| Sober Lying House VIDEO
FBI raids sober living criminal enterprise in West Palm Bch. VIDEO The Florida Association of Recovery Residences, which is watchdog of sober homes in the state, assisted in the investigation. The association said Good Decisions was gaming the system by taking kickbacks and overcharging insurance companies for poor quality services and care. “Good Decisions was one of the worst abusers in Florida,” John Lehman of FARR said. | | | Drawing From Within
Healing Through Art Therapy Doctor Ericha Scott was reading at a college level in fifth grade. But until that point in her life, she was considered “retarded” and almost failed fourth grade twice. It was private art lessons that changed everything. Today, Scott has a doctorate in psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family practice and the creative arts therapies. She also has a master’s of education and a bachelor’s degree in the fine arts. She has been working with co-occurring addictions (chemical and behavioral) and complex trauma for 30 years. CONTINUED @ MalibuTimes.com | | | Ground Zero Turns 80
Thousands converge on Akron to celebrate the founding of AA Carol R. is determined to never forget where she came from. She is among more than 10,000 members of Alcoholics Anonymous who are celebrating the founding of the organization this weekend on the campus of the University of Akron. The celebration, which concludes Sunday, is expected to generate up to $2 million for the city and marks the 80th anniversary of the last day that A.A. co-founder Dr. Bob Smith took a drink – June 10, 1935. CONTINUED @ Ohio.com | | Get well at New Method Wellness
| | | BBC Magazine Article
Many groups have copied Alcoholics Anonymous The group is marking 80 years from the moment Wilson helped Smith – 10 June 1935 was the latter’s last drink. That social element of AA, the importance of “sponsors” in the process, is as well known as any of the steps. Today, there are 115,326 Alcoholics Anonymous groups in 175 different countries, according to the group’s latest estimates, with more than two million members. There are 60,143 groups in the United States alone. The principles have provided a basis for other 12-steps groups with no affiliation to mainstream AA. | | | Looked Good on the Outside…
New Book;’Whitney & Bobbi Kristina: The Deadly Price of Fame’ Bobbi Kristina Brown was addicted to drugs at the age of 14, a new book titled, “Whitney & Bobbi Kristina: The Deadly Price of Fame,” claims, according to reports. The book, authored by investigative journalist Ian Halperin, comes just four months after the late Whitney Houston’s daughter was hospitalized after being found unresponsive at her home on Jan. 31. The book reportedly portrays Bobbi Kristina as a “wild child” who used to have suicidal thoughts when she was a teenager,while her mother was consumed by her own drug addiction. | | | UK: Charles Kennedy Didn’t Know
Alcoholism is a Disease That Tells You That You Haven’t Got a Problem Brilliantly described by Neil Kinnock as a gregarious loner, I and any one of my ex-alcoholic friends could spot the problem from the other side of a crowded room. Untreated alcoholism is a death sentence. It claims everyone from iconic young singers to middle age politicians. They either give up, or their body gives up on them. The problem is, alcoholism is a malady of the mind for which alcohol is just a symptom not the cause. It needs to be identified when we’re kids – a long time before we’ve even smelt a drink. | | Click here for Biosound Therapy
| | | This Sounds Important
Medical Experts Unveil New Criteria For Diagnosing Alcoholism NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Doctors now have a new criteria for diagnosing alcoholism. Even one drink a day could put you in danger, depending on your family history and behavior. As CBS2’s Emily Smith reported, problem drinking or alcoholism now has a new definition according to top researchers. The findings were published in the renowned journal JAMA Psychiatry, showed that alcoholism ranges from mild to moderate to severe. | | Recovery Program Management
| | | Not Just For Teenagers
Painkillers Sending Adults 55+ to the ER Tramadol, a prescription painkillerthought to be less risky than other narcotic pain meds, has caused a sharp spike in emergency room visits, especially among patients 55 or older, two new government reports have found. Tramadol is typically used for the management of moderate to severe pain, such as for after surgery and for ongoing pain from arthritis… Last year, tramadol was reclassified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule IV controlled substance, similar to Valium and Xanax. | | | Educate and Celebrate
Talking to My 11-Year-Old Nephew About Alcoholism Three years ago, my brother Will died from a prescription drug overdose. Six weeks later, I ended up in rehab for alcoholism. At the time, my oldest nephew, Gavin (the son of my older brother and not Will), was 8 years old. After spending 28 days in rehab and learning a little about the disease of addiction, I sat down with him when I got back to explain where I had been for the past month… | | | Publish for Purpose
Woman shares story of ‘lifelong struggle’ BOOZE stole 20 years of her life. Now, 17 years since her last drink, Sarah Smith has written a book about life as an alcoholic. Mark Tallentire reports. AT her lowest point, Sarah Smith – not her real name – was drinking four cans of Special Brew and a bottle of vodka a day. She would steal alcohol and hide it around the house, became addicted to anti-depressants and suffered memory loss and the shakes. | | | Deadly Mistake – Rest In Peace VIDEO
Woman Celebrating 19th Birthday Dies After Taking Molly VIDEO A Northern Virginia woman celebrating her 19th birthday at a concert Wednesday night has died after she apparently took the drug molly at a D.C. music venue, authorities said. Victoria Callahan, whose birthday was Wednesday, was attending a concert at Echostage in Northeast D.C. | | | The Short List
Teen drug addiction: 7 things every parent should know It is difficult to put the words “children” and “drug addiction” in the same sentence, but if we want to protect our kids from drug and alcohol abuse we need to educate them. Teens, and even younger kids, should know why they need to avoid substances and make smart choices. Absorb these seven eye-opening facts about underage substance abuse – and make sure you share them with your kids as well…. | | | Helping Yourself to Self Medicating
175,000 Doses of Prescription Drugs Stolen During Baltimore Riots The Baltimore Sun reports police are working with federal partners including the Drug Enforcement Administration to seize the stolen drugs. “There are enough narcotics on the streets of Baltimore to keep it intoxicated for a year,” Batts said. “That amount of drugs has thrown off the balance on the streets of Baltimore.” CONTINUED @ DrugFree.org | | | Fiction Is Truth
Feeding the Beast:
Addiction in Horror Films One of the truths horror excels at outing is addiction. It’s a part of the human condition so common that it touches nearly all of us, either through personal struggles or those of our family or friends. What’s more frightening than knowing we’re built with a mental short-circuit that, when left unchecked, can make us lose interest in every other aspect of life, including base survival, in favor of the object of our fixation? Addictions come in many guises, both chemical and psychological, and you never know which ones you’re prone to until the hooks are dug in bone-deep. | | | LOS ANGELES: Missing Person Search
Missing 6 weeks: 47-year-old last seen at North Hollywood sobriety center Police on Friday sought the public’s help in finding a 47-year-old man last seen six weeks ago at a North Hollywood sober living facility. The whereabouts of Stuart Evan Thomas, who has heart problems and needs medication, haven’t been known since around 11 a.m. on May 2, when he was seen at the facility on Colfax Avenue between Oxnard Street and Victory Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. | | Addiction/Recovery eBulletin
| | Visit the Newsletter ARCHIVES
| | | He Drew the Keep-Out-Of-Jail Card
Cop gets probation for stealing $74K to fuel gambling addiction A former police officer was sentenced Friday to five years probation for misappropriating $74,000 in public funds in order to fuel a gambling addiction He allegedly stole the money to fuel a gambling addiction as he spent $200,000 at various casinos in Atlantic City, Pennsylvania, New Orleans, Las Vegas and Rhode Island between December 2008 and June 2014. | | | UPCOMING EVENTS
REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL
HOUSTON EDITION
Sept. 25-27, 2015 Sundance Cinemas 510 Texas Ave., Houston, TX 77002
Call for more information: 818-762-0461 FOR MORE INFORMATION | | | | Creation Story We Never Get Tired Of
80 years of sobriety: Alcoholics Anonymous celebrate 80 years of dodging the drink WHAT was a seemingly unplanned meeting in Akron, Ohio on June 10, 1935 between two men, both “hopeless” alcoholics, began a programme of recovery that has helped millions get sober and a fellowship known as Alcoholics Anonymous. A stockbroker from New York, Bill Wilson, was one of them. He was fighting his own battle against drinking and already knew that helping other alcoholics was the key to maintaining his own sobriety. Bill traveled to Akron on business. He had been sober for five months but found himself alone…(more will be revealed) | | | Hooked On A Feeling
‘Queen Of Versailles’ Family Reveal How Daughter Became Addicted To Painkillers The stars of The Queen of Versailles documentary, billionaires David and Jackie Siegel, are slowly opening up about the tragic death of their daughter and the origins of her deadly addiction. Family spokesman Michael Marder revealed today that Victoria Siegel got hooked on prescription drugs after she was prescribed medication to deal with seizures. The 18-year-old then developed a dependence on her meds. The spokesman also confirms RadarOnline.com’s earlier reports that the teen had just returned from her voluntary stint in rehab to deal with her substance abuse issues. | | | Peril of Promises
While some see promise in drug,
others see peril The Taos News reported on the case of a now 3-year-old Questa boy who suffered severe brain damage after overdosing on what police say was a Suboxone tablet illicitly obtained by his father. Though an unusually dramatic case, the toddler’s story is just one example of what many see as the perils underlying a drug also considered a great hope for those struggling with opiate addiction. A prescription medication designed to help heroin addicts kick their habit has become a street drug in its own right. CONTINUED @ TaosNews.com | | | Rock’n Role Model
Michael Des Barres: ‘I wanted to make love to the world, and I did’ I got clean in 1981. I looked in the mirror – and I looked like Iggy Pop’s grandma. I thought, what on earth are you doing? This is for suckers. And I stopped overnight. Recovery is such a lame word to describe it. I just realised that I had a choice and I chose life. Now I’m into thriving and living in the moment. I’m a very happy man. CONTINUED @ Telegraph.co.uk | | | One Down, 1000 to Go
Laguna Beach doctor loses license after forging prescriptions The California Medical Board has revoked the license of an Orange County doctor who ran a detox center for patients addicted to opioids and about five years ago used the patients’ identities to obtain pills for himself. The board stripped Groth of his medical license, following a ruling by an administrative law judge who concluded the doctor had not taken “full responsibility for his actions.” “He never acknowledged that he harmed … (those) whose personal information he stole, or that he harmed the public interest and safety by the nature of the crimes he committed.” CONTINUED @ OCRegister.com | | | Drugs For The Drug Addict
The Medical Model Discovers Heroin Addiction Studies of opiate overdoses find that antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotic drugs are associated with lethal overdoses…When people are in methadone maintenance, they often don’t quit using cocaine, marijuana, or alcohol… While SAMSHA does suggest that Opiate Treatment Programs screen for other drugs, SAMSHA is unclear about what should happen if the urine tests positive. CONTINUED @ MadInAmerica.com | | | What Ban?
Iran opening 150 alcoholism treatment centers, even though alcohol is banned For a country with more than 77 million inhabitants, it may seem a relatively modest move. It’s more remarkable, however, when you consider that alcohol has been banned in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. In fact, drinking alcohol is classified as a crime against God in the country, punishable with lashings (allowances are made for non-Muslim citizens, who can make but not sell their own beverages). | | Check out Loma Linda University
| | New Yorkers Get Free Tickets
| | | Nation Of The Discomfort Adverse
259 million opioid prescriptions in 2012, more than American adults “The opioid addiction issue is pronounced now across my congressional district,” Rep. Neal (D-Mass.) said. “There are all sorts of stories now that indicate a nationwide trend, and curious about the response of your department, the agencies that you oversee and also to ask specifically about prescription drug misuse, the evidence that you’re coming across on that basis,” Neal said. | | | Follow The Money
Are We Creating Our Own Addiction Surge? Rather than over-diagnosing, is psychiatry actually causing the maladies it laments? Writing in the New York Times, investigative reporter Ian Urbina accused the psychiatric establishment and pharmaceutical industry of expanding the whole treatment enterprise by including “mild” substance use disorders, as well as recognizing things other than substances as being addictive. Keith Humphreys, a Stanford psychology professor, “predicted that as many as 20 million people who were previously not recognized as having a substance abuse problem would probably be included under the new definition.” CONTINUED @ Reason.com | | | And Some Good News VIDEO
Underage drinking – binge boozing by minors is on the decline VIDEO A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationreleased Thursday found underage drinking among all U.S. residents from age 12 through 20 dropped 21%. Underage binge drinking decreased 26.4%. The survey examined the years 2002 to 2013. In the final year of the study, 22.7% of the nation’s young people reported that they had an alcoholic drink in the last 30 days. | | | Ever Been Mugged for a Dairy Product ?
Gold-plated truck to cruise Chicago serving alcoholic ice cream We repeat: A food truck coated in gold is coming to serve you booze-infused ice cream. Is this real life or a Katy Perry video? The Ice Dream Truck – because what else would it be called? – is actually a promo vehicle traveling as part of the Las Vegas tourism board’s #VegasSeason campaign, which highlights the notorious city as a destination for parties, entertainment and restaurants. | | | Opinion by Marcia Lee Taylor
Addiction Is Preventable “Prevention is a critical component to turning the tide on heroin and prescription-drug addictions. But we must first insist upon an infrastructure that positions addiction as a public health issue, and gives us a forum for change, rather than a debate around substance abuse shadowed in stigma.” | | | Never Fun, Always Profit Methamphetamine For Fun And Profit I can’t offer you anything but sympathy, if your family is in the thick of it, too. The only hope lies with the addict themselves … they have to do it themselves, and meth seems to render them incapable of seeing what it’s doing to them…and everyone around them. I’d take a flamethrower to every meth lab I could find, if I thought it would help. But it won’t. I’m sorry. CONTINUED @ KOGO.com | | | Bottoms Up
The Enormous Scope of our National Drinking Problem Nearly three out of 10 Americans have shown evidence of a serious alcohol-related problem at some point in their lives, and only one-fifth of those have sought professional help.Those sobering statistics are found in a study just published in the journalJAMA Psychiatry. It’s the first comprehensive look at the widespread problem of Alcohol Use Disorder, as newly defined by the American Psychiatric Association. | | | Wham!
Has George Michael ‘secretly’ checked into Swiss rehab? George Michael has checked into a Swiss rehab centre following a battle with substance abuse, it has been claimed by German news websites. The 51-year-old star entered the facility because he was reportedly smoking ‘as many as 25 joints a day’ before deciding to seek help at the Kussacht Practice. The facility’s website reads: “We treat alcohol and drug addiction, eating disorders, compulsive gambling, sex addiction and internet addiction. | | | E-diction
E-cigarettes Increase Your Nicotine Addiction DO YOU smoke e-cigarettes to help beat your addiction to cigarettes? Well a new Harvard School of Public Health study says you’re shooting yourself in the foot because e-cigs make you more dependant on nicotine. Pyrazine additives in low tar and e-cigarettes may be reinforcing the addictive qualities of nicotine, and should be strictly regulated. READER POLL
Do you use e-cigarettes and do you feel they have increased your nicotine addiction? and more… | | | Obituary
Drug Rehab Pioneer Dies Joseph Lamberti, founding CEO of Victoria’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation community Odyssey House and one of Australia’s most respected leaders in the field, has died in Melbourne. New York-born Mr Lamberti, who was 62, helped establish Odyssey House – a revolutionary rehabilitation program for individuals and families – in Victoria in the 1970s. He had worked at the grassroots with Prahran Court magistrate Jack Moloney to create an alternative to prison at Odyssey House for drug offenders. | | | The Toll It Takes VIDEO
Mother Opens Up About Son’s Addiction After His Murder VIDEO We’re learning more about the murder victims found burning in the bed of a truck in York County, South Carolina, last week. Police say Lucas Young, 35, and Jerry Farmer, 43, both of Gastonia, were shot and killed during a drug deal. Young’s mother sat down with Time Warner Cable News to talk about her son’s death and the addiction he lived with for years. “I don’t want the last memory of my son to be that he was just a drug addict because he was so much more than that,” Terri Young said. | | | 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 | | | |