GROWTH IS WHAT COUNTS – July 7, 2020 – Michael Ogden has over 30 years of experience in the treatment of patients suffering from substance use disorder (“SUD”) including many leadership roles at behavioral health and addiction treatment organizations. Ogden was also a petty officer in the United States Navy where he served as a Drug & Alcohol Counselor. Ogden holds a master’s degree in Public Health from Drexel University in Philadelphia and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint Leo College in Tampa. He is the founder of the Schuylkill County Suicide Prevention Task Force and a member of…
Author: Leonard Buschel
MAT? – July 6, 2020 – SAC Health System operates the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) clinic with the onsite Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which offers individual and group-based substance use counseling services. MAT and the IOP are both located at SAC Health System’s Norton campus. Since its founding, Loma Linda University Health has innovated ways of helping people overcome addictions. For more than 25 years, Mickey Ask has worked as a nationally recognized addiction medicine educator, having trained scores of addiction medicine fellows at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center – Loma Linda and at Loma Linda University Health. The discipline…
It’s for your own good. Clink! – July 9, 2020 – While all states have procedures for committing individuals to psychiatric care if they are perceived to be violent or in imminent danger of hurting themselves, until recently these laws did not typically apply to substance use cases, which were frequently the domain of the criminal courts. Over the past decade, civil commitment laws have taken off—an unfortunate consequence of the evolving national conception of addiction as a “disease” over which sufferers have no agency. According to a dataset published last year by researchers from Health in Justice Action Lab…
WATCH – Say it with Song – July 10, 2020 – The song ‘Sober’ is the bands second single released off the album N.A.T.I.O.N. Vext talks about how he hopes this single inspires others struggling with sobriety to reach out for help. more@Fox44News
LISTEN – Great podcast – July 11, 2020 – From the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, this is Reveal. I’m Al Letson. This is chapter three of American Rehab: A Venomous Snake. Last time, we started telling you about the first nationally recognized drug rehab. It was called Synanon and founded by a charismatic guy named Charles Dederich. By the late ‘60s, Synanon was widely respected with a national presence and a celebrated treatment program. It had intake centers in cities all over the country in commune style rehabs. They have improved the lives of many people including John…
Please send flowers to hell – July 6, 2020 – STAMFORD, Conn. — Jonathan Sackler, one of the owners of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, has died, the company confirmed. Sackler died June 30, according to a court filing. He was 65 and the cause of death was cancer. He was the son of Raymond Sackler, one the brothers who bought drug company Purdue Frederick in 1952, and served as an executive and board member for the company that was later renamed Purdue Pharma. Like other members of the Sackler family, he has stepped off the board of the company in…
Everything but actually talking – JULY 12, 2020 – “We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate cue-related activity in individuals with smartphone addiction, as defined by validated psychometric scales. Cue reactivity has been one of the most important and therapeutically relevant paradigms in addiction research for decades.” “Cue reactivity is based on conditioning mechanisms, in which over time, salient stimuli (cues) are tightly linked to rewarding properties. Cue reactivity can trigger the execution of certain behavioral acts that over time can lead to addiction. Neural correlates of cue reactivity in other addictive disorders (e.g. alcohol use disorder) are…
American Nightmares Continue – July 12, 2020 – COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Franklin County Coroner’s Office has reported on Sunday that there have been 15 overdose deaths reported in the county in the last 72 hours. Dr. Anahi Ortiz shared the news on her Facebook page just before 2 p.m. more@ABC6
Whoops! … may contain a carcinogen – July 9, 2020 – Two more pharmaceutical companies have issued a recall for a medication used to control high blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes because it may contain a carcinogen. Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. issued the recall for all batches of Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets USP, 500 mg and 1000 mg because “additional analysis revealed that certain tested batches were above the Acceptable Daily Intake Limit for the impurity N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA),” according to a statement posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. more@PennLive
Acceptance is the… – July 12, 2020 – How do you apply the practice of acceptance in a more individualistic Western society? The book does not suggest that you become a group-oriented person. Instead, it makes you aware of the universal truth that you are only a part of many groups that you rely on. And at the end of the day, you are not alone. “Who we are and what we can become is defined by your relationships to one another,” Haas argues. As a psychologist, he works entirely with individuals from communities in which there is extensive urban…
WATCH – Machete – July 11, 2020 – Many of the stories he shares in the documentary are compelling. Back in the day, when he was just a boy, his two role models in his life were John Wayne and his uncle Gilbert. The first was, and still is, his fictional hero. The same one that showed him that as a Mexican he could aspire to a different future by including the actor Pedro González González in his films. Trejo’s first role was a moment where one could say the universe aligned for him. The actor was speaking at a…
Halleluiah! (Live at Fillmore) – July 8, 2020 – Wainwright’s Irish nanny wasn’t paying attention when he suddenly went underwater — “and was presumably saved by Betty Buckley,” he said, laughing. “Which is the story I stick by. It’s amazing how certain childhood traumas really inflict themselves indelibly on your memory.” He told that story over lunch, pre-pandemic, in the same courtyard of the same hotel. A few days later, I got an email back from Buckley. “Yes, I saved Rufus from drowning when he was a little kid,” the Tony-winning “Cats” singer wrote. She didn’t know who he or…
“treatment programs are reeling with the news” – July 11, 2020 – Treatment providers say they were given no notice, and no explanation, for the surprising size of the cut or its timing by the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who has been saying for months that many recipients of state funding would face 20% cutbacks unless Washington comes through with a financial bailout package for New York. “Programs will close. More people will die and we’re going to have a real difficult situation on our hands in communities across New York State,” said John Coppola, executive director of…
Canada Cares! – July 10, 2020 – “The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the existing challenges and risks for those living with mental health and substance use problems,” sayss Jonny Morris, CEO Canadian Mental Health Association in B.C. “We welcome the opportunity to support the substance use treatment and recovery sector with more services and supports.” Another $2.5 million will support operators of existing bed-based treatment and recovery services that have been challenged by COVID-19. “In the midst of two health crises, it is imperative that a range of interventions, including treatment and recovery, be available to those suffering from addiction,”…
WATCH – Duh! – July 6, 2020 – “This randomized study in humans controls for confounders present in previous observational studies such as illness severity or other factors associated with illness that influence brain structure (e.g., socioeconomic status, stress, and substance use).” The researchers note that antipsychotics are increasingly being prescribed to people with diagnoses such as autism and depression. They confirm, as well, that antipsychotics carry a host of dangerous side effects, not least of which is the risk of sudden death—“with risk of unexpected death substantially higher in both children and elderly individuals.” more@MadInAmerica
Working from home… – July 10, 2020 – I’m getting along with my family. Things are great between my father and I. I’m happily in love. I’m moving — hauling ass and getting the f–k out of Los Angeles for Santa Fe — I’m in forward motion. I had a birthday a week ago. And it was a sober birthday; getting high on my own life. I’m doing a sober summer, and looking at everything I put into my body, whether it’s food or sugar. I’m trying everything I can, because, what I was doing wasn’t working … A crazy…
A rose by any other name… – July 10, 2020 – “Partnership to End Addiction is a name that reflects both the legacy of our combined organization, as well as our dedication to partnering with experts, advocates and other organizations to address this public health crisis together,” CEO Creighton Drury said in a news release. “We are living through an unprecedented time. Amid this uncertainty, families need to know they aren’t alone. We are here to help them get through whatever challenges they may be facing, with support and free resources.” Partnership to End Addiction provides support and resources for…
WATCH – International Trade Dealers – July 11, 2020 – The U.S. government’s assumption wasn’t always wrong. A generation ago, the Western Hemisphere cocaine trade did function like a pipeline that started in South America, wound through Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean, and discharged cocaine almost exclusively into American neighborhoods. In 1990, the U.S. had an estimated 4.3 million cocaine users. Meanwhile, Western Europe’s cocaine markets were still in what a United Nations report called “a developmental stage.” Now, the picture is dramatically different. U.S. cocaine consumption has been in a prolonged “nosedive,” according to a report from the…
It’s all in your head – July 11, 2020 – Mental disorders are diseases that are still incurable by medicine intake. There are therapies, but patients have no exact cure to heal from the brain disorder fully. Brain complications like depression or addiction are the ones that reached the highest rates in the United States, especially since the start of the lockdown. Billionaire Elon Musk, however, has a suggested solution to fight against these disorders– brain implant. A startup company made by Musk called Neuralink, founded in 2016, has been creating a mini-brain chip that is like a ‘sewing machine’…
Legalize it! – July 10, 2020 – This latest macabre chapter in Mexico’s brutal crime wars shows how drug users – including those trying to get clean in the country’s unregulated, privately-run rehabs, known as anexos – are increasingly being caught up in cartel violence. Down a dirt road and hidden from the main highway, in the working class community of Arandas, the two-story yellow house is flanked by a vacant lot to the right and an empty house to the left. In front is a big white gate that dwarfs Miguel Regalado, 60, as he stands outside, peering in.…
Harvey Milk would be proud! – July 11, 2020 – “I broke up with my fiancé of 12 years and also made a conscious decision to stop using drugs and drinking. That has been very impactful for me as a human being and as a drag queen,” Jujubee told RuPaul. The 59-year-old drag icon, who contestants also call “Mother,” encouraged Jujubee and shared what he has learned from his experience getting sober. “You stick with those friends in those places you and I both know about,” RuPaul said of his chosen family. “Because I think what you’re going to find…
Doing It Her Way – July 7, 2020 – Now, Lovato’s project is Lovato. She is painting Hawaiian eucalyptus trees and Black Lives Matter-inspired portraits of George Floyd — “I’m kind of embarrassed about how that turned out because it doesn’t look anything like him,” Lovato says, accurately — and working with a vast constellation of dietitians and coaches and spiritual advisers, one of whom she says warned her this pause was coming. “She was like, ‘Don’t panic when your work stops. It’s going to slow down drastically,’” Lovato says of the prophecy. “So I was kind of prepared in…
WATCH – Reality – July 10, 2020 – When Trouble Shooter, April Molina met Gina and Miguel, they were both jobless and homeless and the only glimmer of hope was that News 4 connected them with SACADA. Gina recalls being assigned a recovery coach immediately. “I’ve been in recovery for a very long time and she goes I know what you’re going through and I will be there for you,” Gina said. She was also told she would have to begin classes before beginning the Methadone treatment to help wean her off the opioids. She downloaded zoom on her phone…
“Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.” ―Walt Whitman
Never Stop Quitting! – JULY 6, 2020 – Shared spaces, double-occupancy bedrooms and group therapy are common in rehabs. People struggling with addiction are generally younger than nursing home residents, but both populations are vulnerable because they’re more likely to suffer from other health conditions, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, that put them at greater risk of having a severe case of COVID-19. To keep clients safe, some addiction treatment centers employ safety precautions similar to hospitals, like testing all incoming patients for COVID-19, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health…
Saturday Night at the Movies July 11, 2020 at 9:00pm. Screening the film, The First Day: A Focus on the Beginning. Presented on In The Rooms by REEL Recovery Film Festival July 8, 2020 –The Virtual REEL Recovery Film Festival in association with In The Rooms is pleased to present this month’s Saturday Night at the Movies film of the month. Chris Herren: The First Day. At times it may have seemed that Herren’s basketball career was notable more for his failed drug tests, run-ins with the police and seemingly unearned media hype. But sometimes one’s true calling is revealed only through hardship and…
She could have been a contender… – June 28, 2020 – The virus knocked down all the supports she had carefully built around her: no more in-person Narcotics Anonymous meetings, no talks over coffee with a trusted friend or her addiction recovery sponsor. As the virus stressed hospitals and clinics, her appointment to get the next monthly shot of medication was moved back from 30 days to 45 days. As best her family could reconstruct from the messages on her phone, Wittner started using again on April 12, Easter Sunday, more than a week after her originally scheduled appointment, when…
What’s really going on? – JUNE 29, 2020 – The FDA has been pushing drugmakers to develop alternatives to opioid-based painkillers as the United States grapples with opioid addiction, with prescription opioids involved in 32% of all opioid overdose deaths in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of Heron’s biggest competitors for the non-opioid post-surgery painkiller is Pacira Biosciences Inc, whose long-acting Exparel is priced at $180.35 for a 10ml dose and $334.18 for the 20ml dose. The FDA had previously declined Heron’s application, citing issues relating to manufacturing at a contract drugmaker’s site, among…
When will it end? – June 28, 2020 – In establishing a solid defense for legal cases, take time to discuss the client’s history with drugs and alcohol. Attorneys can play an important role in ensuring their clients begin the journey of recovery, opposed to involvement in the criminal legal system. This is especially important in communities of color that have faced legal consequences, while others have received the benefit of treatment. Many individuals of color enter the criminal legal system due to poor access to mental health and substance use disorder care in their community. It is estimated that…
WATCH – Miracles Do Happen! – July 1, 2020 – Morrison started out at Lane Community College writing for the student-run newspaper, The Torch. Two years later, he transferred to the U of O and quickly got involved in journalism, studying abroad in Ghana and writing for three separate publications. His story doesn’t stop there; right before graduation he was named the winner of the School of Journalism and Communications Standard Bearer Award, which is given to a student who exemplifies what it means to work hard inside and outside of the classroom. Morrison’s next stop is Los Angeles, where…