IT’S A GIFT…CARD – Oct. 5, 2024 – Bernard Groves has spent five years trying to quit methamphetamine. He lost his job. He lost his car. He nearly lost his apartment. Worse than that, he says, his addiction has hurt his family. The 35-year-old checked himself into several rehab programs in San Diego and San Francisco hoping “to be that Bernard I used to be for the people that I love.” But each time, Groves felt the progress he made in therapy morphed into people talking at him, telling him what to do. Eventually, he would always return to meth.…
Author: Leonard Buschel
VIDEO – FROM SADNESS TO SERVICE – Oct. 8, 2024 – Ce’gon Shoeleh spoke about her struggles with addiction at Light of Hope’s Fentanyl Awareness Town Hall to help spread awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and to offer support to families with loved ones struggling with fentanyl abuse. CONTINUE@Fox
ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE HIGH – Oct. 10, 2024 – The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 38,000 reports about investment scams from January to October, amounting to $4.7 billion in losses. That’s up from 30,000 reports and $3.6 billion in losses in the same period last year. The same artificial intelligence tools that can write goofy limericks or serve as a pseudo-therapist are helping fraudsters pump up their profits. For years, scammers have used flirty or urgent-sounding messages to dupe victims into sending them money, but now their tactics are super-charged by generative AI tools that can make missives more…
VIDEO – TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED – Oct. 7, 2024 – Homelessness, alcoholism and a nervous breakdown are just some of the challenges a Stoke-on-Trent cyclist has had to overcome. Phil James’s next challenge is to cycle the summit of Mount Snowdon four times in 24 hours, having used exercise as a form of addiction recovery over the last twelve months. He is raising money for mental health charities Mind and M.A.T.E, and to show people experiencing a mental health crisis that there is hope. “Hopefully I can show other people that they can get themselves out of the situation…
AUDIO – STILL TOO MANY – Oct. 9, 2024 – Drug overdose deaths nationwide are down 10% compared to last year, according to federal data. That’s a big drop in contrast to the skyrocketing overdose death rates seen over the past few years along with an increasing supply of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. We haven’t seen a diminished supply in the Rocky Mountain region,” said Weis. Weis says the volume of fentanyl seizures in Montana may be the same as 2023, which was a record-breaking year. Fentanyl pill prices also remain low, at about $5, meaning there are plenty…
HELPING HANDS AND HEARTS – Oct. 9, 2024 – STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. “The fentanyl and overdose epidemic is the crisis of our times and under no circumstances can we allow our young people to become collateral damage as a result,” McMahon said. “I thank our federal partners for their continued commitment and funding of this life-saving program, and look forward to strengthening Ripples of HOPE, combatting this epidemic head-on and saving as many lives as possible in the process.” The Richmond County District Attorney’s office (RCDA) announced a $700,000 award from the U.S. Department of Justice to help continue funding…
LEGALIZE IT – Oct. 10, 2024 – The baby weighed less than 4.5 pounds and had a gray skin tone, a “severe festering diaper rash” and infections in his mouth, eyes and thumb, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police said they also found a baggie with fentanyl next to the baby’s pacifier. Davis said the boy hadn’t eaten for days and knew he was losing weight, the affidavit said. uesday, police arrested Davis and Orescan, both 34, on allegations of first-degree criminal mistreatment and fentanyl possession. Davis also was charged with first- and second-degree assault, supplying contraband and cocaine…
VIDEO – TALK LOUDLY, HURRY – Oct. 10, 2024 – According to the American Addiction Recovery Association, the addiction epidemic is the number one cause for Americans 18-45. During her time in office, Senator Britt has been vocal about her fight against Alabama’s opioid crisis. “I think you have to the experts, you have to listen to people with lived experience. We have to make sure, particularly from Congress’s perspective that we don’t just put money towards the problem- that we put it in the right places … I am hopeful that someone out there that is listening that is…
VIDEO – LOTS MORE STEPS – Oct. 11, 2024 – They are getting help staying sober in an unexpected place. The owner of a Plano fitness center said there’s science linking sobriety and sweat and it’s catching on with those in recovery. The nightclub lighting, the pulsating music and social atmosphere all appeal to the life Tiffani Jones used to live. “There’s times where I want to go on a Friday night when I’ve had a tough week, where I want to go and have a glass of wine or two, or have a margarita at a restaurant, and I…
ALWAYS ON TIME – Oct. 11, 2024 – On October 10, in honor of World Mental Health, the rapper, 65, posted a video on Instagram sharing that he’s about to reach 4 years of sobriety, explaining how his mental health had been a big contributing factor to his success. “Next week, I am 4 years sober from alcohol. And today is mental health awareness day. My mental health is an important part of my sobriety journey.” “I talk to a therapist. In fact, I talk to two. I gots a crazy schedule and travels, my manager recommended trying out Sonia…
VIDEO – MUSICAL INTERLUDE – 276,674,396 views Aug 1, 2008 Lyrics Songwriter: Freddie Mercury I’ve paid my dues Time after time I’ve done my sentence But committed no crime And bad mistakes I’ve made a few I’ve had my share of sand Kicked in my face But I’ve come through And we mean to go on and on and on and on We are the champions, my friends And we’ll keep on fighting till the end We are the champions We are the champions No time for losers ‘Cause we are the champions of the World I’ve taken my bows…
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Oct. 15, 2024 – Anne Elizabeth Lapointe is the Executive Director of the Maison Jean Lapointe. Ms. Lapointe has over 22 years of experience in the field of addiction, including 18 years in prevention. She has contributed to the development and evaluation of the Maison Jean Lapointe’s prevention programs. These programs reach 100,000 young people yearly in Quebec. Ms. Lapointe is actively involved in the community and sits on several boards of directors, round tables, and expert committees. Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety…
THE UNEXPECTED STEP – Oct. 11, 2024 – The last time I drank was September 2nd, 2022, but no one knows it yet. I met my ex-husband working on a magic little sandbar off the North Carolina coast. If you’ve vacationed here, or on any beach in America, you’ve seen the signs to “Rent Jet Skis”, and hop aboard vessels with names like Fish’n Frenzy and Knot Today. Remember the movie Wedding Crashers, when Claire Cleary giggles at her sister’s cheesy, nautical wedding vows between captain and mate? Our lives were a lot like this—minus the cheese, plus the booze.…
SAD BUT TRUE – Oct. 8, 2024 – “It escalated to 80 pills a day,” she writes. “It took more and more to get high, and I honestly don’t know when your body decides it can’t deal with it anymore. But it does at some point.” “It was an matter of addiction, withdrawal in the big leagues,” she writes. “I just wanted to check out. It was too painful to be sober.” CONTINUED@People
INSANITY – Oct. 2, 2024 – Assailants shot to death four men and wounded two others in an attack at a Mexican drug rehabilitation center. Mexico’s privately run drug rehabilitation centers are often abusive, clandestine, unregulated and underfunded. They have been the targets of similar attacks in the past. The Mexican government spends relatively little money on rehabilitation, often making the unregistered centers the only option available for poor families. In addition, addicts and dealers who face attacks from rivals on the streets sometimes take refuge at the rehab clinics, making the clinics themselves targets for attack. CONTINUE@ABCNews
ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! – Oct. 9, 2024 – “I started to forget things at a very young age,” Pacino explained. “They called them blackouts, so I got nervous.” The actor’s road to sobriety was long and curved, though. “I went to AA for a while. “I was, I was, you know, reluctant to stop, but my great friend Charlie Laughton…he was a real influence over me because he was my mentor, my closest friend,” Pacino told King. “Really, begged me to stop for a while. Just to take a look at it and ask me, ‘cause he had stopped for…
VIDEO – JAILS AREN’T SAFE! – Oct. 8, 2024 – The incident was reported at about 8:40 a.m., and the Los Angeles Fire Department found seven people, ages 18 to 35, at the scene, according to LAFD spokesperson. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which oversees the jail, later clarified that there were a total of eight people in a holding cell awaiting transportation to court. Of the eight, seven were taken to local hospitals “as a precautionary measure,” the Sheriff’s Department said. The eighth, however, was declared dead at the scene, despite the use of CPR and Narcan. Fire…
BUSTED! – Oct. 11, 2024 – Roderick Branscomb, 49, was the program director of a methadone treatment clinic in LaGrange from April 2021 to November 2023. During his time there, Branscomb is accused of having sexual misconduct with seven female patients at the facility. “Those who are struggling with addiction and brave enough to seek help should not be victimized when they’re at their most vulnerable,” said Carr. Branscomb is facing nine counts of improper sexual conduct by an employee – first degree, four counts of improper sexual conduct by an employee – second degree, five counts of sexual battery…
VERY SMART – Oct. 9, 2024 – My first year of college. Frat party. I was standing against a wall, sipping tap water from a solo cup and talking to a girl standing next to me. We talked back and forth for 20 minutes, yelling over the party music. My friends were all high out of their minds, lounging on the couch and staring at the strobing lights on the ceiling. She asked me what I was drinking, and I tipped my cup to show her the clear liquid. “Water, I don’t drink.” She smiled at me, “Me neither!” I…
IT’S THE FOLLOW THROUGH… – Oct. 5, 2024 – The primary tool for assessing addiction proneness was the Addiction-Prone Personality Scale, which evaluates traits such as impulsivity and risk-taking. Novelty seeking was measured using the Novelty Seeking Scale, while the Generation and Selection Questionnaire assessed how frequently participants generated new ideas and how often they were able to select the best ones. A new study published in Psychological Reports sheds light on the complex relationship between addiction-prone personalities and creative thinking. The research found that individuals with a tendency toward addictive behaviors are more likely to generate a large number…
VIDEO – MORE THAN JUST DONUTS – Oct. 8, 2024 – Five years sober, Erica Owens is the food service manager at Brighton Recovery Center’s “Center Table,” a catering and culinary training program for women in recovery. However, her passion for cooking didn’t always exist. She laughed as she remembered her first day in the kitchen. “I set the kitchen on fire!” But over time, cooking became the hope needed in her recovery. “Food is a love language,” Owens said. “Nothing says loving like something from the oven.” Fast forward to today. Owens is not only working in the kitchen,…
GET IN LINE – Oct. 8, 2024 – More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, alleging the popular short-form video app is damaging children’s mental health with a product designed to be used compulsively and excessively. The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022. At the heart of each lawsuit is the TikTok algorithm, which powers what users see on the platform by populating the app’s main “For You” feed with content tailored to people’s interests. In its filings, the District of Columbia called…
GO TO GAMANON – Oct. 11, 2024 – Our 30-something son has been seriously dating a smart, capable woman for more than a year … He is adamant that he does not intend to tell her about his problem. He often seems to believe that he has a handle on this situation, but in the past couple of years, he has not gone more than a few months without gambling. They seem very happy; they recently moved in together and are talking about their long-term future, including the possibility of having children. She fits in well with our family and…
“If your oxygen mask drops down, it’s time to take a breather!” – Richard Simmons, July 1948–July 2014
CLEAN SWEEP – Oct. 1, 2024 – Developed by Sunshine, a witch in recovery herself, this app brings together both magick and recovery, delivering a unique approach to sobriety that embraces spiritual growth, personal empowerment, and recovery. “I started out in traditional 12-step programs and just never really felt like I fit in,” … “I wanted to follow a path of recovery that embraced and supported my personal beliefs as a witch. When I couldn’t find it, my spirit guides finally told me that it was because I was supposed to help create it.” The Sober Witch Life Mobile App…
VIDEO – DIME DROPPER – Oct. 2, 2024 – Chavez agreed to cooperate as the U.S. Attorneys Office pursues more serious charges against Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who prosecutors say gave ketamine directly to Perry. The other major target in the investigation is Jasmine Sangha, an alleged dealer who prosecutors say was known as the “ketamine queen” of Los Angeles and supplied the doses that killed Perry last year. A San Diego doctor became the third person to plead guilty in the case of Matthew Perry ’s fatal drug overdose, as prosecutors collect cooperators in an attempt to convict two bigger…
SHE KNOWS – Oct. 2, 2024 – As many dip their toes into sobriety this month, Olivia Foster explains the different phases she experienced after giving up booze, from ‘pink clouding’ to a complete work and relationship overhaul. Here’s how she did it and what she has discovered during her three-year-sober journey so far… Like many people growing up in rural parts of the UK, my first taste of alcohol was both exhilarating and repulsive in equal measure; I downed a glass of neat vodka at my best friend’s 14th birthday party before becoming heart-stoppingly convinced that I might die.…
BOOK RECOMMENDATION – 2023 – A girl-and-her backpack story: Carlie is not merely traveling. A child sexual abuse survivor, as a teen she steals ten thousand dollars and runs away to Asia. There, the Lonely Planet path of hookups, heat, alcohol, and drugs takes on a terrifying reality. Landing in Tokyo in the late 1980s, Carlie falls in with an international crew of tai chi-practicing backpackers. With their help, she has the chance at a journey she didn’t plan for: one to find the self-respect taken from her as a child and the healthy sexuality she desires. About the Author…
VIDEO – WHO KNEW? – Sept. 27, 2024 – Despite growing research that points to the negative health impacts of alcohol, many Americans are unaware of the connection between drinking and cancer risk. A recent report from the American Association for Cancer Research found excessive levels of alcohol consumption increase the risk for six different types of cancer, including: “Some of this is happening through chronic inflammation. We also know that alcohol changes the microbiome, so those are the bacteria that live in your gut, and that can also increase the risk,” Dr. Céline Gounder. CONTINUE@CBSNews
STARBUCKS SAVES LIVES – Sept. 26, 2024 – Regular coffee or caffeine consumption may offer a protective effect against developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases like coronary heart disease and stroke, the most common killers in human society today. Detailed in new research published in the Endocrine Society, three cups of coffee per day were associated with those in the study cohort who had a lower profile for a novel risk marker called “new-onset cardiometabolic multimorbidity.” Cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM) refers to the coexistence of at least two cardiometabolic diseases, and the prevalence of individuals with CM is becoming an increasing public health…