Author: Leonard Buschel

REQUIEM FOR A DREAM – May 21, 2025 – Drug abuse is a pervasive issue that has been explored in various forms of media, particularly in film. The cinematic portrayal of addiction can serve not only as a reflection of society’s struggles with substance abuse but also as an enlightening narrative that highlights the potential for recovery. This article will delve into five films that poignantly depict drug abuse and the paths toward overcoming it. In Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born, the narrative revolves around the tumultuous relationship between seasoned musician Jackson Maine (played by Cooper) and aspiring singer…

THE PAST ISN’T OVER – May 17, 2025 – Former child star Alana Thompson claims Mama June chose drugs and men over her daughter while squandering her reality fortune. Behind Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson’s pageant dresses and charismatic personality was a little girl navigating a storm of chaos, emotional neglect and her mom’s drug addiction. In her new Lifetime biopic, “I was Honey Boo Boo,” Thompson pulls back the curtain on the trauma she endured while growing up in the spotlight, beginning at the young age of 6. “For me, it’s not about fame, and it’s not about the…

SOCIETY’S SICK SECRET? – May 19, 2025 – These days, virality is difficult to achieve. But the British OnlyFans creator Lily Phillips managed it this winter, when she appeared in a documentary titled “I Slept With 100 Men in One Day.” Excessive? Certainly. Off-putting? To some. But perhaps not unexpected, if one considers how inured American society has become to women’s sexualization and objectification … so much so that extremism seems like one of the few ways for an ambitious young sex worker to stand out. Pornography floods the internet. A 2023 report from Brigham Young University estimated that pornography…

We’re All Kids – May 21, 2025 – Depression and suicide in youth spike, experts are asking whether social media makes kids depressed — or whether depressed kids simply spend more time on social media?  “There has been ongoing debate about whether social media contributes to depression or simply reflects underlying depressive symptoms,” said Nagata. “These findings provide evidence that social media may be contributing to the development of depressive symptoms.” While it’s unclear why social media increases depressive symptoms, prior research points to risks such as cyberbullying and disrupted sleep. In fact, Nagata and team just published a separate study…

NO LUNG CANCER – May 18, 2025 – Instead of ending a long day with a glass of wine, 26-year-old Bre Giglio pulls out her favorite THC drink, which contains a cannabis compound and gives her a soothing buzz. “We don’t have alcohol in our house,” she told The Independent. “Not because we’re sober or anything. Just because we prefer THC beverages.” As young people pour less booze in their cups, they are instead choosing other options, from non-alcoholic beers and apéritifs to healthy, prebiotic sodas like Poppi and Ollipop, and THC drinks. Although the strength depends on the brand,…

THE WAR AT HOME – May 21, 2025 – On Memorial Day, Americans nationwide honored the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Ceremonies were held, flags flown at half-staff, and families will gathered to pay tribute. Yet, amid the solemnity and gratitude, there lies a quieter, often overlooked truth. Countless heroes return home not to peace, but to a new war, one waged within. Military service members and veterans face unique and profound challenges that can linger long after their tours of duty end. The reality of these invisible wounds is that family…

VIDEO – ONE MILE AT A TIME – May 16, 2025 – One man is raising awareness for mental health and recovery one mile and one state at a time. Kyndal Edwards, known on social media as ‘A Walking Testimony,’ is on the Coast this week as he continues his Walk Across America. Fans almost always know where he is because messages of positivity are consistently uploaded for his more than 150,000 followers across all social media platforms to see. “In the last 15, 16 years, I’ve tried to take my life twice, I’ve overdosed, county jail 11 times and…

“Sobriety is when your children look at you and can trust what they see.” – Josh Brolin

VIDEO – YOUTH MARKET – May 12, 2025 – Every year Alternative Products Expos happen at convention centers across the U.S., showcasing smoke shop wares from tobaccos and vapes to accessories and CBDs. Earlier this year, we attended one in Miami, where hundreds of flavored vapes, illegal under federal law, were openly displayed and sold. Now, there are new questions about why federal agencies are failing to take action. For Maryland mom, Donna Bartlett, there was an unforgettable moment of realization. “He was literally punching his dresser and so angry because he couldn’t understand why he couldn’t stop,” she said.…

DOPAMINE – May 12, 2025 – If you’ve been passed over for a promotion at work or had a romantic partner cheat on you, you know how much it can sting. You may replay these events over and over in your mind and think about how to get back at those who’ve wronged you. Thinking about grievances and revenge can be so consuming that it feels like an addiction, explains James Kimmel, Jr., J.D., psychology lecturer, co-director of the Yale Collaborative for Motive Control Studies, and author of the new book The Science of Revenge. And many people – though…

ACTION IN SCOTLAND – May 14, 2025 – Researchers have found that a brain region that is implicated extensively in value-based decision-making and craving in people with heroin use disorder – shows synchronized responses biased towards drug content, outcompeting other typical subjects of attention and motivation, in individuals with heroin use disorder who watched “Trainspotting,” the 1996 movie about people who use heroin in Scotland. Importantly, the research team also found that the OFC’s bias toward drug stimuli was significantly reduced in people who underwent treatment/abstinence from drugs. The study results appear in the May issue of Brain. A…

BIG PHARMA FAIL – May 9, 2025 – The lawsuit, filed in 2014 alleged that Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi failed to disclose that their drug was less effective in patients with certain liver-enzyme mutations more prevalent in people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent representing up to 30% of people who took the drug in Hawaii. After the 2024 award, officials with the drugmakers said in a statement that they strongly disagree with the court’s penalty and that they would appeal the decision. “The unprecedented penalties awarded in this case are unwarranted and out of proportion,” the companies said. “The…

WHAT A STORY – May 13, 2025 – Brandon Block – superstar ’90s DJ and fabled hedonist – wasn’t about to let a trifling bit of lung disease stand between him and his drugs. Recovering in a hospital isolation unit, he chomped a hole in the protective screen shielding the outside world from his raging infection. At Block’s request, his pals dutifully slipped him wraps of cocaine. It was 1994, and Block was at the height of his global fame, spending summers bouncing between villa parties and headline slots in Ibiza. The hospital stay followed an ill-advised swan dive off…

VIDEO – FOCUS ON THAT – May 13, 2025 – Alcohol use disorder is a chronic condition marked by an inability to control alcohol consumption despite harmful consequences, resulting in significant distress or impairment. It involves a pattern of excessive drinking, strong cravings, and a loss of control over alcohol intake. Individuals with this disorder often experience withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, anxiety, and nausea when not drinking. The severity of alcohol use disorder can range from mild to severe, depending on the number of symptoms present. Over time, it can lead to serious health problems, including liver disease, cardiovascular…

WE ALL NEED A GOOD LAUGH – May 7, 2025 – A group of Vanity Fair’s writers and editors compiled a list of their own top 10 rom-coms. Then—after some number-crunching and establishing what met our unimpeachable rom-com standards (extra points for a running-through-the-airport or musical serenade scene)—we landed on 42 films that ultimately made the list. It’s comprised of undeniable classics like Notting Hill… While each entry on the list may not be exactly your cup of tea, they all fit the American Film Institute’s broad definition of what it takes to be a romantic comedy. Rom-coms are, by…

ONE DAY AT A TIME – May 8, 2025 – In 2022, LaBeouf and Gibson formed a friendship after Gibson, 69, introduced traditional Latin Mass services to LaBeouf while he was conducting research for his film, Padre Pio — which ultimately led LaBeouf to convert to Catholicism, per IndieWire. In LaBeouf’s Thursday, May 8 interview, he confirmed that he and Gibson are still “very close.” “Big respect, big love. He’s always been very lovely to me,” LaBeouf said. “He held my hand when I was really s—ing on myself. Dude really stepped up for me in big ways.” “Him, Sean…

IT’S ALL IN YOUR MIND – May 8, 2025 – Consider someone addicted to alcohol, drugs, or a behavior like gambling. Why do they continue, even when they say they want to stop? It’s a question that highlights a fundamental disconnect: the gap between intention and action. This apparent contradiction aligns with clinical definitions of addiction and with brain disease models, which suggest that repeated substance use changes brain function, making drug use compulsive and automatic, bypassing conscious decision-making. These brain adaptations help explain why addiction is so hard to overcome. But there’s another important piece to the puzzle. People…

PASSING THE TEST – May 11, 2025 – “For me, it all comes down to serenity, peace of mind. And so when I feel that craving, that want, that need, that trying to satisfy an inner problem with an outer solution — whether it’s a mind-altering substance or whatever — I really try to turn inward and work on my inner qualities of love, compassion, patience, generosity and kindness. Mathison first embarked on his sobriety journey nearly two decades ago. In a 2021 Instagram post marking 15 years without alcohol, he shared his motivations for making the change. “15 years…

VIDEO – MAKING A DIFFERENCE –  May 12, 2025 – At Crosswinds Recovery in Missoula, the path to sobriety is both clinical and deeply personal. The clinic, led by founder Stephen Ferguson, is making a significant impact on the lives of former addicts.Ferguson, who turned a 20-year prison sentence into a mission to help others, shared his journey. “Truth be told, I got out and I still struggled for that first year,” Ferguson said. “I got out in February of 2015. I didn’t get sober until February of 2016. I was just looking around at my environment and saying, you…

VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE –  1,052,601,015 views since Aug 15, 2024 – Thank you Bruno and Lady Gaga for keeping the magic of music ALIVE…..On the part where Lady Gaga starts dancing is a pure example of what freedom looks like. It’s dancing as if nobody is watching you. It’s just you and the music and because of this nothing else matters. CONTINUE@YouTube

VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – 66,467,971 views since Apr 3, 2020 – As a straight 30+ woman I’m not sure I’m the target audience for this song, but somehow it still resonates deeply. In the last several years I’ve stepped away from the traditions and beliefs I grew up with, and no longer look like the girl my family raised me to be. It’s been a terrifying and often lonely journey, but also freeing and empowering finding my own way and identity in the world. This song makes me wish I could have a dance party with everyone who’s ever…

ONE DRUNK TALKING TO ANOTHER – May 16, 2025 – “I will say that Keith Urban became a friend of mine in a time when I was making a transition in life,” Gilbert says. “I honestly don’t know if I’d be sitting in this room if it weren’t for that man, and him taking time out of his life to come talk to me. It was a time when I’d stopped drinking and stopped doing some other things, and was just kind of unsure about moving forward. And he, again, took time out of his life and talked to me,…

HONESTY IS BEAUTIFUL – May 16, 2025 – “It was gut-wrenching. It was like, ‘Oh, my God. I had no idea that I was that far gone,’” Harris said, adding that it made him think about how many other people he negatively impressed. “That’s something that haunts me to this day … and knowing that is on the internet and it’s still alive is something that I’ll never live down and get away from.” He joined former CNN co-anchor Daryn Kagan on her Call Me Friend podcast for his first interview after the scandal, where he admitted he had been…

KETAMINE – May 15, 2025 – A 24-year-old has opened up about how his party drug addiction destroyed his life. He was just a child when he was first introduced to the substance and now has life-changing health struggles. “The first time I used it, I felt like I was floating on a bubble,” he explained. “It instantly took away my anxiety and made me feel warm and numb inside.” At the height of his substance abuse, he was taking up to 21 grams a day. But it wasn’t just the addiction that nearly wrecked his life – it’s the…

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – May 20, 2025 – Since 1975, Leigh has been a pioneering sports agent, author and philanthropist. He has represented over 400 athletes including 64 1st round draft picks and first overall record breaking eight times. He has done $4 billion in contracts and $1.2 billion in charitable contributions. Leigh has 2 NYT bestselling books. The film “Jerry Maguire” was loosely based on him. He is a leader in fight for concussion awareness with Concussion Charitable Foundation and has trained 10,000 fledgling sports agent through Leigh Steinberg Agent Academy. Q. If you are in recovery, what…

VIDEO – SATORI ANYONE –  May 13, 2025 – Some people who find themselves struggling with addiction issues could find great benefits in working with the 12-step program. Ian Morgan, Author of ‘The Fix’ and Enneagram Expert, joins Gayle Guyardo to share his journey to recovery and how following these steps led to a spiritual awakening. You can watch Bloom TV in the Tampa Bay Market weekdays at 2pm on NBC affiliate WFLA News Channel 8. Bloom also airs in 79 national markets and 154 different outlets across the country, with a reach of approximately 61 million U.S. TV households.…

AUDIO – ALANON HERE WE COME –  May 13, 2025 – “If one-quarter of kids in the U.S. have a parent with a substance use disorder, that tells us that every day in our clinics we are encountering many, if not dozens of families that are affected by substance use disorders,” he adds. “And we need to be poised and ready to help support those families.” The new study used data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a federal survey that estimated the prevalence of substance use and mental health disorders based on the most updated…

IT’S SCIENCE – May 13, 2025 – A new study reveals how social rank influences addiction vulnerability by altering dopamine pathways in the brain. Low-ranking male mice showed stronger reward signals and weaker control circuits, making them more prone to seek methamphetamine, while high-ranking mice had better balance and resistance. Enhancing the mesocortical “control” pathway through optogenetics reduced drug-seeking and improved social rank, suggesting experience-based changes can reshape addiction risk. Interestingly, these effects were sex-specific, with female mice showing drug-seeking behavior regardless of status. Using a suite of cutting-edge neuroscience tools such as fiber photometry, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, optogenetic manipulation,…

VIDEO – ALWAYS FAMOUS – 2025 – Entertainment Tonight appearance. Jamie Lee Curtis explains how sobriety has ‘shifted’ her perspective while dishing about her new series, ‘Scarpetta,’ premiering in 2026. CONTINUE@ETOnline

GOOD VIBRATIONS – May 6, 2025 – Wilson, the daughter of 82-year-old Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson, is vocal about her sobriety journey and hasn’t drank alcohol in more than 20 years. Wilson’s happy place is usually her kitchen. But she’s in the middle of a remodel. “It’s been a little hectic around here,” Wilson says, “crazy, (with) two kids, dogs, and, you know, life, there’s a lot happening… Wilson understands what it’s like to have a lot on your mind, on top of any excess health worries at any given moment. That’s where her empathy for TD patients comes…