Movies Make a Difference – Jan. 16, 2018 – Addiction knows no boundaries and doesn’t discriminate on gender, race, age or wealth. There’s a stigma – most are picturing someone who looks run down, beaten and dirty. A film, called “Reversing the Stigma,” however, shows it can be harder for those suffering through addiction to get help. It can also be hard for them to convince others they do want to change … Laurie Dhue was a successful news anchor with shows on Fox, MSNBC and CNN. While she reported and shared stories, there was one story not many knew.…
Author: Leonard Buschel
Too Young – Too Sad – Jan 20, 2018 – Olivia Lua, 23, died in a rehab facility in West Hollywood on Friday morning. The actress, who used the screen name Olivia Voltaire, is believed to have died from mixing prescription drugs and alcohol. It is not known how she got the substances into the facility where she was being treated for addiction … In his statement, Derek Hay of L.A. Direct Models said Lua had been battling addiction for some time and was seeking help. Full Story @ DailyMail.co.uk
Rest In Peace – Jan. 20, 2018 – “His recent death is tragic yet he died from doing what he loved and what will continue to keep his spirit alive. Touring with a broken hip because he would have it no other way. He loved performing. There are no hypothetical questions I love my dad and feel he is an immortal badass,” she wrote … The amount of pain his hip caused was beyond a normal surgery. He is at peace out of pain I thank you for respecting my family’s privacy and inviting love during this shocking new chapter.…
Living Sober is Never Denied – Jan. 18, 2018 – “Speaking of them as if they were violent criminals, as if they were inmates. There was talk of – ‘what if they escape?’ They want to be there, they are not trying to escape. They want to be sober, they are pursuing their recovery here.” … The plan called for a 20-bed sober living facility for women in a big, white Victorian house off Main Street. But zoning officials worried it was too close to a local elementary school. The permit was denied on a 3-2 vote. There were also…
Mrs. Tuffet Objects – Jan. 18, 2018 – Little Miss Muffet has nothing on a Florida man who called 911 to report that his wife had become a “black widow spider.” William Rutger, 61, of Tarpon Springs, called for emergency help around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, saying he wanted his arachnid wife to be involuntarily given a mental examination … The deputies said they warned Rutger not to call 911, except for an emergency, and left. That message went unheeded. Rutger called 911 again about 90 minutes later, repeating his complaint that his wife had become a black widow spider, according…
With What, a Cork? – Jan. 17, 2018 – Addicts around the country are enticed to California with offers of free travel, rent, cigarettes and even manicures, often landing in centers that would not be allowed to open elsewhere. California’s hands-off approach to regulating the industry makes it easy for almost anyone to open a treatment center and charge insurance companies hundreds of thousands of dollars per client, without being required to show evidence that their treatment helps rather than harms. The concentration of facilities is so dense the Los Angeles basin has been dubbed the “Rehab Riviera.” … “Creating…
Look It Up – Jan. 17, 2018 – A PROTEST has been held in opposition to a drug rehab centre linked to Scientology which could soon be situated beside a creche and montessori. Parents, business owners and political representatives, turned out to protest against the 56-bed Narconon facility planned for Ballivor, Co Meath, on the site of a former national school. The centre – linked to the Church of Scientology – is unpopular with residents concerned about the group’s presence in the village of around 2,000 people. Florence Hamilton, who runs Little Steps montessori, which would neighbour the rehab facility…
UGH – UGG – Jan 18, 2018 – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced today that Bed Bath & Beyond has voluntarily recalled about 175,000 UGG comforters due to the risk of mold exposure. The recalled Hudson comforters by UGG were sold at the retailer between August 2017 and October 2017, both in-store and online. The recall notice says that mold could be present, “posing a risk of respiratory or other infections in individuals with compromised immune systems, damaged lungs or an allergy to mold. Full Story @ ABCNews.com
JUST SAY NO Way – January 20, 2018 – It’s the only agency in government with the expertise and authority to look at the drug problem holistically and mandate action across the board,” he said. “Addressing our national drug problem is complicated and requires a well-resourced team of experts who focus on this epidemic full time. Now is not the time to cut the ground out from the public servants working to save lives.” … “It doesn’t make sense to move thse programs out of ONDCP,” DOJ and HHS have a bunch of competing priorities on their plates and keping…
Excess Leads to Excess – Jan. 22, 2018 – “Understanding differences in risk for opioid misuse across various patient populations and clinical contexts is critical in informing the creation of narrowly tailored guidelines, clinical decision making, and the national conversation on this topic.” “Our results indicate that each additional week of medication use, every refill is an important maker of risk for abuse or dependence,” said co-first author Denis Agniel, Ph.D., a statistician at the RAND Corporation and a part-time lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at HMS. Full Story @ PsychCentral.com
Public Hanging Anyone? – Jan. 17, 2018 – Eleven reputed mobsters were arrested in connection with a heroin and fentanyl ring that distributed the drugs to Staten Island, Brooklyn and New Jersey. The suspects, named in a federal indictment, were arrested Wednesday morning on Staten Island – where the ring was based. They are described as reputed Albanian mobsters. Watch video of them being walked by police officers and DEA agents in the player above. Full Story @ ABC7NY.com
Talk is Cheap, Action is Holy – Jan. 4, 2018 – The disease of addiction doesn’t discriminate, said Honesty Liller, CEO of the McShin Foundation, a Virginia nonprofit that supports substance users and families. Liller, who’s been sober for more than ten years, began using drugs at age twelve, discovered heroin at seventeen, overdosed and was brought back with naloxone (a prescription medicine that reverses the effects of an overdose), relapsed, and finally found a treatment that worked. She and her husband are raising their two kids in a substance-free environment. “We don’t sugarcoat stuff here,” says Liller. “This is life…
Judged/mental – Jan. 7, 2018 – The most stressful question during law school that a student in addiction recovery or who has sought treatment for other mental health issues may not be about the rule against perpetuities on that property exam. It may be the addiction/mental health question on the application that must be filled out to sit for the bar exam. The question that may be phrased in a way requiring an applicant to disclose mental health issue(s) that may only be known to the applicant and his/her therapist or other treatment provider. Full Story @ AboveTheLaw.com
MEDIA: Book Recommendation – January 2018 – The compelling true story, chronicling the life of renowned psychic Carrie Shubert. A rebellious teen growing up in the hippie music scene, Carrie decides to escape the drug and sex-crazed music culture to settle down and live a ‘normal life’ with a seemingly ordinary salesman. Sobriety, marriage, children, and several million dollars later, the façade begins to crumble, as Carrie realizes she has stepped into a family with unfathomable dysfunction. Carrie discovers the man she has married is living a double life. Investigations, murder, death, and an earthquake bring about soul-transforming change, which…
TRUTH Speaks Louder Than Words — January 11, 2018 – Marlee Matlin says she has a lot to be thankful for as she celebrates 31 years of sobriety. The Oscar-winning actress, 52, shared a photo on Twitter Wednesday smiling as she proudly held up her 31 years clean chip commemorating the occasion. “Ending my day, so grateful that today, I am celebrating exactly 31 years of sobriety. #grateful #thankful #sober,” the former Dancing with the Stars contestant tweeted. Full Story @ People.com
Headaches Cause Headaches – Jan. 9, 2018 – Testicles not only produce sperm, they secrete testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. All three drugs then are “anti-androgenic,” meaning they disrupt male hormones, explained David M. Kristensen, study co-author and a senior scientist in the Department of Neurology at Copenhagen University Hospital … For the men taking ibuprofen, within 14 days, their luteinizing hormones – which are secreted by the pituitary gland and stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone – became coordinated with the level of ibuprofen circulating in their blood. At the same time, the ratio of testosterone to luteinizing hormones…
Awake to Reality – January 8, 2018 – Butcher wrote about enjoying life to the fullest and talked frankly about her mortality as well as the things she wished she had more time to do, like raise her own family. “It’s a strange thing to realise and accept your mortality at 26 years young,” she wrote. “It’s just one of those things you ignore. The days tick by and you just expect they will keep on coming; until the unexpected happens.” “That’s the thing about life,” she continued. “It is fragile, precious and unpredictable and each day is a gift,…
MAYBE – MAYBE NOT – Jan. 8, 2017 – “A lot of people struggling with alcohol problems do not know where to turn,” Koob says. “Ninety percent of adults in the U.S. with an alcohol use disorder don’t get any treatment whatsoever.” … And there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to getting help. There is a wide range of options — from residential “detox” programs to cognitive behavioral therapy, to medications such as naltrexone that can help people drink less, or acamprosate, which can help people stay dry. But many people who might need help don’t know these options exist. It’s…
Maybe Yes, Maybe No – Jan. 8, 2018 – Let’s address the elephant in the room: Johann Hari does not have a flawless reputation. He has been absent from the spotlight for many years following a plagiarism scandal, compounded by less-than-dignified behaviour towards his critics. Admittedly, he has since shown remorse and contrition over the whole affair, but even a cursory glance online reveals he’s a long way from universal forgiveness. Logically, someone with a reputation for making false claims should be the last person making high-profile, controversial, sweeping statements about something as sensitive as mental health. And yet, here…
Boredom? – Jan. 13, 2018 – Boredom is, at most, a mildly annoying emotional state, but having nothing to do on a lazy Saturday afternoon could be a gateway to more problematic behaviors. It comes down to a simple Freudian principle: We are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain. This is the reason why many people reach for comfort food to deal with negative emotions, like the clichéd container of ice cream after getting dumped. Recent research conducted by PsychTests reveals nine factors that can trigger emotional eating. Full Story @ PRWeb.com
Truth on the Hill – Jan. 9, 2018 – Opioid Crisis Sam Quinones, a journalist and the author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic testified at a hearing on the opioid epidemic occurring in many communities across the country. Mr. Quinones discussed his research and lessons learned over the course of writing his book. Full Story @ C-Span.org
Unburning Bridges – Jan. 12, 2018 – Robert Downey Jr. responded to Hugh Grant’s claim that he “wanted to kill” his former co-star with a classy reply. “A lot has happened over two decades! I respect how Mr. Grant has matured as an artist & voice against violations of privacy,” the “Iron Man” star said on Twitter Thursday. “Let’s break bread together soon @HackedOffHugh,” Downey wrote, adding the hashtag ”#burythehachet2018.” Full Story @ HuffingtonPost.com
How Do We Help? – JANUARY 8, 2018 – Although Max was injured, he refused opioids for pain treatment, keenly aware of his addiction history. But when the time came for Max to have hand surgery for an injury secondary to the accident, he was administered IV fentanyl. That’s when everything changed. “When he came out of the OR, his eyes were glazed over and he was fuzzy, struggling to speak,” Dr. Baker told Anesthesiology News. “And he said to me, ‘Dad, I need drugs.’ Starting that day, he relapsed. And within a month, he was dead.” Full Story @…
How Is That Possible? – January 9, 2018 – Participants are asked such questions as: “More than once, [have you] wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?” and “[Have you] had to drink much more than you once did to get the effect you want? Or found that your usual number of drinks had much less effect than before?” Then, depending on the survey results, the site recommends treatment options, which range from full-blown detox programs to less intensive outpatient therapies. Users are also directed to directories of therapists and clinical facilities, searchable by ZIP…
Blood in the Needle – Jan. 10, 2018 – Administration officials confirmed that the contract for running the database has been terminated. A new entity will take over the program’s duties. A director for that group was announced Monday, but no other staff members are in place. Agency spokesman Brian Dominguez said Wednesday that the new entity is “working closely” with other parts of the agency to “institute an even more scientifically rigorous approach to better inform the identification and implementation of evidence-based programs and practices.” Officials did not give specifics about how the new approach will work, when it…
I Hope He Gets Some – Jan. 15, 2018 – Weyeneth is now assistant to the country’s acting Drug Czar, a job historically occupied by lawyers and government officials with many years of experience. Weyeneth has no experience at all — even the fabrications on his resumes (there are three of these in the public domain, each giving a different, contradictory version of his working life) don’t amount to anything that would justify giving this young frat guy administrative oversight of such an important role. Trump officials explained that Weyeneth was qualified to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic because he…
Drinking or Dropping, It’s All the Same – Jan. 12, 2018 – On the street, methadone is sometimes referred to as the “liquid handcuffs.” … The limited data recently made available by the New York City health department hints at structural discrepancies in access to treatment that become obvious during visits to these clinics. In New York City, 53 percent of participants in methadone programs are Latino, 23 percent are black, and 21 percent are white, according to 2016 health department data. Full Story @ NYTimes.com
Living Good is the Best Revenge – Jan. 11, 2018 – It Took Me Years to Realize That My Drug Use and HIV Diagnosis Were Linked to Childhood Sexual Abuse. But Once I Made the Connection, Change Began … “But you’re still my uncle!” Frustrated that his manipulation wasn’t working, he pounced on me and tried to rape me. We fought. I kept kicking him. He was very mad and put me up against the wall, clutching my throat. “If you ever tell anyone, I’ll kill you!” he threatened. I left without being raped – that time. YEARS of TRAUMA…
Write More, Write On – Jan. 2018 – Looking for inspiration? Would a more positive perspective on your life be beneficial? Would you like to rediscover empowering memories and clarify your dreams? And how about saying goodbye to writer’s block and generating new material for your memoir or fiction? Write For Recovery is derived from the field of creative writing and uses the same type of exercises that are taught to inspire fiction writers, but redesigned in order to be geared toward healing. Full Story @ Amazon.com
Relationships – Jan. 7, 2018 – “He’s technical, and my abilities are much more hands-in-the-dirt kind of thing,” Ms. London said. “I’m the one bringing home the animals, adding more pets, much to his consternation. He’ll say, ‘What? This wasn’t what we planned!’” She added, “We have things we don’t see eye to eye on but there’s never been a doubt that overall, we are a team. I think marriage is constantly choosing to be a team. It’s a conscious decision — this is a priority. This is home base.” Full Story @ NYTimes.com