2/24/18 – 3/2/18
Some of the most noteworthy events that happened this week in the addiction and mental health community around the world.
Bassist For Red Hot Chili Peppers Opens Up About Life In Active Addiction
Flea is the bassist for the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He’s also been around drugs and alcohol since the day he was born. Since most adults in his life were drug users themselves, Flea accepted this as a normal way of life and soon turned to drugs and alcohol himself to cope with crippling anxiety and persistent pain from a snowboarding accident. In his own words, Flea describes his life in active addiction and the events that inspired him to get sober. [middle-callout]
Failed Osteoarthritis Drug Could Help Treat Opioid Addiction
A new study suggests that a drug proven safe for use in people may prevent opioid tolerance and physical dependency when used in conjunction with opioid painkillers. The drug, manufactured by pharma-giant Eli Lilly and Co., was originally created to treat osteoarthritis pain, but lacked efficiency in clinical trials. As the need for non-addictive alternatives to treat pain, the drug is now being tested for its potential to reduce symptoms of opioid addiction.
Father Of Hollywood’s Ben Affleck Speaks Candidly About His Son’s Struggle With Addiction
Being the parent of a child struggling with addiction is not an easy job, even if your son is a highly successful movie star. Recently, Ben Affleck’s father, Timothy Affleck, opened up about watching his son try to fight his addiction while being highly scrutinized by the public. In his eyes, the movie industry is partly to blame for perpetuating Ben’s addiction to alcohol. With an honesty not often seen in Hollywood, Timothy Affleck discusses the highs and lows of his son’s alcoholism.
One Author Shares How She Was Treated Differently As A Sober Person
While the majority of the population attests to the joys of drinking, not everyone enjoys the same benefits of alcohol, and it can make being sober feel alienating. After giving up alcohol due to a chronic medical condition, writer Jessica Booth, felt like her sobriety was a burden to the people around her- but why? It wasn’t their decision to give up drinking, and it didn’t make her less of the person she was before. In her essay, Jessica opens up how the world treats sober people differently.
Alternative Pain Treatments Help Decrease Opioid Prescriptions By 58 Percent In New Jersey Hospital
The ER at St. Joseph’s Hospital in New Jersey has seen a 58 percent decrease in opioid prescriptions. This drop is being largely attributed to the introduction of a program that explores alternative methods to treating and managing pain called Alternative To Opioids. Launched in 2016, the program uses dry needling and laughing gas instead of opioids to treat pain in patients that come into the emergency room.
Senate Bill Offers New Solutions To Address The Opioid Epidemic
There’s a new bill on the table to help address the opioid epidemic. This new bipartisan Senate bill is being sold as a follow-up to the 2016 Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), and has taken on the name CARA 2.0. While asking for 1 billion dollars in funding, the bill would impose new rules to restrict access to opioid painkillers and open up access to opioid addiction treatment. Learn more about CARA 2.0.
