addiction

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One Woman's Controversial Mission to Help Drug Addicts

Louise Vincent focuses on 'harm reduction' approach instead of abstinence

(Newser) - One way to help addicts off of drugs is to get them to quit cold turkey, an approach favored by many US politicians as they push for legislation and tougher prison sentences to combat the emergence of such drugs as fentanyl and xylazine (aka "tranq," or "zombie...

3 Boys 'Paid the Ultimate Price' for Mom's Addiction

Leticia Gonzales of Michigan to serve up to 5 years for DUI crash that killed her young sons

(Newser) - A western Michigan woman was sentenced to up to five years in prison Monday for a crash in which her three young sons drowned after her SUV plunged into an ice-covered pond, per the AP . Leticia Gonzales, 31, had pleaded no contest in August to operating while intoxicated causing serious...

Drugs Like Ozempic May Help People Stop Drinking

Researchers looking into anecdotal reports of curbed drinking, other addictive habits

(Newser) - The popular diabetes and obesity drug Ozempic appears to have an intriguing and welcome side effect in some people: It helps them curb drinking, reports NPR . In fact, researchers are looking into the possibility that this class of drug (GLP-1) might also reduce cravings for cigarettes and opioids as well—...

US to Study Controversial Idea for Drug Users

$5M will go toward looking at 2 'safe injection sites' in New York and Rhode Island

(Newser) - For the first time, the US government will pay for a large study measuring whether overdoses can be prevented by so-called safe injection sites, places where people can use heroin and other illegal drugs and be revived if they take too much. As the AP reports, the grant provides more...

Matthew Perry Spills More on the 'Big Terrible Thing'

'Friends' actor's book is out, and he goes into more detail on the substance abuse that nearly killed him

(Newser) - Excerpts had leaked in advance of Matthew Perry's book, and he'd openly mentioned in interviews that he'd be talking about his drug and alcohol addiction in it. Now, after the Tuesday release of Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, more on the Friends star's extensive...

Matthew Perry: Stomach Scars Remind Me to Stay Sober

Actor opens up about addiction to 'People' ahead of memoir release

(Newser) - Matthew Perry is opening up about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction like never before ahead of the release of his memoir on Nov. 1. He deeply considered the timing of Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: "I wanted to share when I was safe from going...

Anne Heche Didn't Deserve 'Vitriol' for Drug Abuse
Anne Heche
May Not Have
Had a 'Choice'
on Drug Abuse
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Anne Heche May Not Have Had a 'Choice' on Drug Abuse

Writing for NBC, Elizabeth Grey slams lack of compassion for those suffering from addiction

(Newser) - On Sunday, Anne Heche's death was confirmed after the actor was taken off life support , just days after the 53-year-old's fiery car crash in Los Angeles. "I wonder whether it’s enough to satisfy those who have been calling for her head," Elizabeth Grey writes in...

Today's Potent Marijuana Poses Bigger Addiction Risk

Users of high-potency THC products have 4 times the risk of users of low-potency products

(Newser) - Cannabis potency is climbing and with it the risk of addiction to the drug. That's according to a review of 20 studies involving nearly 120,000 people, published in The Lancet Psychiatry , per CNN . "One of the highest quality studies included in our publication found that use of...

Out of Crypto, a 'Particularly Dangerous' Addiction

Investors are increasingly seeking out therapists, who say crypto addicts are akin to gambling addicts

(Newser) - If you follow the roller-coaster ride that is Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other forms of cryptocurrency, you're familiar with the feelings that go along with that habit, especially if you're an investor. And they're not always pleasant feelings, according to mental health experts who say they're seeing...

Demi Lovato Announces New Approach to Sobriety

Singer says they're now 'sober sober,' not 'California sober'—meaning no more occasional weed, booze

(Newser) - Demi Lovato has long struggled with substance abuse issues, leading to a 2018 overdose , and this week, they revealed to fans that they're shifting how they deal with their addictions. "I no longer support my 'California sober' ways," Lovato posted Thursday in an Instagram story, reports...

We're in a Perpetual 'Altered State,' Thanks to Caffeine
We're in a Perpetual 'Altered
State,' Thanks to Caffeine
in case you missed it

We're in a Perpetual 'Altered State,' Thanks to Caffeine

Author Michael Pollan explores our history and relationship with this 'invisible addiction'

(Newser) - When author Michael Pollan decided to tackle the subject of psychoactive drugs—specifically, opium, mescaline, and caffeine—for his new book, This Is Your Mind On Plants , he consumed the first two in the name of experimental journalism. But he actually stopped using caffeine, just to see what would happen,...

Markle Offers Ominous Message About Social Media

Says it has become an addiction for many, and that she fled it for 'self-preservation'

(Newser) - Days after describing incessant trolling as " almost unsurvivable ," Meghan Markle has revealed that she avoids social media altogether. "For my own self-preservation, I have not been on social media for a very long time," the Duchess of Sussex said Tuesday during a virtual appearance as part...

He's Almost 13 Years Sober. The Pandemic Is Testing Him

12-step meetings have moved online, but there have been snags

(Newser) - Charlie Campbell, nearly 13 years sober, is feeling tested today more than ever to stay that way. His dad is recovering from COVID-19 in a suburban Seattle hospital. His mom, who has dementia, lives in a facility that now bars visitors because of the virus. A good friend recently killed...

The Science Is In: AA Works
The Science Is In: AA Works

The Science Is In: AA Works

Alcoholics Anonymous works better than professional therapy, in fact

(Newser) - An extensive new study confirms that Alcoholics Anonymous works. In fact, AA not only helps alcoholics get sober, the free program was found to be more effective than professional mental health therapy in terms of participants staying sober. The research, a review of dozens of studies involving more than 10,...

Jessica Simpson: I Was Sexually Abused as a Child

Singer, actress is out with a memoir

(Newser) - Jessica Simpson bares all in a new memoir out next month , revealing substance abuse that nearly killed her, as well as sexual abuse as a child that she's never before talked about publicly. The abuse at the hands of a family friend's daughter started at age 6, she...

Tiny Nation Has World's Worst Heroin Problem

Nearly 10% of Seychelles working population is addicted

(Newser) - Coral reefs, beautiful beaches ... and the world's worst heroin problem. In the Seychelles, nearly 10% of the working population is addicted to the drug, the highest per capita rate of heroin abuse around the globe, the BBC reports. Of the 94,000 people living in the Indian Ocean archipelago—...

Day After a Sobriety Stumble, Another Affleck Sighting

This time actor was spotted outside ex Jennifer Garner's home, determined to pick himself back up

(Newser) - Ben Affleck has long struggled with sobriety, and a Saturday night incident in Los Angeles suggested he was having troubles again. The 47-year-old actor was seen leaving a West Hollywood hotel dressed up for a Halloween bash, stumbling in the street and having to use a nearby SUV to keep...

Heather Locklear Sentenced to Mental Health Facility

'Melrose Place' actress avoids jail, will spend 30 days in treatment center after 2018 incidents

(Newser) - Heather Locklear had a rough 2018, with an arrest in February , then again in June . Now the 57-year-old Melrose Place actress, who's long struggled with mental health issues and substance abuse problems , is trying to get help and take responsibility for her actions. That's what sources tell TMZ...

Candy Crush Exec: Spending $2.6K in Day on Game 'Rational'

An executive for game maker King says people who play for hours are 'happy,' not addicted

(Newser) - Are you embarrassed to admit you play Candy Crush Saga for way too long each day? No worries—you don't have an addiction, per a rep from King, the game's maker. The Guardian reports senior executive Alex Dale recently appeared before a UK Commons committee looking into addictive...

Seattle Fights a 'New Foe' on the Addiction Front

City has become a hub to help 'tech addicts,' with psychologists, rehab centers, and 12-step groups

(Newser) - We like to say we're addicted to our phones or an app or some new show on a streaming video service. But for some people, tech gets in the way of daily functioning and self-care. We're talking flunk-your-classes, can't-find-a-job, live-in-a-dark-hole kinds of problems, with depression, anxiety, and...

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