 2020 – Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham is praising Led Zeppelin counterpart Jimmy Page for helping him beat heroin in 1983. The drug had already taken a toll on Thin Lizzy, who soon broke up, and would cause frontman Phil Lynott’s death three years later. “We were pretty much joined at the hip for 10 years,” Gorham said of Lynott in an interview with Classic Rock. “We did everything together – just messing around on stage, always joking together. He’d always turn around and give me that…