fini – OCTOBER 28, 2019 – Even though Hollywood history is filled with colorful characters, few can match the tale of Evans, whose life would seem far-fetched if it were fiction. With his matinee-idol looks, but little acting talent, Evans was given starring roles in a few movies and then, with no studio experience, was handed the production reins at Paramount in the 1960s. When he left the exec ranks, his first film as a producer was the classic “Chinatown,” and he followed with other hits, like “Marathon Man” and “Urban Cowboy.” Eventually, his distinctive look and speaking style turned…
Author: Leonard Buschel
GREED – Oct. 23, 2019 – Medical professionals are trying to reverse course by increasing education and training and making policy changes around prescribing practices. In 2016, the organization Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing sent a lettersigned by more than 60 doctors and other medical professionals to the Joint Commission raising concerns about “the unintended consequence of encouraging aggressive opioid use in hospitalized patients and upon discharge.” The letter made note of a study that found that physicians prescribed opioids, often in high doses, in more than half of 1.14 million nonsurgical hospital admissions. “Patients suffering from pain require compassionate,…
Too Much Screen Time – Oct. 26, 2019 – Now, she took her quest a step further, asking how adults can help teens tackle mental health challenges. “Screenagers: Next Chapter,” a documentary being screened around the United States, centers on stress resilience — a person’s ability to handle stressful emotions. Lower stress resilience is correlated with mood disorders and conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. But when adolescents learn to experience and regulate their emotions, they can recover more rapidly from negative situations and overcome adversity. Adults can help. Different populations of adolescents experience different challenges, educational psychologists Staci…
And Walking the Walk – Oct. 28, 2019 – Centerstone Executive Director for Illinois John Markley says Hampton able to captivate an audience. “I think he brings it down to your and my level about the impact of this on our society and how personal it is.” Markley says the former white house staffer is part of a national effort to change the stigma and perception of people in recovery. “He’s breaking down some of the cultural barriers that have kept people in suffering and in silence about this issue, it’s not just those on the fringe, that we look…
Fire Alarms – What a Concept – October 21, 2019 – The organization, which is described in this article as a nonprofit and says on its own webpage that it is a 501c3 but resides at a dot-com address and has no listing on GuideStar, put forward the argument that the requirement violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. But a few weeks ago, a three-judge panel of the first US Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled against Jeffrey Summers, who runs the facilities, finding that an exemption from the fire safety requirements was neither…
Hope This Helps – October 21, 2019 – My 50 Tips to Families Based on 50 Years of Experience 1. It is completely natural to blame yourselves for the psychiatric troubles of your loved one, but most often it’s neither rational nor helpful. In the near future, I will post the fourth and final installment in the series—advice to our society on doing a much better job of helping our mentally ill live safe and productive lives. Full Story @PsychiatricTimes
Wants it , not needs it… – Oct. 22, 2019 – Lala also mentioned her late father, Kent Burningham, who passed away in 2018, sharing, “The program has allowed me to sit down and remember my dad in a clear frame of mind, and remember what he brought to my life, what he meant to me, what he taught me.” Today marks a very important day in Lala Kent’s life. The Vanderpump Rules star is celebrating her first year of sobriety, posting a message to her fans on social media in honor of the occasion. In the heartfelt message, posted…
Horror Show – Oct 25 2019 – “I’ve been in places where they’ve hung me up by my legs , covered me in shit and made me eat caldo de oso [a soup made of rotten vegetables]. They think that beating people up and screaming at them that they will die is going to make them stop using drugs,” said Enrique Martinez, aged 55, who was addicted to heroin for 35 years in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. … Before he got off heroin, in the bonafide rehab center called A New Vision that he now helps run,…
What Would Nancy Reagan Say? – OCTOBER 26, 2019 – Safety First, a drug education curriculum developed by policy reformers promoting harm reduction, a broad set of ideas and practices rooted in the understanding that some people — including youth — will encounter and possibly use drugs for a variety of reasons, even if drug use is discouraged or criminalized.Instead of “just say no” propaganda, harm reduction reduces risks by helping people make the healthiest choices based on evidence-based research, without judgement. Abstinence is the most direct choice to avoid drug risks, and the Safety First curriculum discusses abstinence and…
More than a cuppa tea… – Oct. 18, 2019 – Later, at the conference, Welby said he was taking anti-depressants daily and “on the whole [was] managing very well”. He said he had found it “quite easy” to talk about his mental health challenges, but was concerned that many people would worry “because you don’t know how your boss will respond”. He added: “Depression is interpreted by many employers as someone who … is incapable of getting out of bed in the morning and isn’t able to do their job properly.” Welby has previously spoken of his struggle with depression.…
Family and Friends Fly Free – October 25, 2019 – “Data shows that about 70% of people who start on an opioid for a non-medical reasons actually get those drugs from a family member or friend,” said Suzi Stolte, Communications and Marketing Director for the JP Opioid Interaction Awareness Alliance. Even the combination of someone’s own prescription medications can be fatal. That’s what led to the death of Stolte’s daughter, Heidi, in 2011. “She’d been in a car accident, which is what started the prescription for opioids,” explained Stolte. Stolte says Heidi was on painkillers for years after the accident.…
Slam Drunk? – Oct. 25, 2019 – The breakup of his marriage to Kardashian eventually resulted to a life and death situation for Odom. Shortly after the breakup, he decided to let off steam at the Love Ranch, a Las Vegas brothel, and went on a four-day bender. That’s how he was discovered in a coma, having suffered a staggering 12 strokes, 3 heart attacks and his heart had stopped twice. Doctors referred Odom’s situation as “a medical miracle” and after recovering, he spent a month in rehab. Looking back at his “dark days,” Odom now realized how lucky he…
English Wit – Oct. 24, 2019 – The Volstead Act prohibiting intoxicating beverages became law on October 28, 1919—a century ago this week—and came into force a few months later. Most people now agree that Prohibition was a failure, driving the alcohol industry underground, where its products became unsafe, its profits lucrative and tax-free, and its methods violent. Most countries have since taken the view that it is better to legalize, regulate and tax drink than to ban it. Today, there is a similar debate over vaping, a popular new practice prohibited or heavily restricted in many countries. Electronic cigarettes,…
(Screening in NY, Sun. Nov. 3, info HERE) MEDIA: NBC features Crystal City – Oct. 26, 2019 – “I had a lot of embarrassment and shame and fear of the stigma associated with this topic,” Crawford told NBC News. “There aren’t a lot of positive templates for people in addiction seeking recovery. I wanted to change that by making a film showing that addicts can recover and live in sobriety.” “Crystal City” follows the harrowing journey of current and former addicts in New York City, all of whom knew Crawford from his recovery process. For both Crawford and Rob Copeland,…
Universal Tale of Woe – OCTOBER 25, 2019 – The negative impact of prejudice — such as racial or gender bias — which can lead to discrimination, crime and injustice, has deservedly received great media attention in recent years. Yet, stigma with respect to mental illness is far less widely discussed. Stigma is a mark of shame or discredit. It results in labeling and setting a person apart from others, so they are seen as part of a stereotyped group and not as an individual. Negative attitudes and beliefs about stigmatized groups create prejudice, which can lead to negative consequences…
He Needs More Equine Therapy – Oct. 25, 2019 – In Episode 1 ‘A Horse Walks into a Rehab’, the story picks up right where Season 5 left it with BoJack (Will Arnett) checking into Pastiches rehab. The celebrity rehabilitation center puts him through a long series of therapies, most of which he sucks at, but by the end of his six weeks at the Malibu rehab facility, BoJack is feeling great and ready to get back to his world. “I feel good,” he declares. “I feel clear.” But despite how positive he seems to have gotten, BoJack is still…
No Way Out – October 26, 2019 – “We’ve tried so many medications — antipsychotics, antidepressants, Adderall and more, but none of them has a long-term impact on the addiction. It is very hard to treat.” Doctors feel just as confounded about the meth epidemic, which has long been a widespread crisis in San Francisco’s homeless community, destroying countless lives. While meth has been a problem for more than two decades, city officials say they’ve seen a huge uptick in its use over the past decade, and it’s contributed to what is widely seen as a mental health crisis on…
Hef Made Me Do It – October 26, 2019 – ‘Some people drown themselves in drugs. And I drown myself in my addiction.’ Sex. And that’s what fed the ego, too. Money, clothes, cars, accolades, social media, paparazzi photos, going to Paris fashion week, all of that,” he added. Despite his penchant for pornography, Kanye recently told wife Kim Kardashianthat it affects his soul when her pictures are too sexy. It was seen in a clip of her reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians as she prepared for the Met Gala . The couple ended up arguing over Kim’s…
While They’re Eating Pizza? – OCTOBER 27, 2019 -It’s not a quick fix, she said. “It’s a lifelong decision with implications every single day for the rest of your life.” Nearly 5 million U.S. children and teens are severely obese, a near doubling over 20 years. Many have already developed related health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and liver disease. But most kids don’t get obesity surgery, mainly because most public and private health insurance doesn’t cover it or they live far from surgery centers, Armstrong said. Costs can total at least $20,000. Resistance from pediatricians is…
New TSA Rules CBD (Can Be Dumb) – OCTOBER 25, 2019 – Previously, it said that CBD was not allowed. The new rule says it is allowed if it contains less that 0.3% THC, the substance in cannabis that provides the high. For more information, it refers fliers to the farm bill of 2018, which was signed into law that December. When the change was made public, the question arose about how TSA officers would know your product contains less than 0.3% THC. Of course, they could read the label, but imagine the lines that would form while they’re squinting…
MEDIA: BOOK Recomendation – 2019 – The free market capitalists in the 18th century were not privy to the techno-assisted addictions that were to come later. This book has important implications for how we organize our lives and shape policy. Here’s a few things that came to mind: To make your phone less addictive, delete social media apps. Move mail and messages away from the bottom bar. Make the screen black and white. To deal with food addiction, exert the most self-control at the store. Eat plenty of protein and fiber which better satiate. Likit the amount of processed…
Purple Faze – October 25, 2019 – She is the daughter of rock royalty who is never afraid to experiment with her look. And Kelly Osbourne brought the sex appeal to the spooky season as she attended Paris Hilton’s lavish Halloween bash in Beverly Hills on Thursday. Sharing her excitement about the Halloween bash, she wrote on Instagram: ‘I had so much fun last night at @parishilton Halloween party!! What do you guys think of my costume?’ The TV star was in her element as she posed for a number of fun snaps with her pals, including the hostess herself,…
Drop In the Bucket – Oct. 25, 2019 – The company in July agreed to pay the federal government $1.4 billion to resolve its potential criminal and civil liability regarding the marketing of Suboxone, with $500 million going to the federal government and up to $200 million split among several states. For example, Washington state said it received $2.2 million, West Virginia received nearly $12 million and Ohio said it will receive $39.4 million. All states will use a large percentage of their settlements to reimburse federal Medicaid programs. Suboxone is a drug that reduces withdrawal symptoms and is used…
Everyone Loses – October 25, 2019 – “Like all culture, it varies from region to region and is a a result of history, demand, law enforcement,” Dezman said. In Baltimore, where Dezman is an emergency physician, heroin has been the most commonly misused substance among residents for decades, he explained, adding that since methamphetamine use in the U.S. started in California, that could explain the drug’s stronger regional foothold. Methamphetamines “can be made cheaply using materials found on most farms,” Dezman said. “A large amount of toxic waste is produced in the process, so methamphetamines are more often produced in…
Total Bullshit. Why do rehabs stay so quiet? – October 28, 2019 – Lopez: “You have to pull back, and find out how this treatment system came to be, to begin with. And, for a long time, addiction was not considered a disease, it wasn’t considered a medical condition. That started to change in recent years. But in that context, where it wasn’t considered disease, the model that took off in the U.S. — where they really started treating addiction, to begin with — was this 12-step model. So we’re talking Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous. And the system kind of…
The Most Important Person in the Room – OCT. 28, 2019 – The “Justice League” actor, wearing a suit and a skull mask, had trouble standing and was walking unsteadily while headed to his ride after the UNICEF Masquerade Ball on Saturday in West Hollywood. TMZ captured it all on video … The incident came as Affleck, 47, was exposed last week by Page Six as a member of the exclusive, celebrity-friendly dating app Raya. The A-lister seemingly confirmed his Raya activity in a tweet Saturday, saying on social media, “HA, you got me. I’m dating. But let’s be serious…
No Confidence Vote – October 24, 2019- The SUPPORT for Patient and Communities Act was a bipartisan bill that sought to curb the opioid epidemic by increasing access to behavioral and mental health providers, expanding resources for neonatal abstinence syndrome treatment and improving state prescription drug monitoring programs. Yet, 20 million Americans still suffer with substance use disorders, said Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Some are tricked into treatment at “sober homes” where they’re exploited and not given proper care, Grassley said. “The last thing you need when you’re suffering from this disease is yet more obstacles — rip-off…
Three Pointer – Oct. 24, 2019 – “That’s why I do this. It’s because our children need the tools.They need to be armed with a certain awareness, a level of education and to talk about prevention,” said Herren. “For me, it’s that pressure can turn into something like it did for me and I hope to prevent it for others.” Participants also got the chance to ask him questions as well. Full Story @WBNG See THE FIRST DAY in New York, Nov. 1. IN PERSON: Chris Herren and director Johnathan Hock – TICKETS HERE
Buying Happiness, Then Dying? – Oct. 19, 2019 – A recent book by University of North Florida historian and addiction expert David T. Courtwright, called The Age of Addiction: How Bad Habits Became Big Business, tries to answer these questions in a fascinating history of corporate America’s efforts to shape our habits and desires. What we have today is something Courtwright calls “limbic capitalism,” a reference to the part of the brain that deals with pleasure and motivation. As our understanding of psychology and neurochemistry has advanced, companies have gotten better at exploiting our instincts for profit. Think, for example,…
Sober Soda Goes National – Oct. 24, 2019 – “Austin has become such a CPG hotbed and there’s a culture where a lot of the guys who have discretionary income to invest like to get in on these deals [with early stage companies],” Hurt said in a phone call today. “So we were able to fold together a lot of great guys. They are very wealthy, but they have great hearts so it aligns with our mission.” According to Hurt, the brand’s social mission was a key driver in securing financing. The company donates 50% of its profits to sober…