Vigilance always – Dec. 6, 2020 – From the beginning of lockdown in March, Pam had been fighting a losing battle. As AA meetings began shutting their doors she was forced inside to face her demons alone. “I had a phone call from someone in the fellowship saying, the meetings are not on tonight. So that kind of threw me,” said Pam. “I do a lot of voluntary work and I was told that wasn’t going on. Schools shut, my child was at home, and within a week my whole structure went out the window. I couldn’t cope with…
Author: Leonard Buschel
Brutal – Dec. 5, 2020 – He missed so many things that were important to us. Before he knew it, we grew up. All three of us. My brothers moved out, moved away, moved on. One joined the Navy, and the other ran to Vermont for university. After a few years of constant drinking, spending, arguing and chaos, my mom couldn’t take it anymore, and eventually their marriage crumbled. She left him to preserve her heart, and I couldn’t blame her. Wives can leave, but what about daughters? He’s the only father I have. So, I stayed. By his side.…
WATCH – Fascinating rhythm – Nov. 17, 2020 – Sobriety, creativity, serenity and laughter in the Coronaverse. A conversation with Paul Williams, Ester Nicholson, Ricky Byrd, John Taylor, Johnny Solomon with fabulous host Stevie Mack. more@YouTube
Stick with the Winners! – December 4, 2020 – The Global Sober Series grew out of the Anonymous author’s first book 101 Shares that featured 101 meeting starter topics. Wanting to reach a wider audience with his book and message he had it translated into Spanish and Russian.Already an avid and extensive traveler, the author expanded the scope of his travels to share and distribute his book to fellow AA members and AA associations around the world. It was during that time that the author gradually came to realize how the book gave himself and the trips around the globe…
Check(mate)-ing out – November 3, 2020 – Even when she wakes up severely hungover in Paris, she whips her head forward and instantly collects herself, looking like a veritable siren doll with sinuously reflective red curls magically restored to bouncing perfection — just minutes after emerging from a bathtub with pitch-black mascara bleeding down her cheeks. Every man that has been in her life saves her more than once; the show is a fairy tale without Brothers Grimm body horror or any horror to speak of aside from its tragic opening scene. But let’s rewind a bit more, to the…
While my bass gently weeps – December 8, 2020 – Its forty years since John Lennon was shot dead. I will never forget the feeling of hearing that news. I was stuck in London traffic, the December rain pouring. It was cold and I was lonely. I have had experiences that would never have occurred to me to desire were it not for John. Sometimes it bothers me, why some of us survive, and others, who often seem the better person, don’t. more@AddictionRecoveryeBulletin
The whole world is toking – Dec. 2, 2020 – The drugs that are on Schedule IV are a subset of those on Schedule I of the convention, which already requires the highest levels of international control. The agency voted to leave cannabis and cannabis resin on the list of Schedule I drugs, which also include cocaine, Fentanyl, morphine, Methadone, opium and oxycodone, the opiate painkiller sold as OxyContin, Wednesday’s vote therefore does not clear U.N. member nations to legalize marijuana under the international drug control system. Canada and Uruguay have legalized the sale and use of cannabis for recreational…
Don’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Dec. 6, 2020 – Then, just before entering a shed on his girlfriend’s posh waterfront property in the wee hours, the on-edge Hsieh asked pals to check on him every 5 minutes, sources told the outlet. Details of the ensuing fatal shed fire remain murky, although authorities have said the Harvard-educated business genius died from smoke inhalation and that the blaze was accidental. But Hsieh’s obsessions and fascination with experimenting with his body — for example, trying to see how much food and oxygen he could live without — may provide some clues as to what happened.…
The good, the bad and the ugly – Dec. 4, 2020 – On Thursday, Dec. 3, three Congress members introduced a bill aimed at improving the quality of care offered to recovering addicts living in sober living homes. Dubbed “The Excellence in Recovery Housing Act,” the proposed law would require the National Academy of Sciences to study high-quality recovery housing and make recommendations for increasing its availability. It also would determine how to improve data collection about recovery, ensure that medication-assisted treatment would be available for people seeking to stay sober and explore the legal tangles that still exist on…
Gone way too soon … 40 years ago today – Dec. 2, 2020 – “He was probably, in those years, the most notable stay-at-home dad in America,” said Larry Kane, author of “Lennon Revealed,” a 2005 biography, and “Ticket to Ride,” a chronicle of the Beatles’ early American tours. It was a pointed turn for a celebrity who was once one of the international avatars of the “sex, drugs and rock-’n’-roll” cliché. Lennon said he bottomed out while he was separated from Ono in the early 1970s, during an 18-month “long weekend” of substance abuse, according to Kane. But…
Sober mother, sober daughter – December 3, 2020 – Willis also said she finds herself “becoming [her] mother in the most complimentary way” and feels that Moore is someone she can “really draw from.” “She’s even, I think, at this point in her life now still exploring and coming into herself creatively which is so inspiring for me because I think you can get really hung up on ‘I didn’t figure it out soon enough’,” she shared, noting that she herself struggled to “figure out” her “life path.” Moore even had an influence on her daughter’s style. “… So…
Weighing the Alternatives – December 3, 2020 – That’s when she started the binge-purge cycle; uncontrollably eating large quantities of food before forcing herself to vomit. “I’d go to the corner shop and buy a ridiculous amount of food – triple sandwiches, big bags of crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks – binge-eat them in a specific order, then purge until there was nothing left. It completely took over my life.” When Jeni saw her doctor, she was told that her potassium levels were so low – due to electrolyte imbalances caused by vomiting – that she was at risk of…
Thumbs Down – Nov. 30, 2020 – The September debut of “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix sounded this alarm for millions of viewers. The documentary centers on Tristan Harris, the former Google engineer who has been leading the assault on social media as cofounder of the Center for Humane Technology, Harris started talking about smartphones as “slot machines” years ago: “Every time I check my phone, I”m playing the slot machine to see, ‘What did I get?’ This is one way to highjack people’s minds, to form a habit.” At a Nov. 17 hearing to grill Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg…
Now more than ever… – Dec. 2020 – In the general Buddhist style of befriending complexity through simplicity and with his particular gift for simple words strung into a rosary of immense wisdom radiating immense kindness, Thich Nhat Hanh writes: ”We have a great, habitual fear inside ourselves. We’re afraid of many things — of our own death, of losing our loved ones, of change, of being alone. The practice of mindfulness helps us to touch nonfear. It’s only here and now that we can experience total relief, total happiness… In the practice of Buddhism, we see that all…
WATCH – Imagine – 12/8/2020 – October 9, 1940, Liverpool – December 8, 1980, New York City more@YouTube
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.” —Robert Louis Stevenson
Hindsight IS Indeed 2020 – by Dr. Don Grant, MA, MFA, DAC, SUDCC IV, PhD November 27, 2020 – In the early 2000’s, I began to notice sobriety support “chat rooms” online, and online recovery opportunities increasing. My observations of this phenomenon caused me to direct my doctoral work towards a non-prejudicial investigation of their use and efficacy value, ultimately resulting in choice of my dissertation topic and subsequently published research study exploring any potential differences between face-to-face (F2F) and online sobriety support. It still stands as the only legitimate investigation comparing these two types of recovery communities and is…
WATCH – Valium, Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, oh my – Dec. 2, 2020 – The FDA has not produced a report on the hundreds of thousands of complaints that have been made to them about BZDs, but just 104 “focused case series,” in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Critically, the FDA now acknowledges a serious problem for those prescribed BZDs: “Physical dependence can occur when benzodiazepines are taken steadily for several days to weeks, even as prescribed. Stopping them abruptly or reducing the dosage too quickly can result in withdrawal reactions, including seizures, which can be life-threatening.” The statement…
An Alphabet Soup of Recovery – November 28, 2020 – Though online rehab rose as an emergency stopgap measure, people in the field say it is likely to become a permanent part of the way substance abuse is treated. Being able to find a meeting to log into 24/7 has welcome advantages for people who lack transportation, are ill, juggling parenting or work challenges that make an in-person meeting tough on a given day and may help keep them more seamlessly connected to a support network. Online meetings can also be a good steppingstone for people just starting rehab. …
WATCH – Struggles and successes – Nov./Dec. 2020 – ‘Turning Points’ continues: stories produced, directed and told by indigenous people from Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories, part of an empowerment journalism project in partnership with the Global Reporting Center. Tonight, we hear from Louise Beaulieu, who speaks about being placed in a religious residential school, losing her language and culture, and her struggle with alcoholism. more@PBS
Still working to heal… – Nov. 24, 2020 – “Collaboration is powering 21st century health care, and that’s what our Patient Care Network and this annual summit are all about – working together and learning from one another so that, collectively, we can improve outcomes for our patients and families,” said Bob Poznanovich, vice president of business development for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of addiction treatment, co-occurring mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services. Hazelden Betty Ford established the Patient Care Network (PCN) in 2017 to bring together like-minded…
As much as you can in a chair – Nov. 26, 2020 – Children should get at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity and on at least three days a week get vigorous aerobic activities, including those that strengthen muscles and bones.Healthy adults ages 18 to 64 should get at least 150–300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75–150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. At least two days per week of muscle strengthening activity can confer additional health benefits.Healthy adults ages 65 and over had the same recommendations as those ages 18 to 64. Additional physical activity on at least three days a week that emphasizes balance…
Talk is cheap? – Nov. 28, 2020 – In some cases, stars speak out to help provide support to other addicts and show a pathway to sobriety. While others share their stories for a sense of freedom and to be open with their fans. “For good or for bad, we are very interested in the lives of celebrities and value their opinions about the world often more than we do those with expert knowledge,” said Garbutt, an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine. more@FoxNews
The American way of death – Now, 2020 – Overdose deaths have spiked in San Diego County this year, as an already worsening drug epidemic collides with the coronavirus pandemic. Over the summer, that amounted to an average of three deaths a day. Part of the increase is attributed to the illicit drug supply getting deadlier as traffickers increasingly rely on fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. It is either laced into traditional street drugs or sold as counterfeit prescription pills similar to the ones that ended Alexander’s life. But experts say the bleakness of 2020 has played no small part.…
Never stop trying … it pays off with life – Nov. 29, 2020 – Henry continued to use and would go on to fail more than 50 drug tests administered through Indiana Department of Child Services, who still allowed him to participate in supervised visits with his kids. Henry was placed in treatment and was 40 days clean when he was able to have a second visit with his kids. It was during that visit that his then 7-year-old son said something that brought him “out of the fog” of substance abuse. “He said, ‘Dad, I’m done being bad. Can…
WATCH – Grateful for a new slice of turkey and sober life – Nov. 28, 2020 – “I never really was thankful for life,” Pennebaker said. He served prison time, and he came to Longview in 2017. At one point, he was hospitalized for attempted suicide, and he was sent to a mental hospital. Six months ago, he arrived at the mission and that changed everything. “Literally saved my life,” Pennebaker said. “The relationships the people you meet. The guys you’ve been in here with the staff helped me in so many ways.” He’s recovering in the mission’s discipleship…
Freezing My Depression Off – November 27, 2020 – Immerse Your Head In Water “Feeling anxious? Bend over, hold your breath, and immerse put your face in a bowl of cold water for up to 60 seconds. This is usually sufficient to induce the ‘dive reflex.’ The colder the water and the longer the immersion, the better it works. The dive reflex is when our hearts tend to slow down below resting heart rate when submersed in cold water without oxygen. This is due to increased activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which decreases arousal.” — Sabrina, 30s Call A Therapist Hotline “There’s…
A time of reason… – Nov. 27, 2020 – Pickard then writes about neuroscientist Marc Lewis’ learning model, which considers both the disease and choice model problematic. While the choice model demonizes the addict, the disease model disempowers them and minimizes their agency. Lewis maintains that the brain changes seen in addicts are a result of neuroplasticity, rather than the underlying cause of addiction and that the empowerment and agency of the patient are essential to recovery. Pickard mostly agrees with Lewis but insists that the choice model cannot be easily rejected. First, there is a growing evidence base…
MEDIA: DOPESICK by Beth Macy hits the small screen – November 27, 2020 – Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Keaton will executive produce and star alongside Peter Sarsgaard, Rosario Dawson and Kaitlyn Dever. “We are honored to host the impressive team behind this compelling and consequential project, and to play a role in putting a universal spotlight on the opioid epidemic that continues to devastate American families and communities from all walks of life,” Northam said in a news release. Production will be required to adhere to comprehensive industry health and safety protocols developed over the past six months during the…
We all have a comeback inside us – Nov. 27, 2020 – “When I drank, it was always to numb,” he said. “It was to not be anxious. It was to be liked. It was for me to like myself because I didn’t know who I was, and my self-esteem was all [messed] up. I was this guy who was this superstar, but I didn’t feel like that. When I would be around people, I would have to get myself into that type of zone to feel like that. “And if I was going through something, I didn’t know that…