Answer Addiction

Tag: substance use disorder

  • "Sharp Objects" To End Episodes With Mental Health, Substance Abuse PSA

    "Sharp Objects" To End Episodes With Mental Health, Substance Abuse PSA

    The HBO limited series follows a reporter who struggles with self-harm and alcoholism while investigating a murder case.

    The HBO limited series Sharp Objects will feature a card at the conclusion of each episode that will provide information on help for those who may be experiencing issues of self-harm and/or substance abuse.

    The critically praised series, created by Marti Noxon (Dietland) and based on the novel by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), stars Amy Adams as a reporter who struggles with both conditions while investigating a murder case.

    As Deadline‘s coverage noted, the addition echoes the use of a similar title card on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why.

    The card reads as follows:

    “If you or someone you know struggles with self-harm or substance abuse, please seek help by contacting the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 1-800-662-HELP (4357).”

    In addition to the card, HBO has also set up a website with links to resources including SAMHSA and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

    The series’ title alludes to Adams’ reporter, Camille Preaker, whose troubled childhood has manifested itself in adulthood through alcoholism and self-harm.

    The first episode opens shortly after her discharge from a psychiatric hospital, and over the course of the next seven episodes, Preaker will return to the hometown where her issues first took root, and which bloom anew as she becomes deeply involved in the murder of two girls there.

    As Deadline noted, the Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why, which focused on a teenager’s suicide, drew critical fire from members of the mental health community for what was regarded as graphic depictions of rape and suicide.

    The network added a disclaimer and PSA to the second season of the show that advised viewers about the subject matter and, as Vulture noted, even suggested that certain individuals should consider watching the program with a “trusted adult.” 13 Reasons Why is slated to return for its third season in 2019.

    In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, author Gillian Flynn, who also serves as an executive producer for Sharp Objects, discussed the very personal reasons for tackling the subject of self-harm in the book and series.

    “I felt that misery of, like, ‘Why can’t anyone see how much pain I’m in?’ I wished I could bear witness somehow,” she said. I had these fantasies of being mangled—of showing how much pain I was in.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Underoath's Spencer Chamberlain On Sobriety: "I'm A Million Times Happier"

    Underoath's Spencer Chamberlain On Sobriety: "I'm A Million Times Happier"

    “People find different ways to fill those voids, and for a lot of artists, it’s drugs or alcohol. I just had to reprogram my life and find things that were productive.”

    In a series of videos for Revolver magazine’s Lyric Dissector series, Underoath singer Spencer Chamberlain discussed not only the inspiration for the band’s current single, “Rapture,” but also his long struggle with drugs and alcohol, from which he has been sober for more than a year.

    The 2015 reunion of Underoath, which broke up two years early, and the release of their latest album, Erase Me, in 2018, bookended Chamberlain’s recovery. “Being back together definitely helped,” he said. “It’s the first step in pulling yourself out of those places.”

    Chamberlain said that he began his journey of “not using any more” during the writing process of Erase Me, and found that tackling the problem in the band’s music could be cathartic.

    “My thought is writing lyrics that are very honest and brutal and sometimes suck to talk about, hopefully that can help,” he explained.

    In “Rapture,” which is credited to the band and Nashville songwriter Johnny Andrews, Chamberlain likened the pull of dependency to “a mistress—like that person you’ve always been warned about. That, for me, was the other woman. I tried to portray it like sex.”

    But just as toxic relationships become detrimental to both parties, drugs and alcohol shed their numbing properties and bloom into wholly new problems for dependants like Chamberlain.

    “When drugs stop being fun, they start to suck,” he said. “You have that self-loathing all the time—you just beat yourself up, or at least, I did. Which was a huge step in not wanting to have that as part of my life anymore.”

    Chamberlain said that the decision to stop using was anchored to a simple thought—”I’m going to see how far I can go,” he explained—but the process of achieving that goal required a concentrated effort in his part. That included a physical move from his home in Florida to New York City, which he said helped him to “learn a lot about myself.”

    “[New York] is the busiest place in the world, but you’re always alone,” he said. “You have to go out to try and meet people. So you’re always reflecting on yourself.”

    Chamberlain used his time there as a lesson in “learning how to love myself again” before returning to Florida, where he began to refashion his life in sobriety. He deleted contact information for anyone he associated with “partying or anything like that,” including close friends that “probably hate me right now.” 

    Chamberlain also began a regime of exercise and healthy eating with the help of his girlfriend, a personal trainer. He found that these new pursuits provided an outlet for him that delivered the same results as being on stage.

    “When I was on tour, it was way easier to control myself because I got that release all the time,” he noted. “People find different ways to fill those voids, and for a lot of artists, it’s drugs or alcohol. I just had to reprogram my life and find things that were productive—I like to be up early and exercise, do outdoor things and stay motivated.”

    These efforts have allowed Chamberlain to remain sober for over a year and a half. He admits that he’s not perfect, and that sobriety requires constant vigilance, but he also said that he feels a “million times healthier and happier than [he] was even two or three years ago.”

    He’s also hoping that his struggles can help others, whether they’re in another band (“there’s at least one guy, or nine times out of ten, [where] it’s probably gone too far”) or among Underoath’s listeners. In helping to write songs like “Rapture,” Chamberlain hopes there will be “other people who will say, ‘Yeah, me too.’”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Tom Hanks’ Son Chet: Parents Helped "Every Step Of The Way" To Sobriety

    Tom Hanks’ Son Chet: Parents Helped "Every Step Of The Way" To Sobriety

    The actor and rapper says parental support and the birth of his daughter gave him the motivation to get sober.

    Chet Hanks has struggled with substance use under the public eye but is now sober thanks to his parents.

    Chet Hanks, the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, has had a long, public struggle with substance use disorder, but the musician says those days are behind him. His biggest motivator for getting his life together was becoming a parent.

    “It was the prospect of having a kid, and I knew that in nine months there’s gonna be a baby here,” Hanks said in an ET interview with Katie Krause on Tuesday. “That gave me the motivation to be like, ‘OK, I’ve had my time now, and I need to move on.’”

    Hanks said he had long known he had a problem and needed to get clean, but was unable to find the energy or motivation to do so.

    “There’s a part of you that knows that you need to make a change but you can’t really shut that door on your life and just move on to a new chapter,” he explained. “For me, it took something drastic happening, like becoming a father, for me to make the change.”

    His daughter, Michaiah, was born in April of 2016. While fatherhood served as an impetus to kick his habits, it was his own parents who gave him the support he needed to follow through. “They couldn’t be more supportive,” he explained. “Every step of the way… They’ve always been there for me and I’m really lucky.”

    His famous parents love being grandparents, and Hanks says they offer to babysit very often. “It’s awesome seeing them being grandparents as well, because I was really close with my grandparents and now my daughter gets to have the same experience,” Hanks said.

    Hanks’ sobriety has also provided inspiration in his rap career as his duo act, FTRZ, tackles the issues the pair has faced in their debut album, Ocean Park EP.

    “I feel a responsibility like to tell the truth… and be as open as possible, because there is such a bad drug epidemic going on,” Hanks explained. “It’s a bad problem and I feel like there should be no stigma around people who get sober, because you need to be open to help other people.”

    In sharing his experiences, he hopes to help others.

    “If you just get sober and try to keep it a secret, you’re not really helping anybody because there could be somebody that’s struggling really hard and if you can be an inspiration to that person to make the change for them to change their life, you can’t put a price on that,” he said.

    Hanks is also working with his father for the first time on an upcoming World War II movie called Greyhound.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Lawmaker Fights For Addiction Treatment That Her Mom Desperately Needed

    Lawmaker Fights For Addiction Treatment That Her Mom Desperately Needed

    “When my mother asked for help and there was no place to go, it was one of the most hopeless feelings I ever had. That was the moment that inspired me to do this work.”

    After winning a seat in the Colorado state legislature in 2012, Brittany Pettersen tried her best to focus on her blossoming career. For her own health, that involved limiting her contact with her mother, Stacy, who had been living with active addiction for decades. 

    “As a family we have been preparing for my mom’s death our entire lives,” Pettersen told The LA Times. Stacy’s addiction was so severe that at one point she overdosed 20 times in 16 months. 

    Still, Pettersen’s colleagues in the legislature knew nothing of her mother’s situation, and Pettersen couldn’t bring herself to work on addiction and recovery issues professionally. 

    “I honestly never wanted to touch the issue of opioids because it was too personal,” she said. “I felt like if I can’t help my mom how can I help anyone else?”

    Last August, Stacy overdosed yet again. She was resuscitated in the emergency room of a hospital near Denver and then moved to the intensive care unit. There, Stacy finally asked for help. Yet all her Medicaid would cover was three days of detox. Pettersen was heartbroken and furious. 

    “When my mother asked for help and there was no place to go, it was one of the most hopeless feelings I ever had,” Pettersen said. “That was the moment that inspired me to do this work. My mom’s been using drugs for more than 30 years, she needs more than three days of detox. That’s a joke.”

    Luckily, Pettersen was able to get a court-order that put Stacy in a treatment program for two months involuntarily. Now, Stacy has been sober for seven months, and Pettersen has decided to share her family’s story in order to advocate for better addiction treatment services in Colorado. 

    Pettersen is now working on legislation that would require Medicaid in Colorado to cover impatient and residential drug abuse treatment programs, rather than just covering three days of detox. Although the change would cost Colorado an estimated $34 million, it would bring in about $100 million in federal dollars, Pettersen said, in addition to cutting costs of emergency services. 

    “It takes upfront costs to get out of a crisis,” she said.

    In April, Stacy testified in front of the Colorado state legislature in support of the bill. 

    “Hello, my name is Stacy Pettersen. Some of you know me as Brittany’s mom,” she said. “My last 30 years have been tragic for my family and me, but I am here to tell the unexpected ending—that I am alive and have been sober for over seven months because I finally got the help I needed.”

    Later, she talked about her hopes for recovery, including making amends with her children after decades of neglect. 

    “I’d like to try and repair the damage I’ve done to my children,” Stacy said. “I want to make the most of the time I have left and be the best mom I can be.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Selma Blair Celebrates Two Years Of Sobriety

    Selma Blair Celebrates Two Years Of Sobriety

    “I prayed for a miracle at my lowest points. I am a living miracle. Thank you,” the actress wrote in an Instagram post.

    Actress Selma Blair had two reasons to celebrate this week: her 46th birthday as well as her second year of sobriety.

    Blair, who has starred in films including Hellboy and Legally Blonde, took to Instagram to announce her achievement.

    “2 years sober. 2 years feeling everything and nothing. 2 years of extreme gratitude and humility and grace,” she wrote in her post, which included a photograph of herself with a birthday cake. “I thank the lord and my friends. Thank you for the most special birthday week @fran.anania #amypines #arthursaintbleick.”

    Just last month, Blair admitted to having struggled with alcoholism, anxiety, and depression, but has been winning in her struggles as of late.

    “I prayed for a miracle at my lowest points. I am a living miracle. Thank you. Thank you. #birthdaygirl #almost46 #summersolstice #grace,” she wrote in her post.

    Blair hasn’t hid her struggles with depression and anxiety from fans. In a throwback post she wrote in May, she reflected on her career in Hollywood, including the highs and the lows.

    “For better or for worse. I want to have hope again. I want to thank you all for believing in me. I want to find the right work for me. And for me as a mom and as a woman who has come so far in personal ways,” she wrote in her May post. “I want to make us all proud. 21 years later. #heartonsleeve Opens a New Window. It’s a random Tuesday. Maybe miracles will happen.”

    The Cruel Intentions star once had a meltdown on an airplane flight, allegedly brought on by mixing medications with alcohol.

    “I made a big mistake yesterday,” said Blair after the incident. “After a lovely trip with my son and his dad, I mixed alcohol with medication, and that caused me to black out and led me to say and do things that I deeply regret.”

    A few months after the incident, Blair gained some new perspective on the incident.

    “Hopefully everyone on the plane is doing fine now too, because it was very destructive,” she said on The Talk. “I am someone who should never drink, and I rarely do, and I don’t drink anymore, but I was going through something. I had a glass of wine and someone gave me a pill that I thought was something that I’d taken before… it was something completely different… and I had a total psychotic blackout.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Serious Bacterial Infection Linked To Injection Drug Use

    Serious Bacterial Infection Linked To Injection Drug Use

    According to a new study, the number of MRSA cases in those who use injection drugs more than doubled from 2011 to 2016.

    Those who use inject illicit drugs may be at risk of more than an overdose, as new government data claims that such individuals are more susceptible to a potentially fatal infection.

    Individuals who use heroin or other injection drugs are 16 times more susceptible to develop infections or illnesses from MRSA, a dangerous bacteria. 

    MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria, the Mayo Clinic reports. However, unlike other forms of staph, it does not respond well to antibiotics, making it more dangerous.

    “Drug use has crept up and now accounts for a substantial proportion of these very serious infections,” said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University, according to CBS News. 

    While other studies have shown that HIV and hepatitis C have spread among injection drug users, this is the first study to focus on this type of bacteria, referred to as a “superbug,” according to CBS.

    Although MRSA can be found on people’s skin, it does not tend to become dangerous until it enters the bloodstream, CBS notes. Health officials estimate that about 11,000 deaths per year in the U.S. are due to MRSA and that while the rate of infection in hospitals and nursing homes has decreased, the rate in those using illicit drugs continues to rise.

    Dr. Isaac See of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also a study author, states that MRSA “is on the skin, and as the needle goes into the skin it brings the bacteria with it,” according to CBS.

    According to the study’s findings, the number of MRSA cases that involved those who use injection drugs more than doubled from 2011 to 2016, from 4% to 9%. 

    According to the news outlet, this study took into account MRSA infections at hospitals in Connecticut and in parts of California, Georgia, Minnesota, New York and Tennessee. Of the approximately 39,000 cases, about 2,100 were from individuals who had used injection drugs. 

    Study authors note that if the amount of people using injection drugs continues to rise as will the number of MRSA cases, this could be detrimental to efforts being made to curb the crisis.

    “Increases in nonsterile injection drug use are likely to result in increases in the occurrence of invasive MRSA infections among persons who inject drugs, underscoring the importance of public health measures to curb the opioid epidemic,” study authors wrote.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Potential Treatment To Prevent Relapse Shows Promise

    Potential Treatment To Prevent Relapse Shows Promise

    Researchers only tested the treatment mechanism out on morphine though they are interested in seeing if it works on other drugs.

    The journal Addiction Biology published research from scientists at the University of Bath which offers a new mechanism for preventing drug-addiction relapses.

    According to Medical Xpress, the Bath scientists collaborated with colleagues from RenaSci and University of Surrey to use an animal model in order to study specific behaviors of rats and mice that sought out morphine after being exposed to environmental cues associated with the drug.

    The scientists then withheld morphine from the rats and mice and then reintroduced the environmental cues. The rodents then lapsed into drug-seeking behaviors. The premise set, the scientists then tested the effect of a brain neurotransmitter blocker called acetylcholine.

    Acetylcholine is crucial to the memory process. Using the blocker on a specific acetylcholine receptor on the rats and mice, the researchers observed that the blocker drug, called methyllycaconitine, or MLA, did not block the rodents from searching for morphine, but did prevent them from ingesting it.

    Moving forward with that information, the researchers honed in on a part of the brain vital for memory, the ventral hippocampus. The venal hippocampus is linked with emotional memory, crucial in the functions of addiction and relapse.

    Relapse is a pervasive reality for those with an addiction to drugs or alcohol. While studies present differing statistics on relapse rates, Science Daily reports that “the majority of addicts return to drug-taking within 12 months of quitting.”

    Triggers for relapse are numerous and range from physical cues such as drug paraphernalia to emotional cues such as a painful setback. The study shows that MLA—at least in animal models—works to prevent relapsing even when exposed to those environmental cues.

    Medical Xpress quotes Professor Sue Wonnacott, from the University of Bath’s Department of Biology & Biochemistry, as saying, “More work needs to be done to uncover the brain mechanisms involved, but it raises the prospect of erasing long-term drug-associated memories that underpin addiction and the propensity to relapse.”

    Dr. Chris Bailey from the University of Bath’s Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology looked forward to more research which could reveal if MLA blocks relapse for other drug addictions besides morphine.

    He said, “We already have evidence, in the same animal model, that it is effective against the more potent opioid, heroin. If MLA has similar effects against other drugs of abuse such as cocaine it would be even more encouraging.”

    Research is being done on relapse prevention using other methods for other drugs, as well.

    This year, a promising study published in Neuropsychopharmapsychology (also done on animals), found that they were able to reduce relapse rates with a drug used to treat diabetes and obesity, called extendin-4. No adverse reactions were found, and research continues to move forward.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Can Psychedelics Really Help Fight Addiction And Depression?

    Can Psychedelics Really Help Fight Addiction And Depression?

    New research explored whether psychedelics can “rewire the brain” and potentially cure a number of ailments.

    New research reinforces the idea of psychedelics’ potential to treat depression, substance use disorder and more, according to Science Daily.

    “People have long assumed that psychedelics are capable of altering neuronal structure, but this is the first study that clearly and unambiguously supports that hypothesis,” said lead author David Olson of the University of California, Davis.

    When a person is experiencing depression, anxiety, substance use disorder or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), their neurites are affected. Neurites facilitate communication between neurons by bridging the gap between two neurons at the synapse, the point of communication. (Neurites become axons and dendrites.)

    However, when a person is suffering from any of the above, their neurites are not as active. “One of the hallmarks of depression is that the neurites in the prefrontal cortex—a key brain region that regulates emotion, mood, and anxiety—those neurites tend to shrivel up,” said Olson.

    But the research, published in the journal Cell Reports, observed that the psychedelics tested—LSD, DMT, MDMA, DOI (an amphetamine)— had the opposite effect.

    Instead, they promoted neurite growth, increasing both the density of dendritic spines and the density of synapses. In other words, the psychedelics had a positive effect on the brain’s neural plasticity, by making neurons more likely to branch out and connect with one another, according to Science Daily.

    The research observed these effects in rats and flies, but Olson and his team predict that the psychedelics will have the same effects in humans.

    “These are some of the most powerful compounds known to affect brain function, it’s very obvious to me that we should understand how they work,” said Olson.

    The findings offer a greater variety of potential antidepressant therapies. Previously, ketamine has shown promise in treating depression and suicidal ideation.

    According to Science Daily, some of the psychedelics tested in Olson’s research, including LSD, were even more effective than ketamine in promoting neural plasticity.

    “Ketamine is no longer our only option. Our work demonstrates that there are a number of distinct chemical scaffolds capable of promoting plasticity like ketamine, providing additional opportunities for medicinal chemists to develop safer and more effective alternatives,” said Olson.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Surfer Andy Irons' Life, Death & Addiction Struggle Examined In New Doc

    Surfer Andy Irons' Life, Death & Addiction Struggle Examined In New Doc

    “Andy Irons: Kissed by God” sheds light on the champion surfer’s battle with drug addiction and bipolar disorder.

    The surfing world knew Andy Irons as a three-time world champion and Surfing Walk Hall of Famer whose pursuit of excellence in his sport reaped four Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and the Billabong Pro Teahupoo in 2010.

    Those closest to him remember Irons as a fierce competitor—especially against fellow professional surfer Kelly Slater—whose strength and determination was challenged by mental illness and a dependency on drugs and alcohol that contributed to his untimely death at the age of 32 in 2010.

    One of those people, filmmaker Enich Harris, has released a new documentary, Andy Irons: Kissed by God which looks at both his iconic career and personal struggles.

    Harris became close with Irons as a member of the film and marketing department for the surf company Billabong, which was Irons’ primary sponsor for the majority of his professional career. Harris would eventually travel the world with Irons, documenting his stratospheric rise in the surfing world and his rivalry with Slater, which was marked equally by admiration and intense drive to be the best.

    That aspect of Irons’ life is well known to the surf and sporting world, but the extent of his struggles on dry land are the primary focus of Kissed by God.

    Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 18, Irons relied on alcohol and drugs to ward off the powerful shifts in mood and personality that accompany the condition.

    Eventually, he turned to opioids, which had a deleterious effect on his life and career: he withdrew from surfing in 2009 to seek treatment for his dependency, and returned the following year for what appeared to be a dramatic return to form with the 2010 win at the Billabong Pro Teahupoo.

    But that same year, he reported fell ill, and took himself out of the Rip Curl Pro Search to head home to Hawaii for recuperation. He never made it— authorities found his body in a hotel room in Grapevine, Texas, where he had stopped for a connecting flight.

    The medical examiner’s report listed heart attack as the primary cause of death, with “acute mixed drug ingestion” credited as a secondary cause. An autopsy found alprazolam, methadone, traces of methamphetamine and benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in his system.

    Irons’ death was not only a loss to the surfing world; he left behind a wife, Lyndie, who gave birth to their son, Axel, four weeks after his death, as well as his brother, Bruce.

    Both appear in the film, and as Harris told the OC Register, their participation provided them with an outlet to touch upon and bring some relief their loss.

    “It was such an open wound,” he said. “There was healing that went on in the process, for them talking about him again. It’s very healing for them to know that Andy didn’t just die—his message can go on to help the next generation of kids growing up.”

    Harris hopes that younger viewers, especially those that may be enduring similar issues, may find hope in Irons’ story. “Mental illness and drug abuse, that’s the message I want people to take away,” he noted. “It’s not the right road to down.

    “If you’re struggling with the same things, talk to people, get help,” said Harris. “He was an amazing, all-powerful human, but those struggles were bigger than him.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • The 1975's Matty Healy Discusses Addiction, Equine-Assisted Rehab

    The 1975's Matty Healy Discusses Addiction, Equine-Assisted Rehab

    “I was exhausted and at the [risk] of being another statistic in that prescription drug opioid crisis that hit America, because that’s the way I dealt with things on tour.”

    Matty Healy is sharing his truth through music. In a new interview, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the English rock band The 1975 discussed escaping to rehab after the band’s last album, “to really get away.”

    Healy revealed that after winding down the band’s promotion of their 2016 album, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, the musician “wasn’t in a good place.”

    “I was experiencing [some problems] and also thinking, fuck I need to make a record out of this without making a ‘poor me’ record. It’s so boring when you hear people do that, because they become unrelatable,” Healy said in the interview with DIY Magazine. “At the end of that album I was very concerned about the truth of what I was saying and the truth was me turning into that.”

    But by sharing his bit of truth—by including the line in the band’s new single “Give Yourself a Try” about “get[ting] addicted to drugs”—Healy knows that plain honesty can resonate more than anything else.

    “I don’t have anything else… I always talk about myself and people go, oh there’s a bit of me in that. And then you do that enough and it touches the world. That’s what people want. That’s what I want as well. Tell me the fucking truth,” he said.

    “Let’s make this exchange really honest and I will, as a fan, give myself to you and not judge you if you just tell me the truth. And it makes far more interesting art, and that’s what I’m here for now I’ve decided.”

    Healy admitted that he had a problem—“Oh yeah! Full on!”—which triggered his getaway to the island of Barbados. “When I went away to Barbados, I actually went to rehab… I went and worked with horses for seven weeks,” he said. “I didn’t get dragged away to rehab, I was exhausted and at the [risk] of being another statistic in that prescription drug opioid crisis that hit America, because that’s the way I dealt with things on tour.”

    He continued, “I knew that I wasn’t going to detox myself, so I went away and I got clean. I wasn’t going there to get straight edge, I didn’t have a drinking problem or anything else, I was just chemically dependent on a substance and I didn’t wanna make a record as a fucking junkie. Who wants to hear that?”

    The 1975’s third album A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is due for release this coming October.

    View the original article at thefix.com