ENTRY: Dual Diagnosis

This past weekend while at work I helped out a patient and afterwards we engaged in a little bit of casual conversation. The conversation just happened to get more serious at one point, and he mentioned that he was adopted. Now, this patient has always struck me as a very intelligent, confident, and well-spoken person. …

Advertisement

SPECIAL: Maintain RECOVERY from home during the pandemic!

I just found out that there is a live stream available on, where else, YouTube (of course) to those individuals who still wish to attend AA meetings on a daily basis. Well now, you theoretically still can!  Just like how most schools in the country are managing with their "distance learning," well we folks in …

NEWS: The Federal Government Just Made It a Whole Lot Easier to Access Opioid Addiction Treatment

Methadone: Daily Trips to Clinics Will No Longer Be Required Some 350,000 Americans rely on methadone clinics for daily opioid addiction treatment, and, under normal circumstances, they’re required by law to take their doses at methadone clinics, where they often wait in long lines to take their doses in a supervised setting. “We’re now facing …

SHARED: FDA issues warning letter for not including the most serious risks in advertisement for medication-assisted treatment drug — NationalAddictionNews.com

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today posted a warning letter to Alkermes, Inc. of Massachusetts, for inaccurately branding the drug Vivitrol (an extended-release injection formulation of naltrexone) by omitting warnings about the most serious risks associated with the drug from promotional materials. Vivitrol is approved for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence, following …

MEDIA: Confronting the Opioids Epidemic in Our Communities

As America’s opioid epidemic continues to impact communities large and small, new trends are raising new challenges for doctors and policymakers. While opioid-related overdose remains a top concern, the epidemic is now driven by illicitly manufactured fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died from drug-related overdoses, according to the U.S. …

ENTRY: Forwardness Forever (Rest of the ‘Journey’ article)

NOTE FROM LOU: Here is another drafting of part of the magazine article I wrote for this month's issue of Journey magazine that didn't make it to print.  I understand completely that magazines only have so much space for content, and they do have to be conscious of their advertisers.  Thankfully, I'm able to share …

SHARED: Yet another use for CBD oil… stampin’ out acne! (RJ Plant)

Although you probably remember learning about mitochondria and the Cold War back in high school, there’s one lesson we all wish we’d learned then: that leaving our teen years behind does not necessarily mean being acne-free. While most of us hoped that our breakouts would be the least of our worries after our prom photos …

ENTRY: Patients inflate use history to ensure treatment

Being in recovery myself, I tend to notice certain behaviors of the folks seeking recovery themselves as they proceed through the intake process at work.  In case you weren’t already aware, I work as a peer recovery coach at a treatment center specializing in MAT therapy (we offer both methadone and Suboxone) and mental health …

ACLU: How to Slash the Incarceration Rate in Half

Over the last several months, volunteers for the ACLU’s Rights for All campaign have been fanning out across the first four primary states asking all of the 2020 presidential candidates a straightforward question: Will you commit to cutting the nations’ prison and jail population in half? That question has never been more urgent, with the United States incarcerating more people …

PODCAST: Penobscot Nation, a chance for wellness (Interview)

And without further ado, here it is, my interview with tribal member and advocate Athena Lamson of the Penobscot Nation!