EXCLUSIVE – Dark side of addiction treatment – Arizona
Saving lives or selling souls? VIDEO
Jan 27, 2017 – Saving lives or selling souls? We expose the dark side of addiction in our hidden camera investigation. The addiction treatment industry is a $35 billion business. “What you see is not always what you get,” interventionist Carey Davidson said … It’s called patient brokering, where addicts are sold to rehab centers. The person cutting the deal is called a body broker. Interventionist Heather Hayes says it’s equivalent to human trafficking. “Families who may only have one shot may lose a child because they don’t end up in the right type of treatment,” Hayes said. Our hidden cameras reveal addicts are worth cash and these deals are made within hours.
WATCH MORE @ AZFamily.com
Going Clear, Going Dark
Scientology-Based Rehab Continues to Operate Despite Slew of Deaths, Lawsuits
The former waitress hoped to kick her heroin habit, and the Pittsburg County facility looked like a good choice, especially given its reported claims of 70% recovery rates … But instead, Murphy died in July 2012 when she overdosed inside the Scientology-based rehab center. A year later, Oklahoma enacted Stacy’s Law to provide better oversight for drug rehabs by criminally punishing facilities that attempt to provide rehabilitation without proper state certification. But after four deaths in three years and a slew of civil lawsuits, somehow the facility is still open-and without that necessary certification. A loophole in the law distinguishes between inpatient facilities-which need the certification-and halfway houses, which need a less stringent kind of certification.
Ozzy Osbourne says he lied about being a sex addict
Last year, after he was caught cheating on his wife Sharon Osbourne, 64, with hairdresser Michelle Pugh, the Black Sabbath rocker claimed he had been suffering from sex addiction for six years. However, he has now told The Times: “I’m in a f***ing rock band, aren’t I? There have always been groupies. I just got caught, didn’t I? It was a bump in the road … Sharon is a workaholic and that’s great. But if she comes home from ‘X Factor’ and wants to go to bed, what the f*** am I supposed to do? I’m sitting with my thumb in my a**e waiting for her, aren’t I? That’s why men do stupid things…
READ MORE @ Missoulian.com
Deeply Troubled VIDEO
Teen Who Made Headlines Dies of Drug Overdose VIDEO
JAN. 27, 2017 – Two years ago, her mother told authorities that Patterson was abducted at gunpoint in front of her own home in Wilkes-Barre. But the teenage girl would not cooperate with law enforcement … Then last year, Patterson made it back in the headlines. She was the girl who three people tried to rescue in New York City, bringing with them a cache of weapons in their pickup truck. She had told one of them she was in a so-called heroin den in the Bronx…
Seattle creates safe sites for addicts to inject illegal drugs
“We see this as a public health emergency,” said Jeff Duchin, the health officer for Seattle and King County. Duchin said officials hope to open the Seattle site within a year. Both sites will be aimed primarily at homeless drug users, he said, with a goal of providing them basic health services and ultimately drug treatment…
Heavy drinkers offered ketamine to curb alcohol cravings
Londoners who drink “hazardous” amounts of beer are being offered the party drug ketamine in a bid to stop them “drinking without thinking”. Researchers at University College London are trialling the drug, a powerful anaesthetic used in the NHS and on animals, to block or dismantle the “alcohol reward” memories that cause cravings and addictions. It is hoped the drug, known as Special K on the party scene, will help drinkers “reboot” their brain and get their habit under control. The project began last year, with 50 taking part, but a further 40 volunteers are required.
North Americans Are Spending Nearly as Much on Weed as They Do on Wine
Move over, Napa Valley, there’s a new kid on the block … In its executive summary of a yet-to-be-released report, Arcview Marijuana Research pegs the size of the North American marijuana market-legal and illegal-at $53.3 billion, which puts it roughly even with the market in wine. According to Statista, US retail wines sales sit at $55.8 billion, and Canadian government figures put sales there at $3.2 billion.
READ MORE @ Alternet.org
New BOOK by Robert M. Ottman
Author Shares Life’s Journey ‘Beyond The Rainbow Promise’
Robert M. Ottman has always wanted to help others in a meaningful and practical ways. He realized that he had a real opportunity to do that by using his own life as an example. He wanted to use the dark storms that had come in his life as a platform to guide readers in navigating their life’s stormy seas. It prompted him in writing “Beyond The Rainbow Promise: Shattered Dreams. Shifting Realities. Broken Hearts. An inspiring journey through the storms of life”…
Trent Reznor Recalls How David Bowie Helped Him Get Sober VIDEO
It feels like the loss of a mentor,” says Nine Inch Nails leader of Bowie’s death … When I met David, he had been through that. And he was content. He was at peace with himself, with an incredible wife, clearly in love. There were a number of times where the two of us were alone, and he said some things that weren’t scolding, but pieces of wisdom that stuck with me: “You know, there is a better way here, and it doesn’t have to end in despair or in death, in the bottom.” … A full year later, I hit bottom. Once I got clean, I felt a tremendous amount of shame, of my actions and missed opportunities and the damage I’ve caused in the past.
The Hazelden Betty Ford Center staff gave their all, along with Trick Dog Films, Rachel Horwitz, Kool Party and Andrea Carter. Plus Green’s own crew who, she said, “Always make me look good … When it comes to local celebrities, few have risen faster or higher than “Beamer” the cartoon character who speaks to children affected by addiction on behalf of the Hazelden Betty Ford Center Children’s Program.
Remarkable new book nails what it’s like to be drowning in addiction
I’ve had a very conflicted relationship with alcohol. At times I’ve drunk very heavily myself, not realising I was doing that to numb emotional pain. I couldn’t really understand why I felt so much pain as an adolescent and in my twenties. Having an alcoholic father who was verbally and emotionally abusive was just the norm for me. In terms of overall outlook on life…
READ MORE @ TheCanary.com
You Are What You Think
Depression and Anxiety Tied to Cancer Deaths
Psychological distress may increase your chances of dying from cancer. Researchers interviewed 163,363 adults in England and Scotland using well-validated questionnaires on general and mental health. They followed the population in 16 studies conducted between 1994 and 2008.
Woman Tries to Get Out of DUI By Telling Cops She Was Driving Around to ‘Sober Up’
A woman who police suspected was driving drunk late Friday night tried to get out of an arrest by convincing cops she was “just driving around to sober up.” … when police asked her about her swerving, she said she’d been at a bar in Darien and was driving to the White Castle in Berwyn to “sober up.
Jan 29,2017 – Fat-shaming people into losing weight was proven to have the reverse effect, according to a new study made at the University of Pennsylvania. The study found that fat-shaming can worsen people’s health and increase the risks of having a heart attack or developing diabetes … Health care providers, the media, and the general public should be aware blaming and shaming patients with obesity is not an effective tool for promoting weight loss, and it may, in fact, contribute to poor health if patients internalize these prejudicial messages,”…
To our Readers and Advertisers: An Open Letter from Leonard Buschel Publisher/Editor of the Addiction/Recovery eBulletin
Gratitude is always in season, and as we begin 2017, I want to thank our readers and astute progressive advertisers for your loyalty and confidence. The Addiction/ Recovery eBulletin is approaching four and a half years of continued growth and influence. This would not have been possible without the support of “The Good Guys” – our sponsors who continually stand on the side of truth, integrity and Best Practices. It is an honor to serve our readers and a responsibility I do not take lightly.
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.
How To Treat Sex Addiction When You Don’t Think It Exists
“I will unequivocally say that sex addiction does not exist,” sex therapist and licensed marriage and family therapist Ian Kerner, Ph.D., author of She Comes First, tells SELF. “There was a big attempt by the addictionology community to get sex addiction into the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, [released in 2013], under the category of hypersexuality,” he adds. “It was rejected by the American Psychological Association for lack of enough research and empirical data.”
Could REDDIT help you stop drinking in 2017? VIDEO
The online support group is helping more than 50,000 people fight alcoholism together through real-time chats and daily check-ins – the thread describing itself as ‘a place to motivate each other to control or stop drinking.’ Stop Drinking is also constantly monitored for discouraging or hateful speech for this reason. At a glance of the homepage the Subreddit’s positive nature is clear, with hundreds of posts written by people who are proud of their progress … Titles flooding the page include ‘4 Years Sober Today,’ ‘Thinking about how I no longer engage in destructive behaviour’ and ‘Truly Happy.’
Center operator pleads not guilty to sex trafficking, fraud VIDEO
January 28, 2017 Chatman was the mastermind behind a ring of sober homes and treatment centers that offered illegal kickbacks, coerced residents into prostitution, threatened violence against patients, and submitted urine and saliva for screening even when no medical need existed, investigators allege. Fransesia Davis, 44, of Lake Worth, who owns Total Recovery Sober Living LLC and was an employee at Reflections Treatment Center, is among 5 others arrested alongside Chatman.
‘A Really Good Day’ Recaps A Month-Long Adventure Of Microdosing LSD AUDIO
A Really Good Day is Waldman’s first-person account of her month-long adventure microdosing LSD. In her preface, Waldman tells readers that she was diagnosed years ago with a variant of bipolar disorder. “For as long as I can remember,” [she says] “I have been held hostage by the vagaries of mood. When my mood is good, I’m cheerful, productive and affectionate. I sparkle at parties, I write decent sentences, I have what the kids call swag. When my mood swings, however, I am beset by self-loathing and knotted with guilt and shame.”
E-cigarettes may entice teenagers who would not have touched tobacco to smoke. According to a US study published in the journal Pediatrics, the arrival of e-cigarettes on the market has not contributed to a reduction in teenage smoking. The new study conducted by researchers from the University of California San Francisco, which surveyed 140,000 high school students from 2004-14, confirms previous studies that found that e-cigarettes amount to a “gateway” to smoking addiction.
Sarge bares his life story for us and sets the paradigm as a recovering substance abuser with his perfect storm of his unique humor while bringing to light the reality of his life, freckles and red hair, ex-something, the fattest crackhead ever and all. With over 25 years clean and sober, Sarge has turned his life around through comedy and he brings this gift to millions of people every year.
Annual Addiction/Recovery Series Feature Danny Trejo
Photo at Experience, Strength and Hope Awards
Danny Trejo has developed a prolific career in the entertainment industry. From imprisonment to helping young people battle drug addiction, acting to producing and now a restaurateur, Trejo’s name, face and achievements are well recognized in Hollywood. Despite spending the latter part of his early adulthood incarcerated, Trejo has worked hard to maintain a drug-free and positive lifestyle. Upon his release from Soledad Prison, he became involved in programs aimed at helping those who, like him, battled or are battling drug and alcohol addictions. ALSO: Speaker: William C. Moyers, VP of public affairs and community relations for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation As the advocate for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s public advocate since 1996, William C. Moyers carries the message about addiction, treatment and recovery to audiences across the nation.
READ MORE @ MyHorryNews.com
Satire Has No Side Effects
Drug-Themed Artworks Comment on Today’s Consumption Habits
Los Angeles-based artist Daniel Allen Cohen creates works that convey tongue-in-cheek commentary on American youth culture and the modern vices we engage in. His “Score” collection is based on the different types of drugs, both literal and metaphorical, we consume to help deal with our addictions, desires and dissatisfactions in the modern age. Some pieces feature made-up drugs prescribed to alleviate social cravings, such as “Insta-Fame” pills with social media icons or “Designer Drugs” emblazoned with luxury brand logos.
Illicit drug users try to shed stigma of being called addicts
Dr. Scott MacDonald, lead physician at Crosstown Clinic in Vancouver, said people who chronically use illicit drugs are now considered to have a substance-use disorder, not an addiction, which is more stigmatizing.
Theses songs were written in workshops with people in early recovery at treatment facilities around the country. The format of the workshop allows people to gain hands on experience with recovery skills like letting a process unfold and slowing down.
HEAR MORE @ SoundCloud.com
Addiction/Recovery eBulletin
Los Angeles Skirball Cultural Center – 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 by author Dejuan DJ Verrett 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 Event Will Sell Out –
With Bobby Brown’s drug abuse and over-the-top antics a public spectacle, it came as a surprise that Ricky Bell also struggled with substance abuse, which seemingly began when New Edition was recording their Home Again album. With financial strain and the imminent breakup of the group looming, Bell lost his home and hope. “They’re garnishing my publishing,” actor Elijah Kelly, who portrays Bell in the TV series, told his wife. “There’s no more money.” Bell suffered a medical emergency that rocked his world, but it ultimately led to his rehabilitation.
Delray woman’s concern: ‘When it’s your son you pray it’s the right sober home’
Jan. 25, 2017 – Anne Marie Nazaru says she thinks many houses in her neighborhood in Delray Beach’s south end are sober homes. She knows what recovery looks like – her son died four years ago of an overdose despite time spent at several similar sober homes … “It just seems like there are so many of them,” Nazaru said. “The rehab homes outnumber the family homes. We need to give people back their family neighborhoods.”
Subscribe Today! Your best source of current news, information and opinion about the issues that matter to you most. Serving the treatment industry, recovery community and health and wellness professionals.
