Tag: News

People With Meth Addiction Are Finding Help Online

“We stay connected online, and we don’t judge anybody on what path they’re on,” says the founder of a Facebook support group for meth addiction.

Fellowship has always been an important part of recovery. Today, online communities help bring people together, including current and former drug users.

“My online support network is huge. I know many people from all over the U.S. and also in other countries,” Jameil White, who has been sober for about three years, told U.S. News and World Reports.

Today, White runs both a Facebook page and a Facebook group for people who are currently struggling or who have struggled with meth addiction. The private group, called Sobriety 101, has nearly 9,000 members who support each other in recovery.

“Some of them are members of (Alcoholics Anonymous), (Narcotics Anonymous). You also have members like myself who no longer go to meetings, but they still need that community and that network, and they reach out through online groups,” White said.

The online groups can supplement local support systems, she added.

“We stay connected online, and we don’t judge anybody on what path they’re on. Whether they’re still in active addiction and they’re struggling, or whether they’re seeking help, we all take the time and volunteer and answer messages and talk to people. We’re their friends—we allow them to call us if they need to. We go so far as trying to find them local meetings or rehab treatment centers, or anything we can to get them the help they need.”

It’s not just people in recovery who are turning to Facebook and other online platforms for support. Loved ones of people with substance use disorder are also connecting online.

Six years ago, Julie Richards started the Mothers Against Meth Alliance. She uses her Facebook page—which has more than 5,000 Likes—to educate people about the signs of meth addiction, especially among Native Americans living on North Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

“Nobody wanted to believe meth was here, but I just kept doing these walks, I kept going everywhere I can to bring this awareness, I just kept it up,” she said. “Now, people are like, ‘What can we do to help you?’—whether it be gas money, or coming out on patrol with us.”

Richards’ daughter is in jail for charges related to her meth addiction. Richards tells other young people that her daughter is one of the lucky ones.

“I tell these kids, ‘There’s only two roads that this meth is going to take you to: one is prison, and the other one is death. It’s up to you. If you’re lucky, you’ll end up in prison.’”

Suzette Schoenfeld, whose son struggled with meth addiction, also runs a group for people with meth addiction and their loved ones.

“There’s a big problem with meth in this country, a big white wave,” she said. “People need help, and they’re not getting the help they need. A lot of people reach out for love and understanding, and we’re all learning about this together. I’m hoping that we’re helping each other through this.”

View the original article at thefix.com

20 February 2019
Inside Elizabeth Warren's Plan To Address The Opioid Epidemic

Warren is one of the few 2020 presidential candidates to have discussed a plan to confront the opioid epidemic.

As more names are being thrown into the hat for the 2020 presidential race, only one has spoken up about her plans to address the opioid epidemic.

Elizabeth Warren has made some strides to combat the opioid crisis during her time as a U.S. Senator, according to Vox, and plans to continue to do so during her run for presidency.

In her time in Congress, she has made a push for additional research into alternatives to opioids. She has also voiced her opinions about President Donald Trump’s response to the epidemic, calling it “pathetic.”

In 2018, Warren and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) introduced the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act to Congress. If put into play, the bill would spread $100 billion to various states and organizations to fight the crisis over a 10-year period.

“Our communities are on the front lines of the epidemic, and they’re working hard to fight back,” Warren tells Vox. “But they can’t do it alone. They can’t keep nibbling around the edges.”

Warren is one of the few 2020 presidential candidates to have discussed a plan to confront the opioid epidemic. This could be because her state of Massachusetts has been hit particularly hard by the crisis with its drug overdose deaths at 31.8 per 100,000 in 2017, compared to the national average of 21.7.

The CARE Act, according to some experts, is one of the only plans presented with potential to make a difference in the epidemic. Keith Humphreys, a drug policy expert at Stanford University, tells Vox that Warren’s bill “is the only one that really grasps the nettle of how big the problem is.”

“Whatever else people might say about it, this is the first thing that really recognizes that [the opioid crisis] is a massive public health problem, like AIDS, and is not going to be solved by a tweak here, a tweak there,” he adds.

The $100 billion involved in the CARE Act would be used in various ways, according to Vox. Some would be given to local government and nonprofits and some would be spread to numerous states, territories and tribal governments.

This could be determined by overdose levels in certain areas, but some funding would also be given through a competitive grant process. Remaining funding would be dedicated to treatment, research, training and more access to overdose antidote naloxone.

Despite the support of some experts, Warren and Cumming’s bill has not made great progress in Congress. In the House, according to Vox, it received only 81 cosponsors, and in the Senate, it got none. Still, the two plan to reintroduce the bill in coming months.

Warren hasn’t hesitated to point out President Trump’s failure to deliver on his promises. In 2016, Trump said he would “spend the money” to confront the opioid epidemic.

“The Trump administration has treated this crisis like a photo op,” Warren tells Vox. “They talk a good game and produce nothing.”

Although the CARE Act likely would not be able to address the entire epidemic on its own, it would be a start, Warren says.

“Resources make a difference,” Warren tells Vox. “Not strong words. Not photo ops. But real money. Without real resources, the opioid crisis will continue to grow.”

View the original article at thefix.com

20 February 2019
Walmart Unfairly Fired Employee For Medical Marijuana Use, Judge Says

The judge’s ruling is reportedly the first of its kind in Arizona and may positively impact similar cases in the future.

A former Walmart employee and medical marijuana patient who was fired after testing positive for THC after a workplace injury has won a wrongful termination suit against the mega-retailer.

An Arizona judge ruled in favor of Carol Whitmire, who in 2016 was injured while on the job at Walmart. Company policy requires that employees who visit urgent care must submit to a drug test, and Whitmire – who used medical marijuana for shoulder pain and sleep issues – tested positive for cannabis metabolites.

When Walmart fired Whitmire, she brought a wrongful termination suit against the company, claiming that it had discriminated against her in violation of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA).

As High Times noted, the judge’s ruling could have a positive impact on similar cases in the future.

Whitmire had been a Walmart employee at two Arizona locations for about eight years prior to her injury. According to the lawsuit, a bag of ice fell on Whitmire’s wrist in 2016, prompting a visit to urgent care.

Per Walmart’s policy, Whitmire also underwent a drug test, and informed Walmart’s human resources department that she had been a registered medical marijuana patient for five years.

As the Phoenix New Times noted, court records showed that Whitmire only used marijuana before bed to treat chronic shoulder pain and as a sleep aid, and never came to work impaired.

Whitmire’s complaint contended that on July 4, 2016, she was suspended from work as a result of the urine test, and eventually fired on July 22. With the help of the Equal Opportunity Commission and the civil rights division of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, she filed a discrimination charge against Walmart, and followed it with a wrongful termination charge which, as the New Times noted, alleged violation of the AMMA, Arizona Civil Rights Act, and the state’s worker compensation law.

In his ruling, Arizona US District Judge James A. Teilborg granted partial summary judgment to Whitmire in regard to the discrimination claim under the AMMA. The Act notes that it is illegal for an employer to hire or fire based on a “positive drug test for marijuana components or metabolites, unless the patient used, possessed or was impaired by marijuana on the premises of the place of employment or during the hours of employment.” Teilborg denied the claims of discrimination under the civil rights act or worker’s compensation laws.

Teilborg also addressed Walmart’s statement about the legality of the charges under the state’s Drug Testing of Employees Act by noting that the testing could not prove that Whitmire was impaired at work or that the presence of metabolites the urine sample could “sufficiently” establish impairment.

In a statement to the Phoenix New Times, the company wrote that they were “pleased the Court dismissed several of the claims, and we will continue to prepare our case.”

Whitmire’s lawyer, Joshua Carden, described the ruling as “the first of its kind in Arizona,” and added that the court will decide on damages or possible reinstatement for Whitmire in May 2019.

View the original article at thefix.com

20 February 2019
Riverdale's Lili Reinhart Opens Up About Depression, Getting Treatment

“We are all human. And we all struggle. Don’t suffer in silence. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for help,” Reinhart noted on Instagram.

Riverdale actress Lili Reinhart used Instagram to announce through her Instagram story that she is again seeking help for anxiety and depression.

The 22-year-old actress is best known for her Riverdale character, Betty—the part that launched her into stardom. By then, Reinhart had already experienced a profound bout with depression, at 18 when she came to Hollywood.

She became physically sick from depression and moved home to North Carolina for help. After six months of working on her mental and emotional health, she returned to Hollywood, eventually landing the starring role that would make her a household name.

Reinhart has been public about her mental health struggles, but not without concerns about the level of transparency she’s chosen. She told Teen Vogue, “It’s very much a constant balance of what do I share? What do I not share? I want to be authentic, but I also don’t want to give everyone parts of myself that they don’t need to know about.”

Still, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the show’s creator and showrunner, told Teen Vogue of Reinhart, “She has a lot of contradictions, but the big thing is there’s nothing we can’t write for Lili that she cannot do. She’s sort of fearless.”

This week Reinhart spoke about her depression and anxiety on Instagram, directly addressing those reading her words and encouraging anyone experiencing similar difficulties to speak out and get help if they’re feeling overwhelmed.

“Friendly reminder for anyone who needs to hear it,” Reinhart wrote, “Therapy is never something to feel ashamed of. Everyone can benefit from seeing a therapist. Doesn’t matter how old or ‘proud’ you’re trying to be.”

The actress then added, “We are all human. And we all struggle. Don’t suffer in silence. Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for help. I’m 22. I have anxiety and depression And today I started therapy again.”

Reinhart shared that her “journey of self-love” included therapy and medication.

Selena Gomez is another young star who has been open about her mental health issues, which has included mental health facility stays and the therapeutic practice, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. DBT teaches skills such as emotional regulation, improving communication, and incorporating mindfulness practices.

Gomez told Vogue, “I wish more people would talk about therapy. We girls, we’re taught to be almost too resilient, to be strong and sexy and cool and laid-back, the girl who’s down. We also need to feel allowed to fall apart.”

Reinhart told Ocean Drive magazine a year ago, “I know so many other young people have [struggles with mental health], and I didn’t have someone who was talking about it. I remember being in middle and high school and hearing Demi Lovato speak up about her mental illness and that was comforting. But I wanted more people to stand up. I needed more people to relate to. I was like, all these people can’t be so happy, can they?”

View the original article at thefix.com

20 February 2019
Students Take Action To Get Mental Health Resources

Students in need of mental health resources formed a group to solve the issue for themselves and their peers.

When a 15-year-old girl in England reached out for mental health assistance and was placed on a waiting list, she and her friends decided to take matters into their own hands.

According to The Guardian, Molly Robinson had been battling unexplained pain and worry over what was causing it, creating overwhelming feelings of anxiety. It eventually got to the point where she couldn’t even go to school.

So, Robinson and some friends decided to create a group called We Will, to focus on gaining understanding and support for adolescents struggling with mental health.

The seven members say aspects, such as the push to do well academically and the pressures of social media, play into their mental health.

“It’s very different being a teenager now,” Chloe Wilson, 17, tells The Guardian. “Especially parents; they want their child to be fine. They’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s just hormones.’”

Jasmine Dean, 17, adds that she has heard a friend talk about suicide and wonders why the lack of mental health resources is justifiable. “How is being in crisis with a mental health issue any different from being in crisis with a physical issue?” Dean said.

Because the students knew they would need assistance, they reached out to Kate Whitmarsh, who serves as a development worker at Ewanrigg Big Local. Ewanrigg Big Local is community group with “a mandate to grow grassroots initiatives proposed by anyone resident in the area,” according to The Guardian.

Whitmarsh says that in the area, child poverty rates have climbed, public services and work opportunities are limited, and the statistics regarding health are not positive.

“It’s tough growing up here on the western edge of Cumbria,” says Whitmarsh. “This isn’t the affluent Lake District: lots of young people live in rural deprivation.”

Whitmarsh has helped the group in their efforts to create their own video, speak to local businesses about putting out mental health awareness posters, speak to the media, and reach out to leadership in their schools.

The students also encouraged 80 students and staff members at their school to participate in a mental health first aid class that covered recognizing a person in emotional pain, but also realizing they are not responsible for solving someone else’s problems.

Going forward, the school plans to offer the same course to governors and parents of students, which could be a significant financial investment according to The Guardian.

“My argument is: how can we afford not to?” assistant head Steve Milledge tells The Guardian. “Thresholds for Camhs (child and adolescent mental health services) are getting higher. There’s been an increase in the number of children talking about suicide. Without a counsellor, there are children who wouldn’t be able to be in school. A culture of listening and being listened to is really important in people feeling well and healthy.”

View the original article at thefix.com

20 February 2019
New York Launches Campaign To Promote Addiction Treatment Resources

The “Know Your Facts” campaign will promote information about addiction treatment resources, insurance coverage and support systems.

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) announced Monday that it is launching a new campaign to educate the public on addiction and treatment resources in the state.

The PSA campaign, called “Know the Facts,” is designed to help direct people to addiction services and help, according to a press release by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez.

The recent press around the opioid crisis in the U.S. has spurred multiple information campaigns about addiction across the country. As the public learns more about the nature of addiction and that there’s no shame in seeking treatment, New York officials have found that there is a lack of awareness about where and how individuals can access that treatment.

“The key is making sure people are aware of the resources available and that they have access to them,” said New York State Heroin and Opioid Abuse Task Force co-chair and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. “Lives can be saved and returned to normal with help and support. With this campaign, we hope to encourage people to start their journey on the road to recovery.”

According to the New York State Department of Health, 12% of residents 12 or older “experience a substance use disorder (addiction or abuse) annually” and over 1.9 million individuals living in the state have a “substance abuse problem.”

The new campaign will run in both English and Spanish throughout the state until March 25. It will promote information about the availability of addiction treatment in New York, insurance coverage and payment, and support systems and resources in place for those who are already in recovery.

According to “Know the Facts,” there are 23 million people in recovery from addiction disorders in the U.S.

The OASAS website includes a database of addiction treatment centers in the state of New York that individuals can search through to find an appropriate program.

The NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard returns results for 555 programs for adults and 244 programs for adolescents when searching within 100 miles of New York. There are also databases for gambling addiction treatment, disability services, and mental health resources, among many other related tools.

“The challenges New Yorkers statewide face in trying to break the grip of addiction are immense, yet they are too often needlessly compromised by stigma and misinformation,” says chairwoman of the Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Linda B. Rosenthal. “While New York desperately needs to continue expanding its harm reduction infrastructure, it is vital we take steps to better illuminate and promote the supports already in place.”

The press release also recommends CombatAddiction.ny.gov for addiction-related resources and Talk2Prevent for information on how to best discuss addiction and drug use with young people.

View the original article at thefix.com

19 February 2019
Does Marijuana Use Put Teens At Risk For Depression?

A scientific review explored the potential link between depression and teen marijuana use.

Smoking pot is often portrayed as a harmless rite of passage for teens, but according to a scientific review released this week, smoking cannabis can significantly increase a teenager’s risk of developing depression and suicidal thoughts as a young adult.

The review, published in JAMA Psychiatry, looked at data from 11 studies covering more than 23,000 individuals. Researchers concluded, “Adolescent cannabis consumption was associated with increased risk of developing depression and suicidal behavior later in life, even in the absence of a premorbid condition.”

According to Science Daily, smoking pot increases the chances of developing depression by about 7%. That could lead to an additional 400,000 cases of depression in teens in the U.S.

“Our findings about depression and suicidality are very relevant for clinical practice and public health. Although the size of the negative effects of cannabis can vary between individual adolescents and it is not possible to predict the exact risk for each teenager, the widespread use of cannabis among the young generations makes it an important public health issue,” said Professor Andrea Cipriani, who was involved in the study.

She pointed out that the data was carefully controlled and considered in order to really understand the connection between marijuana use, depression and suicidal thoughts. Interestingly, the researchers did not find any increased risk for anxiety in teens who smoked marijuana.

“We looked at the effects of cannabis because its use among young people is so common, but the long-term effects are still poorly understood. We carefully selected the best studies carried out since 1993 and included only the methodologically sound ones to rule out important confounding factors, such as premorbid depression,” Cipriani said.

Lead study author Dr. Gabriella Gobbi said that the review shows a new health concern stemming from marijuana use among teens.

“While the link between cannabis and mood regulation has been largely studied in preclinical studies, there was still a gap in clinical studies regarding the systematic evaluation of the link between adolescent cannabis consumption and the risk of depression and suicidal behavior in young adulthood. This study aimed to fill this gap, helping mental health professionals and parents to better address this problem,” she said.

The possible increased risk for depression is yet another health consequence of marijuana that policymakers need to consider, especially as the drug becomes more widely available on the recreational market, Cipriani said.

“Regular use during adolescence is associated with lower achievement at school, addiction, psychosis and neuropsychological decline, increased risk of motor vehicle crashes, as well as the respiratory problems that are associated with smoking.”

View the original article at thefix.com

19 February 2019
Driving While On Prescription Opioids Can Be Deadly

Researchers have uncovered an alarming trend among drivers under the influence of prescription opioids.

As the opioid epidemic continues to grow, the medications are being blamed for more fatalities on the road.

In the past 25 years, according to U.S. News & World Report, the number of fatal car crashes with drivers high on opioids has tripled.

These results come from a study which examined more than 18,000 fatal car crashes involving two vehicles in the U.S. from 1993 to 2016. Of those, more than half (55%) of driving errors made by drivers who later tested positive for prescription opioids had to do with the driver not staying in their own lane.

According to study co-author Dr. Guohua Li, who is also the director of the Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention at Columbia University Medical Center, the failure to stay in one’s lane was “a particularly dangerous driving error.”

In fact, researchers found that this error was a factor in more than 40% of fatal crashes involving two vehicles, “making it the most common cause of deadly auto accidents.”

According to Li, the outcome of the study “adds important information for understanding the ripple effects of the opioid epidemic, particularly its adverse effect on driving safety.”

Li adds that prescription opioids “are potent pain medications that can cause drowsiness, nausea, and impaired cognitive functions and psychomotor skills, including reduced reaction time, alertness, attention and concentration.”

When it comes to how opioids impact drivers in comparison to alcohol, Li says that the effect of driving on opioids is about equal to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%. This falls just under 0.08%, which is what most states consider driving under the influence, according to U.S. News and World Report.

According to Li, testing a driver for opioids is more expensive and more difficult than testing for alcohol. “It is also more difficult to detect drug-impaired driving than alcohol-impaired driving through field sobriety tests,” he said.

“But law enforcement is making effort to tackle the drugged driving problem,” he added. “For example, many states are expanding their drug recognition expert programs, which would train more police to become certified field evaluators of driving under the influence of drugs.”

JT Griffin, chief government affairs officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, tells U.S. News that the results of the study are not surprising. “With the rising use of opioids, it is not surprising that there is an increase in the number of drivers with opioids in their systems,” he said.

“Any drug that causes drowsiness, slows reaction times, or affects judgment and mobility in any way is a threat to public safety,” Griffin added. “It’s important that people do not drive anytime they are drinking or using any kind of impairing substance.”

View the original article at thefix.com

19 February 2019
Disney Alum Alyson Stoner Opens Up About Anxiety, Anorexia

The “Step Up” star got candid about her battle with anorexia and the rehab stay that saved her life in a recent interview.

Alyson Stoner first broke through as a child star when she was nine years old as a dancer in Missy Elliott’s “Work It” video. She then transitioned to starring in films like Cheaper By the Dozen, Step Up, and the Disney Channel movie Camp Rock.

Yet as Stoner, now 25, revealed to People, she suffered from anxiety and anorexia as a result of the grueling pressures of stardom. As early as age six, Stoner had health issues from stress. Her anxiety gave her heart palpitations, and she also suffered from hair loss and seizures. Eventually, Stoner developed binge-eating disorder, anorexia and exercise bulimia.

“Some people are complimentary of me when it comes to maybe not acting out in ways that they see other child stars behaving. I was acting out, but I chose vices that were societally acceptable and praiseworthy,” Stoner told People.

Stoner’s weight loss left some casting directors concerned about her wellbeing.

“They would just tell me that I need help and [need] to go home and take care of my health because my eyes were sunken in and I was tired and lifeless,” Stoner told People. “The scary part is I wasn’t even the smallest person on set.”

Stoner was hospitalized in 2011 then went to rehab to deal with her disordered eating when she was several months away from turning 18. “I had actually wanted to get help for some time, and my schedule didn’t allow for it. I had already needed hospitalization, but I had to complete projects.”

Once her acting work was done, Stoner got help.

“I still have my hospital gown, binder and letters from other patients tucked in a drawer as a reminder of one of the best choices I’ve made for my health,” Stoner revealed.

“How much of my health am I willing to sacrifice for my job?” she wondered after her rehab stay.

In the music video for her new song “Stripped Bare,” Stoner shaves her head. Stoner called the decision “an act of mental health and confidence, not self-destruction.” Symbolically, Stoner added that with every lock of hair that fell from her head, so did “many beliefs and opinions and insecurities… and I’m leaving them there. I’m shedding one era and rising as a new being in real time.”

View the original article at thefix.com

19 February 2019
Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell Reflects On Sobriety

“Getting f–ked up is fun, and that’s why people do it. Especially when you’re young. It’s a part of life…But it comes with a price,” Cantrell said in a new interview.

When Nirvana’s Nevermind album exploded in the early nineties, Seattle immediately became a hotbed for great music, and bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains all became wildly successful. But with that success also came tragedy with the deaths of Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell and Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley, who died at the age of 34 after struggling with heroin addiction for years.

Now Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell is reflecting on his own sobriety, and the myth that drugs make rock stars more creative.

As Cantrell told Grammy.com, “Getting f–ked up is fun, and that’s why people do it. Especially when you’re young. It’s a part of life. It’s a part of a lot of people’s experience. But it comes with a price. It generally doesn’t end good.”

Cantrell continues, “I’ve been super-creative fucked up. I’ve been super-creative not fucked up. It’s been so many years for me that I just don’t really think about that anymore. I think, at some point it becomes an impediment. It works until it doesn’t. Let’s put it that way.”

Cantrell added that “it worked for a while. And I think that’s the case probably for most people. Maybe [it] takes you and puts you in a different mind space, and kind of maybe opens your perception to some stuff, but the costs are so fucking high. You know what I mean.”

Cantrell has been sober for years, and he told Blabbermouth, “I don’t miss [drugs] at all. But I’m also not ashamed of it. Nobody’s perfect, and I certainly am not. You just kind of figure it out as you go.”

Cantrell told Billboard that when he recorded one of his darkest albums, his solo work Degradation Trip, he was “just really fucked up back then, and you can totally hear it on that record. It was done right before I got sober, and it was also done right when I was dealing with the death of my band, and then the unhappy coincidence of Layne passing away right after I released that record. So it was not a good time in my life, and it totally comes across on that record.”

Cantrell said he got sober a year after Layne died, and he wishes that the legendary singer would have a different epitaph without the focus on his drug problems. As Cantrell said on The Pulse of Radio, “It’s unfortunate that that seems to be the only headline that gets equated with him, because there was so much more to him than that. Not taking away the fact of the reality of what that is, and how it ended, everybody knows that too. But there’s a whole lot more to the story.”

View the original article at thefix.com

19 February 2019