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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

Not The Onion (or, Climbing the pole of success?) –  

Oct. 29, 2020 – The newly appointed Chief of Medical Services at the Rhode Island state hospital system was previously arrested for repeatedly exposing himself and masturbating in front of children.

Now, the State of Rhode Island has put Dr. Andrew Stone in charge of the most vulnerable population in the state’s care. These patients are served at two locations Eleanor Slater in Cranston and the Zambarano facility in Burrillville.

In 2006, the Rhode Island Department of Health suspended Stone’s license for five years and the then-Director of Health David Gifford wrote in his order “Director of Health has determined that the continued practice of Andrew C. Stone, M.D. would constitute an immediate danger to the public.”Reinstated with Conditions

In February of 2015, the RI Department of Health reinstated Stone’s license.

The reinstatement order stated “The Petitioner has been successfully treated and evaluated by two distinguished medical experts specializing in the treatment of sexual compulsion disorders; John P. Wincze, Ph.D., and Fabian M. Saleh, M.D., D.F.A.P.A., both of whom have found that the Petitioner’s disorder is in ‘full remission,’ and that he is fit to return to practice medicine. Both have recommended his readmission ( “In Full remission” L, defined in the DSM Vas, “The individual has not acted on the urges with a nonconsenting person, and there has been no distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning, for at least 5 years while in an uncontrolled environment.”

The order to reinstate Stone included numerous conditions, including “That the Petitioner’s practice shall be limited to adults. He shall not treat or consult with any patient under eighteen (18) years of age.”

BHDDH says there is no one under 18 years of age.

Another condition in the reinstatement order is “The Petitioner shall practice only in a gronp or institutional setting approved by the Board with such conditions and restrictions as are approved bv the Board. The Petitioner shall advise the Board immediately of any such ernployment or association and shall provide any employer or association with a copy of this Order.”

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

MEDIA: Book review –  

Nov. 10, 2020 – In part, writing the book was healing for Lord – “an exorcism,” he calls it – allowing him to work through those experiences while finding humour and levity.

“I made myself laugh,” he says. “I gave myself a lot of liberty when writing, so there’s a lot of wordplay.”

Ultimately, he says, it’s meant to be a study of humanity and how we connect to one another.

Lord has since moved back to his home province of Quebec but remains connected to his northern community. Asked to describe the French literary scene in the territory, Lord says it’s “emerging” and often a mixture of oral storytelling and the written word.

“It’s fragile,” he says. “There’s not a lot of people … but it’s important to have French cultural things, and literature is part of it.”

As part of that mission, Lord says he insisted to his publisher that copies of his book be available in Yellowknife – not just because of the time he spent there, but to give the northern Francophone community another option when looking through the bookstore.

“I put all my heart into it, so I hope people got some emotions reading it,” he chuckles.

more@CabinRadio

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

Stick with the Winners! – 

Nov. 17, 2020 – I  am so Grateful to be Clean and Sober! Through the darkness of my addictions I finally found the Surrender that has allowed me to access a Power outside of myself that gives my life purpose, direction, and passion!

My dream of helping those that suffer from addiction started 20 plus years ago when I was working with the indigenous people in the villages of Alaska. I feel blessed to have come Full Circle through God’s Divine Intervention. My husband and I opened Hower Lodge in August of 2017. We stand front line in the battles and beside the Warriors. The incredible reality is this: The worst experiences in my past are now my greatest strengths. We are uniquely qualified to help the sufferer because we have been to the Abyss.

We look forward to meeting new friends on our journey!

Q. If you are in recovery, what was your Drug of Choice? and when did you stop using?
A. My DOC was Alcohol and Heroin. I stopped using Heroin May 1, 1995. I stopped using everything August 15, 2013.

Q. Do you think addiction is an illness, disease, a choice or a wicked twist of fate.
A. Hahaha – wicked twist of fate! I believe it is a disease following many years of research.

Q. Do you log on to ZOOM 12-step meetings? How often? Do you share?
A. At the beginning of Covid I did a Zoom every night. I fell off and now I don’t do any Zoom. I am back to attending live meetings.

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

WATCH – Sober Like A Fox – 

November 9, 2020 – With the love and support of his wife of more than 30 years, Tracy Pollan, Fox found sobriety: “The tools that worked for quitting drinking work even better for [Parkinson’s], which are: acceptance and surrender. Not like, ‘I give up, ‘I quit,’ but you just say, ‘OK, I cede you the big points.’”

“There’s the stuff you plan — the stuff you work towards … And then there’s things that just happen,” he added. “And the things that just happen are usually of a more intricate design and a higher purpose than whatever you come up with.”

Ahead of the release of his new memoir, “No Time Like the Future,” Michael J. Fox opened up about his struggles with fame, sobriety and the disease for which he’s become a tireless advocate: Parkinson’s disease.

more@GMA

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

The Ultimate Call Center – 

Nov. 16, 2020 – Investigators also tapped Bryant’s phone and allegedly recorded him angered at one dealer’s lagging sales. “I don’t know what it is, if it’s just today or what?” Bryant, 31, is quoted as saying in the complaint.

“That’s what I think it is man,” someone replies.

Bryant allegedly then said that sales “start falling off” when that dealer was manning the phone. 

“I feel it in the pockets,” he said, according to the complaint.

Bryant also had trouble remembering his hotline’s staff schedule, prosecutors said.

“You just gotta call and remind me so I don’t give it [the phone] to nobody else. Just call and remind me like the day before,” Bryant allegedly said.

“I been f- – – – – – around and I be double booking [phone shifts] sometimes,” Bryant allegedly said. “I need to write me a schedule down.”

Bryant allegedly used a home in the 800 block of South Karlov Avenue in Lawndale as the operation’s hub. That’s where his drug dealers traded in the hotline phone at the beginning and end of their shifts and exchanged drug sale money, prosecutors said.

more@ChicagoSunTimes

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

Queen and Sober – 

November 13, 2020 – April Wozny: Tell us what is was like when you drank/used and what happened when you discovered the moment you realized you needed to get sober.

 Boa: When I first started doing drag, I was the drunkest queen at the show. It started giving me issues in my day to day life. Coke was very accessible. It escalated slowly over the years. A few months before I got sober, I knew I wanted to do it. My partner got sober so it was easier to get sober. 

Tiffany Boxx: When I first started my path on sobriety, such a wave of hesitation and temptation would come over me when audience members brought shots to the stage. While it’s never in an ill manner and the thought is always appreciated, I’ve learned the power of saying “no thank you” and how far that’ll actually go. PRO TIP: the money spent on the shot is always appreciated as well.

Starzy: Here is the thing, this can be a very controversial or political issue. As a queen hired to entertain in a bar or at an event sponsored by a beverage company you are almost required to push that brand, from a business perspective. But from a personal aspect, as a sober person wanting to promote sober living you have an obligation to your cause. It boils down to, should I take this gig because I need the money or do I pass up this opportunity because it’s not in line with what I believe in. The question asked, How do I feel about that? I have been in a position where I was asked to promote alcohol and I did it, but I felt like a complete hypocrite because I was speaking on something I knew absolutely nothing about.

more@yohomo

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

The ice isn’t the only thing that’s thin –  

November 9, 2020 – She believed — and quite honestly was conditioned to believe — that in order to succeed in pairs skating, she had to shrink herself down to the tiniest possible size

While figure skating culture pressures mens’ and ladies’ athletes to whittle down their weight to the bare minimum, the burden on pairs and ice dance competitors is even more extreme. These disciplines, which require the man to lift, throw and catch the lady sometimes hundreds of times per day, require both partners to be strong but completely compact. To put it another way: there’s no room for extra weight.

The constant expectation to stay stick-thin drove Moore-Towers to hate her athletic body. Her body dysmorphia became so debilitating that she hated looking at herself in the mirror, and she eventually developed bulimia nervosa.

“It’s overwhelming to think that I have to eat dinner, but I know that once I eat dinner, I need to walk to the bathroom and throw it up,” she recalled in the film. “I was only allowing myself to ‘keep’ one apple per day.”

The film cites that while 1% to 5% of the general population develops an eating disorder, some sports — and I suspect skating is one of them — see more than 30% of their elite athletes suffer from this disease. And while many people associate eating disorders with vanity and glamour, “Disorder” took care to distinguish anorexia and bulimia as mental illnesses.

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

Nothing compares to a few – 

Nov. 10, 2020 – “I grew up with a lot of trauma and abuse. I then went straight into the music business. And never learned really how to make a normal life,” she wrote in a string of messages. “Never took proper time to heal. Wasn’t ready to either.”

She went on to apologize to her fans, but noted that the year has been “very traumatic.”

“If I take this time to heal, I will be fit for a lifetime of touring. If I don’t, I won’t,” she added. “If you knew the six years I’ve had, your [sic] know what I’m talking about. And I will explain very clearly in 2022.”

Her treatment begins next week. 

Earlier this year, in September, Sinead, who now goes by Shuhada Sadaqat, said she was training to become a healthcare worker amid the coronavirus pandemic.

One day prior to her statement, Sinead tweeted about working on her mental health.

more@MSN

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

Smoke two joints in the morning… –  

November 9, 2020 – Here are all the answers to the drug policy questions you no longer need to be (as) afraid to Google on your work computer. 

So … can I legally do/carry meth in Oregon now, or what? How about cocaine and heroin? Short answer: No. Long answer courtesy of Sutton: No, but thanks to Oregon’s Measure 110, you won’t face criminal charges if you use or possess “personal use” quantities of these substances. Those quantities are: 

• Heroin: One gram or less
• Cocaine: Two grams or less
• MDMA/ecstasy: Less than one gram, or five pills
• Methamphetamine: Two grams or less
• LSD: Less than 40 user units
• Psilocybin: Less than 12 grams
• Methadone: Less than 40 user units
• Oxycodone: Less than 40 pills, tablets, or capsules

“Decriminalization is definitely not the same thing as legalization,” Sutton said. Instead, people caught with the drugs listed above, in those relatively small quantities, will get to choose between paying a $100 fine or doing a health assessment at a state-sponsored addiction recovery center, where they can choose to begin a treatment plan if they want to change the way they use substances. “We wanted to make sure that nobody was punished for drugs, but we also wanted to make sure that they have access to health services, if they want them,” Sutton said. Ismail L. Ali, policy and advocacy counsel for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), said that while drugs like coke, heroin, and meth have made headlines, he’s pleased to see MDMA and LSD, which have the highest arrest numbers for any psychedelic drug, decriminalized for the first time, too. “It’s actually quite a big deal, even if you’re just talking about psychedelics,” he told VICE.

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Addiction Recovery Bulletin

There’s no ‘How-To’ guide – 

November 10, 2020 – A Nielson survey found that alcohol sales rose 54% at the start of the pandemic in early March. And last month, a new study published in the JAMA Network Open found that alcohol consumption had increased by 14% compared with a year ago, including 17% for women. The study also showed a 41% increase in heavy drinking for women (defining heavy drinking as four or more drinks within a couple of hours). I get it: I used to drink socially to cope with stress, and a global pandemic is about as stressful as it gets. Had I still been drinking in 2020, it likely would not have been cute.

But despite the stats about increased alcohol consumption, many women have still chosen to get sober this year. So what does early sobriety — and forming new connection— look like in a largely virtual time? Jenny, 24, from New York, says the first few months of quarantining at home with her parents allowed her to ignore the blackout drinking she had been concerned about before Covid-19. Without events or work happy hours, she found herself drinking less — and hoped the break might correlate to a more successful relationship with alcohol on the other side of lockdown. “I knew the underlying issue was still there, but I was able to push it aside.”  Lauren, 24, from New York also tried to use quarantine to “fix” her blackout drinking. “I fought so hard not to be an alcoholic because I didn’t want a label and I didn’t want to feel different. I figured quarantine was a good time to try to control my drinking because I wasn’t going anywhere or seeing anyone that I could embarrass myself in front of.” Like Jenny, once Lauren began seeing friends at socially distant, outdoor gatherings, her blackout drinking proved to be unchanged. She finally asked her mom and a sober relative for help.

more@InStyle

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