Before, when someone with 20 years would say “it’s still a day at a time,” I couldn’t really hear them. I do now. I was a typical low-bottom case. I was drunk most days, and a car wreck, an arrest, and a liver enzyme problem couldn’t pry me from my favorite thing to do. What… Continue reading When the Obsession Isn’t Lifted
Category: Addiction News
Underlying Social Issues May Be Fueling The Opioid Epidemic
“If we solve the [opioid] sub-epidemic, will there be another sub-epidemic that comes on its heels?” asks one expert. A new study has affirmed that there are underlying social issues when it comes to the opioid epidemic. The study, published Thursday (Sept. 20) in the journal Science, determined that drug overdose deaths have been increasing… Continue reading Underlying Social Issues May Be Fueling The Opioid Epidemic
Why Hospitals Offer Treatment Referrals In Lieu Of Addiction Services?
Only 5% of ER doctors work in hospitals that offer buprenorphine or methadone. A recent Huffington Post feature highlights a conundrum within the medical community’s response to the opioid crisis: emergency room patients with opioid use disorder who receive a dose of buprenorphine are twice as likely to continue treatment within the next 30 days than those who… Continue reading Why Hospitals Offer Treatment Referrals In Lieu Of Addiction Services?
Pennsylvania Prisons Ban Books Due To "Drug Smuggling," Twitter Erupts
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections took to Twitter to defend the banning policy and were promptly ripped a new one by Twitter users. The Pennsylvania prison system got hilariously dragged on Twitter after officials claimed they’d intercepted a letter about drug-smuggling—when in fact the neatly-penned missive mentioned nothing of the sort. The tweet and its aftermath… Continue reading Pennsylvania Prisons Ban Books Due To "Drug Smuggling," Twitter Erupts
Me, My Psych Meds & My 12-Step Recovery
Now that I have double-digit sobriety, I have no qualms about pulling aside people who disparage the use of psych meds in meetings. As I sat in my jail cell I had to question the admonition I got from an old-timer at a 12-step meeting I frequented. “If you trust your Higher Power enough, you… Continue reading Me, My Psych Meds & My 12-Step Recovery
How Drugs, Alcohol & Suicide Are Affecting The Average Lifespan
A new CDC report has revealed some alarming changes in life expectancy trends. A new CDC report reveals that the average life expectancy in the United States is falling for the first time since 1993. Drugs, alcohol, and suicide are taking the lives of young Americans at rates so high that the U.S. life expectancy… Continue reading How Drugs, Alcohol & Suicide Are Affecting The Average Lifespan
Restaurant That Sedated Lobsters With Weed Under Investigation
“I feel bad that when lobsters come here there is no exit strategy,” said the owner of Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound. Would you like your lobster baked or stoned? A beloved eatery in Maine is drawing attention—from national press as well as from state investigators—for smoking up its crustaceans with cannabis before boiling them as… Continue reading Restaurant That Sedated Lobsters With Weed Under Investigation
Backstreet Boy AJ McLean Inspired to Fight Addiction After Mac Miller’s Passing
The pop star is throwing his weight behind a new line of home products made to help those struggling with addiction. The boy band singer is driven to stay sober and fight addiction with a new line of recovery products. Singer AJ McLean is leaning in to the fight against addiction following Mac Miller’s death.… Continue reading Backstreet Boy AJ McLean Inspired to Fight Addiction After Mac Miller’s Passing
Bringing Harm Reduction to Haywood County
The man in the camouflage shirt who emerges from the cabin is drawn and thin with circles under his eyes. He tenses at my presence, especially once Jeremy tells him I am there to write an article. It is a cloudy evening and mosquitoes patrol in full force as Nancy Bauman and I pick our… Continue reading Bringing Harm Reduction to Haywood County
Why Positive Digital Habits for Kids Starts with Mindful Parenting
Why Positive Digital Habits for Kids Starts with Mindful Parenting When you ask your teen to put their phone away at the dinner table, how do they react? Negatively? And how about younger kids? Are tantrums often involved when they’re told their tablet time is up? If you’re concerned about how much time your children… Continue reading Why Positive Digital Habits for Kids Starts with Mindful Parenting