WATCH – Glenn Close up-close – Oct. 16, 2020 – Ron Howard: The whole time, even in the roughest parts of the movie, you’re still just rooting for the mom. That’s all I wanted in the movie, and I think I definitely got that. It’s good to hear that you got that, David. Most people who watch it, hopefully, will get the same thing … that this is a fundamentally good person trying to find a way in a pretty complicated world. This is not a black hat/white hat kind of narrative. It’s about life, and life is pretty messy. …
Author: Leonard Buschel
Recovery Film Festivals can help! – Oct. 16, 2020 – Educate ourselves – There are many ways to break the stigma of addiction. One of those is to educate ourselves on the topic of addiction. There are countless resources online regarding the topic. SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) has a collection of resources that can help our communities stay informed.Listen to others – Another way to be educated on the complexities of addiction is to just listen to those suffering. Being able to sit down and have a conversation to better understand the pain and struggle…
Inject This – Oct. 15, 2020 – More than 100 people in Glasgow are now being prescribed the drug, which is injected once a month, meaning those using it no longer need to visit chemists to pick up methadone prescriptions every day. It is hoped this will allow patients to focus on improving their lives and overall health rather than managing their dependence. Scotland, and especially cities such as Glasgow and Dundee, has the worst rate of drug misuse deaths in western Europe. It is not known how many people died from overdoses in Scotland last year as the figures…
Whoops! – Oct. 17, 2020 – During peer review, the reviewers identified the important question of whether the myocardial infarctions occurred before or after the respondents initiated e‐cigarette use, and requested that the authors use additional data in the PATH codebook (age of first MI and age of first e‐cigarettes use) to address this concern. While the authors did provide some additional analysis, the reviewers and editors did not confirm that the authors had both understood and complied with the request prior to acceptance of the article for publication. But it was published anyway and an industry received a body…
WATCH – Funny on the page – Oct. 12, 2020 – While Carucci has led an interesting life and has a robust family, it was alcohol that quietly took control over her life and what she felt she most needed to explore. “For so many years, alcohol was my best friend, it was my confidant, it was my go to,” she said. Alcoholism Swept Under the Rug “When I was growing up, everyone had that uncle or two that was an alcoholic,” said Ralph, whose great uncle Joe matched that description. “You never knew which Uncle Joe you were going…
Everyone is a guest, no tickets needed! – Oct. 19, 2020 – Guests worldwide can access the gala by logging on to the link. Friendly House events are known for their auctions that include an impressive array of unique items, all directly benefiting the charity. This year, virtual guests may also partake in the much-anticipated auction process. Auction items like a painting by David Lynch, an item from William Shatner, another item from Lena Dunham, a 20-minute Zoom Coffee Chat with Margaret Cho, and a photograph of Flea, Iggy Pop, Chad Smith and Steve “Jonesie” Jones will be made available…
“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” —Colin Kaepernick
A Star is Re-Born – Oct. 15, 2020 – Sobriety, not property and prestige, has given me the most meaningful gifts. I am part of a fellowship of people who understand what I’ve been through, who loves me as I am and who want to see me succeed. I’ve made intimate friendships unsullied by competition or jealousy. I learned how to love others and most importantly how to love myself. The strained and shattered relationships with my three children are mended and have been transformed through understanding, forgiveness and love. I got divorced in sobriety and grieved that 25-year marriage…
The sober days of our lives – Oct. 4, 2020 – Days of Our Lives fans also commented on how impressed they were with her succeeding during the quarantine. It was stressful for a lot of people. All over social media, we have seen soap stars post about how they coped with alcohol, so Godfrey staying sober during these uncertain times is commendable. As for Godfrey’s character on the NBC soap, Sarah is currently trying to deal with Xander Cook Kiriakis’ (Paul Telfer) shenanigans. He is scheming with Jan Spears (Heather Lindell), who had Philip Kiriakis (Jay Kenneth Johnson) arrested.…
Because they can? – Oct 2, 2020 – Amazon’s human resources team is tracking opioid usage among the American public as part of a project which involves monitoring internal and external threats to Amazon’s employees and business, according to an internal document obtained by Motherboard. The document details an Amazon data visualization project, known as “SPOC,” (geoSPatial Operating Console), run by Amazon’s corporate human resource team, which monitors many data points, such as weather, crime rate, and the local political environment, and inputs this data into a mapping system to keeps tabs on threats to the company. … The…
LISTEN – Do no harm and or get caught – Oct. 5, 2020 – Two doctors and five pharmacists are among 49 people who federal law enforcement authorities in Dallas publicly alleged last week had participated in an $18 million pill mill scheme. The suspects were charged in U.S. District Court with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Forty of the defendants were arrested in the last full week in September, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said. The final arrested defendant made her initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Thursday. “By…
Collateral Damage – Sep. 30, 2020 – The study authors behind the model projected mortality risks based off of behaviors like frequency of injection use and risky practices, like equipment sharing and skin hygiene. Twenty-year-olds classified as “males” who inject once or more per day and practice risky injection techniques are at the greatest risk of dying from infective endocarditis, facing a more-than 53 percent chance of death by 2030. Those who inject less than once per day, even while practicing risky techniques, face a somewhat lower mortality probability of 44 percent. Decreasing injection frequency also reduces mortal risk…
32 years in prison for non-violent drug offense – Oct 2, 2020 – During the days of the interview, Wershe wanted to visit a home in Southfield. He said it was the last place things felt normal to him. “I walked out of this house Jan. 15, 1988 in the morning and never returned until now,” he said. “I’m a little emotional, (it’s) been a long time. Had a lot of good memories here, a lot of good memories. I considered this my home.” Nearly 33 years after leaving the home in Southfield, he returned and found some memories still…
I Kant, we can – Oct 7, 2020 – He started school anyway, and after a stint in rehab, finished the term with straight A’s. He went on to earn two undergraduate degrees over the next three years. “I’m so glad I stayed,” he says. “If I had left behind philosophy, I would probably still be using today.” Cooney wrote his philosophy honors thesis, “Overwhelmed and Undermined: The Use of Psychoactive Substances and the Problem of Meaninglessness,” on how a lack of meaning in life can help explain addiction. “The thesis was a long, drawn-out therapy session between me and…
O Canada – October 7, 2020 – James Helm, 76, and his wife, Sandra, 70, were kidnapped by four men from their home Sept. 27 in Moira and transported over the border with coverings over their heads, according to a complaint filed in federal court. The next day, James failed to show up for work as town highway superintendent. One of the couple’s sons went to their house to check on them, found the front door open and called state troopers, authorities said. The son later got a phone call from a man who said he and his associates…
An Actual First Lady – Oct 5, 2020 – The project calls for removing four of the current residential buildings and replacing them with a pair of two-story residential buildings, which each would house 46 beds. Each of the two buildings would be 30,935 square feet. Additionally, a new one-story, 22,748-square-foot day-treatment facility would be built on what is currently a vacant portion of the center’s campus. The facility would be able to accommodate 44 day-treatment patients. The building would also include additional administrative space, a computer lab and a lecture hall. These plans would increase the Betty Ford Center’s…
And to love… – Oct. 10, 2020 – Contrary to how some people talk about hope, researchers don’t view it as a passive emotional state. While colloquially people may say things like, “sit back and hope for the best,” researchers who study hope say it’s an active coping approach. “Hope is how we can think about our goals for the future, the extent that we can identify pathways or strategies to achieve those goals and then maintaining the motivation or the agency to kind of keep working towards those goals, even in the face of obstacles or setbacks,” said…
WATCH – What about the Pope? – Oct. 2020 – Jim joined Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden from his Fort Lauderdale home for this week’s edition of Florida’s Fourth Estate to talk about being in recovery for 32 years now, and what it took to get him there to begin with. Jim says he knows during the pandemic that people with addictions are suffering. He said people who suffer from addiction or mental illness are fragile. “Recovery is connection. It’s love. It’s friendship,” he said. “Addiction is the opposite. It’s isolation. It’s loneliness. It’s depression. We’ve been forced into a…
Freelapse anyone? – Oct. 8, 2020 – OBJECTIVE: Gabapentin, an anti-convulsant medication used to treat seizures and neuralgia, is also prescribed off-label for the treatment of substance use disorders and withdrawal symptoms in treatment settings. Yet, reports of gabapentin misuse are increasing in the United States. The present study examines the misuse of gabapentin in treatment and transitional living facility settings. METHOD: Data are drawn from a study examining gabapentin misuse in South Florida. The sample includes 34 adult participants who reported past-year use of illicit opioids and/or the misuse of prescription opioid medications, as well as histories of…
Higher Education… – Oct 9, 2020 – “A power greater than ourselves can restore sanity in our addicted lives,” she tells individuals suffering, rehabilitating, or recovering from addiction. She also tells them that “God loves them no matter what and wants them to know that in His love, they can be and do any great thing.” In her early 20s, Harvin randomly abused drugs “for fun” but quickly found solace in the act and became dependent upon it when she lost her son. Nine-year-old Jameel Parker was killed in a March 1987 car accident, launching Harvin’s life in a downward…
Not Business as Usual – Oct 10, 2020 – The workplace has forever changed. In March 2020, more than a third of the world population went into lockdown, and by the end of April 2020, 1.6 billion workers lived in danger of having their livelihoods destroyed. A full return to “normal” is something that many have begun to realize is unlikely. Instead, we all must prepare for the “new normal.” We have already seen an increase in remote work (with a peak of 62% of employed US adults working part or full time from the confines of their home),…
WATCH – Life Changing – Oct. 8. 2020 – “I ended up doing a bunch of heroin, a bunch of crack. I ended up all going to the bar, blowing a lot of money on the bar, and I didn’t plan on waking up the next morning,” said Drake. Then, he made a decision that changed his life. “I woke up the next morning. I looked at myself in the mirror and I said I can’t do this anymore and I went cold turkey.” Since then, he has been clean for four years and is working to get back on…
She’s not the only one… – Oct 9, 2020 – Davis’ most iconic role came after she checked herself into a rehab program. During a sit-down interview with James Andrew Miller for his podcast, Origins, Davis admitted that she began drinking at a very young age to dull her senses and her anxiety. She noted that she only got serious about sobriety when she found her acting was suffering. Davis didn’t share exactly when she checked herself into rehab, but reportedly it occurred before she landed her breakout role in Sex and the City. Before the series, Davis appeared in…
Stick with the Winners! October 8, 2020 – Award winning director, writer, actress Christina Beck began her career as a punk rock teenager acting in cult films such as Suburbia, Boys Next Door, and Dudes all directed by Penelope Spheeris. She studied at Playwright’s Horizons in New York City forming an all-female theatre company, POW (Power of Women) productions, and wrote, produced and starred in “From the Heart” premiering at the Samuel Beckett Theatre. After writing, directing and acting in numerous Los Angeles theatre productions, Christina wrote and starred in her first short film, DISCO MAN, followed by the noir…
WATCH – What goes around… – OCT 5, 2020 -”DELONTE WEST IS JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE THAT PROBABLY HAS SOME DEEP-ROOTED ISSUES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN DEALT WITH, YA KNOW? PUTTING ON A BASKETBALL UNIFORM AND BEING SUCCESSFUL, THAT JUST COVERS UP EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO A PERSON.” Strawberry continued … “It reflects back to when he was probably young somewhere, some kinda trauma, abuse or something affected him and it can leave you crippled and paralyzed. So, no one signs up to be in that situation he is. I didn’t sign up to be in that situation.” But,…
Treat people with care and respect – Oct 8, 2020 – What happened in Pittsburgh is instructive because the steel industry collapsed, and, along with that, communities collapsed, and drugs came in. When communities and cultures are wounded, drugs are more likely to come in. What we’ve seen is a trend from primarily alcohol dependence in the country, to cocaine and prescription opiates, followed by intravenous heroin, supplanted by intravenous fentanyl. Now the scary thing that we’re facing is increases in combinations of fentanyl with cocaine, and fentanyl with methamphetamine. What the cartels are doing is combining fentanyl with cocaine.…
First comes bloating, nausea, vomiting, gas and diarrhea – Sep 29, 2020 – The combination of my father’s death and my personal background lit a fire in me to know more. He was admitted to the hospital on June 24th, 2016, and he died on July 18th, 2016. That’s only 24 days between the first sign there was a problem and his subsequent death. Now, hearing that he was in end-stage cirrhosis didn’t surprise me, given his heavy drinking. What did surprise me was that he’d visited several doctors and specialists in the months before his death, and no…
“What a drag it is getting old” – Oct 3, 2020 – That [message] is from a mother in California in early September, when she was trapped inside with her three children for days because the air was so thick with smoke that it was unsafe to breathe outside. Since the pandemic began, members of the group have experienced job losses, wildfires, weekslong power outages from tropical storms, political unrest, elderly parents with Covid-19, a news cycle on turbo and unending days filled with educating, feeding and caring for their children while also trying to fit in eight or…
Golden Gate Deaths – Oct 10, 2020 – Paramedics revive an overdose victim in the Tenderloin in July. San Francisco is on track to lose more than 700 people to drugs in 2020 — or nearly two every day. more@SFChronicle
Business as Usual – Oct 9, 2020 – Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman last summer ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million to help address the state’s opioid crisis, saying the consumer products giant downplayed the risk of addiction and death while overstating the benefits of opioid painkillers. State attorneys have previously argued it was appropriate to file the case as a public nuisance lawsuit since the state was seeking money to abate the opioid epidemic rather than damages to pay for harm caused by the company. “Unless this Court overturns the decision, Oklahoma will become ground…