Seven Cultural Concepts we don’t have in Treatment or Recovery
1. Friluftsliv translates directly from Norwegian as “free air life,” which doesn’t quite do it justice. Coined relatively recently, in 1859, it is the concept that being outside is good for human beings’ mind and spirit. “It is a term in Norway that is used often to describe a way of life that is spent exploring and appreciating nature,” Anna Stoltenberg, culture coordinator for Sons of Norway, a U.S.-based Norwegian heritage group, told MNN. Other than that, it’s not a strict definition: it can include sleeping outside, hiking, taking photographs or meditating, playing or dancing outside, for adults or kids. It doesn’t require any special equipment, includes all four seasons, and needn’t cost much money. Practicing friluftsliv could be as simple as making a commitment to walking in a natural area five days a week, or doing a day-long hike once a month.
Drug and alcohol addiction treatment results improved when teens stopped smoking
The study found that teens who stopped smoking benefited from lower cravings for alcohol and drugs … A Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researcher has found that addiction treatment results improved when teens in a residential program stopped smoking. The findings are published in a new study in the November issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. They hold important implications for success in treating addiction since up to three out of four people with such disorders are smokers, a significantly higher proportion than the overall national smoking rate of one out of every four Americans.
NFL players searching for painkillers hope for relaxed marijuana ban NPR AUDIO
Kyle Turley hurt plenty during his eight NFL seasons in the 1990s and 2000s. As an offensive lineman, he was involved in jarring collisions nearly every play when his team had the ball. He hurt after his career – Turley sometimes walks with a cane. And in a recent video, he displayed one by one the bottles of powerful painkillers he used. “Vicodin, Flexeril, Percocets, Vioxx, morphine,” Turley recited as he plopped the bottles down on a kitchen counter. Turley says be became addicted to the drugs and depressed to the point of contemplating suicide.
Elephant sedative carfentanil detected on Vancouver streets for first time
Vancouver Police say they have detected the deadly opioid carfentanil for the first time in a Vancouver drug seizure. Health Canada has confirmed the presence of carfentanil in drugs that were seized in the Downtown Eastside on Sept. 20 … Carfentanil is 100 times more toxic than fentanyl and is used to tranquillize elephants and other large animals. It can be fatal to humans in a volume of 20 micrograms, which is less than a grain of salt.
HBO Documentary on Alcoholism Previewed at Yale School of Public Health
Alcohol is woven into the fabric of American life. It is used to socialize, celebrate and relax. But for many, alcohol use comes with a steep price. The misuse of alcohol and drugs cost the United States $442 billion a year and close to 21 million people in the live with a substance use disorder. In an effort to shine a light on alcohol addiction, the Yale School of Public Health screened HBO’s soon-to-be-released documentary film, Risky Drinking, followed by a panel discussion and dinner on November 17. The preview, held in Winslow Auditorium, was hosted by Vasilis Vasiliou, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences. It was co-presented by HBO and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Does Industry-Driven Alcohol Marketing Influence Adolescent Drinking Behaviour?
Introduction: Heavy drinking or high intensity alcohol use is the leading risk to health and well-being in young people, accounting for 7% of disability adjusted life years in 10-24-year olds globally. Aim: To systematically review evidence on the influence of specific marketing components. Results: Forty-eight papers covering 35 unique studies met inclusion criteria. Authors tended to report that greater exposure to alcohol marketing impacted on drinking initiation, continuation, frequency and intensity during adolescence. Nevertheless, 23 (66%) studies reported null results or negative associations, often in combination with positive associations, resulting in mixed findings within and across studies.
San Diego police and emergency officials are using naloxone more than ever before local data shows. VIDEO
The drug, also known by the brand name Narcan, counteracts the effects of heroin and other opioids….”I was in a car with some people and they threw me out in the alley behind an apartment building.” Collapsed on the floor, the heroin she injected and pills she swallowed were about to kill her. But her life was spared that day, because a paramedic injected her with naloxone … If you are interested in receiving naloxone and going to a training in San Diego. Call “A New PATH”: 629-670-1184 or email: anewpath@cox.net
Skyway House Foundation offering grants targeting addiction
Skyway House Foundation is offering up to $30,000 and two grant opportunities for North State professionals and organizations specializing in addiction treatment or prevention. Skyway House became a for-profit in 2015, when it was sold to Acadia Healthcare. The foundation exists as a nonprofit trust, the proceeds from its sale now being directed back to the community, said Skyway House CEO Jennifer Carvalho.
The Man Who Made the McDonald’s Fortune while drinking, and the Woman Who Gave It All Away. Their fights often occurred when Ray was drinking, and Joan began to think the problem was his affinity for Early Times whiskey. She tried to talk to him about his drinking, but he refused to listen. A friend convinced Joan to attend Al-Anon, the support group for people affected by a loved one’s drinking, and those meetings changed her life. She began to understand that alcoholism was a disease that affected the whole family, and she resolved to launch a “social revolution” to make the word alcoholism acceptable.
AIDS Fight: Andrew Sullivan on a History of the Movement
…The resistance began with the strange and unaccounted-for appearance of posters on the walls and windows of New York City: the Nazis’ pink triangle inverted on a black background over the words “SILENCE = DEATH.” It grew with the small heroism of doctors like the permanently frazzled Joseph Sonnabend in Manhattan and spread slowly to gay activists who were as much at war with one another as with the disease. It took years to gain traction, but the courage of the resistance turned out, over time, to be as persistent as the virus itself. And the merit of this book is that it shows how none of this was inevitable, how it took specific, flawed individuals, of vastly different backgrounds, to help bring this plague to an end in a decade and a half.
The mission of the Medical Board of California is to protect health care consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied health care professions and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act, and to promote access to quality medical care through the Board’s licensing and regulatory functions.
Recovering From The Effects of Growing Up in Alcoholic Home
I had the opportunity to ask Claudia Black Ph.D. about the consequences of growing up in an alcoholic family. Black is the author of the recovery classic “It Will Never Happen To Me” and is the Clinical Architect at the Claudia Black Young Adult Center at The Meadows in Arizona, USA. “In an alcoholic family young people live with fear not knowing what to expect and become vigilant to every possibility. Emotions become repressed and twisted. Feelings are often not shared and when expressed often punished. I find by the time a child is nine years of age they have their own well developed denial system particularly around their emotions.”
How thinking about behavior differently leads to happier Fetal Alcohol Spectrum families
A new study from the University of Rochester sheds light on how parents and caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) can best help their kids, and at the same time, maintain peace at home and at school … Petrenko and her colleagues found that parents of children with FASD who attribute their child’s misbehavior to their underlying disabilities-rather than to willful disobedience-tend to use pre-emptive strategies designed to help prevent undesirable behaviors. These strategies are likely to be more effective than incentive-based strategies, such as the use of consequences for misbehavior, given the brain damage associated with FASD.
As the winter holidays are fast approaching, alcohol consumption rates are about to go up. While low to moderate drinking has been shown by some studies to have beneficial effects on the heart and circulatory system, new research suggests alcohol use may increase the risk of some types of stroke and not others. Most people have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives. Low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption have been shown to be good for one’s health, but high and heavy drinking can have serious negative consequences.
Shrewsbury – Henry “Hank” G. Grosse, 65, of Shrewsbury, joined his beloved childhood sweetheart and wife of twenty-four years, Eileen “Ike” (Villatico) Grosse, in Heaven, on Monday, November 21, 2016. It was on the East Side that Hank grew up, met the love of his life, and created many life-long friendships. He was so proud of his accomplishments, including overcoming addiction, marrying “his Eileen”, and raising his pride and joy Ayla, otherwise known as “the kid”. Hank co-authored “The East Side of Addiction” with childhood friends, bringing to light an epidemic in a tight knit community that could only be overcome by strong bonds of friendship, recovery, and hard doses of reality. Hank was a popular speaker in the halls of the 12 step program. Hank continued the legacy of compassion and dedicated his life to helping others.
“Prison got me sober, but it didn’t get me anywhere,” Hunter told me. Each time she went to prison, she would get clean, and then once out she would return to drugs. She did try to get into a drug rehabilitation program. But the state, while willing to pay to imprison her, was unwilling to pay for drug rehab except for the most serious addicts; she didn’t qualify. One reason mass incarceration doesn’t get fixed is that society regards felons with a mix of fear and contempt. In fact, the women should evoke sympathy; even more than male prisoners, they have been through the wringer.
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Johanna O’Flaherty, PhD
Her doctorate in clinical psychology is from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
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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 & the general public.
No Evidence of Aloe Vera Found in the Aloe Vera at Wal-Mart, CVS
The aloe vera gel many Americans buy to soothe damaged skin contains no evidence of aloe vera at all. Samples of store-brand aloe gel purchased at national retailers Wal-Mart, Target and CVS showed no indication of the plant in various lab tests. The products all listed aloe barbadensis leaf juice – another name for aloe vera – as either the No. 1 ingredient or No. 2 after water.
Should we amend Fair Housing Act to regulate sober living?
On both sides of Congress, members have begun to address the issue of recovery residences. In the Senate, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have come together to learn more about the issue. While Rubio and Hatch are conservative Republicans, and Warren is a liberal Democrat, they have come together because of their interests and appear very much dedicated to exploring the role, protection and regulation of this resource. The three authored a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), seeking a review of federal and state oversight of, and support for, sober living homes.
Is your kid a ‘Screenager?’ Expert provides tips for easing device addiction VIDEO
Parents are taking notice and looking for ways to strike a healthy balance between family time and time spent watching TV, playing video games, or interacting on social media via smartphones and tablets, according to Dr. Delaney Ruston, a clinical professor of medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York and director of the documentary “Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age.
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$oberliving Industry Under Attack VIDEO
Fourth sober home arrest in five days for patient brokering DRAMATIC COURTROOM VIDEO
A Delray Beach sober home operator became the fourth arrest in five days by the Sober Home Task Force as it continues its crackdown on patient brokering in the drug treatment industry. Howard James Fowler Jr., 26, surrendered at the Palm Beach County Jail on 14 counts of patient brokering Monday afternoon. Fowler will not be released from jail until his lawyer can assure a judge and prosecutor that the money Fowler will use to post bond did not come from illegal activities.
WATCH MORE @ MyPalmBeachPost.com
Pill Over
Prescribed drugs linked to 30% of road fatalities
IRELAND, Saturday, November 19, 2016 There have been renewed calls on the Department of Health to implement long-awaited laws on prescription drugs after a report showed they were involved in 30% of road fatalities … Anti-anxiety medication, known as benzodiazepines, are the most common prescription drugs found, featuring in 12% of all fatalities, the same as cannabis, and behind alcohol at 31%. The report, which the RSA published yesterday, does not state that the prescription medication had impaired driving or caused the fatal accidents. But the widespread presence of prescription drugs has renewed calls for action. “There is a general trend of more benzos being taken,” said Joe Barry, public health specialist at Trinity College Dublin.
115th Congress can reshape our approach to opioid addiction
Drug addiction is historically framed in the context of criminal justice rather than public health. A growing opioid epidemic has forced legislatures to reconsider their approach toward the topic. In January 2016, Congress lifted a federal ban on funding for syringe exchange programs (SEPs). SEPs take used syringes from individual drug users, dispose of them responsibly, and supply these individuals with clean syringes. On top of this basic exchange of needles, SEPs encourage public health by connecting individuals with medical professionals they would otherwise have zero contact with. Many programs include other health services such as supplying hygiene products and offering access to drug treatment and support programs.
“I couldn’t smile; I couldn’t laugh,” Lytle said of his addiction. “I couldn’t look in the mirror. I hated the man that I was. I hated that I was a failure. I hated that my parents couldn’t look at me with pride.” Lytle has come a long way in the last decade. He’s reclaiming a life he lost control of as a teen living in Weirton. He went on to college for a time, where his friends were his foe. “I hated the fact that his lips would be blue, he’d almost be dying, his heart would be stopped, we’d throw ice under his arm to try to get him to wake up and it was a sad thing,” Lytle said of the man that put a needle in his arm the first time. “He looked at me and said, ‘Josh, you do this, you’re going to be just like me.”
Vaccine Against Fatal Opioid Drug Overdose Developed
WASHINGTON: Scientists have developed a new vaccine that blocks the pain-numbing effects of the opioid drugs and decreases the risk of fatal overdose, a growing cause of death in the US. The vaccine takes advantage of the immune system’s ability to recognise, seek out and neutralise invaders. “We saw both blunting of the drug’s effects and, remarkably, prevention of drug lethality,” said Kim D Janda, professor at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in the US. “The protection against overdose death was unforeseen but clearly of enormous potential clinical benefit,” Dr Janda said. Opioids were designed to reach receptors in the brain, causing pain reduction and feelings of euphoria.
Homeless woman a victim of alcoholism, companion says VIDEO
A 34-year-old woman who had been living in a makeshift shelter near Crookston before her death Friday was “a ray of sunshine … just vibrant and really alive,” her companion said Wednesday. But she could not overcome years of alcoholism and mental illness … Lee Tibbets, 57, called 911 when Erin Leigh Koplitz was unresponsive after taking pills that morning in the shelter they shared in a wooded area along the Red Lake River west of town… “She just went so far under, she didn’t wake up,” Tibbets said, sitting in a motel room acquaintances had paid for.
After eight years and 21 stints in hospital or rehab, Mark decided that he had enough. He had two children but his marriage had collapsed; his parents cared for him and he had plenty of family support, but he was unable to dry out. Finally he asked for euthanasia. Physically he was quite ill and psychologically he was suffering badly. A woman doctor in a black dress and sneakers arrived to give him his lethal injection. She confirmed his decision and then gave him three doses.
Los Angeles Skirball Cultural Center – 2017 – 2017
8th Annual Experience, Strength & Hope Awards – Feb. 23 in LA
Broadcast giant and Recovery advocate PAT O’BRIEN is set to receive the Experience, Strength and Hope Award presented on Thursday, February 23, 2017, Guest host, Ed Begley, Jr., Guest Singer, Sherri Lewis, Spoken word performance. Actress Joanna Cassidy will be Thanking our VIP Sponsors from the stage. SPECIAL COMEDY performance, from South Florida to you, SARGE (He’s half Jewish and half Black. What could possibly go wrong?) Plus SPECIAL GUESTS TBA Previous Honorees: Christopher Kennedy Lawford, Lou Gossett, Jr., Buzz Aldrin, Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Carrie White, Joe Pantoliano, Mackenzie Phillips Previous Participants: Danny Trejo, Tony Denison, Robert Downey, Jr., Ione Skye, Bobcat Goldthwait, Joanna Cassidy, Alonzo Bodden, Mark Lundholm, Dan Fante, Bob Forrest, Sharon Lawrence, Barry Diamond, Jack McGee Dress Code: No Gowns, No Tuxes, No UGGS. Book now to avoid disappointment
That law makes it illegal to “offer or pay any commission, bonus, rebate, kickback or bribe” in order to persuade patients to go to a particular health-care provider. For every client with insurance who was referred to Whole Life Recovery, Fowler, Dudek and the Norquist brothers received weekly payments – as long as the clients attended therapy, according to police. The checks were signed by James Kigar, an owner of Whole Life Recovery, a police report stated. Kigar was arrested Oct. 25 on charges of patient brokering. Christopher Hutson, an operator at Whole Life Recovery, was also arrested and charged with patient brokering.
WATCH MORE @ MyPalmBeachPost.com
Mother’s Nature
Mother-Turned-Author Pens Memoir Chronicling Son’s Addiction to Opiates
“Discovering my child was addicted to drugs was like hearing the word ‘war’,” said the doting mother. “As if war was declared against my child, against me, against our home, and definitely against our future. It dropped me to my knees.” Over the course of the next six years, Highwater’s family witnessed Elliot’s painful descent into the dark world of opiate addiction. The life her family had once known, was changed forever. “The shame of addiction was isolating and overwhelming,” said Highwater. “I felt that we were less than citizens, marked as ruined. Addiction wasn’t in the public eye then, as much as it is now. There were some insulting comments, as if we somehow caused or deserved it.”
Unhooked: A Mother’s Story of Unhitching from the Roller Coaster of Her Son’s Addiction Paperback – October 14, 2016
REVIEW: I found this book moving and informational to say the least. I lived through a similar journey which never ends. I never knew I could “Unhook” from the chaos. If I would have had this book during those times I would definitely have handled it differently instead of participating or being pulled into the chaos along with my wife, I would still be married. I strongly suggest this book to anyone dealing with a family member who is battling addiction. This book is also a guide to finding peace of mind through the storm.
“It’s a unique service to addicts and their families.”
“It’s a unique service to addicts and their families. And an informational periodical for the rehab industry. If I don’t ingest the Addiction/Recovery eBulletin, then I immediately need a fix.”
Paul Krassner
American author, journalist, comedian, and founder of the magazine The Realist. Krassner became a key figure in the counterculture of the 1960s as a member of Ken Kesey‘s Merry Pranksters.
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