| Unique Brand Of Altruism
Russell Brand’s Trew Era Café is Turning Around The Lives of Recovering Addicts “Nutters and revolutionaries especially welcome,” proclaimed Russell Brand on the March morning when he opened the Trew Era Café, his coffee shop on the New Era estate in Hackney. Seven former drug addicts staff the café, which is run as a social enterprise. They are in abstinence-based recovery, the method Brand himself uses to control his own heroin addiction. After being clean for 12 years, Brand is strongly against drug replacement therapy… | | | A Little Help From Our Fiends
Two nonprofit giants will launch clinical collaboration The traditional patient populations of Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and Phoenix House differ substantially, but the two large nonprofit organizations believe they can learn a great deal from each other-now more than ever. A new clinical initiatives agreement between the two organizations, announced this week, reflects what their leaders see as a blurring of the lines between privately and publicly funded services under health reform. | | | Bill W. Agrees
Why Addiction is Not a Disease, According to Dr. Marc Lewis I think that the DSM-V, the latest rendition, no longer uses the term “addiction” for drugs. They have “substance use disorders” instead. OK, well fine, but we all know what they mean by this. Maybe gambling is the only thing still labeled “an addiction.” So there are also eating disorders and they all have compulsive tendencies, and the point at which we call something a disease… | | | Animals Don’t Drive
NIH study identifies gene variant linked to compulsive drinking In an animal study reported earlier this year, NIAAA-supported scientists found that adolescent binge drinking was linked to lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and these changes persisted into adulthood. “Genetic factors play a role in determining who develops alcohol problems,” said Dr. George Koob, PhD, NIAAA Director. | | Click here for Biosound Therapy
| | | Where Indeed? AUDIO
Anne Constantino, president and CEO of Horizon Health Services in Buffalo, says while the public has come forward with outcry over subjects such as tragedy on local roadways and animals subject to abuse, they’ve not shown the same level of concern for what other health officials are defining as a heroin abuse epidemic. Constantino, speaking with WBFO in her office on Monday afternoon, acknowledged the often-shared cynical stereotype of addicts by the general public as losers who chose to get into addiction and really don’t want to be helped. | | Recovery Program Management
| | | Smart Phone – The New Cigarettes
Your Tech Addiction Makes You Lonely t’s not the phone (or the content) that we’re addicted to – it’s the distraction. Since we accepted this non-stop pace in our society, we feel awkward when we slow down. We FREAK out when we have time to chill. We have no clue how to relax anymore, and when we venture into the unfamiliar state of slowing down, we feel so uncomfortable that we reach for whatever’s closest to help us escape. | | Rates for eBulletin Advertising
| | | Tragic
“I’ll never give up on you”: Heroin and her last day alive They brought her into the courtroom with shackles on her ankles and handcuffs on her wrists. She was there, in court, for not showing up for a probation appointment. (She had been recently released from a 10-day drug detox center, but was on probation for traffic violations.) I sat a few rows back… A courtroom guard walked over to me and said, aggressively, “Get away from her, she is still in custody.” | | Recovery Month Celebration in Houston…
| | | It’s a Start
The intractable problem of addiction and the mentally ill New SFU study contradicts popular belief that safe, affordable housing helps reduce substance abuse. It’s been hoped for years that securing safe and affordable housing for the homeless and mentally ill would go a long way toward reducing substance abuse and addiction rates among that population. T. But a new study just released by Simon Fraser University contradicts all that. | | Addiction/Recovery eBulletin
| | “through prayer and meditation…” AUDIO
Jeff Kober on Meditation AUDIO This week we get an overview of meditation by actor and meditation expert Jeff Kober (The Walking Dead, China Beach, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). We discuss his discovery of mediation, his journey with it, and the ideas behind it. This was a fascinating interview! We hope you enjoy as much as we did. With Kathleen Wilhoite. CONTINUED @ SuckTheJoy.com | | Receive the Weekly EBULLETIN
| | | Big Beverage Bans Warnings
Beverage Industry Sues to Stop San Francisco Health Warnings Coke, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper also have spent more than $100 million to defeat proposed special taxes on sugary drinks in more than two-dozen cities. San Francisco city officials unanimously approved last month an ordinance requiring billboards or other advertisements for sugary beverages to include the language: “WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. This is a message from the City and County of San Francisco.” | | Visit the Newsletter ARCHIVES
| | | Talking Honestly VIDEO
Representing the leading funder of alcohol research in the world, Dr. Robert Huebner, NIAAA Director of Treatment and Recovery Research, said in a “First Steps to Al-Anon Recovery” podcast interview, “I think the general pattern of evidence suggests a real and genuine benefit to participation in Al-Anon meetings, and we believe at NIAAA that it represents a great option for family or friends of people with alcohol use disorders.” | | | Leave it to the Professionals
Role of advocate in new outpatient center will emphasize life skills A new partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program that will open next month in Santa Monica, Calif., will rely heavily on building a one-on-one relationship between a patient and what the organization is calling a “recovery advocate. “Oftentimes these issues are what keep our clients stuck,” says Jennifer Musselman, who will serve as Thrive Treatment’s chief operating officer when the outpatient facility opens in mid-August. Clayton Ketchum, whose background includes establishing a young-adult recovery community in West Los Angeles, is the founder of Thrive Treatment, which will accept both self-pay and out-of-network insurance arrangements. | | | War On Poor Continues
Arizona’s Welfare Drug Testing Screened 140,000- And Found 3 Positive Cases New data shows just how wasteful and insulting the welfare drug testing program is. USA Today reports that the state of Arizona screened 142,000 welfare recipients- and found only THREE failed tests over a five year program. This saved the state around $3500 from going into the hands of “drug addicts” – out of $45 million distributed through the Temporary Assistance For Needy Families program. | | | Over the Counter Death VIDEO
A size-10 university student who was obsessed with losing weight died of an accidental overdose after taking diet pills that contained a highly toxic substance, a coroner has ruled. Eloise Parry, 21, who had battled with bulimia, bought tablets containing a compound known as DNP via the internet using her online payment account. On the morning of her death, Parry took eight tablets, and later sent a text message to a college lecturer at Glyndwr University in Wrexham, saying: “I screwed up big time…” | | | Too Much Of A Good Thing
Study links ‘successful aging’ with greater risk of harmful drinking According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, around 16.6 million adults in the US have an alcohol use disorder. Each year, more than 88,000 Americans die from alcohol-related causes, making alcohol consumption the third leading preventable cause of the death in the U.S. | | | He Walked The Walk
Rocky Hudson (1945 – 2015) Rocky Hudson of Palm Springs, Ca. born John Frances Hudson in Danbury, Ct. March 8, 1945, passed away peacefully July 10, 2015. John was 70 years young and was optimistic and active, to the end. He was loyal to his friends and never shied away from helping people, especially involved in speaking at AA meetings, everywhere. CONTINUED @ DesertSun.com | | | UPCOMING EVENTS
2nd REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL HOUSTON EDITION Sept. 25-27, 2015 The Council on Recovery 303 Jackson Hill St., Houston, TX 77007 Sundance Cinemas 510 Texas Ave., Houston, TX 77002 Call Tracy Abbott for more information: 713-240-4931 FOR MORE INFORMATION 4th REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL NEW YORK CITY EDITION Oct. 16-22, 2015 Cinema Village
22 E. 12th Street, New York, NY 10003
Call for more information: 818-762-0461 FOR MORE INFORMATION 7th REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES CITY EDITION Oct. 23-29, 2015 Laemmle NoHo Cinema
5240 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 | | | | Fire And Rain and Sobriety VIDEO
Yet, away from the stage, his personal circumstances were a train wreck even before he was famous. He was a heroin addict and a psychiatric patient in his teens, and his narcotic dependency fuelled the ultimate failure of perhaps America’s favourite celebrity music marriage of the 1970s, Taylor’s to Carly Simon. He did not finally get sober until his mid-30s. | | | Compassionate Giant Leaves Us
R.I.P. Arlene Goodstein Rosen, Founder Michael’s House April 5, 1928 – July 21, 2015 Arlene Goodstein Rosen died peacefully in her sleep in the presence of her loving family on July 21, 2015 at her home in Beverly Hills, California. After the untimely death of her son Michael, Arlene devoted her life to the creation of a drug abuse treatment and after-care facility in Palm Springs, which she aptly named “Michael’s House.” Her zest for life, her business acumen and her ability to turn life’s losses into victories powered her leadership in the drug abuse community for many years. With her humor, wit and generosity she lived life to the fullest and leaves a legacy of family and friends who will always love her. | | | Booze Quiz
Which Awful Type of Drunk Are You? Today in worthwhile studies: After twice giving 374 men and women a 50-item personality test derived from Goldberg’s International Personality Item Pool – once to see how the participants would score normally, and once after imbibing alcohol – researchers from the University of Missouri have found four different drunk-personality types. | | | MAIA SZALAVITZ says:
Every Drug Court Should Allow Methadone Treatment In addition, a unique pharmacological property of opioids allows this to work without producing impairment. If you tried to maintain an alcoholic on steady doses of gin, that individual would be significantly impaired. But this is not the case with opioids, which, if they are taken at the same dose at the same time daily for a few weeks, no longer produce euphoria or impairment. | | Check out Loma Linda University
| | By the People, For the People
58 people placed into addiction recovery through Gloucester’s Angel Program “Success stories are starting to come in… our first intake is 48 days sober as we mentioned. A mom and dad came in together to get their son back and are clean now for 32 days, a former CPA is 7 days into treatment and calls us every day,” Campanello said. The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative started by Campanello has partnered with 30 treatment centers… | | | Court’s In Session
First woman graduate of London of the drug treatment court “If you guys hadn’t kept busting me and putting my butt in jail, I never would have had this opportunity … Thank you both, and I mean that.” Noticing Sgt. Heidi Becks wasn’t there, Scott joked the officer was probably busy finding new recruits for drug treatment court. With a combination of humour, honesty and warmth, Scott became a rarity in London and the rest of Canada Tuesday – a woman graduating from the special court for addicted criminals. In fact, she’s the first London graduate from the five-year-old court where people can avoid jail time by taking control of their lives through a lot of counselling and hard work. | | | Narcotics Anonymous Forever
The 12 steps of ‘Woodstock’ without drugs The 36th World Convention of NA, which took place last June in Rio de Janeiro, was attended by over 4,000 former drug addicts from all over the world who were celebrating quitting drugs. Their goal was achieved thanks to the 12 steps (honesty, humility, integrity, etc.), a mantra which group members repeat and discuss in 63,000 meetings which NA branches hold each week in 132 countries. CONTINUED @ West-Info.eu | | New Yorkers Get Free Tickets
| | Actor/producer hopes to change perception of addiction with TV series Paris Jones believes wholeheartedly that stories of addicts must be told.,,”You don’t wake up a drug addict. You don’t wake up homeless,” says Jones, 36, an actor and producer of the proposed TV series “The Inner Circle.” “The Inner Circle” is a one-hour, Detroit-based drama that follows the lives of rehab patients in a 28-day, in-patient addiction recovery program at the fictional Brentwood Center for Recovery. Jones says he planned this show as entertainment, but also educational for “people that don’t really understand addiction.” CONTINUED @ TheOaklandPress.com | | | Slice of Junkie Life VIDEO
The above video features a segment of a Doctor Phil episode surrounding a couple who is addicted to heroin. The youngsters reveal the challenges that come with an addiction of that magnitude. It is quite obvious within the video that the duo wouldn’t wish their addiction on anyone. It drives their lives and nearly every decision they make. | | | Madness In America VIDEO
Spice overdoses now an ‘epidemic’ for Tucson VIDEO The increasing number of spice overdoses, also known as synthetic marijuana, has been stressing Tucson police resources. Tucson Police Department Assistant Police Chief Roman Batista said he did not want to sound like an alarmist, but called these overdoses an epidemic sweeping throughout Tucson. CONTINUED @ TucsonNewsNow.com | | | Ambition Pills
Drug Testing Is Coming to E-Gaming Lance Armstrong. Alex Rodriguez. Kory Friesen. Kory who? Flouting rules for performance-enhancing drugs has felled some of the biggest names in sports. Now that list could include competitive video game players like Mr. Friesen, after he boasted that he, his teammates and other professional gamers took prescription drugs to help them focus in a competition. | | | Father’s Matter
Ashley Hamilton: How My Dad Helped Me Cope With Drug Addiction He was born and raised in Hollywood, and Ashley Hamilton, son of veteran actor George Hamilton, wasn’t immune to the darker side of Tinseltown. The singer-songwriter, who stars with his family on Stewarts & Hamiltons, a new reality series on E!, tells PEOPLE of his drug and alcohol addictions: “I had some really hard times. But my dad never gave up on me no matter what.” And Hamilton had already been dealing with painful problems. He admitted to PEOPLE in 2013 that he had suffered from eating disorders beginning as a teen; he also struggled with addiction. CONTINUED @ People.com | | | Political Prisoner in the USA
Life in Prison for LSD He didn’t carry a gun. He wasn’t a violent dude. He just sold acid. And now Tim Tyler has served 23 years of a life sentence. Another non-violent offender that has been in jail for far too long. His case consisted of only a couple thousand hits of LSD, but he is doing life. We spoke with him to see how he is holding up and what he thinks about his likelihood of getting out of prison now that President Obama is commuting the sentences of non-violent lifers. | | | Literary Essay
‘BLACKOUT’ AUTHOR SARAH HEPOLA ON DRINKING AS A COPING MECHANISM Sarah Hepola tackles the harsh reality of alcoholism and blacking out with unflinching honesty and surprising hilarity (“This is a complex puzzle best explained by people in lab coats and not a girl who used to drink so much Dos Equis she would dip raw hot dogs in guacamole and shove them in her mouth.” | | | R.I.P. VIDEO
Norwood left the country music business in 1995 due to his battle with severe alcoholism. (July 22). He was 49. Norwood lived in Hereford, Texas, and, according to the Associated Press, was last seen on Tuesday night (July 21) with friends. The next day, his landlord stopped by to check on him and, after letting himself into Norwood’s apartment, found the artist’s body in a bedroom. Hereford police spokesperson Capt. Kirsten Williams says that Norwood’s body showed no signs of trauma, and foul play is not suspected in his death. | | | You Gave Them A Smart Phone VIDEO
It wasn’t that long ago that TVs were the only screen in the house, but now there are desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and phones, making it easier than ever for kids to get glued to screens. As CBS2’s Cindy Hsu reported, researchers with the American Academy of Pediatrics say some kids are spending as many as seven hours a day in front of the TV or the computer. So what are the signs that your child may have a screen addiction? | | | Novel Book of the WEEK
Eyes Wide Open Michelle Kelly is a former English teacher living in the beautiful Amber Valley countryside in the heart of England with her own real life hero and two rug rats and a rodent. She is a hopeless romantic with a passionate interest in history and so writing historical romances is a dream come true! Her first historical novel was written at the age of twelve, tied together with string, and still kept in her grandmother’s dresser. She is also a published author of contemporary romance, erotic memoir and non-fiction as Kelly Lawrence. There is a recovery angle. | | | WRITERS IN TREATMENT
Writers In Treatment a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit 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. If you or someone you know has a film about Addiction OR Recovery,
please click on our: Addiction/Recovery eBulletin Publisher & Editor: Leonard Buschel © 2015 Addiction/Recovery eBulletin | | | |