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May 12, 2015              Treatment Industry & Recovery Community News                Vol. 2., No. 38
Testimonials
Business Is Good
American Addiction Centers Eyes
National Brand    

You get the feeling Michael Cartwright has spent a lot of time trying to clear up misconceptions about drug and alcohol addiction. Cartwright is CEO and co-founder of AAC Holdings. In April, AAC closed on its $13.5 million acquisition of an 84-bed hospital near Laguna Beach, Calif., which will be renovated into a Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital with 124 beds.

CONTINUED @ Nasdaq.com 

Flim Flam Film  

Debunking The 13th Step Movie     

All in all, the film flopped on many levels-ethical storytelling, casting, sound and video quality-but its the exposure to the general population, who have little to no information about a fellowship that has saved my life as well as the lives of so many people I love, is what is the most upsetting element about the film.

The Real High Life
Rob Lowe Celebrates 25 Years of Sobriety  

On Sunday, Lowe, 50, celebrated an impressive 25 years clean and sober. “To those struggling with addiction, there is true, real, hope,” he tweeted. “Twenty-five years ago today, I found recovery  and a life of promise. #grateful.” “Lowe thanked his wife Sheryl for her dedication, support and love

 CONTINUED @ PeopleMagazine

Get well at New Method Wellness

Interview with John Lavitt
Hazelden/Betty Ford’s Dr. Marvin Seppala    

“I have a great job. I get to wake up in the morning and focus on how we can improve the care that we provide for the people that come to us for help. It’s a wonderful job to have. As I say that, I know that throughout our organization, there is so much passion for addiction treatment and for recovery and for all of the people that are affected by the disease. When you can harness that kind of passion, you can make remarkable change.”

Stopping in Time   VIDEO
Brad Garrett Pops The Cork as a ‘High-Functioning Alcoholic’ VIDEO    

Brad Garrett said that he stayed in denial about his drinking for a while in part because he “was really never a day drinker. “It was just a realization that I probably wasn’t going to make it,” Garrett said of why he decided to change. “I would hit a fifth a day sometimes, and that’s a lot. Garrett famously played Ray Romano’s brother on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996-2005.

 Benchmark Transitions

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Forgive Me Father for I Have Sinned
Arrested For DUI, Marijuana Possession    

Gilliam was charged with DUI, drug possession and speeding, and taken to the Fayette County Jail. According to police records, the actor was initially pulled over for speeding just after 2 a.m. The incident report claims that his “eyes were extremely bloodshot,” and Gilliam registered a 0.107 blood-alcohol content. He was booked and released.

 Recovery Program Management

Frankincense & Weed
Church Plans to Use Marijuana at Rhode Island Memorial    

A church that uses marijuana in its ceremonies plans to hold a service at a national memorial in Rhode Island. The Providence Journal reports The Healing Church, which normally meets in a West Greenwich home, has obtained a permit from the National Park Service.

InTheRooms.com

Please Facebook Me   VIDEO
Expert talks psychology behind social media addiction  VIDEO    

Stephenson said one downside to social media that is concerning is people are losing empathy.
“Today, look at all the violence we see among kids,” Stephenson said. “No empathy. Why? Because you get that from face-to-face interactions with people.” “The bad can be so bad. I think the good is fabulous. It has opened worlds to us,” Stephenson said. Stephenson said the addiction stems from people’s curiosity and the instantaneous positive feedback social media can provide.

CONTINUED @ WBBJTV.com 

Coming Soon to San Francisco…

Pipe Dreams Do Come True
Govenor signs bill creating Marijuana Control Board    

Voters last November approved an initiative legalizing recreational use of pot for those 21 years of age and older. The initiative delegated rulemaking for the industry to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board unless the Legislature created a new Marijuana Control Board. The bill calls for the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to serve as director of the Marijuana Control Board, and for paid staff to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to serve as staff for the new board.

CONTINUED @ KTUU.com 

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Men Beware VIDEO
Porn and video game addiction are leading to ‘masculinity crisis’ VIDEO    

In an interview on the BBC World Service’s Weekend programme, Zimbardo spoke about the results of his study, an in-depth look into the lives of 20,000 young men and their relationships with video games and pornography.

Help Wanted Help Needed
Strip clubs can lead to trauma, addictions   

I have spent many hours reading testimonials of former sex workers, many who started their sex working career as a stripper. I have come to believe strip clubs exploit wounded women who often have severe trauma in their backgrounds. Many report they turned to prostitution or acting in pornographic movies to supplement their income.

CONTINUED @ TheIndependent.com 

Not Genetic After All
     Medication Caused Addictions 
  

PARKINSON’S disease sufferers who developed gambling, eating and sexual addictions after taking Pfizer medications could share in millions of dollars in compensation, after a Victorian court approved the deal. Some sufferers reported suffering from various forms of obsessive behaviour not normal to them including compulsive eating, spending, hyper sexuality, repetitive tasks or a combination of all of them.

You’ll Know
When to worry about drinking?  

Have you ever found it difficult to stop drinking once you have started or failed to do what was expected of you because of drinking? Have you ever discovered you cannot remember what happened the night before or felt guilty after drinking? This could indicate hazardous drinking and you should seek professional advice.

No Way Out
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation Struggles With Suicides Among Its Young    

A bright, outgoing girl with a shy smile and a passion for horseback riding, Santana had become afflicted by dark moods. She lived in a derelict two-bedroom trailer with a grandfather, Earl Tall, and as many as a dozen siblings and cousins. Her mother, an alcoholic, was an intermittent presence in her life. Their town, Manderson, was torn by drinking, fighting and violence.

Staying Clean on Campus   VIDEO
Sober Students Speak Out Against Stigma  VIDEO    

Bruins for Recovery is an on-campus organization that supports students in recovery from drugs and alcohol by providing a safe environment and engaging in sober activities with other recovering students. These members chose to break their anonymity to talk about their path to recovery and speak out against stigma associated with alcoholism and drug addiction. Watch and listen to three engaging and personal stories by three members of the organization.

Why Are So Many In Pain?
Addiction to Prescription – Prescription to Addiction    

t hasn’t been around in large amounts since the 1970s, but just a few weeks ago drug agents say they made a drug bust that revealed a large amount of Heroin. Prescription pills are the hottest drug on the street right now. They go for as much as $80 each, and it’s a growing problem in Albany and South Georgia. Drug agents say they mostly see oxycodone, oxycontin, and “hydros.” But heroin is making a comeback.

The New Drugstore Cowboys
OPENING Friday, MAY 15    

ANIMALS, by director Collin Schiffli and writer David Dastmalchian. The film follows a couple, living out of their car in Chicago, who are both madly in love and madly addicted to heroin. They must confront their grim reality when of them is hospitalized.  

UPCOMING EVENTS
LAUGH FOR RECOVERY

Saturday, May 16, 2015  

The 2nd Annual Comedy Benefit, “Laugh for Recovery” which is YPR-NJ’s major fundraiser is slated for 6:30PM May 16, at the Old Bridge Knights of Columbus (61 Pine Street, Old Bridge, NJ). Last year’s event was a great success, and this year’s Comedy Benefit will be even better.

Old Bridge Knights of Columbus  

61 Pine Street, Old Bridge, NJ  

FOR MORE INFORMATION  

 

REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL
DENVER EDITION

May 29-31, 2015  

The 1st Denver Edition 2015
With CeDAR and Writers In Treatment
Denver Film Society
SIE Film Center
2510 E. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80206

Call for more information:
818-762-0461  

FOR MORE INFORMATION

   

REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL
2nd ANNUAL BAY AREA EDITION

June 11-14, 2015 

VIZ Theater, 1746 Post Street

San Francisco, CA 94115

Smith Rafael Film Center

1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 

Call for more information:
415-548-0492   

FOR MORE INFORMATION  

Just A Little More RDJ
From Addict To Avenger: The Journey Of Robert Downey, Jr.    

Downey didn’t just get a job as a superhero, he became a real-life one who all people with addictions can learn from. In doing so, he did more than become the actor he was destined to be. He became the human being that had resided under a film of addiction, and that revealed itself on an international stage. Today, Robert Downey, Jr. is content with being Robert Downey, Jr., and that’s a transformation worthy of sobriety.

AA Violates 6th Tradition, Every Day
Should AA be responsible for the crimes of court-ordered criminals in meetings?    
Alcoholics Anonymous actively recruits in prisons and through the courts. How do I know this? Because I used to be one of the AAers who proselytized at the local jail. Of course, the organization should be held legally liable if one of those people attacks someone else … if you read the AA literature, it is very clear that court coercion started with AA and AA is still coercing, even in states where coercion has been ruled illegal on First Amendment grounds.

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Carrying The Message   VIDEO
Road to recovery: student regains identity after overcoming drinking problem  VIDEO   

…she had stepped into her first Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting. Lex, a junior English major, is one of the many teens struggling with an alcohol addiction. She asked The Spectrum to not publish her full name due to the possible interference with future employers. Around 5,000 people under the age of 21 die each year from alcohol related incidents, such as car crashes, alcohol poisonings and even suicides, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Brandi’s Wish

Don’t Kiss That Ring
Monsignor Jailed for National Meth Ring    

A former Roman Catholic priest dubbed “Monsignor Meth” has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for running a coast-to-coast drug ring in the US. Kevin Wallin, 63, received meth in the mail from California suppliers before delivering to a New York distributor, and bought a sex shop to launder his profits.

What A Concept
New England Town Helping Opioid Users Instead of Arresting Them    

Starting in June, police in the city of Gloucester, Massachusetts, will no longer arrest opioid users who come to them seeking help-even if they walk into the station carrying drugs. Recognizing that treating addicts like criminals simply hasn’t proven an effective tool, Leonard Campanello was inspired to try something new. “As a police chief you always look for ways to do something more.”

New Yorkers Get Free Tickets

Come to Denver This Spring

Heart Breaking
Infant Dies Of Heroin Addiction    

An infant girl died of a heroin addiction after being breast fed from her drug-addicted mother. Redding, California police arrested Heather Rose Brown and Daylon Michael Reed and charged the 21-year-olds with first-degree murder and child abuse. An autopsy report revealed the 5-day-old newborn’s cause of death was “polypharmacy-heroin and methamphetamine dependence/addiction.”

Rehab Going Clear
Lawsuit Blasts  Narconon in Santa Cruz    

A new lawsuit filed against Narconon of Northern California alleges that its drug treatment center near Mount Madonna gave participants a path to joining the Church of Scientology rather than a way out of drug and alcohol abuse. The class action suit, filed in federal district court in San Francisco, alleges breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, false advertising and unlawful business practices.

The Subtlest Addiction
Withdrawal drug could help cannabis addicts kick the habit    

There is no universal definition of addiction or dependence. Someone is usually deemed to be addicted to a drug if they want to stop but cannot, or if it has a negative impact on their life. They would probably be experiencing withdrawal symptoms that make it hard to give up. In the case of heavy cannabis use, these can include anxiety and insomnia. It is unclear how many marijuana users get hooked. A commonly quoted figure is that about 9 per cent of regular users become dependent, which probably stems from a US study from the 1990s.

Adding Fire to the Fuel
Reporter Launching 3rd Book at SF REEL Recovery Film Festival    June 13

The stigma of alcoholism is what keeps many alcoholics from seeking help for their disease. The controversial subject is captured in Adding Fire to the Fuel, the third recovery-oriented book by award-winning author Scott Stevens.  Stevens is debuting the book June 13 at Book Passage in San Francisco’s Ferry Building on the famed Embarcadero as part of the REEL Recovery Film Festival. The new book, available at all retailers following the California launch, looks at the stigma around alcoholism and alcoholism recovery as a $226 billion annual problem hiding in plain sight.

CONTINUED @ PressReleaseRocket.com 

No Boundaries
9 Bollywood Celebs Who Paid The Price of Alcoholism    

The actor’s addiction to alcohol led to him killing a man who was sleeping on the footpath. Had he not been drunk to that extent or had to not got involved in drink and drive, Salman would have been a free man today. So when the actor got sentenced to 5 years of jail, people all over the country learned a lesson from him as to not drink and drive. Silk Smitha got addicted to alcohol when things started to go wrong in her life, both professional failure and personal break ups. She ended up getting severely depressed and committed suicide.

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Ready For Your Close-Up? Always!  VIDEO
Selfie addiction: When they become harmful to self-esteem VIDEO    

Chicago plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Dayan has done countless hours of research on the selfies and how they impact everything from self-esteem to relationships with others. “A selfie completely alters the way we see ourselves depending on the position of the camera,” the doctor said. “If you hold the camera up high in the air, the lower third of the face looks smaller and the upper third of the face looks bigger and that’s actually an attractive look for women.”

Homeless No More   VIDEO
4 Homeless People Overdose on ‘Scooby Snax’ drug  VIDEO 

“She was limp. Her lips were blue. And I had to pick her up. And I’m not a woman beater or nothing but I was smacking her around to try to get her revived,” said Jon Browning, who told us about his wife Claudette, 45.

CONTINUED @ ABC2News.com 

Jesus Christ Superstar   VIDEO
Harlem Choir Proves There’s Songs After Addiction  VIDEO    

Grayson, Greig and the other members of the choir found recovery at the Addicts Rehabilitation Center. But the support from ARC’s gospel choir, they say, would keep them clean. “As soon as I heard those people, I knew I was connected,” said Grayson.  Staying drug-free is the choir’s only requirement. The music fills a void, replacing an addiction and saving lives in the process. If not for the choir Grayson told us she thinks she’d be dead.

Breaking the Waves
Ex-surfing world champion and recovering ice addict warns users drug will ‘take everything    

Former surfing world champion and recovering methamphetamine-addict Tom Carroll has issued a stern warning to casual users that the drug “will be their biggest taker”. Carroll became addicted to methamphetamine, also known as ice, in the early 2000s – almost a decade after his professional surfing career ended. He said the impact of ice addiction was wide-reaching and extended beyond the user.

Wouldn’t You Like to Know   VIDEO
WHY WE WITHHOLD SEX AFTER REHAB                     VIDEO    

Heidi Bilonick-McGuirk, Co- Founder of the Balance Beyond Recovery Coaching Program, and Co-Founder of Revolutionary Health, is a Teacher, Expert Business Consultant, Intuitive Healer and Master Certified Coach. Her extensive experience spans almost two decades. Currently SHE holds breakthrough relationship seminars with her beloved husband Dug (formerly one of Tony Robbin’s top Master Coaches). It is Heidi’s passion to teach Love and Relationships, helping motivated people everywhere learn to love and be loved.

CONTINUED @ RevolutionaryGrowth.com 

MEDIA: Book Review
How to Be a Man: (and other illusions)    

One wouldn’t usually turn to a veteran of Guns N’ Roses for advice on how to live, but Duff McKagan is not a typical rock musician. As chronicled in the New York Times bestseller It’s So Easy (and other lies), Duff got sober at thirty, went back to school, got smart about money, fell in love, became a father, and got his life back on track.

The 6th Annual WCASD Conference

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