Or to schoolyards? – Dec. 12, 2019 – On the Ground in Philly! In Philadelphia where I live, diverted Adderall currently sells for $0.50 a milligram on the streets, which would scale up to $500 a gram. Meanwhile meth retails for as little as $40 a gram and the drug is sold in increments as low as $5. He said he had never previously bought meth on the street in his life. At one pharmacy, Filter spoke with a person, who requested anonymity, who had already begun replacing his Adderall with illicit methamphetamine. He said he had never previously bought…
Author: Leonard Buschel
Ground 00 – Dec. 10, 2019 – The facility is the second of its kind in nearly 50 years at VA: the department’s first gambling addiction center – a trailblazing treatment facility that was the first of its kind in the country for addressing compulsive gambling – opened at the Brecksville, Ohio, VA Medical Center in 1972. Now part of the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, it was the sole inpatient treatment center for gambling addiction, drawing more than 100 veterans annually from around the country for care. Tim Jobin, chief of behavioral health at the VA Southern Nevada…
It Takes a Village – December 18, 2019 – There was a lady who saw that I was in pain and I think she very instantly asked me, ‘Hey, how are you gonna sing tonight?’” he tells PEOPLE of the first time he was introduced to prescription pain killers. “I said, ‘I’ll be fine. I’ll get through it.’ She said, ‘Well, I think I’ve got some medicine that will help you.’” The Ohio native says he began taking low dosages over the next few days. “I might’ve had maybe five painkillers that weekend and then I stopped,” he recalls. But…
“Be Here Now” the other Big Book – DEC. 22, 2019 – It was Leary who famously exhorted American youth to “Turn on, tune in, drop out,” but it was Alpert who became a model of awakening that wasn’t dependent on drugs. Fired from Harvard in 1963 for giving LSD to an undergraduate, Alpert moved to Millbrook, New York, with Leary, who had been fired ostensibly for not showing up for his classes. In Millbrook, the two continued their psychedelic experimentation with an ever-changing cast of psychonauts and acidheads. But in 1967, Alpert, still searching, left for India. There he…
It’s a Killer – Dec. 17, 2019 – Deep fakes, influencers, viral fashion – we live in a world unrecognizable from the one we stood in ten years ago. As a chaotic decade comes to a close, we’re speaking to the people who helped shape the last ten years and analysing the cultural shifts that have defined them. Explore the decade on our interactive timeline here, or head here to check out all our features. Every decade has a drug that infiltrates music. In the 1960s and 1970s, LSD and heroin helped musicians break on through to the other side,…
Reading is Divine – Dec. 16, 2019 – It’s a long journey, but why not start it here, with this article? Read our descriptions of each book, see which story you resonate with the most. It’s a massive step to take, but the only person who can take it is you … All theoretical debates about addiction aside – such as whether addiction is a disease or involves a volitional component – practical tips to beat addiction can help almost anyone. Spending lots of time with fellow addicts, for instance, is very dangerous and increases your risk for relapse. And…
911 for the Soul – Dec. 13, 2019 – The proposal requires that all telecommunications carriers and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers make, within 18 months, any network changes necessary to ensure that users can dial 988 to reach the Lifeline. The FCC will seek comment on all aspects of implementation, including whether a longer or shorter timeframe, would be needed to make 988 a reality. Full Story @ABC7Chicago
Important Article – Dec. 20, 2019 – PHOTOS SHOW – • Salvation Army case manager Thomas Wolf says S.F. should focus more on stopping drug use than on harm reduction. • Thomas Wolf’s booking photo after his 2018 drug-related arrest in the Tenderloin.• Wolf speaks with police Officer Nick Jacobs outside UC Hastings College of Law, where Wolf would sleep when he was homeless. • Wolf has been named to the city’s new Street-Level Drug Dealing Task Force, which will start meeting regularly in January to help San Francisco develop new ways to combat its drug crisis. • Wolf at…
That was easy! – December, 19, 2019 – Dr Plummer, a world-renowned specialist in infectious diseases, said he’d ‘be dead’ if it wasn’t for the pioneering treatment. He signed up for the trial last year at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto when therapy and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings failed to curb his addiction … he electrodes are connected to a device, similar to a pacemaker, in the right side of Dr Plummer’s chest. The device, which costs between $15,000 and $20,000, sends electrical impulses into the nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain linked to addiction and our reward circuit.…
One of the best bio-pics ever – Dec. 16, 2019 – Events that cause trauma include natural disasters, childhood abuse or neglect, sexual assault and other forms of violence, which can have a lasting effect on behavior and health. The frequency and severity of exposure to traumatic events, known in the field as Adverse Childhood Experiences, can negatively impact adolescent brain development. According to Harvard University, these altered brain developments can result in unhealthy coping mechanisms. Today we know that teens who experience early childhood trauma are three times more likely to misuse substances than teens who did not experience…
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure that you seek.” —Joseph Campbell
You Are Not Alone – Dec. 17, 2019 – Some in recovery may feel the only way they can cope with the holidays is to completely disconnect and not go to family functions or parties. McGinnis said that’s “a scary place to be.” She adds it’s very common for people to isolate because they don’t want to deal with socializing, but “what we need to be mindful of as a person in recovery is the value of positive social influence.” She says the answer is to do the opposite of isolating. “I think it’s really important to surround yourself with…
…the Fairest of Them All – December 14, 2019 – “…I don’t know where it is, but I hope this is just the beginning because I got more. There is a lot more where that came from.” She explained that despite what some may think, body love isn’t “being delusional,” but rather loving oneself despite any imperfections. She continues to remind herself daily to look at all aspects of her life, including the “physical mirror, the emotional mirror, the spiritual mirror.” The star, who is known for being bold and promoting body acceptance, explained that she’s gained her confidence and…
It’s All In Your Head – December 15, 2019 – Early one morning in March, Madison McIntosh showed up on his day off at the Scottsdale, Arizona, driving range and restaurant where he worked. The 24-year-old sat in his car until the place opened, then wandered around all day, alternating between gibberish and talk of suicide as co-workers tried to keep him away from customers. When he was still there 12 hours later, the manager contacted McIntosh’s father in Las Vegas, who called police and rallied other family members states away to converge at the young man’s side. They found…
Map of Death – DECEMBER 5, 2019 – A common theory for the opioid crisis is that it developed from abuse and over-prescription of legal opioids. The study, however, finds this theory holds only in rural areas. It reads: “Rural industrial decline left a legacy of unemployed and underemployed people with some form of work disability,” and notes that “… a plausible treatment for work-related pain, likely involving opioids prescribed by a health provider, helped start the cycle of opioid addiction that would culminate in the current crisis.” But another part of the explanation comes from the fact that many…
Who Still Drinks These Toxic Beverages? – September 4, 2019 – The study, one of the largest of its kind, tracked 451,743 men and women from 10 countries in Europe. It found that consumption of two or more glasses of artificially sweetened soft drinks a day was positively associated with deaths from circulatory diseases. For sugar-sweetened soft drinks, one or more glasses a day were associated with deaths from digestive diseases, including diseases of the liver, appendix, pancreas and intestines. The researchers recruited people from Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden between 1992 and…
MEDIA: Book Recommendation – MORE: To combat the disorder, two thirds of these children, some as young as three years old, are prescribed powerful stimulant drugs like Ritalin and Adderall to help them cope with symptoms. Meanwhile, ADHD rates have remained relatively low in other countries such as France, Finland, and the United Kingdom, and Japan, where the number of children diagnosed with and medicated for ADHD is a measly 1 percent or less. Full Story @GoodReads
It Should Be Everyday – Dec 13, 2019 – She’s now making the choice to get clean once and for all and she’s sharing her progress with her mother Gloria and daughter Amarri. “I couldn’t ask for a better gift. I couldn’t pay for this. This is a priceless opportunity to be here and see within the community how much support she has to recover,” Gloria Barbee said. Mayor Greg Fischer also stopped by to offer words of support to the women. “It’s not easy and it takes courage on your all’s part to say, ‘Yes, I’m going to make…
Conversation and Compassion – Dec. 9, 2019 – Larsen stays put, barely looking up from her laptop as Goncalves approaches the man. Goncalves asks for his ID and reads his license number into the radio—no outstanding warrants. The two stand on the sidewalk, an arm’s distance apart, their faces neutral. Then, the man adjusts his hat, pulls up his jeans, and heads down the sidewalk. “He’s on his way,” Goncalves says into the radio. “Clear.” … Goncalves climbs back in his cruiser and shifts into drive. No one says a word. The exchange feels unremarkable, and that, Larsen argues, is…
Try to Remember… – December 9, 2019 – On my iPhone though, everything feels immediate and important. I hardly realize how the time adds up, composing emails or just while browsing the web. My iPhone is my portal to the world, but it’s also my personal anchor. It’s hard to say how many hours the average person spends on their smartphone, but the consensus is anywhere between three and five hours per day. Tallied up, that’s anywhere from 45 to 75 full days each year. Or, put another way, that’s basically two entire months. To get a grip on my…
X Marks the Spot – Dec. 11, 2019 – Some 25 million people in the United States who suffer from PTSD could benefit from a drug capable of establishing, with a single dose in a therapist’s office, a trust level that typically takes months or years to achieve, said Boris Heifets, MD, Ph.D. But MDMA can be addictive. Taken in the wrong settings or in repeated or oversized doses, it can have life-threatening consequences. “We’ve figured out how MDMA promotes social interaction and showed that’s distinct from how it generates abuse potential among its users,” said the study’s senior author,…
God Shines His Light on These – Dec 10, 2019 – The facility will have 24-hour staffing, on-site student social workers from King’s College and a volunteer nurse to help clients through their recovery. It will also include a games room, activity room, computer lab, communal kitchen and dining room, places where clients can hopefully foster a sense of community. It`s something DeActis said is crucial to a successful recovery. “In recovery it’s about community, so it’s about bringing folks together in the community and to support one another and help one another,” he said. “We always say the opposite…
Wrld at Peace – DEC. 12, 2019 – “Addiction knows no boundaries and its impact goes way beyond the person fighting it,” his mother, Carmella Wallace, said Thursday in a statement to TMZ. “Jarad was a son, brother, grandson, friend and so much more to so many people who wanted more than anything to see him defeat addiction.” … We hope the conversations he started in his music and his legacy will help others win their battles, as that is what he wanted more than anything,” she added. His aunt Karen Wallace had previously remembered him, talking to the Chicago…
Seeds and Stems – Dec. 15, 2019 – When scientists analyzed testicular tissue and sperm samples from a small sample of 15 men, they found endocannabinoids, as well as cannabinoid receptors and the enzymes needed to break those chemicals down. The findings were published in September in Scientific Reports. Endocannabinoids are neurotransmitters that resemble cannabinoids, the chemicals that occur naturally in cannabis (sometimes called exogenous cannabinoids). The body’s endocannabinoid system extends from the gut to the brain. The results demonstrate that this system extends all the way to men’s sperm-making machinery, too. Full Story @Inverse
Cranky Rapper – Dec. 14, 2019 – Meek Mill sat down for a lengthy interview with Charlamagne Tha God, billed as “A Conversation Between Champions.” In the conversation, Meek opened up about his work and personal life, including the surprising revelation that he has battled with opioid addiction in the past. … “If you ask me about like why I came at Drake … I don’t even fuckin really, really, really know,” he admitted. “I’m making very bad decisions here and not knowing that I’m making these bad decisions. And when I wasn’t high I look back and went on…
Move Over Hangover – December 9, 2019 – Despite the bar’s name, Cherokee Recovery Village is not just a bar for recovering addicts, but even for the sober who finds being in a ‘bar scene’ fun. French said: “It has really wakened people up on the health benefits of getting sober even if it’s just for a short period of time.” Ember Zenchyshyn, an alcoholic that has been three years sober to this date said that the dry tavern doesn’t only provide a fun lifestyle option, but it also prepares her for the time when she has to inevitably step…
To Russell with Love – Dec. 13, 2019 – He wrote: “17 years clean and sober today. “With love and the support of others real change is possible, no matter how dark times may seem. “Thank you to everyone who lights the path we walk together.” The card said: “Congratulations. 17 years. You are incredible.” The word “Daddy” was written at the bottom, along with: “We love you.” Many of Brand’s celebrity friends posted messages of congratulations, with Keith Lemon saying “well done” Brand has been open about his struggle with addiction and in 2014 he told US talk show…
Big Pharma Lies – 2019 – A high functioning, Harvard graduate and star athlete, she had been diagnosed in her early twenties with “mental illness”. Her subsequent treatment resulted in a steady stream of doctors dispensing different diagnoses and an ever-increasing regimen of medications. As time passed, she was told by some doctors she would need medication for the rest of her life. Twenty-plus years later, she was taking a staggering 10 pills daily. Today, with the support of our family, she has a house, a steady boyfriend, and has just self-published a meaningful book of essays. While she has…
Protect Our Teens – December 16, 2019 – The measure does not specifically address or add more restrictions to black-market e-cigarette products connected to lung injuries and illnesses, thought to be the result of inhaling vitamin E acetate. The language comes from bipartisan legislation coauthored by GOP Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Todd Young of Idaho, and Democratic Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Dick Durbin of Illinois and supported by Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell … If Congress raises the federal tobacco age to 21, the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates tobacco…
From Fastball to Eight Ball – Dec. 12, 2019 – After a season that saw the opioid-overdose death of a 27-year-old pitcher, Major League Baseball and the players’ union on Thursday announced that players will be tested for opioids and cocaine starting in spring training under an updated drug policy. The update to the drug policy takes a treatment-based approach, rather than a punitive one, as players will only be disciplined if they violate a prescribed treatment plan after a positive test. The changes come in the wake of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs’s death in July because of…