Author: Leonard Buschel

VIDEO – IN MEMORIUM –  Feb. 14, 2025 – An addiction recovery organization is remembering the woman who inspires their work. CONTINUE@WCAX

SO DOES WATER – Feb. 13, 2025 – With the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the US is heading into its next chapter of healthcare policy. Kennedy has received both criticism and praise for his proposed policies throughout his confirmation process, however, one potential focus that has garnered substantial interest is his plan to reform addiction medicine treatment. The goal, he states, is to battle the ongoing opioid epidemic. He has shared his personal experience with opioid use disorder (OUD) on various media platforms, which has…

RFK JR. SWORN IN – Feb. 13, 2025 – Kennedy, 70, has spoken about his addictive personality many times over the years. By his account, his recovery taught him humility and opened his heart toward God. But the redemption stories were preceded by years of darker media accounts about his reckless behavior.  CONTINUE@AP

HORRIFIC COMPANY – Feb. 13, 2025 – The clinic claimed the injections were steroids that would relieve her pain, Shaw said, but with each shot her agony would grow. Shaw said she eventually tried to decline the shots, then the clinic issued an ultimatum: Take the injections or get her painkillers somewhere else. “I had nowhere else to go at the time,” Shaw testified, according to a federal court transcript. “I was stuck.” Shaw was among thousands of patients of Pain MD, a multistate pain management company that was once among the nation’s most prolific users of what it referred…

No Sugar Free – Feb. 8, 2025 – It’s the ancient ritual that unites millions of Christians in faith – but the Church of England is facing accusations that holy communion excludes non-drinkers or worshippers with dietary intolerances. C of E guidance determines the type of bread and wine that can be consecrated as part of the Eucharist ritual, which symbolises Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, death and resurrection and commemorates the Last Supper. But after being asked to consider non-alcoholic and wheat-free options, church leaders have ruled these cannot be used. Ahead of the meeting of the General Synod, taking place…

BRAND SOURS – Feb. 14, 2025 – The Charity Commission said it was told that Brand’s Stay Free Foundation “no longer operates and should be removed from the register of charities”. The charity, which was described on its website as an organization that focuses on “supporting people through recovery from addiction, their mental health issues and the non-profit organizations that help them”, was removed officially in January. Brand stepped back from his role at the charity last year and other trustees closed it and asked for it to be removed from the register, the Charity Commission said. The Charity Commission’s…

NO STEPS – Feb. 8, 2025 – Residents, already upset over the possibility of a nearby La Quinta hotel being converted into low-income housing for seniors, showed up in force at a zoning hearing Thursday, Feb. 6, to vehemently protest plans for a 100-bed, 31,000-square-foot drug rehab facility. “The older they get, the more cantankerous they become,” said Jeffrey Lynne, attorney for Zinnia Health. Residents testified they were concerned about drug rehab patients wandering into Century Village late at night and breaking into condos. Lynne called the concerns totally unfounded, noting that the clients will be there voluntarily to overcome…

VIDEO – TRAGIC – Feb. 13, 2025 – One month after 13 Investigates reported on a troubling pattern of problems inside addiction treatment centers operated by Landmark Recovery, another patient has died inside a Landmark facility. According to police and the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, 48-year-old Holly Knight was strangled by another patient, who is now charged with her murder. Internal sources tell 13 Investigates the suspect entered Knight’s room around 8:54 p.m. with a towel around her neck and then closed the door. A post-arrest complaint says surveillance footage from inside the addiction treatment center shows the victim was…

VIDEO – STILL ALIVE – Feb. 13, 2025 – In the new documentary Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), which hits Hulu on Feb. 13, the legendary musician’s daughter Phunne Stone recalls a moment from her childhood in which she once snorted chalk in an attempt to mimic her dad. “I think that my dad is really actually shy, and I think drugs helped him be fearless,” she says. “My mom loved him more than any man. She never dated another man after my dad. But he wasn’t always around when I lived with my mom.” Phunne was…

BUILD MORE! – Feb. 13, 2025 – Named Recovery Gateway, it consists of 42 single-occupancy homes and four double-occupancy homes for couples, for a total of 46 available units for 50 people. Residents will be welcome to stay up to 24 months, or until they are connected to longer-term recovery housing. Sobriety in homeless shelters and transitional housing is a hot topic, as it is often a barrier to entry in much-need facilities. While some “low barrier” shelters exist — meaning they do not require background or credit checks, income verification, sobriety, or an ID to access services — they…

VIDEO – ONE NOTE AT A TIME – Feb. 13, 2025  – In the video below from AXS TV, the legendary Joe Walsh talks to Sammy Hagar about how he stays sober and the secret to longevity in the music business. Then, Sammy interviews Queen guitarist Brian May, Tanya Tucker and Paul Shaffer. CONTINUE@BraveWords

“You lose nothing when you fight for a cause … In my mind the losers are those who don’t have a cause they care about.” – Muhammad Ali, 1942–2016

GIVING BACK – Feb. 4, 2025 – The project is being funded by Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police. The staff, residents and those who have moved on and graduated from the unique recovery centre, will host a series of talks across the next six weeks exploring the idea of male identity, violent crime and family systems and support. They will go into local schools to try and reach out to young people at risk of becoming involved with crime. They will also visit two local prisons to offer support to prisoners who want to make changes to their lifestyle…

WEEDS IN THE WIRING – Feb. 4, 2025 – Experts say the new study, which looked at more than 13.5 million medical records of all individuals aged 14 to 65 between 2006 and 2022, adds to growing evidence that heavy cannabis use could lead to schizophrenia and psychosis. “If you look at the study, that increases considerably over time,” said Myran, who was first author of the study. While the incidence of schizophrenia “was stable over time” without a population-wide increase, the incidence of psychosis that was not otherwise specified increased compared to before marijuana was legalised. In certain age…

SCREAM YES – Feb. 3, 2025 – “26 years ago today I walked into my first recovery meeting. Since then, my life has completely changed,” she shared in the caption. “I have made beautiful, beautiful, friendships and it has expanded my life beyond recovery and it has given me the family life and creative life I never thought possible.” She continued, “To every person I have come in contact with who have shared their experience, stength and hope as it relates to alcoholism and drug addiction, I thank you for your courage and welcome and for all those who came…

STILL CRUISING – Feb. 4, 2025 – Back in the day, Kirstie Alley was a big supporter, and she was known for her donations to Scientology’s drug rehab network, saying that it had helped her with a cocaine addiction when she came to Hollywood. But Narconon has been through tough times, shrinking from about 21 clinics in the US to only five today. Over the past decade, we documented numerous patient deaths and dozens of lawsuits as Scientology leader David Miscavige shrank the vaunted rehab network. Newer additions to the clinic roster tend to be smaller, boutique facilities like the…

ACCOUNTABILITY – Feb. 6, 2025 – Emily Willis’ family is suing a rehabilitation centre after the former OnlyFans star suffered from a cardiac arrest, which left her without a heartbeat for more than 30 minutes. But the impact to her health from what happened to her was devastating, with Willis now left suffering from locked-in syndrome whereby she can only move her eyes. Filing the lawsuit towards the end of December last year, Willis’ mother Yesenia claims her daughter’s condition got worse after being admitted to Summit Malibu. While at the facility, the lawsuit claims Willis suffered from dehydration; looking…

VIDEO – GUILTY? –  Jan. 30, 2025 – A KARE 11 investigation exposes tens of millions of dollars in questionable Medicaid billing, kickback allegations and executive enrichment. CONTINUE@YouTube

HAPPY PILLS – Feb. 3, 2025 – Having spent most of my career researching the human toll of drug use at almost every stage of the supply and consumption chain, I believe a complete shift in the way we think about the world’s drug problem is required. We already have many years of evidence of the ways that drugs – both natural and (increasingly) synthetic – are destabilising countries’ legal and political institutions, devastating entire communities, and destroying millions of lives.  Illicit drug use has increased by 20% over the past decade, only partly due to population growth. Almost 300…

VIDEO – BABIES MATTER – Feb. 4, 2025 – Thirty-year-old Lydia Kareha knows what it’s like to hit rock bottom. “My decisions led me down a really rough path,” Kareha said. “I had a lot of felonies. I thought I was going to be a felon the rest of my life.” Kareha knows what it’s like to lose yourself and lose everything to drug addiction. “My addiction really started when I was in high school and kind of progressed from there,” she explained. “It got really bad in about 2016, started with pills and just escalated to my main drugs…

ALL BETS ARE OFF –  Feb. 3, 2025 – Dr. Meredith Ginley is the director of the gambling clinic at ETSU and said that this time of year, they see an increase in gambling addiction cases. “Seeing all the advertising, for our compulsive clients, will put them at increased risk!” Gambling addiction can affect adults of all ages and demographics, so it is good to be aware of some potential red flags. The biggest two are going over budget and devoting too much time to gambling. If you see these signs in yourself or a friend or family member, it…

YOUNG AT HEART – December 8, 2024 – Rancho Santa Fe author Dr. Louise Stanger has released her fourth book, “Reflections on Aging from the Sunset Marquis,” which she hopes to be an inspirational guide to embracing the aging process and never losing one’s sense of authenticity, adventure or joy. “Life doesn’t dim with time—it deepens,” said the 78-year-old Stanger in a news release. “Every morning brings a new chance to compose your life’s melody. This book is about turning up the volume on your dreams and letting your spirit soar, whether you’re 28 or 78.” A signing event for…

DEAR ABBY – Feb. 4, 2025 – DEAR ABBY: My youngest son, age 27, has been clean and sober for two years, having survived the horrible addiction of fentanyl. I helped nurse him back to health. It wasn’t easy, but he is alive today. DEAR MOM: Is it possible that in order to gain his sobriety, your son joined some sort of cult-like program? His treatment of you and his siblings is neither normal nor acceptable. If you prefer to save yourself the heartache and end his verbal abuse, you have the right to distance yourself until he straightens out. …

NO BUFFETS – Feb. 3, 2025 – The study explores the subjective experiences of individuals with binge eating disorder and prescribed lisdexamfetamine. Although many taking the medication reported reduced binge episodes and improved appetite control, others experienced significant side effects and inconsistent efficacy results.Lisdexamfetamine, marketed as Vyvanse, first received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ADHD, “but its ability…to also reduce the frequency of binge eating episodes led to its approval for binge eating disorder,” said Morgan James, assistant professor of psychiatry, member of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center at the Brain Health Institute, and…

GREED KILLS – Feb. 5, 2025 – A couple is suing Walgreens and a pharmacy benefits management company, alleging that their son died because he couldn’t afford a sudden $500 spike in his asthma medication. Shanon and William Schmidtknecht, of Poynette, filed their lawsuit in federal court in Milwaukee on Jan. 21, a year to the day that their son Cole died at age 22. According to the lawsuit, Cole Schmidtknecht suffered from asthma all his life. He managed it with daily doses of the medication Advair Diskus and its generic equivalents, which he ingested through an inhaler. The Schmidtknechts…

VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE –  11,974,721 views since Jul 2, 2020 – “Fight the Power” served as the theme for Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and is featured on Public Enemy’s 1990 album Fear of a Black Planet. Gotta give us what we need Our freedom of speech is freedom or death We got to fight the powers that be Lemme hear you say …Fight The Power. CONTINUE@YouTube

VIDEO ONLY – SO MATURE NOW – Feb. 6, 2025 – After Doing “A Lot of Drugs” The ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ alum gets candid in a new interview with the ‘Chicks in the Office’ podcast, detailing how his drug and alcohol use led to a turning point in his life. CONTINUE@ENews

VIDEO ONLY – ARE WE NOT MEN? –  Feb. 6, 2025 – To learn more about Soberman’s Estate, including their discreet location, services and various treatment options, go to SobermansEstate.com or call 480-400-0677. CONTINUE@ABC15

TOGETHER AGAIN – Feb. 7, 2025 – After taking a four-year break, Rascal Flatts are getting ready to hit the stage again. Their return comes as guitarist Joe Don Rooney reaches three years of sobriety this September 2024. “Sober Joe Don is incredible. I have to say I’m so proud of him for what he’s been through and what he’s been able to overcome.” DeMarcus added that Rooney “is so zoned in now, and so lucid and intentional about everything he does, and I’m so proud to see him in such a healthy space. It’s really, really cool. I’ve seen…

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Feb. 11, 2025 – Anthony Brown is the founder and director of Coordinating & Assisting Recovery Environments. With a M.S. in Nursing from United States University, Anthony developed and directed a long-term residential treatment model, which has fueled his dream to open a home for those who have are experiencing homelessness. Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date? A. Drug of choice was methamphetamine and cocaine. Sobriety date: March 29, 1999. Q. What do you like most about 12-step meetings? A. The comradery. Q. Do…