EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES – Dec. 14, 2024 – At the event, the 56-year-old star, who was an honouree, spoke to People magazine, saying, “I’m eight and a half years sober. … It feels like another life. So I feel like it’s been a long time, but it’s been a short time too.” The Drop Dead Diva actress went on to add, “I really love being sober, and I’m really grateful to be sober.” Cho revealed that following her journey to self-reflection, her path to sobriety started. She shared, “I just didn’t realize what a problem it was. Like,…
Author: Leonard Buschel
POTENT AND PROLIFIC – Dec. 10, 2024 – At age 78, Dr. Louise Stanger, LCSW, CIP, CDWF, CLCI, a renowned interventionist, brings her signature blend of professional wisdom and personal truth to her meditation on aging, adventure, and authenticity. Each chapter unfolds like a conversation with a trusted friend, offering insights that challenge conventional wisdom about what’s possible as we age, or at any age. As a special bonus, Stanger’s narrative is enriched by world-renowned photographer Cheryl Fox’s stunning images, which capture both the timeless allure of the Sunset Marquis and Stanger’s infectious zest for life. These visual stories complement…
NO MORE JOY RIDES – Dec. 12, 2024 – About half of Alaska’s common murres, some four million birds, died as a result of the marine heat wave, the scientists found. They believe it is the largest documented die-off of a single species of wild birds or mammals. The state is home to about a quarter of the world’s common murres. Murres were the victims of a domino effect of oceanic changes tied to the warm water, according to a growing body of research. It affected marine life from plankton to humpback whales. Critically for the murres, it led to…
AUDIO – THE MAESTRO Dec. 15, 2024 – Hussain died at 3:42 p.m. at UCSF surrounded by family and loved ones, family spokesperson Jon Bleicher told the Chronicle. The cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease. “He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come.” With a storied career spanning more than five decades, Hussain is widely regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of all time and for bringing classical Indian music to a Western audience. He’s also considered a pioneer in…
SHE DID IT HER WAY – Dec. 11, 2024 – People are buzzing about Angelina Jolie’s role as Maria Callas in the new Netflix biopic, Maria. In fact, Angelina has already earned a Golden Globe nom for it. Callas stopped performing after struggling with her voice. That was likely due to overuse, her extreme weight loss, dermatomyositis, and rampant addiction. Aristotle died in 1975, and Maria withdrew from public life afterward. While it’s been said that she died of a broken heart, it’s more likely that her drug addiction and health issues contributed to her heart attack, per Biography. Maria…
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Dec. 17, 2024 – Alonzo Bodden is a comedian, dog lover, motorcyclist, and a world traveler with a curious mind. Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date? A. Cocaine, weed, and alcohol. By cocaine I mean crack 3/15/1988. Q. What do you like most about 12-step meetings? A. I gained perspective and at this point I never want to forget I’m an addict. Q. Do you think addiction is an illness, disease, a choice, or a wicked twist of fate? A. I don’t know.…
VIDEO – DON’T DISCARD OUR YOUTH – Dec. 13, 2024 -Lawyers for teenagers accused of crimes have argued for their clients to be released to the family because of the violence and drugs inside YSC. “This case is really about where the children are being detained, and the services they’re being provided or, in this case, not being provided. What this case is really about is the fact children in the juvenile system who are awaiting placement – which means they’re waiting to be moved to facilities where they get the rehabilitative services that they’re entitled to – are being…
VIDEO – LET IT RIDE – Dec. 8, 2024 – When first-time movie producer Stuart Regan found a novel entitled Leaving Las Vegas in a secondhand bookshop, he was stunned by its unflinching depiction of alcoholism. In O’Brien’s real life, followed Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic screenwriter who decides to move to Las Vegas to drink himself to death after losing his family and job. In ‘Sin City’, he strikes up a relationship with a prostitute, and a slight glimmer of hope begins to appear for both of them. However, she can’t save him with her love, and he succeeds in…
HELPFUL – Dec. 13, 2024 – Last year, when Lauren Haydel began her first sober holiday season, she wondered how difficult it would be to avoid alcohol at family parties and celebrations with friends. She owns a boutique, Fleurty Girl, in New Orleans’ French Quarter, a neighborhood synonymous with drinking. But few people questioned her choice. “Instead of them asking me why,” Haydel says, “they ask me, ’Oh, do you feel better?’” Many friends told her they’re considering avoiding alcohol themselves. Sobriety has been having a moment, says Jessica Jeboult, founder of the website and online community A Sober Girl’s…
KANPAI – Dec. 11, 2024 – As the beverage alcohol industry evolves, non-alcoholic beverages have emerged as its fastest-growing category, alongside increased consumer interest in sake, the third fastest-growing category. ZERO is uniquely positioned to bridge these two trends, meeting the demand for alcohol-free options while introducing new consumers to the refined taste of sake. ZERO is crafted without alcohol-producing yeast, delivering all the complexity and smoothness of traditional sake while catering to today’s evolving consumer preferences. With notes of ripe apple and savory chestnuts balanced with refreshing acidity, it’s perfect for those seeking an elevated non-alcoholic beverage for celebrations,…
JUST LIKE LOVE – Dec. 14, 2024 – For Andy, kratom produces a similar effect to the opioids he was once addicted to, giving him enough energy to get through the day. Kratom, a plant from Southeast Asia with stimulant and opioid-like effects that is commercially available across most of the U.S., also helped him stop drinking and quit opioids. “It’s been kind of a blessing and a curse for me,” Andy, who requested using only his first name for privacy, told Salon in a phone interview. “I was able to quit alcohol and I don’t do opiates anymore, but…
Seasons Change, So Can We! – Dec. 17, 2024 – In relationships, creativity is often overlooked as a vital skill in building and maintaining healthy partnering. Creativity is not just an artistic endeavor; it is much more than that. Creativity involves questioning our beliefs and opening up to alternate perspectives, essential for resolving issues. As Albert Einstein famously said, “You can’t solve problems with the same mindset that created them.” CONTINUE@AddictionRecoveryeBulletin
VIDEO – WHY? – Dec. 9, 2024 – Faith Freeman has lost two daughters to drug overdoses. 30-year-old Lacey Menard passed away in June 2024, and 24-year-old Lannie Soileau died in November 2023. “They loved to laugh, they loved the holidays, they loved to eat at big family gatherings.” “I deal with very bad anxiety,” she said. “I can’t go shopping in stores, I gotta order everything online.” As she heads into the holidays, Freeman says she will always remember Lannie for being the life of the party and Lacey for having a smile that would brighten the whole room.…
TOO LATE? – Dec. 10, 2024 – Smartphone addiction has quietly become one of the most pervasive challenges of modern life, reshaping how we connect, work, and unwind. Yet, this constant connection comes at a cost — affecting sleep, mental health, and even personal relationships, especially among teenagers and young adults. Calling smartphone addiction a “public health epidemic.” Continue reading As per the report, the panel advocates for mandatory health warnings on digital services, alerting users to risks such as overuse and exposure to harmful context. According to the proposal, these warnings would function similarly to those on cigarette…
PBS VIDEO – DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY – Dec. 12, 2024 – There is a mystery here. This is such a huge decline. It’s unprecedented in the history of drug addiction in America to see a drop this fast. Front-line public health workers I talked to do think naloxone is reversing a lot of overdoses that would otherwise be fatal. Also … That’s playing a role. There has been an immense effort to target the cartels. And there’s some sign that the fentanyl reaching American streets may be weaker and may be a little bit less available. So these are…
EVERYONE MAKES MONEY – Dec. 11, 2024 – John Driscoll, president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers “In 2024, we’ve seen payers evolve reimbursement models away from fee-for-service and towards value-based structures (like monthly bundles), while ceasing payments for unnecessary services like drug tests…As SUD providers compete for these contracts on quality and cost, tech-enabled models are winning, and this will continue in 2025 and beyond.” “The biggest challenge remains the workforce, workforce, workforce. Not enough people are coming into the industry. The degrees needed, such as a Master of Social Work or Psychology are expensive, and we have an…
“Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.” – Leo Tolstoy, 1828-1910
VIDEO – LIVER DIE – Dec. 2, 2024 – The main causes of alcohol-related death were cardiovascular disease — primarily due to heart attacks and strokes — as well as certain “common and serious cancers” as well as cirrhosis of the liver, Hennekens said. “Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption is also a major contributor to hospitalizations in state facilities due to a variety of deleterious outcomes, including alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic dementia,” he added. “Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption is also a major contributor to hospitalizations in state facilities due to a variety of deleterious outcomes, including alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic dementia,”…
READING MATTERS – St. Martin’s Press – Challenging both the idea of the addict’s “broken brain” and the notion of a simple “addictive personality,” The New York Times Bestseller, Unbroken Brain, offers a radical and groundbreaking new perspective, arguing that addictions are learning disorders and shows how seeing the condition this way can untangle our current debates over treatment, prevention and policy. Like autistic traits, addictive behaviors fall on a spectrum — and they can be a normal response to an extreme situation. By illustrating what addiction is, and is not, the book illustrates how timing, history, family, peers, culture…
VIDEO – THE PROMISES COMING TRUE – Dec. 3, 2024 – He celebrated the major moment on social media with people applauding him for being clean for nine years. It’s hard to forget the emotional episode from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, where Mike detailed his years-long battle with addiction. Mike even admitted that in three years, he spent half a million dollars on drugs before finally hitting rock bottom and checking into rehab. He did that again in 2024, sharing a slew of photos showing how his life has flourished since he gave up drugs. “9 years clean & sober!!…
LIKE CIGARETTES? – Dec. 4, 2024 – Proposals include banning digital devices for kids under three and restricting their use for those between three and six, except in rare cases. The report also advises rolling out so-called “dumbphones” for teens up to 16 and discouraging social media use entirely for children under 12. The experts also took aim at educational apps with “instant gratification” mechanics. They recommend their removal from schools to avoid negative impacts on learning. Schools should focus on analogue teaching for younger students and limit digital tools in early education, they said. On the public health front,…
VIDEO – FOR OVER 16 TOO? – Nov. 30, 2024 – The National’s Ian Hanomansing asks tech journalist Carmi Levy to break down how realistic this sort of ban is and if it’s something Canada should consider. TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media companies have taken steps to keep users under 16 off their platforms…
AUDIO – AND DEPRESSION TOO – Nov. 29, 2024 – It’s estimated more than 400,000 Australians are living with dementia, which impacts them as well as their loved ones. A new pilot study is exploring how songwriting can help, especially for those with early onset dementia. GUESTS: Associate Professor Samantha Loi, neuropsychiatrist at Royal Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne Paul Wheelton, carer for his wife Angela Phoebe Stretton-Smith, music therapist CONTINUE@ABC
LIFE GOES ON – Dec. 4, 2024 – Surviving overdose is a major sentinel event with significant short- and long-term consequences, depending on the substance involved, severity of the overdose, and timeliness and effectiveness of medical intervention. Sometimes, an overdose is sufficiently life-changing to motivate someone to enter treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), take MAT, and change their lives. Most times, however, it is a lost opportunity, and overdoses and addiction continue. Neurological damage is typical in overdoses but rarely evaluated the same way as traumatic brain injury or stroke. For example, opioid overdose with loss of consciousness and…
AUDIO – SHARING THE GOOD NEWS – Dec. 4, 2024 – Former ‘Bachelorette’ contestant Zac Clark shares his path to sobriety and how it inspired a passion to help people like him. CONTINUE@Slate
GET YOUR OWN DRINK – Dec. 3, 2024 – Two Delta flight attendants were kicked off their route after failing a breathalyzer test and being deemed too drunk to fly. The first blew 0.024, just over the legal limit of 0.002, and was fined $290. The second blew an astonishing 0.143, which is seven times over the legal limit for flight crews and almost double what is allowed for American drivers. The incident did not affect the flight’s departure. “Delta’s alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry and we have zero tolerance for violation,” a spokesperson said in…
BETTER SAY GRACE – Dec. 4, 2024 – The number of people under the age of 50 diagnosed with bowel cancer has increased at an alarming rate. “Unhealthy dietary patterns, marked by high consumption of red and processed meats, fast foods, refined grains, alcohol and sugary beverages, present a worrying relationship with an increased risk of…
DON’T FORGET THEM – Dec. 5, 2024 – This analysis identified lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise, obesity and not engaging in hobbies at age 60 as key predictors of dementia risk, from a review of 181 potential risk factors. In addition to lifestyle influences, the study found regional variations in dementia risk, with individuals born in the South facing a significantly higher likelihood of developing dementia … The study found the following factors as strong predictors of developing dementia: CONTINUE@MedicalNewsToday
VIDEO – LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION – Dec. 5, 2024 – Christmas trees and Menorahs light up, friends and family gather to ring in the new year, and people caught in the web of addiction prepare for a battle. The holidays, a season of joy and cheer for most people, look different through the eyes…
TOO MUCH TROUBLE? – Dac. 6, 2024 – Methadone is a drug used to mitigate withdrawal symptoms in people recovering from substance use disorder. The drug, which usually comes in the form of a drinkable liquid, is tightly regulated and can only be dispensed from designated methadone clinics in limited doses. The facility, which has locations…