Tag: Hollywood

Bassist Flea “recovered” from heroin “addiction” without treatment or 12 steps

Flea, the legendary bassist for The Red Hot Chili Peppers, wrote an interesting essay on addiction for Time Magazine. It tells both his own experience of getting over his drug problems without professional help, and his own ideas about addiction. He has a lot of great things to say, but like so much of what… Continue reading Bassist Flea “recovered” from heroin “addiction” without treatment or 12 steps

21 Things Obama and Macklemore got wrong about addiction

I almost died of a misinformation overdose watching President Obama and rapper Macklemore talk about addiction yesterday. Luckily though, I had some Narcan-for-myths handy: the knowledge I gained from studying drugs and addiction for over a decade now. President Obama’s Weekly Address was filled with misinformation. I counted 21 false statements in all. In fact the myths only… Continue reading 21 Things Obama and Macklemore got wrong about addiction

A few ways society can reduce opiate overdoses

With the recent overdose death of beloved actor Philip Seymour Hoffman in the news, this is a good time to discuss the causes of such tragedies. First and foremost, overdoses happen because people use drugs. People use drugs because they like the way the drugs make them feel. These facts will never change, so there… Continue reading A few ways society can reduce opiate overdoses

Matthew Perry Wrong About Addiction and Alcoholism in Debate With Peter Hitchens on BBC

The recent debate between Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing from “Friends”) and Peter Hitchens about the nature of addiction and alcoholism on BBC’s Newsnight was utterly painful and sad to watch. Matthew Perry was there to push a drug court initiative, but shortly into the debate Hitchens called the idea that people can’t stop taking drugs… Continue reading Matthew Perry Wrong About Addiction and Alcoholism in Debate With Peter Hitchens on BBC

The Misguided Obsession with Heroin / Opiate Maintenance Drugs (Suboxone, Subutex, Buprenorphine, Methadone)

Two fairly recent stories discussing Suboxone / Buprenorphine have me shaking my head. In one, a pregnant woman who had already quit using opiates was punished for refusing to take Suboxone. In another, it is claimed that Glee actor Cory Monteith wouldn’t have died from overdose, if only he had been prescribed some sort of… Continue reading The Misguided Obsession with Heroin / Opiate Maintenance Drugs (Suboxone, Subutex, Buprenorphine, Methadone)

Trainspotting Author’s Addiction Ran Its Course

The author of the iconic novel turned film about heroin addiction, Irvine Welsh, recently released a prequel to the famous story. He discussed his characters and some thoughts about addiction in a recent NPR interview. The difference between his own story and the standard narrative of why people use drugs is quite illuminating. Here he… Continue reading Trainspotting Author’s Addiction Ran Its Course

Russell Brand’s Ridiculous Testimony To Parliament About Addiction

Comedian and “recovering addict” Russell Brand recently testified in front of a committee in Parliament about drug policy.  If you want to watch it, here’s the full video, his portion goes 29 minutes long, or you can skip it and read my points below: What’s wrong with Russell’s pitch? I’m sure his intentions are nothing… Continue reading Russell Brand’s Ridiculous Testimony To Parliament About Addiction

Alec Baldwin’s “Gaming Addiction” and Other Nonsense

Alec Baldwin has been labeled an addict for an altercation over cell phone use on a plane. This case makes it clear that addiction hysteria is all about judgment. The so-called mental illnesses of hoarding, Facebook addiction, texting addiction, gaming addiction, and substance addictions are not real illnesses – they are simply behaviors unapproved of by others.