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  • Supreme Court Limits "Policing for Profit" in All 50 States

    Supreme Court Limits "Policing for Profit" in All 50 States

    Though SCOTUS’ decision is groundbreaking, it will not bring civil asset forfeiture to an end. 

    The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled unanimously that civil asset forfeiture – the practice of imposing fines, including the seizure of money or property, that law enforcement believes to be connected to crimes – is limited by the Constitution, and will grant individuals their day in court to fight for their rights.

    All nine justices backed the landmark ruling on February 20 on the basis of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, which bars the federal government from imposing excessive fines, while Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cited the 14th Amendment, which applied the same rules to states after the Civil War, as precedents for their decision. Their ruling will not end civil forfeiture, but will allow those who are subjected to the practice to argue that such a fine exceeds the charges that prompted it.

    Civil forfeiture is among the most contentious law enforcement practices in America, and one of the least regulated. In a typical case, prosecutors will accuse an individual of wrongdoing and then seize personal assets – everything from money and vehicles to homes and businesses – that they believe have a connection to a crime.

    Law enforcement seizes the property and is allowed to keep the profits because the seizure is enforced through a civil proceeding, which as Slate noted, has fewer legal safeguards than a criminal trial. 

    Without said safeguards, police are allowed to seize property from individuals with even the slightest tangential connection to a crime; Slate, High Times and the New York Times cite the case of 72-year-old Ella Bromell, whose home was subjected to forfeiture and foreclosure by the city of Conway, South Carolina because drug deals took place on her property – deals which she personally fought to stop. 

    Though actual figures are difficult to determine, the practice can be extremely lucrative for law enforcement: a report from the Department of Justice found that state and local agencies earned $400 million from civil forfeiture in 2018, and New York Police Department alone brought in nearly $8 million from the practice.

    State and local agencies have balked at reducing forfeitures, claiming that it allows them to pay for essential equipment. But as the Institute for Justice noted, it rarely results in a criminal conviction. Just 13% of forfeitures were linked to a conviction.

    The Supreme Court’s decision came as a result of hearing Timbs v. Indiana, which involved Indiana resident Tyson Timbs, who pled guilty to selling heroin in 2015. He was sentenced to a year of house arrest and time in a drug dependency treatment program, as well as $1,203 in fines.

    The state of Indiana later seized Timbs’ Land Rover, which it alleged had been used in the drug deals; the value of the vehicle was placed at $42,000 – approximately four times the amount of the maximum fine for such a charge – and Timbs fought back, citing the excessive fines in the Eighth Amendment. The Indiana Supreme Court disagreed, claiming that SCOTUS had never incorporated that clause as part of the 14th Amendment. 

    Writing for eight of the justices, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment “overwhelmingly” applied to the 14th Amendment. She also cited Harmelin v. Michigan as an example of fines being imposed for “retribution and deterrence,” and highlighted the history of excessive fines against African-Americans, beginning with rules imposed by Southern states against freed slaves in the wake of the Civil War.

    Though SCOTUS’ decision is groundbreaking, it will not bring forfeiture to an end.

    “People are still going to lose their property without being convicted of a crime, they’re going to have their property seized,” said Wesley P. Hottot, a lawyer with the Institute of Justice to the New York Times. “The new thing is that they can now say at the end of it all, whether I’m guilty or not, I can argue that it was excessive.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Small Town Tackles Opioid Crisis With Treatment, Compassion

    Small Town Tackles Opioid Crisis With Treatment, Compassion

    Despite its small size, Little Falls has taken control of their drug epidemic in by allocating $1.4 million in grants in the past five years.

    As a 25-year-old in Little Falls, Minnesota, Monica Rudolph would steal money from her parent’s savings, little by little, so she could support her heroin use. 

    Eventually, according to BuzzFeed News, the money was gone. Monica’s parents discovered the empty box in their home, and that’s when her mother began calling treatment centers. But she kept hitting head ends — treatment centers saying they were closed for the weekend, or that they could not take Monica for a few weeks. 

    That’s when her mother decided to call the local hospital—and it worked. Monica was connected with a substance abuse counselor and was told to come in the next day to begin treatment.  

    “My hometown of 8,000 people was the one place in the state that picked up the phone,” Monica said. “Think of all the people like me who don’t have that hometown.”

    Despite its small size, Little Falls has taken control of their drug epidemic in by allocating $1.4 million in grants in the past five years, BuzzFeed News reports. The money has been spent on limiting refills, increasing the access to medications to treat substance use disorder, putting treatment ahead of jail and taking basic public health measures. 

    The efforts paid off. BuzzFeed News reports that visits to the ER for painkillers—once the top reason for visits—isn’t even in the top 20 now. The hospital now has 100 patients on substance use disorder medications and has helped 626 people taper off opioids. 

    “One thing led to another,” Kurt DeVine, one of Monica’s doctors, told BuzzFeed News. “We realized we had to do a lot of things we weren’t doing, and that we had to do them together, or it wasn’t going to work.”

    Now, DeVine and his colleague, Heather Bell, lead online seminars about how Little Falls has tackled the opioid crisis. They help towns to think bigger than just one thing.

    “They get Narcan, or they get one little project and they think that is going to fix it,” DeVine tells BuzzFeed News. “There is no easy answer. It is a lot of work. If we were doing only one thing, just Narcan, our problem would be as bad as anywhere else. You have to do it all.”

    In Little Falls specifically, the hospital formed a “Care Team,” made up of a social worker, a nurse, two doctors, and a pharmacist. The team’s focus is to help patients like Monica. They have also changed their thinking from treating substance use disorder as a crime to considering it a disease. 

    “If you find a person’s urine has a bunch of meth and not their pain meds, you make the assumption they are selling their pain meds to get meth,” Bell told BuzzFeed News. “But we don’t kick them out of our clinic. We say, ‘OK, what is going on? Do you need help?’ Then we get them into treatment.”

    Now, Monica is taking the opportunity to give back to the community that helped her recover. Through training in a federal program, she will now serve as the hospital’s first “peer” counselor. 

    “My life has come full circle,” she told BuzzFeed News. “I’m really excited to give something back.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Jussie Smollett Reportedly Told Police He Has An Untreated Drug Problem

    Jussie Smollett Reportedly Told Police He Has An Untreated Drug Problem

    The “Empire” actor has been heavily scrutinized after the Chicago Police Department alleged he may have orchestrated a hate crime against himself.

    After allegations surfaced that Jussie Smollett staged a hate crime against himself, the actor and singer has reportedly told police that he has an “untreated drug problem,” according to Page Six. 

    The 36-year-old Empire actor, who is black and openly gay, has recently been the subject of media scrutiny after reporting a hate attack on Jan. 29 in which two men assaulted him. But upon investigating, according to the Chicago Tribune, law enforcement officials allegedly have reason to believe Smollett arranged the attack himself. 

    One of the two brothers Smollett allegedly paid to pull off the attack may have also served as his drug dealer, according to TMZ. Prosecutors in the case reportedly said that Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo dealt “designer drugs” to Smollett numerous times dating back to spring of 2018. 

    Previously, Smollett reported not having any alcohol or mental health issues when filling out legal forms. As such, there is speculation that Smollett may be claiming to have an untreated problem in order to use it as a defense in legal proceedings. 

    “This latest claim is only serving to confuse the issue more, because after he was released on a $100,000 bond, he visited the set of Empire to apologize for the situation, while still insisting he had nothing to do with the attack,” Inquisitr stated. “The claim has some wondering whether Smollett is already setting up his defense to argue that he cannot be held accountable for any part he may have taken in staging the attack.”

    Smollett has been charged with filing a false report, and could potentially face up to three years in prison if he is found guilty. 

    The Cook County state attorney’s office said that “Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report about the attack, according to the Chicago Tribune. “Hours earlier, the Chicago Police Department announced that Smollett was officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation for filing a false police report, a felony.”

    Empire has also removed Smollett from two episodes of the show that have yet to air, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

    “The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us,” executive producers of the show said in a statement. “Jussie has been an important member of our EMPIRE family for the past five years and we care about him deeply. While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Jessie J Cries In Emotional Video About Depression, Vulnerability

    Jessie J Cries In Emotional Video About Depression, Vulnerability

    The singer said that she hopes her emotional outpouring helps others find motivation to acknowledge their feelings. 

    Singer Jessie J became teary in an emotional Instagram video that showed her working out her feelings at the piano during an “off day.”

    The video was posted on Sunday (Feb. 24). In a lengthy caption, the “Nobody’s Perfect” singer explained why she shared her vulnerable moment on social media. 

    “I’m not posting this for sympathy. Im posting this for anyone who needs to see it (I needed it),” she wrote. “This video is from yesterday I woke up. Feeling kinda off. I sat at the piano (which I’ve been avoiding) knowing it will bring some stuff up. I’m making it up and feeling my real feelings.”

    Jessie said she went live to share the moment, not knowing that she would end up crying.  

    “But it’s important to be open that we are not always done up and feeling 100. All of us have our days. Yesterday was one of my weird emotional days,” she wrote.

    Jessie said that she hopes other people will find motivation to acknowledge their feelings. 

    “In a time and a world (especially the social world) where sadly vulnerability is often seen as weakness where the younger generation are almost being taught to hide their real feelings behind a perfected edited image. Hence why anxiety and depression in kids is through the roof and only carries to their adult life if it doesn’t change.”

    She pointed to the high suicide rate, particularly among young men, and seemed to say that expressing emotion is one way to combat it. 

    “We push our feelings to the bottom of our energy and hope it goes away. It won’t. Don’t define yourself on it. But stand with it, process it and learn from it. Find YOUR happiness. No one can make you happy but you. People can contribute. But ultimate happiness comes from within. It’s a personal journey,” she said. 

    She called on people to find a way to cope with their emotions—through exercise, creativity or anything else that works. 

    “To anyone young or older. Let your sadness / pain / Greif [sic] out. In your OWN way. Ever noticed so many people apologise as soon as they start to cry these days? Like it’s an inconvenience to FEEL. Draw. Sing. Paint. Walk. Write. Drive. Work out. Be still. Whatever it is that let’s you understand and process your real emotions do it.”

    Most importantly, people should reach out for help when they need to, she said. 

    “TALK to people you love when you are down. Please do not suffer in silence. Life is way too short and ALWAYS GETS BETTER. I’m thinking of you and sending love to your heart.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Kratom-Related Calls To Poison Centers Skyrocket

    Kratom-Related Calls To Poison Centers Skyrocket

    The majority of the calls to poison centers about kratom were made by men over the age of 20. 

    As the debate continues to swirl over the potential health benefits as well as hazards of kratom use, researchers have found that calls to poison control centers in regard to the use of the herbal supplement have increased more than 50-fold in recent years.

    Their findings show that kratom-related calls to poison control centers across the country rose from 13 in 2011 to 682 in 2017. Nearly 10% of those calls involved an individual who experienced life-threatening side effects, and 11 individuals who made calls later died—though the majority of these were reported to have taken another substance in addition to kratom.

    The researchers concluded their report by requesting enhanced information about kratom and increased regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on kratom products.  

    The study, published in the journal Clinical Toxicology, sought to determine the number of calls to poison control centers that involved kratom, as well as demographic information of the callers. To find that information, researchers reviewed data on 1,800 calls from the National Poison Data System.

    Though 2011 was designated as the beginning of the study period, 65% of the calls were received in 2016 and 2017, or the final two years of the study.

    As Live Science noted, the majority of the cases (71%) involved men over the age of 20. Approximately 2.5% of the cases involved children under the age of 12 who were exposed to kratom, including seven newborns; five of that group reportedly experienced symptoms of withdrawal due to exposure in the womb, while another newborn received kratom through breastfeeding.

    Approximately one-third of the cases required treatment at a health care facility, and as mentioned, nearly 10% reported life-threatening or disabling effects. The most commonly reported side effects were agitation, elevated heart rate and/or blood pressure, nausea and/or vomiting, and drowsiness or lethargy.

    Those who took kratom with another drug were more than twice as likely to experience a more serious response than those who consumed kratom alone; of the 11 reported fatalities, nine were reported to have ingested other substances including alcohol, fentanyl, cocaine and benzodiazepines.

    Kratom use has increased in recent years due to the widespread belief in its healing properties. According to the American Kratom Association, between 3 and 5 million people in the United States use it for various reasons.

    Herbal supplements made from the plant, which can be found in Southeast Asia, have been used to treat chronic pain, depression and dependency on opioids or alcohol.

    Proponents of kratom have found their support opposed by the FDA, which has not approved kratom for any medical use, and by the Department of Health and Human Services and Drug Enforcement Administration, which briefly attempted to ban the substance, though that pursuit was shut down by public outcry. 

    The researchers offered a number of recommendations for future action regarding kratom. They advised the medical community to disseminate more information about the risks of kratom, especially for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

    They also advised the FDA to increase regulation of kratom products.

    “At a minimum, they should be free of potentially harmful ingredients, provide a uniform strength of active ingredients and have appropriate labeling,” the researchers wrote in their study’s conclusion.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Sober Steering Wheel Could Save Lives

    Sober Steering Wheel Could Save Lives

    “My goal is for Sober Touch to go global and save lives all around the world,” said the device’s creator Lakesha Stines.

    Lakesha Stines was a child when a close family friend who was nine months pregnant was killed by a drunk driver. 

    “I was only 10 years old when it happened,” Stines told the New Haven Register. “This had a great impact on my life to see her and her baby lying in that casket at such a young age.”

    Decades later, Stines, now 42, has invented a product that she hopes will spare other families the same tragedy—the “Sober Touch Sensoring” steering wheel, which can detect alcohol in a person’s sweat. 

    According to Stines, the product will prevent drunk driving. When a person touches the wheel, the sensors read whether there is alcohol present in their sweat. The car will not start if a driver has alcohol levels that are over the legal limit. 

    “When you get in your car and you touch those sensors after drinking, it’s going to calculate your blood alcohol level through the perspiration in the palms of your hands,” Stines told WTNH News 8. 

    Stines has high hopes for the product. “My goal is for Sober Touch to go global and save lives all around the world.”

    According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), about 30 people are killed each day by drunk drivers. Bob Garguilo, executive director of MADD in Connecticut, where Stines lives, says that the steering wheel could help reduce that number. 

    He said, “A device requiring a driver to prove they are sober before their car will start will save lives.”

    It could be an important tool for advancing toward MADD’s ultimate mission of eliminating deaths caused by drunk driving. “MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving was created so that one day there will be no more victims,” Garguilo said. 

    Stines says that the steering wheel will cost as little as $400, and could be available to be in cars by the end of the year. It’s not clear whether she envisions it in all cars or used by people who have previously been caught driving drunk—some of whom are required by court mandate to have a breathalyzer installed in their vehicles. 

    Stines has received recognition from local elected officials and also people in the industry who can help her bring the steering wheel to fruition. 

    She said, “People have been taking me to the next level—taking me to where I need to be because they believe in what I’m doing.”

    Most importantly, she feels that her dear family friend is looking out for the project. 

    “I know she’s so excited in spirit about what I’m doing and I know she’s smiling, I know she’s like, ‘Go get ‘em.’”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Is Asthma More Common In People With Chronic Opioid Dependence?

    Is Asthma More Common In People With Chronic Opioid Dependence?

    A new study examined whether asthma rates are higher in those with chronic opioid dependence.

    People with chronic opioid dependence experience asthma at nearly double the rate of the general population, according to a new study. 

    The study, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, examined asthma rates among chronic opioid users in a New York City hospital. Researchers found that among people who were opioid-dependent, the asthma rate was 17.2%, compared to 8.3% in the general population.

    The results confirmed what researchers expected to see, study author Dr. Roshni Naik said in a press release. 

    “While some studies have shown that opioid medication can help with cough and shortness of breath in heart disease and advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, other studies have shown that opioids such as heroin worsen asthma. We hypothesized that there is higher prevalence of asthma among patients with opioid dependence who are addicted or dependent on prescription painkillers or heroin,” Naik said. 

    How opioids affect breathing depends on which opioids a person is using. 

    “The effects of opioid use on respiratory conditions are mixed—while licit opiates help with cough and the dyspnea of heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, illicit opiates may exacerbate asthma,” study authors wrote. 

    Naik explained in the press release how opioids can affect a person’s breathing. “Opioid drugs such as morphine can directly activate the release of a substance called histamine from cells, specifically mast cells, in our body. Histamine is involved in allergic reactions and contributes to itching, hives and swelling. Since more than half of asthma is allergic in nature, we postulated that opioids may be linked to asthma.” 

    Naik said that doctors and patients need to openly discuss opioid use (whether legal or illegal) and symptoms of asthma in order to make a comprehensive care plan.  

    “There is no current guideline on how to manage asthmatics on opioid medications. However, patients with severe asthma should follow up regularly with their primary care doctor or see an asthma specialist to maintain control of their asthma. Patients who are addicted to opioids should seek a healthcare provider in combating their addiction.”

    Researchers also found that there were gender-based differences in how opioid use affected asthma. In general, women experienced asthma at higher rates, with the condition affecting 9.7% of women and just 6.9% of men in the general population.

    Among people who are opioid-dependent, asthma affected 25% of females and 13.9% of males. This shows that women are more likely than men to have their breathing affected by opioid use.

    “This suggests that women may also be disproportionately affected with asthma in the setting of opioid dependence,” researchers wrote.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Report: Fentanyl Distribution Mishandled By Drug Companies, Feds

    Report: Fentanyl Distribution Mishandled By Drug Companies, Feds

    Nearly half of all patients who were prescribed fentanyl should have been denied the drug, according to a new report.

    A report published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is alleging widespread failure to keep the extremely potent opioid fentanyl out of the hands of patients who were ineligible to receive it.

    Using the Freedom of Information Act, researchers obtained around 5,000 pages of documents from the US government that they say show that nearly half of all patients who were prescribed fentanyl should have been denied the drug.

    Fentanyl is a relatively new opioid painkiller that is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. It is meant only for patients experiencing severe pain, including “breakthrough” pain so bad that opioids such as OxyContin or even morphine cannot control, and who have already developed a tolerance to these drugs. Without an established tolerance to opioids, taking fentanyl presents a high risk of overdose due to its extreme potency.

    Due to the dangers of fentanyl, the US government has established a strict protocol that was supposed to prevent anyone other than opioid-tolerant patients with severe pain, such as cancer patients, from being prescribed this drug.

    The researchers of this new report claim that this protocol has not been followed across the system, implicating the Food and Drug Administration, drug companies, and doctors.

    “The whole purpose of this distribution system was to prevent exactly what we found,” said study leader and co-director of the Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness at Johns Hopkins Caleb Alexander. “It should never happen. It’s a never event. And yet we found it was happening in 50% [of cases reviewed].”

    According to the report, between 34.6% and 55.4% of patients surveyed who were given fentanyl were “opioid-nontolerant.” Researchers also found that a substantial amount of pharmacists and drug prescribers (7.9% and 11.6%, respectively) reported believing that they were allowed to give fentanyl to patients who had not developed a tolerance to opioids 12 months after the protocol was put in place.

    This number increased as time went on, reaching 18.4% among prescribers and close to 50% among patients.

    In spite of this, no substantial changes were made to the protocol by the FDA.

    “What we found was that several years after the program was started, there were alarming deficiencies identified, and yet little was done by the FDA and drug manufacturers to effectively address these problems,” said Alexander.

    Researchers and addiction experts are finding that fentanyl has played a large role in the opioid epidemic. A 2018 study found that deaths related to fentanyl use increased by 520% from 2009 to 2016, while deaths from other prescription opioids increased by 18% in the same time frame.

    The fentanyl deaths were primarily from illicit use, but the high rates of death from fentanyl overdose demonstrate just how dangerous the drug is to those who are not approved for its use.

    “These drugs are dangerous enough, they should never be used in patients who aren’t already on around-the-clock opioids,” said Alexander.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Comedian Brody Stevens Dies At 48

    Comedian Brody Stevens Dies At 48

    “The Hangover” star was memorialized by his comedic peers on social media.

    Actor and comedian Brody Stevens, known for his role in movies like The Hangover and The Hangover II, has died of an apparent suicide, according to numerous reports.

    Stevens, 48, was found deceased in Los Angeles on Friday (Feb. 22). According to The Blast, officers of the Los Angeles Police Department were dispatched to the scene shortly before 1 p.m. on Friday. 

    “Brody was an inspiring voice who was a friend to many in the comedy community,” a rep for Stevens told The Blast. “He pushed creative boundaries and his passion for his work and his love of baseball were contagious. He was beloved by many and will be greatly missed. We respectfully ask for privacy at this time.”

    Many are mourning the loss, especially those in the baseball community, People reports. Stevens was a passionate baseball fan who reportedly played on a scholarship at Arizona State University. 

    The team at ASU honored Stevens, who was a pitcher, with a moment of silence before their game on Saturday. They also shared a statement on Twitter. 

    “We lost a treasured member of our Sun Devil Baseball Family yesterday,” the team wrote. “We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Brody Stevens. He will be in our hearts this weekend.”

    Others in the baseball community, including retired pitcher Dan Haren, also spoke out on Twitter. 

    “One of my best friends is gone, @BrodyismeFriend i love you man. He always took the time to talk to me about baseball, comedy and life. A true friend,” Haren tweeted.

    Phillies ace Jake Arrieta also expressed his sadness at the loss of his friend.

    “I will never forget the time spent with Brody Stevens during my time in Chicago thx to Mike Borzello,” Arrieta tweeted. “Every conversation was memorable, he loved baseball, and watching him throw a bullpen during an early spring morning will always be a highlight for me.”

    Fellow comedians also took to social media to mourn the loss.

    “#RIPBrodyStevens he was so funny and weird and vulnerable and wild and kind. Every time he was onstage it was an adventure,” comedian Nick Kroll wrote.

    Comedian Patton Oswalt took the opportunity to speak on the importance of reaching out for anyone who is feeling depressed or suicidal.  

    “If you are depressed or feeling suicidal please please please please please reach out to ANYONE,” he tweeted. “I never get to see Brody Stevens again I can’t stand this.”

    According to The Blast, Stevens has been open about his depression in the past. 

    If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, reach out the the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Adam Lambert Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles

    Adam Lambert Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles

    Lambert shared how he used his music and peer support to deal with depression. 

    Pop star Adam Lambert recently opened up about his mental health struggles, and shared how he made it out of a “dark period” in his life.

    In a series of tweets, Lambert first thanked his fans for their “patience and continued faith in me. You’ve pushed me to keep going even when I felt discouraged.”

    Lambert described his struggles in the music industry and how he’s resisted compromising his art. “Don’t get me wrong – I’m VERY proud of my body of work. But I’m coming out of a dark period of second-guessing my own artistry and having my mental health suffer because of it. I started asking myself, ‘Is all this hustle really worth it?’”

    By focusing so intensely on his work, Lambert felt “detached in my personal life. My self-worth was suffering. I was lonely and becoming depressed.”

    Lambert, who has toured with Queen, then got back on track.

    “With a bit of professional help and the support of colleagues, friends and family, I pulled myself out of the darkness.”

    Part of his recovery process included writing music again, going back to “the headspace I was in when I first dreamed of being a singer – before playing [the] industry game started messing with my love for music.”

    The result was Lambert’s new single, “Feel Something,” which he says “was written about me climbing out of the low period, defying my disillusionment, owning my needs, and opening my heart.”

    Lambert got tired of the bachelor life, and between that and his frustrations with the music industry, “I felt numb…I wanted to fall in love, I knew I wasn’t ready. That’s what inspired me to cry out, I don’t need to feel love, I just want to feel something! It was in this realization that I took my first step toward self-care and nursing my spirit back to health.”

    Lambert promised fans that his new music charts “the journey of taking responsibility for my own happiness and strength, and searching for intimacy. Since writing this song I’ve found the joy I was missing and I’m back in my power. I can’t wait for you to hear more!”

    View the original article at thefix.com