Touching – Nov. 28, 2018 – Lau’s first experience with prescription painkillers came at 17. She was outside in flip-flops with a puppy. The grass was wet. She fell, and her left ankle “went the wrong way.” Lau underwent surgery — she received a plate and screws in one side, and a screw in the other. She also got her first prescription. She doesn’t remember being warned about the risk of addiction. At 19, Lau recreationally started using painkillers. She said she didn’t have a good reason. She liked the way the drugs made her feel — how they numbed…
Author: Leonard Buschel
It’s Complicated – Nov 29, 2018 – When I wrote a book about women and addiction, I reasoned against using labels. Woman of Substances includes my own hectic tale of smashing phone boxes, hurling pints, stealing from dealers and blacking out in inconvenient places – not always as fun as it sounds – but it’s also a book about temperament, impulsivity, mental health, female rage and trauma. So when it came to the media coverage, I was dismayed to receive ‘recovering alcoholic speaks’-style headlines, as though I was a failure who had come good. Full Story @ Metro.co.uk
Cartoon Villain – Nov. 29, 2018 – According to court documents, Shriharsh Laxman Pole, 65, was operating the Excel Medical Clinic in Woodbridge even though his medical license was suspended in 2009 for improper prescription of opiates. Federal prosecutors say Pole worked with a nurse practitioner in Fredericksburg and another physician to prescribe the medications. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Full Story @ LocalDVM.com
Kindness Heals – DECEMBER 1, 2018 – We could choose to provide education and offer the means to prevent transmission such as syringe access programs, safe consumption facilities and shifting the government’s response to drug use away from the police and toward the health and well-being of people who use drugs. But more than 35 years after the epidemic exploded in the U.S. and despite more than 600,000 deaths, the U.S. government has refused to promote, adopt and fund these life-saving practices. As a result, there are nearly 50,000 new cases of HIV infection in the U.S. each year. Many…
Klean Sweep – November 29, 2018 – The Klean center, located at 850 Hilldale Ave., has 26 beds and offers a variety of treatment programs. Klean also currently operates residential treatment facilities in Long Beach, Wash., and La Pine, Ore., as well as offering outpatient services in both of those states and in West Hollywood. It and the Breathe Life Healing Center at 8750 Sunset Blvd. are the only addiction recovery services in West Hollywood that offer residential treatment, although others are nearby. David Giugni, West Hollywood’s social services manager, said in an email that Klean has confirmed it will…
USD = United States Death? – Nov. 28, 2018 – Overall life expectancy for Americans was 78.6 years in 2017, a drop of 0.1 year. That may not seem like much, but usually, life expectancy goes up a little each year. If it goes down, it means people are dying at younger ages. The death rates are driven mostly by a startling 9.6 percent increase in drug overdose deaths, from 63,632 in 2016, to 70,237 in 2017. Most of the overdoses involved opioids of some sort, and the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics recorded a 45 percent increase in…
Comeback Kid – Nov. 28. 2018 – Unfortunately, Adderall tends to have a “high abuse liability,” meaning it’s particularly easy to misuse it by injecting it or snorting it, Frances Levin, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in addiction at the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry told Refinery29. Bynes told Paper that she would chew Adderall tablets in her trailer because she thought they would make her “more high.” Misusing Adderall can lead to a slew of uncomfortable side effects, including a fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat, bladder pain, and even cardiac arrest, according to the Mayo Clinic. Full Story…
Brave New World – Nov. 28, 2018 -Some experts have estimated that up to a quarter of those incarcerated have opioid-use disorder. But most jails and prisons around the country do not give inmates access to methadone or buprenorphine, two medications that many experts consider to be the gold standards for treatment of opioid-use disorder. Full Story @ NYTimes.com
SPEED KILLS Too! – Nov. 27, 2018 – Doctors see evidence of the drug’s comeback in emergency departments, where patients arrive agitated, paranoid and aggressive. Paramedics and police officers see it on the streets, where suspects’ heart rates are so high that they need to be taken to the hospital for medical clearance before being booked into jail. And medical examiners see it in the morgue, where in a few states, such as Texas and Colorado, overdoses from meth have surpassed those from the opioid heroin. Amphetamines are stimulant drugs, which are both legally prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity…
More from Gabor – Nov. 24, 2018 – Part of that price was addiction – whether to alcohol or drugs, gambling or sex, overwork or porn, extreme sports or gaming – but essential to understanding it, says Maté, is to realize that addiction is not in itself the problem but rather an attempt to solve a problem. “Our birthright as human beings is to be happy, and the addict just wants to be a human being.” And addictive behavior, though damaging in the medium or long term, can save you in the short term. “The primary drive is to regulate…
READING is for WINNERS – Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic (Expanded and Updated Edition) by Barry Meier, Random House, 223 pp., $27.00 Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America by Beth Macy, Little, Brown, 376 pp., $28.00 American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts by Chris McGreal, PublicAffairs, 316 pp., $27.00 American Fix: Inside Opioid Addiction Crisis—and How to End It by Ryan Hampton, with Claire Rudy Foster, All Points, 290 pp., $27.99 Full Story @ NYReviewofBooks.com
Keep Going Back – Nov. 23, 2018 – The 51-year-old performed in New Brunswick on Wednesday. He said he was allowed to temporarily put a stop to his treatment at the rehab that day, an unusual privilege granted by the treatment center. In a series of tweets, Lange described his experience at the addiction treatment center, praising the staff. “I’m at The Retreat by Lancaster PA. This place is a Godsend! They’re not payin’ me. No free stay. They do it right. I’m so grateful to them. The nurses are Angels. I’m not saying I will never relapse. I pray…
One Push-Up at a Time – Nov 20, 2018 – The nonprofit was founded in 2006 by 33-year-old triathlete and climber Scott Strode after experiencing firsthand how sports and adventure outings assisted in his own recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. The Phoenix offers a variety of workout classes and hosts outdoor group activities like bike rides and hikes. It’s all free—the only requirement is that participants have been sober for at least 48 hours. Soon Mielke gave in to Mike’s pestering and tagged along with him to her first CrossFit session. “I wanted to have the courage to try…
Soul Sacrifice – 11/21/2018 – It’s one big happy reunion in the beginning of the sneak peek to the Love & Hip Hop New York season premiere when Rich Dollaz, Safaree Samuels, Joe Budden and his beautiful baby boy Lexington link up. Now that Rich Dollaz is healthy again, he’s looking forward to new beginnings and Safaree is looking towards getting into a serious relationship. Joe Budden is aware of the “situation” Safaree was recently in while in Hollywood and reminds the Stunt Man to just get back to the music. After hearing that Safaree plans on performing his single…
Why? – November 16, 2018 – In states with access laws, pharmacies dispensed 79 percent more naloxone between 2007 and 2016 than those in states without such laws, one study found. Another study linked access and Good Samaritan laws to a 14 percent reduction in opioid overdose deaths. “It’s not a magic bullet,” said Corey S. Davis, deputy director of the Network for Public Health Law and a co-author of those two impact studies. “It’s not going to single-handedly solve the overdose crisis. But all the data we have suggest the more naloxone dispensing we have, the fewer deaths there…
Letting Go – Nov. 24, 2018 – No matter how much I hurt, I would go to Penn Station to get those doughnuts,” Mr. Warner said. “I loved those doughnuts.” He made the trips in secret for fear of how loved ones might react. Mr. Warner, 44, has been overweight all his life; he has hypogonadism and hypothyroidism. At his heaviest, he weighed 696 pounds. Destructive choices and habits contributed to his weight gain, he said. And the compulsion to overeat was driven in part by depression and anxiety. Full Story @ NYTimes.com
Lock Up or Shoot Up? – Nov. 21, 2018 – The unconscious prisoner’s cellmate, laughing, told McKee the man needed to go to the hospital, the patrol report said. The cellmate then came out of the cell, raised his arm toward McKee and told her “that she needed to go to the hospital and that she was going to die,” the report says. Seconds later, McKee felt burning and tingling on her arm. A short time later, she stepped from the cell and collapsed, according to the patrol report. Full Story @ DaytonDailyNews.com
Each One, Teach One! – Nov. 20, 2018 – “Some people are good at writing. Some people are good at public speaking,” Blake said. “I’m a good doctor. And I feel like that’s where I can fill a role to help with this epidemic.” Before her current job, Blake was already working half-time at an OB-GYN clinic that helps pregnant women get into addiction care. She also had the credentials to prescribe buprenorphine — which, under federal law, requires a special training course. So when the new opportunity opened up at the needle exchange, Blake jumped at it. “I was…
Carbonated Death? – 3/31/2016 – Soda may be available wherever you turn, but do your body a favor and stay away from it. To pour such nasty stuff into your system is to poison your body. There is no nutritional benefits from soda whatsoever, and experts agree that soda is the worst thing you can do to yourself. Remember: you only get one life. Full Story @ Inspiyr.com
Something to Learn – November 23, 2018 – A Montreal social work student is on a mission to save lives by teaching people how to administer the drug naloxone, which can counteract the effects of an opioid drug overdose within minutes. At high doses, opioids such as fentanyl, oxycodone and morphine can stop people from breathing. At least 10 Canadian users are dying each day from the painkiller drugs. There are many close calls. Richard Davy, who studies social work at McGill University, says that he saw people on the streets of his city who appeared to be overdosing “and…
MAT = Medically Assisted Tidying – Nov. 19, 2018 – Even the cleaning lady was filling out prescriptions after hours, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Cessar said Monday during a plea hearing for Ruth Jones. Dr. Jones, 57, was the second of two contract doctors at SKS to admit to doling out thousands of Suboxone doses to patients for cash in 2016 and 2017. Mr. Cessar said she got $40 per patient. She said it was only $20, but either way it was illegal. She waived indictment and pleaded to distributing Suboxone to someone identified only as “M.W.” She also pleaded…
Save the Children – November 23, 2018 – Children routinely watch drug users inject themselves — and they also see paramedics race to reverse overdoses. Every morning, school janitors scour the playgrounds for discarded needles and other evidence of a homeless population in addiction that has doubled in a year. Some students deal with addiction within their own families, and are further traumatized by seeing people openly inject heroin and fentanyl as they walk to school. Some go far out of their way to avoid the drug encampments in the neighborhood, and are late to class. Many worry about “becoming…
Worth the Trip? – Nov. 24 2018 – But people with severe addictions can benefit from being removed from their environments – their responsibilities and stressors, triggers and temptations – to “break the cycle”: detox, stabilise, confront their reasons for using drugs, and start learning how to live without them. The wait times for a bed at public rehabs in New Zealand, as well as the cost of private treatment here, are the primary reasons for Kiwis seeking addiction treatment overseas. In Southeast Asia, where costs of running such a facility are significantly lower than in New Zealand, fees may…
Hell or Help is On the Way? – November 8, 2018 – Compass Pathways has set itself up to be the first legal provider of psilocybin, having recently launched a massive clinical study across Europe and North America to test the drug as a treatment for depression. Last month, Compass’s psilocybin received “breakthrough therapy designation” from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meaning the study will be hastened through the drug-development process. That puts Compass well ahead of other institutions working in this field—and a recently filed patent application could help the company stay ahead. Prior to founding Compass,…
SO SAD – Nov. 24, 2018 – GHB’s popularity among young women and clubbers in general marks the third stage of its evolution as a drug: first, it was best known as a potent and dangerous date rape drug, slipped into the drinks of unknowing victims. Then it became popular at chemsex parties. Now it’s increasingly popular among young clubbers all over Europe. According to data given to the Guardian by this year’s Global Drug Survey, out of 1,000 GHB users, one in four women (and one in six men) have overdosed in the last 12 months alone. “That’s a…
One Bite at a Time – Nov 21, 2018 – FA understands food addiction as a physical, mental, and spiritual disease, and addresses these three dimensions with a structured, balanced food plan, daily help from a sponsor and fellow members, and ongoing support in working the Twelve Steps of AA as adapted for food addiction. Many members have maintained appropriate weights and healthy ways of eating for over 30 years. As one member puts it, “I’ve kept 65 pounds off my body for almost 12 years. I couldn’t keep it off for 12 minutes before FA. I would go on…
Touch Down – November 24, 2018 – He loved it. “It was an opportunity for me to release anger, frustration, and just a lot of things. Just a way for me to release my emotions,” said Bailey. He was really good. A highlight reel shows an interception against Arizona, his second during that game. He was so good his parents decorated the outside of their home with his name and jersey number, 23, and we in the media dropped by to talk with him after a big win. But off the field, alcohol and drug use that started in high…
A 180 – November 23, 2018 – After the ceremony, Riley held a chocolate cupcake and reflected on her journey. She hardly drank until she was 32, she said, but then a string of turmoil in her family, including her daughter’s murder, led her into drinking. “Things just started going down,” Riley said. “It was one thing after another.” She said most of her legal trouble stemmed from driving drunk. She was in and out of jail for years, eventually landing in LCCC. She got connected with Haven House, and was there for a few weeks before getting sent back…
Try Going a Day Without – Nov 21, 2018 – • FOMO: The fear of missing out, a phenomenon first identified in 2000 by marketing strategist Dan Herman and later allegedly coined by Patrick McGinnis, is apparently one of the stronger drivers of social network use. According to a 2013 Fix infographic, 67% of users feared they would “miss something” without their social media fix. • The ego needs a platform: And social media is the perfect place for it. According to researchers, the ego desires recognition, which can, in turn, drive us to disclose our personal information, pictures of…
Hitting the Right Note – Nov. 21, 2018 – Ryan Snuffer is the director of arts at the Academy of Creative arts. He said “We want to give them something positive and productive. We want to equip them with a lifelong hobby. Maybe for some of them, it will become more than a hobby some day.” He loves music and started playing when he was 20 years old. He even credited it with turning his life around when he was young. “I was going through a traumatic time in my life and music was therapy for me.” Snuffer said. “I…