Posts by Nate Anderson

Marijuana legalization advocates, afraid that efforts to win ballot initiatives would go up in smoke given the challenges of a pandemic, are fired up about chances in five states this fall. The difficulty of safely getting signatures in person helped doom marijuana legalization efforts in some states, like Idaho and Missouri. But voters will decide…

An “effective pain killer” in a time of trauma sparks concern among experts. Joe Dinan felt an anxious pulse in his ears as he walked out of CVS and spotted the liquor store across the street. Having lost his job during the pandemic, he’d had plenty of time to run errands. But he couldn’t shake…

September is National Suicide Prevention Month All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. A FEW FACTS: From 2009 to 2018, the age-adjusted suicide death rate increased from 11.76 to 14.24 per 100,000 people. From 2009 to 2018, the rate increased from 19.23 to 22.79 per…

At Northshore Recovery High School, students are greeted with hugs and “I love yous” from their principal. They text their teachers, telling them that they spent the night before smoking weed or popping pills. They have a bathroom specifically for taking drug tests. It’s all done to keep them alive. The Beverly, Mass., school for…

More and more Americans are reporting near-constant cannabis use, as legalization forges ahead. The proliferation of retail boutiques in California did not really bother him, Evan told me, but the billboards did. Advertisements for delivery, advertisements promoting the substance for relaxation, for fun, for health. “Shop. It’s legal.” “Hello marijuana, goodbye hangover.” “It’s not a…

The fractured person soothes or stimulate himself to feel “whole” Addiction provides temporary relief — emotional regulation that was otherwise unavailable. It can make the addicted person feel temporarily “regular”. The first “regulator” in any person’s life is their caretaker(s), who contains or modifies the baby’s anxiety or distress by providing emotional safety as well…

Meetings have always been a path to sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous. But instead of hunting for a gathering in a church basement, these days, most seekers have to find the right Zoom password. Virtual meetings are taking place around-the-clock; anyone can join a gathering on the other side of the world in the middle of the night.…

Alcoholism. Drug overdoses. Suicide. These “deaths of despair” could reach 150,000 in the U.S. if more isn’t done to provide access to mental health care, increase emotional well-being, mitigate social isolation and blunt the impact of an economic downturn that has wiped away at least 40 million jobs, researchers warn. “More Americans could lose their…

A mother who lost her only child to an accidental drug overdose is speaking out in hopes of saving lives as overdose deaths raise national concerns during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Chandler Cook was clean for over a year before his sudden death on April 21. The 28-year-old had grown fond of his job as…

A key senator in the fight against opioids says the U.S. cannot afford to take its eye off the addiction crisis as it combats the coronavirus pandemic that is separating drug users from support groups and poses a deadly risk inside recovery houses. Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican, pointed to troubling reports of 13 fatal…