VIDEO – SAY WHAT? – Feb. 24, 2025 – The bill is intended to outlaw stand-alone methadone clinics. He says these types of clinics are mills that keep people in the cycle of addiction. He also said methadone has a high propensity for diversion, and called it “just another form of drug dealing.” When it comes to a lot of the crimes and our habitual offenders, a lot of the times we do see people that have a habitual offense to commit crimes often are habitual users of drugs as well,” says Joshua Lester. Lester says the KCSO works with…
Author: Leonard Buschel
SAVE-A-SOUL – Feb. 24, 2025 – It’s not often a reporter signs in to a government news conference on the hunt for scandal, but ends up with a broken heart. That’s how it felt for me when Premier Danielle Smith announced the construction of two “compassionate intervention” centres for profoundly helpless, endangered addicts. How could anybody hear what these people say without choking up — and understanding, after years of false compassion, why some addicted people need to be forced into treatment both for their survival and the safety of others? Thiessen asked: “Is it a compassionate approach to step…
IT’S ROUGH OUT THERE – Feb. 28, 2025 – Patrick is 32 years old and has been homeless on and off in Edinburgh since growing up in care. He speaks with a rasping quality due to the ravages of sleeping outdoors in cruel Scottish winters. Until recently, he was one of thousands of people in the UK trapped in exploitation, often referred to as modern slavery. In the UK over the past five years, more than 59,000 people have been identified as possible victims of exploitation – sometimes having been trafficked into the country for this express purpose. Some are…
VIDEO – A REAL PATRIOT – Feb. 23, 2025 – “It’s important for me to say that I’m a person in recovery, for 35 years,” Osgood said. Her drug of choice varied over time. “I used marijuana, I used cocaine and I used crack,” she said. “It just kinda depended on what was going on at that time.” She represents District 32 in the Florida Senate. Osgood credits her faith, church and a substance abuse program with turning her life around. “It was me having opportunities to come into recovery, go back to school, finish my undergraduate, my master’s, my…
SOON? – Feb. 25, 2025 – “If you notice that every country that has the death penalty has no drug problem,” Trump falsely claimed at a meeting of the National Governors Association, at the White House on Feb. 21. “Your states have the right to go death penalty also for drug dealers,” he said. “But only do that if you want to get rid of drugs.” Trump was joined by 19 governors, Democrats and Republicans, to discuss a range of issues including disaster aid and tariffs. He had a hostile exchange with Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) over transgender athletes.…
MODERATION IS THE KEY – Feb. 25, 2025 – Vaping might just be more harmful than traditional smoking, with a new study suggesting it increases the risk of dementia, heart disease, and organ failure. The ground-breaking study has led to calls for smoking rules to be rolled out to vapes, with some even arguing that the devices should be prescription-only. Dr Maxime Boidin from Manchester Metropolitan University led the controlled research into the long-term effects of vaping and has made some startling revelations. He explained: “Smokers tend to go outside and smoke, and once a cigarette is finished they have…
AUDIO – WHY WHY WHY? – Feb. 27, 2025 – Jonathan Martin was face down, his head in his pillow, when Shy Baniani went to shake his roommate awake. As soon as Baniani’s hand touched Martin’s bare skin, the coldness sent a shock through his fingertips. Without time to process it, he turned over Martin’s limp body, dialed 9-1-1 and began chest compressions. “How could this have happened?” Baniani remembered thinking to himself. “I tried everything.” In the 48 hours before his death, Martin’s family and friends, including Baniani, had desperately tried to get the 40-year-old treated for his addiction…
SUCCESS STORY – Feb. 26, 2025 – Tatum O’Neal walked into Smashbox Studios using a cane, a vestige of the stroke she had in 2020 after an overdose. As she was getting a manicure, she struggled to remember the names of important people in her life. But now that she’s actually before the cameras, posing with her Oscar in hand, she’s come alive. There’s electricity in the air, and we’re all leaning in, cheering her on, rooting for her. In April 1974, at age 10, a tuxedoed O’Neal — “I’m the original tomboy,” she tells me later — won a…
MENTORING FROM THE HEART – Feb. 23, 2025 – Casey King launched the series in 2008, systematically growing the event into a Who’s Who of featured celebrity speakers including actors Louis Gossett Jr., Todd Bridges, Craig T. Nelson, Everclear frontman Art Alexakis, comedian Tom Arnold and many more, including “Machete” star Danny Trejo, whose appearance became the biggest on-campus event in the college’s history. King got sober in 2005 and has long sought to reduce the stigma placed on those in recovery. He said the key to the success of the series has been the diversity of its speakers and…
VIDEO – HAVE A BALL – Feb. 25, 2025 – RAVING REVIEW: MY OWN NORMAL doesn’t ask for sympathy but exists as an unapologetic and deeply personal account of life, love, and self-definition. It doesn’t try to change minds—it simply presents a reality that few get to see, which challenges outdated notions about disability without making it the sole focus. Alexander Freeman, the filmmaker, and the main subject, has spent years crafting work highlighting underrepresented voices, tackling themes of disability, mental health, and relationships with rawness. But MY OWN NORMAL is his most personal project yet, and that immediacy makes…
“I grew up without a lot of money and my parents grew up with far less money. And that’s kept me in line. Really in line.” – Adrien Brody
WATCH – LEGENDARY ACTOR – Feb. 27, 2025 – The couple was found during a welfare check after their neighbor called in concerned about their well-being. The Academy Award-winning actor, who starred in “The French Connection,” “The Conversation” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” among dozens of other Hollywood hits, was 95. CONTINUE@YAHOO
VIDEO – SOBRIETY AWAITS – Feb. 21, 2025 – The MTV alum was unrecognizable in a new mugshot after she was arrested for meth and fentanyl possession. Madison, 34, appeared on MTV’s Real World: Skeletons in 2015 and shares daughter Harper, 9, with ex-boyfriend and The Challenge star Tony Raines. Madison has disappeared from social media in recent months. CONTINUE@TheSun
AUDIO – THE MASTER SPEAKS – Feb. 10, 2025 – Welcome to a brand new series of the Hurt to Healing Podcast! In this powerful first episode, I am honoured to be joined by Dr. Gabor Maté—renowned addiction expert, speaker, and bestselling author of the wonderful book, The Myth of Normal. Dr. Maté shares groundbreaking insights into how unresolved trauma affects mental health, addiction, and overall well-being. Whether you’re on your own healing journey, curious about mind-body medicine, or want to better understand the science of addiction and emotional resilience, this episode will leave you with powerful, actionable takeaways. CONTINUE@Podcasts
LIKE A BABY AT THE FONT – Feb. 17, 2025 – Romantic involvement with a partner can sometimes exhibit dysfunctional traits similar to addictive behaviours, a phenomenon known as emotional dependence on the partner or “love addiction.” If not properly addressed, these behaviours may harm both romantic relationships and emotional well-being and overall health. Due to its high prevalence, emotional dependence on one’s partner has gained growing interest in the scientific literature. Several studies have reported significant prevalence rates among students and young adults in various countries, including Spain. Given the clinical relevance of this issue, researchers from the Libera Universitá Maria Santissima…
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – 90,941,762 views since Oct 26, 2009 – Deee-Lite was formed in 1986 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by vocalist Lady Miss Kier and multi-instrumentalist Super DJ Dmitry and became popular in the New York club scene as a vibrant and lively dance act known for their unique Holographic Techno Soul, psychedelic light show, and innovative art direction. The official music video of “Groove Is In The Heart” by Deee-Lite from the album ‘World Clique’ (1990) CONTINUE@YouTube
Perfectly Imperfect – Feb. 18, 2025 – Some of the reason why we aren’t, collectively, so good at friendship, is that we don’t have a clear idea of what a really good friend might be like. It may therefore be worth trying to draw up a list of an ideal candidate, so as to focus our desires and spur us on to acquire the sort of character we would want to find in others: 1. The ideal friend knows how to show weakness The ideal friend doesn’t try to prove how robust and successful they are; on the contrary, quite…
AUDIO – CANDYLAND – Feb. 21, 2025 – Henning Fenselau, one of the study authors, says this suggests that people’s brains evolved to love sugar in excess. “Because sugar is so easy to metabolize, its consumption beyond energy needs is favorable for animals,” he says. When you’ve eaten a good meal at a restaurant and the waiter asks, “Got any room for dessert?” where does the voice that craves a gratuitous slice of pie come from? Your brain. Scientists now have a better understanding of the neural origins of this urge thanks to a new study published in the journal…
A STORY TO LOVE – Feb. 17, 2025 – Jean-Philippe Desjardins-Dufour began drinking at the age of 13. He stole his parents’ alcohol and drank alone in the evening. Then he fell into chemical drugs. The day of his 16e birthday, he was arrested with cocaine. His parents gave him the choice: a detox cure at the Jean Lapointe Center for adolescents or the in-patient center. He chose the first, convinced that it would be easier. The stay was “Tough, Really Tough”. He became aware of his problem during this Christmas Eve. “I am dependent all my life,” said the…
VIDEO – BEST WISHES – Feb. 21, 2025 – Ryan Kirby and the former camp’s co-owner, Mark Lane, aren’t focused on turning a profit from the vast waterfront property. Instead, they’re pouring their own savings — about $1.1 million so far — into building a brand-new addiction treatment centre. “Because of the experiences we had in our own families, we [thought] we could come together and create a place for people to come and achieve that sobriety that so many people need so badly,” said Lane. Kirby has personal reasons for his investment: he’s been to rehab a few times,…
VIDEO – NO PAIN NO GAIN? – Feb. 12, 2025 – It’s the first new type of painkiller in 20 years. And it’s just a few weeks away from being in local pharmacies. Here are some details from a neurosurgeon about what you can expect from the new prescription medication. Opioid pain relievers come with many side effects, including addiction, constipation, and altered brain function. “The one that really is a public health crisis is the addiction because it can go into the central nervous system and affect receptors in the brain, and giving you a high, or making you…
VIDEO – AMAZING ROUTINES – Feb. 21, 2025 – Cory Cooper is leveraging his passion for skating to inspire others and promote a message of hope. You’ll often find him skating alongside newbies and naturals alike, it’s clear, Cooper has a unique talent. “I was 15 years old and I saw people doing tricks that looked really cool, and I said ‘I’d like to learn’.” Cooper quickly became a natural, combining his background in gymnastics with skating. He even auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” and spent several years performing as a professional jam skater along the East Coast. But in…
VIDEO – AT YOUR FINGERTIPS – Feb. 21, 2025 – A gambling expert says one reason is the recent rise in sports gambling apps and how socially acceptable it is to bet on sports. CONTINUE@YouTube
VIDEO – YESTERDAY – FEB. 14, 2025 – In The Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind, Restak writes: “Alcohol is a very, very weak neurotoxin – it’s not good for nerve cells. “It is essential to abstain from alcohol at a stage in life where preserving neurons is crucial. “I strongly suggest that if you are 65 years old or older, that you completely and permanently eliminate alcohol from your diet.” His reasoning for choosing 65 is because the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia increases massively past that age and becomes greater every five years. Several…
WITH A SONG IN HIS HEART – Feb. 21, 2025 – As a recovering IV fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine addict, now sober since June 2016, Lerner fearlessly channels the lessons he has learned over the course of his sobriety into his music. He combines elements of Hip-Hop, Spoken Word, Classical Music, Jazz, and Folk Music to create a unique and powerful sound. “Keep moving forward. Run towards the truth.Don’t quit before the miracle happens.” This mantra served as the closing message of Lerner’s CLEAN Column, a serialized, autobiographical recovery column that ran in the Vermont News Guide from January…
NO HANGOVERS! – Feb. 21, 2025 – Sober curiosity is all about examining one’s relationship with alcohol. The term, coined by author Ruby Warrington, describes people open to challenging social norms and de-centering alcohol from their lives. Gallup polls show that Americans are gradually taking on a more negative view of alcohol. With younger generations leading the change, these shifts aren’t expected to slow. This all might seem like a pivot in personal habits, but it’s also a signifier of greater changes to come. What we’re seeing isn’t just a phase; we’re entering the slow rise of the sober-curious movement.…
PUTTS – Feb. 20, 2025 – Anthony Kim, in a social media post celebrating two years of sobriety, says he’d used drugs and alcohol to “numb the pain,” was able to hide it and that “it’s f**kin hard playing majors making porta potty stops every few holes.” His disappearance was stunning to golf followers. Before it, the now-39-year-old had won on the PGA Tour, was part of the winning Ryder Cup team in 2008, and, in 2009, recorded a Masters single-round record 11 birdies — but in June of 2012, Kim underwent surgery on his left Achilles tendon, then publicly…
VIDEO – STICKING TOGETHER – Feb. 20, 2025 – “At 6:49 p.m., I got the first phone call that there were flames and fire, fire within blocks from the Start House, which is a 20-bed facility in Altadena, and so we sent some vans over and started preliminary plans to evacuate. The winds were really high at that point,” William Tarkanian, chief strategy officer and director of LGBTQ+ services for the L.A. CADA, recalled in an interview with “Good Morning America.” Just two minutes later, Tarkanian said another emergency arose — a tree had fallen through the main structure of…
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – Eternally – Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone, vocals; William Henderson – piano; Jeffrey Littleton – bass; John Betsch – drums. Mediawave Fesztivál, Gyor, Hungary, Synagogue, (Zsinagóga Gyor), April 28, 2002 CONTINUE@YouTube
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Feb. 25, 2025 – Ester Nicholson is a trauma specialist, author, keynote presenter and a training/retreat facilitator, with over two decades of experience dedicated to guiding individuals, communities, and organizations through transformative journeys. As the Founder and CEO of Soul Recovery, Ester has pioneered a groundbreaking approach that integrates universally accepted holistic practices and cutting-edge healing modalities, including some of the latest developments in brain science. Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date? A. Cocaine was my drug of choice (crack cocaine); my recovery…