Money Money Money – August 17, 2018 – The UK private rehab market is set to grow exponentially, one of the largest addiction firms in the country has said after receiving US investment. Addiction treatment centres have reported increases in the number of people seeking help, and concerns have been raised that cuts to drug and alcohol services mean some addicts are being cut adrift. UK Addiction Treatment Centres (Ukat), which runs seven treatment facilities in England and is the largest private addiction treatment firm in the UK by patient volume, said it had received investment from the US-based multinational…
Author: Leonard Buschel
Prescribing Death for New Yorkers – July 11, 2018 – The sister of a Staten Island man who died of a drug overdose two days after visiting a Manhattan physician dubbed the “Oxy Doc” dissolved into tears on the stand Wednesday as she recalled finding her brother’s body.“ [My son] came in the room and told me to come look at how uncle was sleeping,” Krystal Benedetto tearfully told jurors during Dr. Martin Tesher’s Brooklyn federal court trial for illegal distribution of controlled substances … The 28-year-old said she found her brother, Nicholas Benedetto, in the fetal position with his…
Trying NOT to Score – August 18, 2018 – Gordon, who’s been in a treatment program at the University of Florida, announced on Twitter Saturday that he’s back with the Browns, but that he must continue to work hard on staying clean and sober. League spokesman Brian McCarthy told cleveland.com that Gordon’s return to the team is ‘part of the process. (He continues) to make progress. No timetable for the next steps.’’ He said Gordon’s treatment plan, which falls under the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse, is a collaborative effort on the part of the league, the Browns and…
Set to Save Lives – August 16, 2018 – n March, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared addiction a crisis and requested state leaders to come up with a strategy to combat it. Several hundred people met in downtown Portland Thursday to do just that. “Addiction knows no boundaries,” Jordan Hansen with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation said. Hansen said he battled with addiction 10 years ago. “This is somebody that was unemployed, had health issues and I didn’t care if I lived or died,” Hansen said. All these years later, after turning his life around, he says he is working…
FAKE DRUGS are Our Enemy – August 16, 2018 – On the same day that more than two dozen people were raced from a New Haven, Conn., park to emergency rooms after violent reactions to synthetic marijuana, federal authorities announced that more than 72,000 people had died of drug overdoses nationwide in 2017. Leading the death toll is the increasing number of fatalities from fentanyl. “It is the 2.0 of drugs right now, the synthetics,” said Tom Synan, the police chief in Newtown, Ohio. In an unusual episode involving a batch of synthetic drugs, more than a dozen people fell…
Freedom Healthcare Crooks – August 15, 2018 – Websites associated with Freedom Healthcare of America and Addiction Enders are using deceptive practices and unauthorized trademark material to mislead consumers seeking addiction treatment away from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Minnesota this week. The 30-page complaint accuses the two addiction treatment companies of using their websites, and the phone numbers and trademarked content on those websites, of falsely promoting Hazelden’s treatment centers only to direct consumers to other treatment centers in different states. The lawsuit claims Addiction Campuses and Addiction Enders are using the…
For Our UK Fans: Totally Entertaining – August 17, 2018 – “At a spiritual level it’s a disaster, it’s just basically saying we’re going to lie around in our own shit.” Novelist Will Self thinks as a society we’re failing to tackle addiction. In the middle of July’s heatwave, he is running a workshop to help fundraise for Chandos House, Bristol’s last remaining drug rehab centre that is battling to stay open. Addiction is a deeply personal issue for Self, who was a heroin user for years and spent six months at Broadway Lodge rehab in Weston-Super-Mare in the 1980s.…
I Say a Little Prayer – August 17, 2018 – But Aretha’s life was far from sunshine and rainbows, and amid a wildly successful career spanning nearly six decades, the singer struggled with alcoholism, abusive marriages and her own massive insecurities. A PROMISCUOUS FATHER Aretha’s father, Clarence LaVaughn Franklin was a travelling preacher from Mississippi, while her mother, Barbara Siggers, was an accomplished singer and pianist. As Aretha was growing up, Mr Franklin developed a form of celebrity status for his emotive preaching style, earning thousands of dollars to deliver sermons in various churches across the country. He would later…
That’s Very Rare – August 18, 2018 – Every year, thousands of people addicted to opioids show up at hospital emergency rooms in withdrawal so agonizing it leaves them moaning and writhing on the floor. Usually, they’re given medicines that help with vomiting or diarrhea and sent on their way, maybe with a few numbers to call about treatment. When Rhonda Hauswirth arrived at the Highland Hospital E.R. here, retching and shaking violently after a day and a half without heroin, something very different happened. She was offered a dose of buprenorphine on the spot. One of three medications approved…
There is a Solution – August 17, 2018 – This year, I celebrated five years sober. It’s been over six years since I first started seriously questioning my relationship with alcohol and considered a life without it … The life I had before I quit drinking was a lot like Groundhog Day; I was always waiting for it to begin and always reliving the same stuff, day after day, year after year. When I finally walked away from booze at 34, my life opened up. I can honestly say sobriety is the best thing I have ever done for myself. It…
Sackler Family – Guilty as Sin – August 17, 2018 – Two decades ago, Purdue Pharma produced thousands of brochures and videos that urged patients with chronic pain to ask their physicians for opioids such as OxyContin, arguing that concerns over addiction and other dangers from the drugs were overblown, company records reveal. Kaiser Health News earlier this year posted a cache of Purdue marketing documents that show how the pharmaceutical company sought to boost sales of the prescription painkiller, starting in the mid-1990s. Full Story @ HealthLeadersMedia.com
Such a Friendly Sounding Word… – August 17, 2018 – “It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien,” Musk told the New York Times in an interview published on Thursday, which came after the Tesla founder claimed on Twitter that he was considering taking the company private. The tweet sparked a furore among both markets and media, while lawyers warned he could have broken a law prohibiting publicly traded companies from announcing plans to buy or sell securities. If Ambien is to blame, Musk would not be the only celebrity to act strangely under the influence of the…
American Dream Denied – August 15, 2018 – The death toll is higher than the peak yearly death totals from H.I.V., car crashes or gun deaths. Analysts pointed to two major reasons for the increase: A growing number of Americans are using opioids, and drugs are becoming more deadly. It is the second factor that most likely explains the bulk of the increased number of overdoses last year. The picture is not equally bleak everywhere. In parts of New England, where a more dangerous drug supply arrived early, the number of overdoses has begun to fall. That was the case in…
Keeping it Unreal – August 15, 2018 – 71 people suffering from apparent overdoses were transported to local hospitals from the New Haven Green, according Dave Hartman with New Haven Police. Another 5 people refused medical attention and were not in enough distress to be transported for treatment, he said. Three arrests have been made in the case, Hartman said, but officials cannot say for certain if all three arrested or just one of them are directly responsible for the overdoses. Their names have not been released and the investigation is ongoing, police said. Police believe all the overdoses are…
Act As If – August 18, 2018 -Not only is Showtime’s five-part mini-series “Patrick Melrose” a superb cinematic adaptation of Edward St Aubyn’s five searing novels, it marks Benedict Cumberbatch’s best performance ever. While some may prefer his Oscar-nominated “The Imitation Game,” star-making Emmy-winner “Sherlock,” or little-seen Emmy-nominated role in “Parade’s End,” it’s “Patrick Melrose” that feels like a role he was born to play. The 42-year-old British star, who moves easily from comic-book roles like Marvel’s Doctor Strange to the BBC’s urbane “Sherlock” and the high drama of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” scored his sixth Emmy nomination (one of five for…
Bi-Polar Destruction – August 8, 2018 – “Superman” actress Margot Kidder’s death has been ruled a suicide, according to the Associated Press. Kidder’s daughter, Maggie McGuane, told the publication on Wednesday that she knew her mother had died by suicide when she went to her home in Livingston, Mont. Kidder died in her sleep on May 13 from what Park County Coroner Richard Wood said in a statement was the result of “a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose.” McGuane said she found relief knowing that the truth about her mother’s death was finally known to the public. She told the…
Self Care Comes First – August 9, 2018 – McPartlin first checked himself into rehab last summer, citing an addiction to prescription drugs. He returned to the screens but stepped back from all presenting duties after crashing his car in a drink-driving offence in March, which resulted in him being fined £86,000 and given a 20-month driving ban. “My recovery is going very well and, for that to continue, having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off,” McPartlin said, in a statement issued through his publicist. “I’d like to thank…
Older But Wiser? – August 8, 2018 – In the last week, 14 people have died from drug overdoses in Cuyahoga County. While addicts younger in age may come to mind, half of these recent deaths were people age 60 and over … When it comes to who is abusing opioids, the focus is often on one key demographic. “Usually the folks hardest hit by this are people between the ages of 45-50,” said Scott Osiecki, Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County. A dramatic shift emerged in this latest surge of fatal overdoses. “Fifty percent…
Positive STATE of Affairs – August 7, 2018 – Wyoming is considered one of the best states for drug addiction treatment support ranking second in a new study. It’s no surprise: a drug epidemic is sweeping the nation, and our own backyard. But a new study shows when it comes to addiction treatment support, Wyoming surpasses other states. “This was really nice to see”. According to a termlife2go report, Wyoming ranks second for best addiction treatment support. Data was based off overdose rates, concentration of rehab and detox facilities per capita, and sentencing practices for drug possession. Full Story @…
Too Much Rumspringa? – August 09, 2018 – Burkholder, who also appears on the TLC spinoff Return to Amish, described the emotional state both Sean and Jethro were in after they realized she no longer had a pulse. “Sean did CPR on me and kept on going even after my heart had stopped beating … Sean and Jethro both told me later that Sean tried to stop after he realized I was gone, but Jethro kept screaming at him to keep on going and wouldn’t let him stop giving me CPR,” Burkholder recalled. “Heaven is for real. If you had…
Stick with the Winners – Steve Jones grew up on the wind-swept island of Anglesey, North Wales and graduated, in Chemistry, at North London University. His first play, Cracked Eggs was staged at the Finborough Theatre in Earls Court, London. He later co-produced Cracked Eggs as a short film featuring Jared Harris (King George VI in ‘The Crown’), which screened at the Austin, Boston Underground, LA Shorts, and London Independent film festivals. His subsequent plays, Baloopa’s Journey and Hero & Zero, were awarded arts council grants in England, Austria, and Lithuania. Steve is the co-author of ‘Smile Now, Cry Later,’…
Solution Based Solution – AUGUST 11, 2018 – The government announced that the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs was asked to propose a program that would improve the quality of life for those struggling with substance abuse. Health Minister Bente Hoie said in a statement posted to Facebook that they hoped the initiative would “provide a solution that will give … a better quality of life to some addicts who are today out of our reach and whom current programmes do not help enough”. Full Story @ Independent.co.uk
Doors of Perception Still Open – August 11, 2018 – They aren’t drugs you’d ever expect to see scribbled on a doctor’s prescription pad: ecstasy, “magic” mushrooms, ayahuasca. But in recent years, a number of small studies have explored the potential for psychedelic drugs to treat certain mental health conditions. And the results suggest that, along with talk therapy, the drugs may benefit some people. “Combined with [talk therapy], some psychedelic drugs like MDMA [or ecstasy], psilocybin [the active ingredient in magic mushrooms] and ayahuasca may improve symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD],” Cristina Magalhaes, an associate professor…
Reliving the Pain – August 10, 2018 – In a recent interview with “Today” Lisa Marie Presley revealed she is recovering from a fight with drug addiction. The singer also opened up about her father, Elvis Presley’s legacy. Watch to see the emotional interview! Full Story @ AccessOnline.com
Doing the Right Thing – August 10, 2018 – Two torturous days later, Jeff Duncan came home. Although he returned to rehab, the Duncans decided their approach wasn’t working. They sought help, eventually connecting with a program that, instead of tough love, stresses empathy: CRAFT or Community Reinforcement and Family Training. “There was more compassion and, ‘Wow, this is really difficult for you’; more open questions to him instead of dictating what he should and should not behave like,” says Bea. Many drug users say, in hindsight, they’ve appreciated being forced into treatment. But studies show that a compassionate approach…
Lock Him Up – August 9, 2018 – “The caller then said that Stehl had given [the patient] his cellular telephone number and told [the patient] to “call if [she] needed a refill,” the complaint cited. The investigator states he checked Stehl’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Report, or PDMP, which stores information about the prescribing of controlled substances in Alabama. That report showed ‘extensive and alarming’ prescribing habits, ranking Stelh’s prescription rate 116 of 12,843 providers in Alabama in 2018. “That puts him in the top 0.9 percent of all prescribers,” according to the court record. The investigator solicited statements from…
Warning Shots Work – August 9, 2018 – Addressed directly to the doctor, the letter arrived in a plain business envelope with a return address of the San Diego County medical examiner’s office. Its contents were intended, ever so carefully, to focus the physician on a national epidemic of opioid abuse — and his or her possible role in it. “This is a courtesy communication to inform you that your patient [name, date of birth inserted here] died on [date inserted here]. Prescription drug overdose was either the primary cause of death or contributed to the death,” the letter read.…
Pulling a Fast One – AUGUST 7, 2018 – Taking opioids after having wisdom teeth removed may set the patient up for more long-term drug use. Full Story @ Philly.com
Real … Tragedy – August 11, 2018 – The 51-year-old was found dead at his apartment in Trump Tower, New York City on Friday. While the New York Police Department did not confirm Shields’ name, a spokesperson confirmed that a 51-year-old man was pronounced dead on the scene. The NYPD spokesperson added: ‘Preliminarily, we are investigating it as a possible overdose.’ According to The New York Post, Shields asked his assistant to administer him with Narcan – an emergency medication used to reverse the effects of opioids (this was recently used by paramedics to revive Demi Lovato following her overdose).…
All Time Low for Addicts – AUGUST 11, 2018 – It’s an all-time low for people trying to get high. (for CC) For WS (website) AUGUST 11, 2018 – It’s an all-time low for people trying to get high. Some are deliberately and intentionally harming their pets in order to get a prescription for opioids. According to a study by the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, people addicted to opioids are injuring their own pets, or even dogs not belonging to them, to satiate their opioid obsession. In response, CU Anschutz has created an online course for veterinarians to…