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May 5, 2015                            Treatment Industry & Recovery Community News                            Vol. 2., No. 37
Testimonials
Fair and Balanced? NOT EVEN CLOSE!
Film Brutally Attacks Rehab Industry 

Greg Horvath teamed with a documentary filmmaker, Adam Finberg, to investigate the $35 billion treatment industry. The result of their partnership, “The Business of Recovery,” which premiered on Sunday at the Newport Beach Film Festival, is an extraordinary look into the secretive and unregulated world of alcohol and drug rehab.

Drugs Over Dinner
‘Addiction Is Everywhere, and It’s Important for Us to Recognize That’    

The average dinner party just got a lot more exciting. An unconventional invitation — which asks us to come together, pull up a chair around the table and talk about our experiences with drugs and addiction — has inspired thousands across the U.S. and abroad to RSVP with curious anticipation.  The idea of taking a taboo topic like substance use and creating an event around it originated with social entrepreneur Michael Hebb and his Death Over Dinner project.

Get well at New Method Wellness

Nutritional Recovery   VIDEO
Experts say certain food can tackle addiction  VIDEO    

The way you eat, can change your life. That’s something that Liz Winchell, the former Director of Admissions at Malibu Beach Recovery Center, has experienced first-hand. “I know that was true for me. In my addiction, I thought that it was all there was. You know, I thought I was having so much fun but I didn’t know that there was so much more out there. That life was so much easier and happier without it,” says Winchell. Dr. Kenneth Blum with the University of Florida has studied all types of addiction. He says that behavior is often caused by a low level of dopamine in the brain. About one-third of the U.S. population is affected by this.

Prisoner X Changes   VIDEO
How Do We Help Former Inmates Overcome Addiction?  VIDEO    

Studies show that drug addicts who are released from prison are likely to relapse without proper support and are at risk of dying from overdose. What resources are available for former inmates with a history of substance abuse and their families?

His House & New Creation Treatment

Bill W. On the Couch
Bill W. An Imagined Psychotherapy with the co-Founder of AA    

In As Bill Sees It, Bill W., the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, told a story about how he learned how to throw a boomerang. He was 10-years-old and he had been feeling depressed for about a year. In terms of life stressors, his father had abandoned the family, his mother had left him in the care of his grandparents so that she could begin her medical studies, and his school life was not going well.

Click here for Biosound Therapy

Feeling The Feelings
Grieving My Brother’s Death in Sobriety    

I had not been drinking this particular Sunday, which was unheard of for me. I can’t remember a Sunday prior to this that you wouldn’t have found me at a local terrace café that offered bottomless mimosas for $10. I was usually in a blackout by 3 p.m., but this day I didn’t go and I hadn’t been drinking.

 Recovery Program Management

There’s A Debate?   VIDEO
Powdered Alcohol Debate VIDEO    

Powdered alcohol, otherwise known as Palcohol, is a new substance that many states are banning before it even hits store shelves. In fact, lawmakers in both Iowa and Minnesota are looking into a ban. Palcohol was invented by Mark Phillips. As an outdoors man, he created the powdered alcoholic drink in a pouch as a convenience item for hikers and bikers, like himself. What he didn’t expect was the backlash we are seeing across the country.

CONTINUED @ KIMT.com 

 AcademicAddiction.com

Not Possible       VIDEO

  


“Old junkies” advert           VIDEO    

“There is no such thing as an old junkie” – this award winning TV ad was produced for us by the advertising agency AMV-BBDO. Filmed by Bare Films the ad graphically illustrates the fact that addiction has serious consequences. The ad and its accompanying poster campaign won several industry awards. Unfortnately due to the difficulties in funding it did not get shown much on television. Its impact though is clear.

 Benchmark Transitions

There’s an App for The Disease?
Get rid of alcoholic-addiction digitally     

A smartphone app designed specifically to help Australians reduce their dependence on alcohol has been launched. The app diagnoses a person’s drinking habits and measures how healthy, risky or dangerous they may be. It then offers a range of challenges to complete instead of drinking such as sober karaoke, drink-free dating and being the designated driver on nights out.

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Thank You for Sharing
  Nothing Wrong With Going To Therapy    

Mental health is a landscape that many people still don’t understand (in fact, only 25 percent of people with mental illness feel that others are compassionate toward them). Many people believe that therapy is only for people who are dysfunctional, but that’s simply not true. “Most people who initiate counseling do not have a serious mental illness.

Visit the Newsletter ARCHIVES

Life Saver
Anonymous donor funds Narcan distribution    

A grant from an anonymous donor has funded an initiative in Morris County to provide potentially life-saving Narcan kits to the families of heroin and opiate addicts at risk of overdose. “With 113 fatal overdose deaths per day in the United States, and nearly 30,000 hospital admissions in 2014 for prescription drug abuse in New Jersey alone, the power lies with family members of those who are at risk of an overdose to prevent additional deaths.”

Death to Alcoholics

Death to Alcoholics


Foreign criminal can stay in Britain because he is an alcoholic    

A foreign criminal who has been convicted of more than 70 offences has been allowed to remain in Britain because he is an alcoholic. In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, the Libyan man successfully argued that he would face physical punishment and imprisonment in his homeland, where alcohol consumption is illegal.

Different Paths
Brad Pitt’s pal dies of overdose    

Nicholas Kallsen, a Manhattan preppie who became Brad Pitt’s co-star and roommate, has died of an overdose in Thailand at the age of 48, friends report. The handsome actor went to Browning, the exclusive boys school whose alumni include John D. Rockefeller Jr., Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Howard Dean and Jamie Dimon.

Bouncing Back VIDEO
10 Hollywood actors who battled addictions and came out clean  VIDEO    

Fame usually come at a price. And a lot of pressures. And not everyone is equipped to deal with it. These celebrities took the wrong turn and decided that alcohol and narcotics were the way to go. They drank, shot up and smoked their way through decades but surprisingly did not die of it. Maybe then they decided to come clean. And they have since done a fine job of it.

CONTINUED @ IBNLive.com 

Too Soon?
How allowing early sips of alcohol can influence a child’s mind and future    

In a three-year study – kids who were allowed to sip wine or beer from their parents’ glasses “now and then” before the age of 11 – were four times more likely to binge drink in high school. The link remained even after researchers accounted for parents’ drinking habits, family history of alcoholism and poor impulse control in students. Letting young children take a sip on special occasions may send a “mixed message.”

The 6th Annual WCASD Conference

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  

MEDIA: Film Review
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck Review    

The sequence says volumes about where drugs have taken him, pulling him away from the family that he proclaims is the most important thing in his life. In the end “Montage” feels like you’ve experienced Kurt’s worldview. It’s a remarkable achievement. With all these materials to work with, a lesser artist could so easily have pieced together a paint-by-numbers biopic. Whereas Morgen has clearly taken painstaking care to sculpt the next best thing to having the man explain himself to us directly.

Going To Any Length
Puerto Rico Exports Addicts to Chicago    

…Until I talked to Jose Alvarez. He has been working with injection drug users in Chicago for 11 years and he’d heard the same story I had, from users in Humboldt Park. “They were thinking they were going to have their own room, a nice warm place in the winter,” Alvarez said. “A couple of them even said that some of these places had pools.” Alvarez is from Puerto Rico too. He is a case manager with the Community Outreach Intervention Projects , an HIV and Hepatitis prevention program at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

CONTINUED @ NewAmericaMedia.org  

Addiction/Recovery eBulletin

Brandi’s Wish

Outspoken Kid Gets Mom Arrested
The Ultimate Irony: The Decimation of Families to Protect the Children    

Mothers from across the country are appalled at the outrageous action of the schools and police, when they seized an 11-year-old child and arrested his mother after he defended medical marijuana during a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) school drug presentation. Is this freedom of speech? Does government encouraging children to spy and turn in their parents sound familiar?

Detox With Dignity Now

Minds Worth Keeping
Teen Binge Drinking Damages The Brain    

Teenage years are full of trial and error, but when it comes to alcohol the after-effects may last well into adult life… Mary-Louise Risher, a post-doctoral researcher in the Duke Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, said in a press release. “It’s important for young people to know that when they drink heavily during this period of development, there could be changes occurring that have a lasting impact on memory and other cognitive functions.”

Check out Loma Linda University

Accusations
Rosie O’Donnell’s Estranged Wife Claims She’s A Pothead And Alcoholic    

Rosie O’Donnell’s estranged wife Michelle Rounds made even more shocking allegations about the reason she’s seeking sole custody of the couple’s two-year-old daughter, claiming Rosie is too big of a pothead and alcoholic to care for their child properly. Michelle claims in her divorce case Rosie drinks a bottle of wine nearly every night, regularly smokes weed and eats edibles, and it gets in the way of parenting. Michelle also claims Rosie has let their 19-year-old son throw parties where the kids all drink, which she believes is irresponsible.

Bridges To Recovery

Holy Toledo
Ohio: Record Number of Heroin Deaths    

A record number of Ohio residents died from heroin-related overdoses in 2013, the state Department of Health said Thursday as it released the newest available figures for a problem that’s been called an epidemic and a public health crisis. The state said 983 people died of heroin-related overdoses in 2013, up from 697 deaths in 2012.

InTheRooms.com

Message In A Bottle
Compulsory treatment of drug, alcohol addicts is a waste of funds    

Another problem with compulsory treatment is that it is often people with the least chance of doing well who are treated. This means the many people who want help and really may benefit from voluntary treatment have to go without because most of the available money has been unwisely spent on compulsory treatment of people who don’t want it.

Show Off
From Overweight Alcoholic to UltraMan
by Regina A. Walker    

In 1998, Rich Roll was a 31-year old, late-stage alcoholic with two DUIs. In 2015, Rich Roll is 17 years sober, has one of the highest-ranking podcasts on iTunes, is the author of two books, and has been named one of the “25 Fittest Men in the World” by Men’s Fitness magazine.

New Yorkers Who Call Get Free Tickets 

Come to Denver This Spring

Legal Death
Synthetic Marijuana Public Health Disaster  

Across the country, people are dying from using untested, dangerous drugs that attempt to mimic marijuana. Ironically, there’s evidence that the public health emergency is being fueled specifically by the ongoing criminalization of real marijuana. Synthetic cannabinoids – known under a variety of names like spice, K2, or scooby snacks – are typically synthesized in foreign laboratories and sprayed onto a mix of inactive herbs, then sold with no mention of the active ingredients or their strength.

CONTINUED @ ThinkProgress.org  

Coming Soon to San Francisco…

Cheap Thrills, Surprise Deaths
Flakka Drug Poses Massive Threat For Teens At Just $5 A Hit    

Of all the street drugs to plague Florida over the years, the latest craze, known as Flakka, has police worried. The potent synthetic drug, which costs just $5 a vial, is leading youngsters to commit bizarre and increasingly violent crimes. In one case of bizarre behavior induced by the drug, a man was caught by cops running naked through a Florida neighborhood. The man reportedly tried to have sex with a tree, claiming he was the mythical god Thor.

Drinking and Health
Women end up paying a very high price for cheap alcohol    

It was time to start a conversation with women on public health policy and alcohol consumption, she told the conference. “We need to join the dots between breast cancer and alcohol.” Women who drink a small glass of wine a day increase their risk of getting breast cancer by 7 to 10 per cent, she said. The figures are sobering. “Breast tissue is particularly susceptible to alcohol-related cancer.”  Young women should listen carefully.

Another One Bites the Dust   VIDEO
Overdose Deaths Rise Among Baby Boomers  VIDEO    

More than 4 million Baby Boomers are addicted to drugs or alcohol. The national survey on drug use and health finds about half of all adults, ages 51 to 69 have experimented with illicit drugs. Most Baby Boomers’ addictions start in their own home with prescription painkillers. “Many of them come into our facility rather embarrassed at their age to need this kind of service.”

CONTINUED @ WIFR.com 

Will Not Bogart That Joint
Hillary Clinton Weighs in on Marijuana    

Although Clinton has largely ducked questions about marijuana in the weeks since declaring her bid to become the next president, she did state her opinions in a CNN town hall meeting in June 2014. When asked about the idea of legalizing marijuana nationally, Mrs. Clinton had this to say:

Danny Trejo On The Field VIDEO
LOS ANGELES  AL-IMPICS since 1973  VIDEO    

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Substance Abuse Prevention and Control program, along with special guests Danny Trejo, Mia St. John and A&E TV interventionist Candy Finnigan invite the community to celebrate recovery from alcohol and drugs during an Olympic-style event on May 30, 2015

Toronto Drinks It In
Days of Wine and Roses hits the stage with an all-recovery cast    

Scene: A sleazy motel room, sparsely furnished. Empty liquor bottles on every surface.
“I don’t care!” slurs a young woman, swaying and hollering at the newly sober husband who has come to rescue her.
“Get out of here and leave me alone. I don’t care if I die!”
It’s a pivotal scene in J.P. Miller’s 1958 play Days of Wine and Roses, a raw depiction of alcoholism and the devastation it wreaks on families.
And in this rehearsal, it’s a powerful one, thanks to the first-hand knowledge the actors bring to their roles.

WRITERS IN TREATMENT

Writers In Treatment 
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REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL is a social, educational, networking and recovery forum showcasing first-time filmmakers and experienced professionals who make films about addiction and recovery. Our audience is treatment professionals, people in recovery, members of the entertainment industry, media representatives, educated moviegoers and the general public.    
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Addiction/Recovery eBulletin Publisher & Editor:  
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© 2015 Addiction/Recovery eBulletin 

May 5 Addiction Recovery eBulletin, 2015