MR. WHO? – Sept. 10, 2025 – As he divulged more about his sobriety journey, he confessed that there were moments when he struggled with wanting alcohol. But his lawyer offered him “a really poignant piece of advice,” telling Holland, “You’ll never wake up the morning after a night out and wish you had a drink.” The actor started participating in Dry January in 2022, originally planning to abstain just for the month. However, his sobriety extended when he realized alcohol had become an essential part of his life. “Every Friday after work was a write-off: Let’s get drunk and…
Author: Leonard Buschel
WHITE OR RED? – Sept. 11, 2025 – My mother Julia, a novelist, is witty and beautiful and engaging; she tells hilarious stories about people and says wise, unexpected things. I feel perfectly singled out in her company, as if I have been picked for some special privilege. The love I feel for her in these moments is overwhelming. Yet some hours later, when the sauvignon blanc bottles stand empty and discarded on the kitchen counter and the ashtray is full, we will argue, our voices slurred and faces swollen from drink. I can’t remember what the argument is about.…
“There are two kinds of people in the world. Avoid both of them.” – Arthur Schopenhauer, b.1788 Poland – d.1860 Germany
VIDEO – INSPIRING COMPASSION – Sept. 4, 2025 – Losing both parents to overdoses seems unimaginable for many, but for some, it’s a reality. Well-known for her sideline shimmy, Sisler knows how to light up the field and tell a story. But for years, she said she allowed her hurt and shame around the death of her parents to live and grow in the dark. After finding the courage to share this story, she’s found a passion to help others find their pathway to resilience and purpose. In 2003, while Sisler was attending Rutgers University, she received a phone call…
AND SING LOUDLY – Sept. 1, 2025 – Hundreds of Vancouver and Portland residents celebrated their sobriety on Monday by joining hands across the Interstate 5 Bridge. “It’s just a reminder that recovery is for everyone — every person, every family, every community — and I don’t know what else could embody that more,” organizer Alizz Quarles said. The booming rhythm of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s drumming circle filled Esther Short Park to signal the opening and closing of the event, which included speeches by organizers and community leaders. Quarles and Tabby Stokes, vice chair and chair of Hands Across…
NEW BOOK IN TOWN – ORDER ON SEPT. 9 – In this inventive and profound exploration of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, an old-timer of the program reveals the recovery journey for what it truly is: a modern retelling of the classic hero’s journey of transformation that frees spiritual energy trapped by addiction, pouring it back into the world, thus healing both the individual and the society. The Twelve Step journey of recovery is, at its core, the modern retelling of the age-old archetype of the Hero’s Journey. This powerful pattern of transformation is revealed in three stages: separation,…
AUDIO – UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE – June 2025 – Janie Hamilton, whose son’s cannabis-induced schizophrenia contributed to his death, warns Radio 5 Live listeners about the destructive nature of the illegal drug. Janie is joined by King’s College cannabis scientist Dr Amir Englund, school’s support worker Ken Reynolds, and University of York addiction expert Ian Hamilton. CONTINUE@Christian
NO KIDDING – Aug. 29, 2025 – Individuals with melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer who consumed large amounts of sucralose responded less effectively to immunotherapy and had lower survival rates compared with those who consumed little of the sweetener. Notably, in mouse experiments, supplements that increased levels of the amino acid arginine counteracted the negative influence of sucralose on immunotherapy, pointing to a potential strategy that could be explored in clinical trials. “It’s easy to say, ‘Stop drinking diet soda,’ but when patients are being treated for cancer, they are already dealing with enough, so asking them to drastically…
NOT THE DEALERS FAULT – Aug. 31, 2025 – After she lost her son to an overdose, Serena Fallon went on a quest to hold someone accountable for his death. Don’t come downstairs, the police told her. You don’t want to see him this way. She did as the officers said and stayed upstairs while her son lay dead on the basement floor of her Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, home. Connor, 25, had returned the night before from Florida, where he had recently attended a drug rehab program. After showering and getting ready for bed, he slumped over into his suitcase.…
COURAGE COUNTS – Sept. 1, 2025 – “If I can drink 20 cans a day, hate myself, and believe life wasn’t worth living, yet still find a way to start again, then so can you,” he added. “‘You are not beyond help. You are not too far gone. You are not worthless’. I thought all of those things about myself, and I was wrong,” said Christy. In his darkest hour, Christy remembered thinking, ‘Today I end my life’. “That’s what I once believed,” he said candidly. “Those words lived inside me when I was at my lowest, when I was…
IT CAN’T HURT – Sept. 2, 2025 – Why do people so often need to be pressured to seek treatment when addictive substances are destroying their lives? Quite simply, drug use feels good, at least in the short term, making many people ambivalent about giving it up. And treatment requires hard work in the short term to overcome the visceral pull of addiction, before it brings long-term relief. In a national sample of 476 individuals who had sought treatment for an alcohol problem, more than nine in 10 reported being pressured to quit or change their drinking by their family,…
WORKING FOR A LIVING – July 28, 2025 – “Mr. Beckhum tried to profit off the suffering of vulnerable individuals by selling access to Medicaid patients like they were commodities,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said. “That’s not just illegal—it’s reprehensible. My office will continue to pursue and prosecute those who exploit our behavioral health system for personal gain. We will not allow criminals to treat people in crisis as paydays.” During the investigation, Beckhum entered negotiations with undercover agents to determine a price he would be paid for each Medicaid recipient or patient. Once a deal was reached, prosecutors say…
LOCK HIM UP – Sept. 2, 2025 – The pill scheme happened between at least April 2019 and January 2024. According to prosecutors, Allingham would write prescriptions for opioids and amphetamines without properly assessing the medical need of the patients. Multiple fatal drug overdoses were tied to the doctor’s drug prescribing scheme.In May, David Allingham, 65, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute oxycodone and amphetamines, maintaining drug premises, and false statements relating to health care matters. Allingham owned and was the only medically licensed practitioner at Oakton Primacy Care Center, and the…
VIDEO – SO COULD NA – Sept 5, 2025 – “Semaglutide’s superiority is further supported by studies on alcohol and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Specifically, it profoundly reduces alcohol intake in animals and patients with AUD, whereas Ex4/exenatide produces only minor effects in rats and shows no effect in humans with AUD. The drug semaglutide—licensed for diabetes under Ozempic and weight loss under Wegovy—could help to reduce cocaine addiction. Scientists from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and the University of Pennsylvania have discovered it significantly reduces cocaine-seeking behavior in rats. While more research is needed to confirm their findings…
VIDEO – COME TOGETHER! – Sept. 6, 2025 – A few years ago, Bo was behind bars. Today, he leads Oregon’s largest recovery walk. “I got released from prison in July of 2019,” Brinson said. “That September, I went to my first recovery event. I remember seeing over a thousand people there, all there for recovery.” I thought, man, I really would love to be part of this one day. “A lot of people think drug addiction is a choice,” said Kerri Wayman with Recover Together Bend. “I’m here because I acknowledge I have a disease and I do need…
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – 395,397 views SINCE Jul 4, 2021 – Released as a single on December 30, 1967 (MGM Records). It was included in the new band’s second album The Twain Shall Meet as well as their 1969 U.S. only compilation, The Greatest Hits of Eric Burdon and The Animals. Eric Burdon and the Animals performed at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival at the peak of the Summer of Love; they followed Johnny Rivers onstage and were introduced by Chet Helms. In his book, Monterey Pop, Joel Selvin wrote that, at the festival, “Burdon did nothing short of…
By Leonard Lee Buschel – Vastly entertaining, brutally honest, and sharply funny, HIGH is an unflinching memoir. With a voice that is both raw and humorous, Buschel offers an eye-opening, occasionally offensive, yet deeply compelling look at addiction, recovery, and the surprising path of personal transformation that follows. Read Now…
VIDEO – ULTIMATE OVERDRAFT – Sept. 6, 2025 – The Wells Fargo worker’s death at her desk made international headlines as workers were left stunned she could have sat dead alone for over four days. Despite 24/7 security in the corporate building, Prudhomme went unnoticed in her unit since she scanned into work at 7am on August 16 until she was found August 20. ‘It’s really heartbreaking and I’m thinking, ‘What if I were just sitting there?’’ one distraught employee told 12News. ‘No one would check on me?’ ‘To hear she’s been sitting at the desk like that would make…
AMAZING STORY – Sept. 4, 2025 – Kirsten Smith was 19 when she first tried heroin; within a few years she was in prison. She says she willingly made bad choices and wants society to stop treating addiction as a disease. Kirsten Smith was 16 when a boy from school injected her with morphine, 18 when she and a date Googled how to crush up and inject themselves with oxycodone, and 19 when she first shot up heroin. Living in Knoxville, Tennessee and modelling herself on Pulp Fiction’s freewheeling Mia Wallace, Smith spent her days experimenting with alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy,…
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Sept. 9, 2025 – Matthew Michael Ross is the founder of AON Films. His suspense drama, “Invisible,” has achieved significant acclaim, receiving seven awards and five-star reviews, and it recently premiered on Prime Video. “Food for Thought” received a nomination for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Other notable projects, such as “Desperation Highway” and “Mother’s Day Memories,” have also garnered notable recognition. Q. What is one word you would use to describe yourself?A. Perseverance. It takes a lot to accomplish anything that’s important. A lot of people begin a project and get sidetracked…
IS HE REALLY SOBER? – Sept. 2, 2025 – With the name DJ Sober, many people speculate about his journey to sobriety, but that is far from the name’s origin. “I was introduced to DJ culture in Dallas at an early age and I was around a lot of debauchery activities and put in situations that I definitely shouldn’t have been in as a 16-year-old,” he said. “I saw a lot of things really quick and was introduced to a pretty wild lifestyle.” But, rather than partaking in that “wild lifestyle” of the scene, Rhoten decided that it wasn’t for…
OUT IN THE COLD? – Sept. 3, 2025 – The Salvation Army’s sober living program will close at the end of the month, the nonprofit announced Wednesday. The program administered by The Salvation Army Kansas City, Kansas Corps will close on Sept. 30 due to a lack of funding. “Unfortunately, funding for this program ran out in December, and it has proven difficult to replenish what is needed to continue operations,” said Major Xavier Montenegro, Kansas City area commander for The Salvation Army.The program started two years ago, thanks to a grant from American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The…
VIDEO – ONE STROKE AT A TIME – Sept. 2, 2025 – The Olympian offered his fans an encouraging message after a recent stay in a Florida rehab center led him to make a major lifestyle change. “I wanted to share some positive updates in my life and what’s going on,” Ryan said in a video. The 41-year-old—who shares kids Caiden Zane, 8, Liv Rae, 6, and Georgie June, 2, with estranged wife Kayla Reid—explained that he “fell into a really dark place” after surviving a disastrous car accident in November 2023. In addition to breaking his femur, Ryan said…
FAMILY PRIDE – Sept. 2, 2025 – “I’m just living for the next moment, whatever that turns out to be,” the now-sober subject of Netflix’s “aka Charlie Sheen” docuseries says. Eight years sober, Charlie Sheen says he is open to acting again — but insists that he is not thinking too much about his professional future right now. Sheen, whose drug addiction and substance abuse issues made him the subject of multiple, high-profile public scandals in the early 2010s after he was fired from his starring role in “Two and a Half Men,” is on the verge of releasing his…
VIDEO – STAMINA AND STIMULATION – Sept. 4, 2025 – Once the nation’s fastest swimmer in her age group, Hilary Phelps’ life took an unexpected path at the age of 14 when she tried alcohol for the first time. That one seemingly small decision opened the door to a 15-year battle with addiction. After college, she “just became a wine drinker,” … which is a common rationale in today’s wine culture. Her journey toward recovery began at 29 when she courageously took a significant step toward healing. In this episode of Living Well with Alison Starling, a podcast brought to…
AND BREATHING TOO – Sept. 2, 2025 – Addiction changes the brain, body, and behavior. Persistent insomnia, craving, depression, anhedonia, and anxiety may continue for months after sobriety, often leading to relapse. While we search for medications and treatments to set the clock back to pre-addiction, researchers have shown that regular exercise is a major plus. But many people, even doctors, don’t realize exercise helps considerably with addiction recovery, as well as anxiety and depression. For example, research reveals that actively exercising only 10 to 20 minutes a day reduces powerful nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms immediately. Exercise has also…
GOSSIP GIRL? – Sept. 2, 2025 – Savannah Chrisley is getting candid about her brother Chase Chrisley’s struggles with alcohol. In the second episode of the family’s new Lifetime series, Chrisleys: Back to Reality, which aired on Monday, September 1, Chase, 29, claimed he gave up alcohol. However, Savannah, 28, cast doubt on whether he was really sober. “Chase says that he’s sober now. Do I believe it? No, because if he was, he wouldn’t look the way that he looks,” she admitted. “It’s just the reality of it. He does not look healthy. When cameras are on, he can…
PERRY CASE – September 3, 2025 – A woman branded as the “Ketamine Queen” pleaded guilty Wednesday to selling Matthew Perry the drug that killed him. Jasveen Sangha pleaded guilty to five federal charges, and her trial had been planned to start later this month. She is the fifth and final defendant charged in Perry’s overdose death to admit guilt. Perry’s mother, Suzanne Perry, and his stepfather, “Dateline” reporter Keith Morrison, sat in the audience. Prosecutors had cast Sangha, a 42-year-old citizen of the U.S. and the U.K., as a prolific drug dealer who was known to her customers as…
NOW A SOBER GENIUS – Sept. 4, 2025 – “When I first began this book, I’d been out of rehab for 30 days. I was in the cloud of delirium that comes with new sobriety — the world was suddenly so LOUD, and I thought that meant I knew what I was hearing.” “If you’d told me then that the writing process would take me through the next seven years, I probably would have ripped up my contract and chucked my laptop in the tub.” The memoir, titled Famesick, is set to be released in April 2026 and details how…
VIDEO – ANGELS IN THE FLESH – Sept. 1, 2025 – At the newly opened Skid Row Care Campus, harm reduction is at the forefront of helping those experiencing homelessness and struggling with addiction. Most of the people working there are also part of the skid row community, like Jorge Naranjo. He is a Safety Team lead, helping oversee the campus and de-escalating any arguments if needed. Now, 19 months sober, he uses his own life experiences to connect with the folks using campus services. “Especially because I know what it’s like to go through. I know what it’s like…