Category: From Addiction Recovery Bulletin

Addiction Recovery Bulletin

KANPAI –

Dec. 11, 2024 – As the beverage alcohol industry evolves, non-alcoholic beverages have emerged as its fastest-growing category, alongside increased consumer interest in sake, the third fastest-growing category. ZERO is uniquely positioned to bridge these two trends, meeting the demand for alcohol-free options while introducing new consumers to the refined taste of sake.

ZERO is crafted without alcohol-producing yeast, delivering all the complexity and smoothness of traditional sake while catering to today’s evolving consumer preferences. With notes of ripe apple and savory chestnuts balanced with refreshing acidity, it’s perfect for those seeking an elevated non-alcoholic beverage for celebrations, pairings, or everyday enjoyment. 

CONTINUE@FDN

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

JUST LIKE LOVE –                                                                                        

Dec. 14, 2024 – For Andy, kratom produces a similar effect to the opioids he was once addicted to, giving him enough energy to get through the day. Kratom, a plant from Southeast Asia with stimulant and opioid-like effects that is commercially available across most of the U.S., also helped him stop drinking and quit opioids. “It’s been kind of a blessing and a curse for me,” Andy, who requested using only his first name for privacy, told Salon in a phone interview. “I was able to quit alcohol and I don’t do opiates anymore, but I do take quite a bit of kratom now and I am addicted to kratom.”

The kratom tree (Mitragyna speciosa) is a member of the coffee family, but the similarities end there. Its leaves are dried up and ground to be sold in smoke shops, online or sometimes even cafes. Chemical compounds within the plant, especially mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, bind to the opioid receptors in the body, acting as a stimulant in lower doses and behaving more closely to an opioid at higher doses. Importantly, the alkaloids in kratom are considered “atypical opioids” so a one-to-one comparison to something like morphine isn’t entirely accurate.

CONTINUE@Salon

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

Seasons Change, So Can We! –

Dec. 17, 2024 – In relationships, creativity is often overlooked as a vital skill in building and maintaining healthy partnering. Creativity is not just an artistic endeavor; it is much more than that. Creativity involves questioning our beliefs and opening up to alternate perspectives, essential for resolving issues. As Albert Einstein famously said, “You can’t solve problems with the same mindset that created them.”

CONTINUE@AddictionRecoveryeBulletin

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

VIDEO – WHY? –

Dec. 9, 2024 – Faith Freeman has lost two daughters to drug overdoses.

30-year-old Lacey Menard passed away in June 2024, and 24-year-old Lannie Soileau died in November 2023. “They loved to laugh, they loved the holidays, they loved to eat at big family gatherings.” “I deal with very bad anxiety,” she said. “I can’t go shopping in stores, I gotta order everything online.”

As she heads into the holidays, Freeman says she will always remember Lannie for being the life of the party and Lacey for having a smile that would brighten the whole room. Freeman sends a message to viewers to be aware of the dangers of drugs and how it can affect not only the addict, but also the family of the addict.

“I think you know, it can happen to anybody, because I never thought it would happen to us,”…

CONTINUE@KLFY

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

PBS VIDEO – DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY –

Dec. 12, 2024 –  There is a mystery here. This is such a huge decline. It’s unprecedented in the history of drug addiction in America to see a drop this fast.  Front-line public health workers I talked to do think naloxone is reversing a lot of overdoses that would otherwise be fatal. Also … That’s playing a role. There has been an immense effort to target the cartels. And there’s some sign that the fentanyl reaching American streets may be weaker and may be a little bit less available.

So these are just some of the responses that the people I’m talking to say are really working, saving at this point tens of thousands of lives.

CONTINUE@PBS

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

EVERYONE MAKES MONEY –

Dec. 11, 2024 – John Driscoll, president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers “In 2024, we’ve seen payers evolve reimbursement models away from fee-for-service and towards value-based structures (like monthly bundles), while ceasing payments for unnecessary services like drug tests…As SUD providers compete for these contracts on quality and cost, tech-enabled models are winning, and this will continue in 2025 and beyond.” “The biggest challenge remains the workforce, workforce, workforce. Not enough people are coming into the industry. The degrees needed, such as a Master of Social Work or Psychology are expensive, and we have an aging workforce. This is a second career for many professionals who work in the field, which means we are aging faster than other industries. Stigma also continues to be a hurdle. The legalization of cannabis and the normalization of microdosing creates challenges moving forward as we’re seeing misuse and addiction increase.”

– John Driscoll, president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers

CONTINUE@BHBusiness

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

AUDIO – THE MAESTRO

Dec. 15, 2024 – Hussain died at 3:42 p.m. at UCSF surrounded by family and loved ones, family spokesperson Jon Bleicher told the Chronicle. The cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease. “He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come.” With a storied career spanning more than five decades, Hussain is widely regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of all time and for bringing classical Indian music to a Western audience. He’s also considered a pioneer in the contemporary world music movement. 

Hussain was taught tabla, or Indian hand drumming, from the age of 7 by his father, Alla Rakha, also a tabla virtuoso and accompanist of Ravi Shankar. Hussain collaborated with an impressive array of musicians, including Ali Akbar Khan, Shivkumar Sharma, Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and George Harrison. 

He moved from Mumbai to Marin County in the 1970s and worked with the region’s musicians, frequently playing shows at SFJazz. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the institution in 2017.

CONTINUE@SanFranciscoChronicle

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING –

Dec. 11, 2024 – “I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs. And when you’re stoned — and I’ve been stoned — you don’t think normally,” he said. “Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”He explained that his thoughts on legal marijuana stem from his experiences with other drugs. Since overcoming his addiction, he said he has helped people others overcome addiction and offered to help many more. According to the magazine, he is Eminem’s sponsor, orchestrated Robbie Williams’ first stint in rehab and tried to help George Michael (without success).

“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an asshole, and it’s tough to hear,” John continued. “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an asshole.”

CONTINUE@HollywoodReporter

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

VIDEO – LIVER DIE –

Dec. 2, 2024 – The main causes of alcohol-related death were cardiovascular disease — primarily due to heart attacks and strokes — as well as certain “common and serious cancers” as well as cirrhosis of the liver, Hennekens said.

“Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption is also a major contributor to hospitalizations in state facilities due to a variety of deleterious outcomes, including alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic dementia,” he added.

“Chronic, heavy alcohol consumption is also a major contributor to hospitalizations in state facilities due to a variety of deleterious outcomes, including alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic dementia,” he added.

No amount of alcohol is good for the human body, previous research has shown — and now a new study has linked it to a rising number of deaths.

Over the course of two decades — from 1999 to 2020 — the number of alcohol-related deaths nearly doubled, according to a study from Florida Atlantic University (FAU)’s Schmidt College of Medicine.

CONTINUE@NYPost

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

READING MATTERS –

St. Martin’s Press – Challenging both the idea of the addict’s “broken brain” and the notion of a simple “addictive personality,” The New York Times Bestseller, Unbroken Brain, offers a radical and groundbreaking new perspective, arguing that addictions are learning disorders and shows how seeing the condition this way can untangle our current debates over treatment, prevention and policy. Like autistic traits, addictive behaviors fall on a spectrum — and they can be a normal response to an extreme situation.

 By illustrating what addiction is, and is not, the book illustrates how timing, history, family, peers, culture and chemicals come together to create both illness and recovery- and why there is no “addictive personality” or single treatment that works for all.

Combining Maia Szalavitz’s personal story with a distillation of more than 25 years of science and research,Unbroken Brain provides a paradigm-shifting approach to thinking about addiction.

Her writings on radical addiction therapies have been featured in The Washington Post, Vice Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, in addition to multiple other publications. She has been interviewed about her book on many radio shows including Fresh Air with Terry Gross and The Brian Lehrer show.

CONTINUE@Macmillan

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