SOBER – April 21, 2020 – Recovery is difficult and all too often bound toward failure. As someone new to sobriety, I’m in no position to talk with any authority on how to be successful. But as someone working toward a new way of living, I know how hard it is to stay away from addictions in the midst of the public health crisis we now face. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings were a big part of my plan to be a part of a larger community during this newly sober stage of my life. Like most of life these days, AA…
Author: Leonard Buschel
Listen, this guy’s an Idiot – APR 20, 2020 – Consider the plight of the alcoholic during this coronavirus shutdown. Liquor is still widely available at stores and even now via delivery. At the same time, social distancing means in-person recovery meetings are out of the question. Connecticut Public Radio’s John Henry Smith spoke with Michael Askew, director of recovery advocacy for the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery. @WNPR
Reality TV Anyone? – April 20, 2020 – In normal times, he’d be able to turn easily to his counsellor, Tham Yuen Han – or Han, as her clients call her. For nine years, Eugene has been attending recovery support group sessions and individual counselling sessions at We Care Community Services, ever since he first sought help for his methamphetamine addiction … Eugene isn’t the only recovering addict who has been triggered under the stress and isolation of the past fortnight. According to Yuen Han, the managing director of We Care, the centre usually gets two walk-in crisis situations in…
If not now, when? – APRIL 24, 2020 – In recent days, Heller said, he has heard from a couple of former residents who relapsed during the pandemic, as well as from two former patients who work in Silicon Valley and called to say they were doing fine. He was happy to hear from them, but he couldn’t help but wonder why they were thinking about rehab right now. And yet, for others, Heller said, these surreal, slowed-down times offer a chance for introspection and a bit of breathing room — an opportunity to finally give sobriety a real shot…
Still No Silver Bullet – April 23, 2020 – The National Institutes of Health found that buprenorphine and methadone reduce overdose fatalities and relapse by as much as 59%. In 1995, amid epidemic opioid use, France changed its laws to allow every physician to prescribe Buprenorphine. Within four years, overdose fatalities dropped by 79% … Despite the overwhelming evidence of its efficacy, medication-assisted treatment for opioid use is offered in just 36% of U.S. rehabs, owing to the predominance of abstinence-based programs. Many of these groups believe medication (including antidepressants) invalidates your sobriety. @Inquirer
So Could Scoring – April 25, 2020 – “Instead of walking in, they call or we do it through video so they don’t have to come in unnecessarily and potentially put themselves or others at risk,” Smith said. While it’s too early to produce hard data on the number of relapses, Smith said she’s seen fewer people seeking services — and that concerns her. “People are having anxiety and having depression,” she said. “People are at home with family members 24/7, which maybe they don’t normally do, so are drinking more. And maybe they’re not aware we’re open. I know…
Woman of the Other World – April 26, 2020 – Nyro, born Laura Nigro, died at age 49 in 1997. By this point in her life she recorded rarely, performed live only now-and-again, and declined to appear on television. She was beloved by other musicians, but was doubtlessly remembered by most as someone who wrote great songs for other people … Her roots were singing doo-wop but she admired avant-garde jazz pioneers like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. (Miles even visited her while she was recording her “New York Tendaberry” album.) @TimeofIsrael
Magic Kingdom on Hold – April 22, 2020 – Decriminalize California said that it plans to keep its operations running, and file again in the next California election. Voter outreach work will resume once social distancing orders are lifted. Now that their 2020 efforts have failed, the organizers are pivoting. They are joining up with activists behind other ballot initiatives in California and beyond to demand electoral reforms. “[We] are now looking into a legal path to push the state of California into allowing electronic signatures,” they wrote. “We are also reaching out to all the other state initiatives around…
Send In The Clowns – April 20, 2020 – The six-time NBA champion went on to tell a story from his rookie season where he walked into a hotel room and stumbled upon a scene ranging from things as (now) mundane as weed smoking to the aforementioned cocaine use. “Look, guys were doing things that I didn’t see. I had one event, preseason, I think we were in Peoria. It was in the hotel… so I’m trying to find my teammates … so I start knocking on doors,” Jordan recounted. “I get to this one door, and I knock on…
Actor, Model, Sober – April 20, 2020 – As one of the nation’s leading advocates on addiction recovery, Jennifer Gimenez has become a regular fixture on numerous television networks and across multiple social media platforms. Named one of Maxim’s “Hot 100” and Esquire’s “Women We Love,” After landing roles on The Young and The Restless and Bold and The Beautiful, Jennifer scored her first major film role in Ted Demme’s Blow, starring alongside Johnny Depp. She followed that up with blockbusters Vanilla Sky, Corky Romano, Charlie’s Angels as well as appearances in the Oscar nominated documentary, “Let’s Get Lost.”, where…
Catch Them If You Can – April 25, 2020 – She said while the funding for prevention and early intervention was welcomed and useful, she was concerned about the level of support for those already addicted during the crisis. “Now, we have people increasing their alcohol intake, their drug intake, and businesses aren’t open as usual. Rehab clinics have had to close, counselling services are moved online, but not everyone is able to move online,” Lee said. “In ordinary circumstances, these services are struggling; there has been a contraction in how services are able to provide help.” … While it’s…
110% Real – April 22, 2020 – Lizzo has always been a positive light in the music world since her rise to stardom, but her calming voice and encouraging words are more crucial than ever in the wake of the pandemic. While in quarantine, she has donated meals to healthcare workers fighting the virus, posted hilarious TikTok videos (and called the network out for taking down her swimsuit clips), and joined Lady Gaga’s One World: Together at Home special, performing a poignant rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come.” To make an even wider impact, Lizzo has hosted guided meditations…
Cash is King – April 20, 2020 – In a report on the study, described in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health online Feb. 21, the investigators say their intervention could be used widely in low-income neighborhoods as a way to promote employment, reduce drug use and help those ravaged by the opioid crisis better integrate back into their communities. “We were hoping to have a positive result from our study, but I don’t think we expected it to work quite so well,” says August Holtyn, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University…
The Wisdom of Recovery – April 21, 2020 – “I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one,” the quote continued. “I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you…
My House is Now a Multiplex – April 21, 2020 – The idea for the shorts came from the festival’s artistic director, Orestis Andreadakis. After chancing upon an essay he had at home by the French author Georges Perec, titled “Species of Spaces” — a description of the various spaces in the writer’s life, from the blank page, the bedroom and the staircase, to the street and the city — he invited a number of previous festival attendees to read the essay and make a three-minute film inspired by it. (The directors received a small fee for the project, which…
Maturity is Attractive – April 21, 2020 – I surrendered to the fact that I will never be a ‘normal’ drinker and that drugs and alcohol will only ever lead to bad things for me. I went to meetings, worked steps, help newcomers and surrounded myself with strong sober people. The road map is simple but it doesn’t make it easy. “For anyone who is struggling in this very strange time, there are plenty of resources available that can be accessed from the comfort of your home while we can’t leave. Don’t be afraid to reach out. #soberlife #sober #keepcomingback”…
Sobering information – APRIL 24, 2020 – This leads to problems in which group video chats become less collaborative and more like siloed panels, in which only two people at a time talk while the rest listen. Because each participant is using one audio stream and is aware of all the other voices, parallel conversations are impossible. If you view a single speaker at a time, you can’t recognize how non-active participants are behaving—something you would normally pick up with peripheral vision. For some people, the prolonged split in attention creates a perplexing sense of being drained while having accomplished…
Clean Dozen – April 20, 2020 – Posting a photo of Eminem holding up his sober accomplishment chip, Royce Da 5’9” corrected his ten-year achievement to twelve years and wrote a touching message on social media. “And counting … Proud of my brother,” wrote Royce on Instagram, sending a message to his frequent collaborator. Congratulations to Eminem on such an important accomplishment in his life. Every day is tough but with his will power, he can get through the rest of his life without ever relapsing. @HotNewHipHop
“I see stars before my eyes, and my thoughts are swept up into a hurricane of light.” ―Knut Hamsun
Andrew Cuomo Rocks – April 21, 2020 – Governor Andrew Cuomo said the charges brought by New York’s Department of Financial Services are the first against a major opioid manufacturer in the regulator’s probe into entities that contributed to the nationwide opioid crisis. New York accused Mallinckrodt of overstating the benefits of long-term opioid treatment, downplaying the risks of addiction and abuse, and knowing its conduct would result in the payment of fraudulent insurance claims on unnecessary prescriptions. Mallinckrodt is the largest maker of generic opioids in the United States. According to New York, it supplied more than 1 billion…
Bottom Line is Their God – April 20, 2020 – Looking forward, global economies are relying on the pharmaceutical industry to produce solutions, and many of the companies on this list are involved in the race for vaccines and drugs. We’ll continue tracking their performance—and potential advances in COVID-19—as the year plays out. Some notes: Though BMS closed its Celgene deal in late 2019, it won’t leap ahead in our rankings till next year, when the combined company’s 2020 numbers are in. AbbVie is set to jump in the rankings as well, thanks to its massive purchase of Allergan, provided…
NYT Book Review – April 19, 2020 – Posner envisions “Pharma” as a definitive history of the pharmaceutical industry “in its entirety” in a single volume. After all, he argues, people cannot really understand how firms like Bayer, Merck and Pfizer evolved into “sprawling pharma conglomerates that sell a trillion dollars of drugs annually” without understanding their early histories as pioneer peddlers of then-legal heroin and cocaine … The result is a withering and encyclopedic indictment of a drug industry that often seems to prioritize profits over patients. Over 550 densely packed pages, Posner tells a tireless and occasionally tiring…
Good time to be awake – April 18, 2020 – Stuber explained that a sense of community is key for those struggling with addiction and mental illness. “It is critically important that you’re able to connect with other people and get the recovery supports you need and avoid isolation.” As a result, group therapy and 12-step meetings have moved online. Dunn says, he’s enjoyed the virtual connections. “We’ve done the online meetings quite a bit with other guys in the recovery community and 12-step meetings using you know the Zoom app. We could see all the guys in the community…
Not for Halloween! – April 11, 2020 – The projects are helping keep the lights on. “That’s almost two months of rent,” Smith says. “And right now, while the women aren’t working, we have to pay for all their groceries, we’re paying for everything, and so it does get expensive.” It is also helping to keep the women focused on recovery. “When you have women who have been involved in human trafficking and prostitution, and addictions, they’ve got so much that they’re battling in their mind,” Smith says. “And you leave them a lot of downtime, and those negative voices…
Meds can be tricky – April 11, 2020 – This isn’t hard to imagine since we’re talking about people who often haven’t experienced a state that isn’t chemically influenced for many years. It’s not exactly a surprise that concurrent use of heroin and crack can mimic a bipolar disorder. When examining the symptoms of drug addiction and drug withdrawal against the symptoms of many mental illnesses, you’ll find many things that overlap. Regular opioid use can create depression-like signs, and drug withdrawal can create anxiety. Similarly, stimulant use can foster psychosis and schizophrenia-like symptoms, and withdrawal from these drugs can…
No Laughing Matters of the Heart – April 12, 2020 – The mitral valve is a small flap in the heart that stops blood flowing the wrong way and if there are issues with it it can affect how blood flows around the body. A prolapse in the valve is when it becomes too floppy and does not close tightly. According to the NHS, it is commonplace for someone to not know they have the condition, as it can be asymptomatic. It can, however, lead to tiredness, as Robert experienced. Other side-effects include dizziness, breathlessness, noticeable palpitations or mitral regurgitation. …
Just Introduce Yourself – April 9, 2020 – As a mindfulness teacher, my students are sharing their concerns about having strong emotions, like fear, as if they shouldn’t. They seem surprised that mindfulness is not always working to keep them from feeling unbalanced and overwhelmed in the face of an unprecedented global crisis. Here’s what I tell them: Mindfulness is not a barrier to feeling overwhelmed. When some piece of news or alarming reality knocks you down, you may well feel completely overwhelmed. It’s natural. It’s your body’s response to alarm. One helpful approach to returning to your senses is…
Vent-O-Later – April 13, 2020 – Research on vaping’s long-term health effects is still limited. But given what we know about smoking, COVID-19 and other respiratory infections, health experts confidently say that vaping will not only increase your risk of developing complications from the coronavirus, but will boost your chances of spreading it to others as well. … The most obvious issue with vaping is the damage it inflicts on the lungs. When you vape, you take in harsh chemicals that immediately damage the cells in your respiratory system responsible for governing the immune system, which is the body’s first…
Staying on the defensive – April 10, 2020 – Only three months ago, when reported U.S. coronavirus cases were in the single digits, the Trump administration celebrated some rare good news in the battle against opioids. It reported overdose deaths in 2018 were down 4 percent from the previous year, which marked the first drop in fatal overdoses in nearly three decades and helped contribute to the first increase in U.S. life expectancy in four years. “We need to make sure we don’t lose ground,” said Elinore McCance-Katz, Trump’s top mental health official. “I’m worried about it so much so…
No YMCA either – April 13, 2020 – “Community is vitally important for LGBTQ+ people,” Sorensen said. “And when you’re LGBTQ+ and in recovery, it’s even more important. I can tell you from personal experience that one of the most dangerous things a person working toward sobriety can do is to be isolated. Now we’ve all been told to do just that.” Social isolation — even when done for the good of the larger community — can be particularly difficult for LGBTQ+ people in recovery. Todd Connaughty, director of clinical services for Pride Institute, an Eden Prairie-based residential and outpatient…