An Accidental Activist: Ed Bisch
Coach Blu speaks to Ed Bisch and his battle with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family concerning OxyContin on this week's podcast. Listen as Ed talks about February 2001, when his life was blindsided as he learned his 18-year-old son Eddie was found unresponsive in his bed. Questing some of his son's friends, he learned that OxyContin had been used unbeknownst to it posed. Police on the scene told Ed that local kids were dying from “Oxy” and the situation worsened. The drug, they said, was spreading quickly across the country and already causing chaos locally.
Bisch has sounded alarms about the dangers of opioids now for more than 2 decades. As the founder of Relatives Against Purdue Pharma (RAPP), he attended countless public hearings, trials, and protests and is a claimant in a class-action lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company, the creators of Oxy. Listen as he describes his lifelong battle for Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family to take responsibility for stealing one out of the millions of lives their medication has taken from loved ones.
Bisch’s activism got him noticed by others fighting against opioid abuse, including Beth Macy, author of “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.” Macy wrote about Bisch in her latest book, “Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis.”
Follow Ed Bisch
https://www.judgeforyourselves.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RAPPedB?mibextid=LQQJ4d
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Walking Across America with Kyndal Ray
Kyndal Ray (A Walking Testimony) is walking across America to raise awareness for mental health and addiction recovery. Kyndal started January 1, 2022 less than 2 months after getting out of prison. He is in recovery, been in and out of jail and prison for years and has survived 2 suicide attempts. He hopes to finish is walk in Washington by April to celebrate his 4th recovery anniversary.
Kyndal passed through Utah County this week so we met up and invited him to our support group meeting to share his story and on our podcast.
Follow him on social media and check out his website.
https://www.facebook.com/AWalkingTestimony2022?mibextid=LQQJ4d
https://awalkingtestimony.myshopify.com/?mibextid=l066kq
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September Rising
Today On this week's podcast, Coach Blu speaks with September Frogley as she discusses the passing of her brother, Robert Dilgard, his battle with addiction and mental health, and turning the mess of losing a loved one into the message of connecting individuals to find a cure. They discuss suicide, spirituality, purpose, love and more. This is a very powerful discussion and one that should be listened to with loved ones who also struggle or who have people in their lives who they love dearly. Learn more about Connection is the Cure and how you can help the mission.
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Medication Assisted Treatment: Solution or Substitution?
In this week's podcast, the Agents take a deep dive into the MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) method of addiction recovery. Blu offers his thoughts as Max and Brock take another look. Despite the viewpoints, they offer the listener a better path to understanding this path to recovery. The term medication-assisted treatment refers to the use of medication as part of the treatment plan for those with substance use disorders. This form of treatment is intended to be used in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies. For those in treatment for opiate use, MATs either work as opioid agonists or antagonists. In other words, they either produce the effect of an opioid in some capacity or block the effect of the opioid completely.
Those against the use of medication-assisted treatment generally make two arguments. The first argument is that certain MATs have the potential to be abused because they do, after all, produce the effect of opioids in some cases. The second is that abstinence should always be advocated first following along with the idea that if someone really wants to abstain from drugs they will seek forms of treatment that do not include taking more drugs. In many cases, physicians apply the “fail first” criteria when considering medication-assisted treatment, meaning they try other therapies and keep MAT as a last resort option.
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WE ARE THE TROOPS
On this week's podcast the Agents of Recovery take a deep dive into the current circumstances we find ourselves in, from the overwhelming epidemic of overdose to the tragedy of gun violence. Listen as the agents discuss their thoughts on what needs to be done in order to sync the rhythm of life back into the hearts of you, the agents of recovery. We know that the troops are not coming, that we are the troops to be able to address the overdose crisis, and recovery needs and help others become and stay sober. Thus, we need your help to be the beacon of light, to be willing to use your talents, time, and resources to help those in need. It is a call to action, to create a more excellent way for us to lean upon one another through support, healing, and ultimately love.
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One on One With Coach Blu: Are We Losing The Fight?
Welcome to our weekly live show, One on One with Coach Blu. Coach Blu is a licensed mental health therapist and certified substance use, disorder counselor. Today's cohost is Addict II Athlete's own Athletic Director Marisa Robinson. Marissa is a Certified Recreational Therapist. This is an open topic so by which you the listener can participate by submitting your own questions through direct messaging or, jump on the zoom link provided to be a guest and participant on the show. We discuss topics of addiction, recovery, mental illness, health and wellness, and much more: The nation’s drug overdose epidemic continues to change and become worse. One prevailing theme is the fact that the epidemic now is driven by illicit fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, methamphetamine, and cocaine, often in combination or in adulterated forms.
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The Verdict: Tyler Skaggs
This week's episode of the Agents of Recovery, they speak on the sad story of Tyler Skaggs, pitcher for the Anaheim Angels who passed away from a drug overdose. On Thursday, a jury in a federal courthouse in Fort Worth, Texas, found former Angels communications official Eric Kay, guilty of distributing the counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills that led to Skaggs’ death and of conspiracy to possess pills with intent to distribute.
Listen as the agents discuss the sad situation on both sides of this unfortunate situation.
Something Wicked This Way Comes; What is Fentanyl?
In this week's episode, the Agents take a deep dive into a problem we are not ready for, the Fentanyl epidemic. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. It is both a prescribed drug, as well as a drug that is at times made and used illegally.
Like morphine, prescription fentanyl is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids. When prescribed by a doctor, fentanyl can be given as a shot, a patch that is put on a person’s skin, or as lozenges that are sucked like cough drops.
Fentanyl that is illegally manufactured is dangerous. It is made without the quality controls of pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl and is a major contributor to recent increases in synthetic opioid overdose deaths. This illegally manufactured fentanyl is sold illegally as a powder, dropped onto blotter paper, put in eye droppers and nasal sprays, or made into counterfeit pills that look like other prescription opioids.
Importantly, fentanyl is also being mixed with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. This is especially risky when people taking drugs don’t realize that the drugs they are using might contain fentanyl and significantly increase their risk for overdose death.
A person can easily overdose on fentanyl. An overdose occurs when a drug produces serious adverse effects and life-threatening symptoms. Death from an opioid overdose happens when the drug depresses the parts of the brain that control breathing.
Fentanyl is addictive because of its potency. A person taking prescription fentanyl as instructed by a doctor can still experience dependence, which is characterized by withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped. A person can be dependent on a substance without being addicted, but dependence can sometimes lead to addiction.
Let's Get Real About Fentanyl
In this week's episode, the agents of recovery discuss the fentanyl epidemic and get very personal with their insights, thoughts, and perceptions on how their recovery and pursuit of sobriety have changed their lives. This podcast takes a very deep principle-based direction with an open conversation that is humbling at best.
1 Every 5 Minutes
On this week's podcast Coach Blu addresses the absolutely horrific numbers released by the CDC identifying 100,306 people who died last year due to overdose. Listen as Coach Blu talks about why this number is so disturbing, how to get real in recovery and how to establish a Home Team approach to help strengthen your family system. Coach offers his concept on how to overcome and end addiction by getting honest with yourself and by taking using the awareness cycle to identify your core issue which can help individuals heal from addiction.
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Dopesick: The Sackler Family Lie
On this week's podcast Coach Blu and Athletic Director, Marissa dive deep into the book turned two mini-series Dopesick. “Dopesick” examines how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history. The series takes viewers to the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Big Pharma to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA.
If you or a loved one has ever struggled with opiate addiction, chances are, it was because of the Sackler family and their drug OxyContin. Listen as our government failed in many different ways to protect millions of people and kicked off the worst epidemic we have ever seen. Systematically the Sackler family has enriched their lives by killing generations of people who believed their lies. This podcast details some of the events, and will undoubtedly be only one podcast released as the story continues.
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One on One With Coach Blu: Coping with Grief
Weekly live show, One on One with Coach Blu. Coach Blu is a licensed mental health therapist and certified substance use, disorder counselor. Today's cohost Addict II Athlete's own Athletic Director Marisa Robinson. Marissa is a Certified Recreational Therapist. This is an open topic so by which you the listener can participate by submitting your own questions through direct messaging or, jump on the zoom link provided to be a guest and participant on the show. We discuss topics of addiction, recovery, mental illness, health and wellness, and much more.
This week we discussed, the loss of a dear athlete who will be severely missed, ways to cope with grief and the unexpected news of the loss of a loved one, self-medicating, and coping with emotions when pursuing sobriety.
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Are We Aware Yet?
Today the Agents of Recovery discuss the shocking overdose statistics for 2020. Listen as they discuss the situation, issues, and problems with the current path that most people are on when it comes to receiving help, identifying core issues, and waiting for the government to step in and help. Brock also introduces the Take 10 initiative, and opportunities for you to step outside your comfort zone and help those in need.
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Understanding Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
On this week's podcast, Max, Brock, and Blu offer some insights into Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and how it can be used to help manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings in people who have been addicted to opioids. The guys have different opinions on the use and promotion of using MAT and this podcast will help you develop some personal insight as to why. MAT is one of many options for treating substance use disorders. No single option is appropriate for everyone. MAT is an adjunctive treatment or assistive therapy to the overall treatment of a person with a substance use disorder.
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Is Addiction A Disease Or Choice?
Today Coach Blu talks to Dr. Faried Banimahd the founder, CEO, and Clinical Director of American Addiction Institute of Mind and Medicine as well as the founder and clinical director of Zephyr Medical Group. He has years of experience as a Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at both UCLA and UC Irvine School of Medicine. Dr. B has a great history and understanding of addiction, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), evidenced-based practices, individualized treatment, and research.
Listen to this fascinating conversation that answers the question of whether addiction is a disease or a choice. They also cover medical marijuana, harm reduction, and if the old adage of once an addict always an addict is really true.
Find more from Dr. B on YouTube and TikTok
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One on One With Coach Blu: Accountability
On this weeks episode of One on One with Coach Blu, listen as we discussed the Purdue pharmaceutical lawsuit, speak about accountability on several different angles in recovery as well as introduce the program to a new artist. This weekly show has something new to talk about each week!
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Broken Hearts Can Heal
Today Coach Blu interviews Kathy Nay as she recounts her daughter's life and struggles with addiction. Kathy has lived what loved one's often fear the most. As a result, she has not remained silent. Kathy has increased her understanding of overdose and addiction. She has assisted with community awareness around Naloxone and helps other families when they lose a family member to addiction. Listen as she discusses some of her healing process and letting go of anger and choosing forgiveness and love.
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One on One with Coach Blu: The Proxy Run
Today's podcast features One on One with Coach Blu specifically, talking about those who have lost the battle of addiction and who we choose to run a proxy for during September's Addiction Awareness or National Recovery Month.
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Waking The Opiate Epidemic
Today Coach Blu and Athletic Director Marissa Robinson talk about The Netflix documentary, The Pharmacist. An amazing firsthand look at the beginning stages of the opiate epidemic, years before and through national attention. Listen as they discuss opiate addiction, the documentary, and the fall out as a result.
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Potential lethal dose of Fentanyl
The Addicted Brain
Today's podcast focuses on addiction and the brain. Listen in as Coach Blu interviews Dr. Blake Rapier, Addiction Specialist and Director of ALX Family Health on how the brain is affected by addiction. They discuss specific issues related to the functionality of the brain itself. They talk about best practices and ways to break the addicted brain. There is hope in sobriety and rewiring the brain. This is a powerful podcast with a lot of new knowledge that may require you to listen to it multiple times.
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