A Few Doctors Linked to Many Prescription Drug Deaths in Southern California

By Join Together Staff | November 12, 2012 | 1 Comment | Filed in Community Related, Healthcare & Prescription Drugs

A small number of doctors are linked to a large percentage of prescription drug-related deaths in Southern California, according to an investigation by the Los Angeles Times.

The newspaper found that in almost half of the 3,733 deaths from prescription drugs in four Southern California counties, those who died had a doctor’s prescription for at least one drug that caused or contributed to the death. In many cases, deaths were caused by use of multiple drugs, sometimes prescribed by more than one doctor. In some cases, prescription drugs were mixed with alcohol or illicit drugs.

The investigation found 71 doctors, or 0.1 percent of all practicing physicians in the four counties, wrote prescriptions for drugs that caused or contributed to 298 deaths. Each of those doctors prescribed drugs to three or more patients who died, the newspaper found. Four of the doctors had 10 or more patients who died from prescription drug overdoses.

Most of the 71 doctors linked with three or more fatal overdoses were pain specialists, general practitioners or psychiatrists. They tended to work alone, without the scrutiny of peers. Four have been convicted of drug offenses in connection with the prescriptions they wrote; a fifth is awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder in the overdose deaths of three patients, the article notes.

The other doctors have not faced criminal prosecution related to their practice of medicine. Most have clean records with the Medical Board of California, which licenses and oversees doctors.

Experts said the findings should lead to closer scrutiny of physicians’ prescribing practices. R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said, “Do I think this has the potential to change the game in the way it’s being looked at and being addressed, both at the state and federal level? Yes, I do.”

PRO-ACT Family Addiction Education Program helps families address drug and alcohol addiction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CONTACT:

Noni West, strategic marketing coordinator Cathie Cush

PRO-ACT C2 Communications

215-345-6644, ext. 3111 215-579-2076

nwest@councilsepa.org CathieCush@comcast.net



Beverly J. Haberle, executive director

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.

215-345-6644

bhaberle@councilsepa.org

PRO-ACT Family Addiction Education Program helps families address drug and alcohol addiction

Next free sessions start week of Dec. 4 at various locations in five counties

Each month PRO-ACT (Pennsylvania Recovery Organization–Achieving Community Together) hosts a free Family Addiction Education Program to help individuals and families recognize and address an addiction problem in a spouse, parent, child or other loved one. Led by trained volunteers who have been in the same situation, these information and support programs begin the first week of each month and run one evening a week for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts two hours.



Programs are offered at several locations throughout the five-county southeast Pennsylvania region:

· Tuesdays—From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Media and Northeast Philadelphia.

· Wednesdays—From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Pottstown; from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in North Philadelphia; and from 7 p.m.to 9 p.m. in West Chester.

· Thursdays—From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Northern Liberties; 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Bristol and Colmar



Sessions are free and confidential—first names only. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 800-221-6333, weekdays 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., or visit www.proact.org and click the Family Addiction Education Program link.

Alcohol Can Distort Men’s Feelings of Empathy and Understanding of Irony

By Join Together Staff | November 9, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed inAlcohol, Mental Health & Research

A new study suggests drinking too much alcohol can interfere with men’s feelings of empathy and understanding of irony. Chronic heavy drinking may damage parts of the brain involved in deciphering emotions and processing humor, the researchers say.

The study included 22 men in their third week of an alcohol treatment program, and 22 men who were not alcoholics. The men were asked to read a series of stories that ended with a straightforward sentence or an ironic one. They were then asked to complete a questionnaire aimed at determining the characters’ emotional state and whether they were speaking ironically, the researchers report in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Men in the alcohol treatment program identified ironic sentences correctly 63 percent of the time, compared with 90 percent for men without a drinking problem. The results suggest that people with drinking problems can misinterpret what they see and hear, NBC News reports.

“This result confirms that alcoholic subjects tend to underestimate negative emotions; it also suggests that the same situation might be read in a totally different way by an alcoholic individual and another person,” lead researcher Simona Amenta said in a news release.

She added, “While a lot has been said on emotion recognition in faces, body postures and gestures, only a few studies have explored the recognition of emotion in verbal language. We believe this topic should be investigated more, especially since problems in social interaction are considered a relevant outcome, but also one possible cause, of alcohol dependence.”

For our Recovery friends in the United Kingdom

Mark Dempster Counselling
Founder and Counsellor
MDC provides individual and group counselling, primarily specialising in addictions. At our Harley Street Practice we are running affordable group counselling in addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling - and other group therapies. We also provide training and consultancy services to drug and alcohol treatment services.


About Mark
I am founder and counsellor at Mark Dempster Counselling: www.markdempstercounselling.com

I am author of a book about my journey through addictions to drugs and alcohol and the road to recovery (due to be published Sept 2012).

Please get in touch if you are interested in my work at Mark Demspter Counselling or my book.


Mobile Phones

+44 7971 467305

Other Phones

+44 20 3239 7061 Work

Address
7 Harley Street
W1B 8BJ London, United Kingdom
Screen Name
mdcounselling (Twitter)
Website
http://www.markdempstercounselling.com
Email
mark.dempster.77@facebook.com

LIVINGRINS DAY OF THANKS

Truly a Day for Sharing & Appreciation - and to help brighten the holidays for families of veterans

GRATITUDE DAY Thursday, November 22 10-11AM Hansell Hall, Bensalem While the nation revisits its humble beginnings with the annual Thanksgiving Day, the meaning of the holiday rings most true for those who have almost lost it all and managed to earn it back. Gratitude Day is Livengrin's traditional forum for people in recovery from alcohol or drugs to express their feelings about what it's like to have taken back management of their lives. Hundreds come from all over the region to meet old friends and counselors, and line up at the "open mic" to share a few minutes of their story. It is truly the most meaningful and heart-rending morning of our year. You can share or just listen and reflect. The free event (no RSVP necessary) is on Thursday, November 22, in Hansell Hall on the Bensalem campus. (Please - no smoking, no pets on campus!) Livengrin teams with veterans' group for Food Drive Bring a non-perishable food item to Livengrin when you attend Gratitude Day, November 22. (You can also drop off a donation at any Livengrin location anytime before December 12 - inquire at the Reception or Admissions windows.) These donations from alumni, friends and employees brighten the holiday outlook for more than 350 veterans' families. Our partner in this effort is Veterans Affairs of Bucks County, who will add our contributions to many others to help make the December holidays a bit more merry - especially during the recent economic crunch - for vets and their families.  Add something to the food box - it's a small thing we can all do to show our support.

Lighthouse Network Offers Emotional Guidance, Support in the Aftermath of Sandy

Through the Storms of Life – and Nature – Lighthouse Offers Personalized Counseling and Referral Options for Those Seeking “The New Normal” SOURCE LIGHTHOUSE NETWORK

Key Facts:

Hurricane Sandy devastated the eastern United States last week, leaving entire communities destroyed.
Those most greatly impacted may have difficulty in the days, weeks, and months to come in processing their “new normal” and moving forward emotionally in healthy ways.
Lighthouse Network, the country’s premier Christian counseling and addiction referral service, offers hope, resources, and even customized treatment plans if needed, for victims struggling to make sense of the devastation from this latest storm or from other issues and circumstances from which they suffer.
PHILADELPHIA – The entire Eastern seaboard of the United States was ravaged last week as Hurricane Sandy barreled up the coast, making landfall in New Jersey and destroying towns in her wake throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. Citizens in the entire Mid-Atlantic region are struggling to return to a sense of normalcy, though many remain without power for basic needs. Estimated damages range from $20 to $50 billion dollars, making this storm one of the most destructive in our nation’s history.

Though repairs and restoration of homes and towns begins, restoration of battered spirits can take more time and assistance.

“People generally have a limit to the emotional burdens they can bear and once that limit is breached, people can explode, implode, or just melt down depending on their own coping mechanism,” said Karl Benzio, M.D., Founder and Executive Director of the Lighthouse Network. “Though this may seem a time when folks bearing the majority of the burden just have to keep going to restore a sense of normalcy to life after the storm, there is great need to proactively process what has happened, grieve any losses, and move forward effectively. Professional help can aid in that process when an event of this magnitude occurs.”

Lighthouse Network can help storm victims by providing compassionate, Christ-centered counseling and therapy or referrals to Christian counseling professionals that can help people affected by Hurricane Sandy to cope with their new realities and move on with the practical side of rebuilding. The organization promotes Christian counseling and therapy programs, recognizing that God has the ultimate power and ability to completely heal the whole person, no matter what storms life may bring.

“No matter what the storm in life, whether it’s a sudden natural disaster like this hurricane, something that builds over time like financial woes, or destructive habits, Lighthouse Network can offer a light in the storm to guide people to hope and healing,” said Benzio. “We offer all levels of assistance, from simple web resources like daily devotionals or articles to faith-based counseling or referrals through our Addiction and Counseling Helpline, all the way to customized curriculum development to help people or groups that can’t find the support they need through other programs.”

Through their free, 24-hour Lighthouse Network Addiction and Counseling Helpline at 877-562-2565, Lighthouse Network Care Guides talk with callers and can help determine the next best course of action for the caller’s needs, based on their current situation.

Lighthouse Network provides guidance through life’s storms for people who have a hard time defining their particular problem or have difficulty finding the right answers from other often-confusing sources. Care Guides will link patients or loved ones to a counseling, addiction, or psychiatric care facility through Lighthouse Network’s national database of treatment centers, counselors, and therapists. They successfully manage complicated cases, especially of acute addiction, and provide help from a holistic (spirit, mind, and body) perspective. Helping people of all faiths, our approach integrates cutting-edge science and spiritual truths as this approach produces the best chance of successful change in a person’s life. Being a faith-based organization has opened the doors to many hard-to-find Christian options producing powerful and lasting transformational experiences. Read stories of changed lives that have resulted from Lighthouse Network’s assistance.

Through its website, www.lighthousenetwork.org, Lighthouse Network offers several resources for those struggling with addiction, as well as for their families, including Stepping Stones, a free daily devotional for managing life’s stressors and storms and equipping readers with healthy decision-making skills, and Not Alone radio short features that help parents or grandparents of addicts cope with their situation and help their loved one. Visit http://lighthousenetwork.org/stepping-stones/ to read the devotionals and sign up to receive them daily via email. To listen to the radio short features, visit http://lighthousenetwork.org/ln-radio-short-features/. For more information on Lighthouse Network, visit www.LighthouseNetwork.org or call the Lighthouse Network Addiction and Counseling Helpline toll-free at 877-562-2565.