LEADING THANKSGIVING by Dr. John Sharp

Executive Medical Director at Bridges to Recovery. M.D. Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons. Faculty, Harvard Medical School, and David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Expertise in integrated treatment -- including Depression and Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Addiction.

Leading Thanksgiving
November 4th, 2010

I must confess, I am happy with November in general. As someone who likes the fall, I can enjoy this time of year: it is the real deal. But, even so, I know November isn’t easy. It’s getting dark early now. There’s a chill. The leaves are falling. The sun may come out to warm us, but it’s like an old friend who can only visit for a short while, and then has to be gone. So we need to find ways to warm ourselves when the sun won’t: dress in layers, light a fire, enjoy candlelight more. The problem is that there’s a lot to do at this time of year, and soon there will be more. So we can’t linger too long by the fire. We need to keep on moving forward. But as you do, you need to pace yourself. Take advantage of whatever illuminates your path. Enjoy the unhurried moments even knowing they won’t last. Maybe make them last a little longer by acknowledging them more explicitly and appreciating them more. In these days that precede Thanksgiving, you need to be authentic to yourself and to the season. Make a real effort to determine what this time of year means ― and does not mean ― for you. If it is a challenging period for you, say: “I am made of true grit. I can handle this by stepping up my game.” And then do what is required.

As anyone who has prepared the holiday meal will attest, Thanksgiving is all in the preparation.




© 2010 John Sharp, M.D.

Halloween: Anything Goes by Dr. John Sharp

Halloween: Anything Goes

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

Some of us really love Halloween. Some take a complete pass. Whether or not you like to engage in the festivities, the holiday definitely has a few things to recommend it. To take part, there is no need to travel far away. No need to deal with the extended family. No need to be “yourself” or even some near-version of yourself. No religious observances or rituals or “shoulds” that you have to attend to or figure out how to avoid.
It’s kind-of a festival, its roots in a Celtic celebration of the impending end of the “lighter half” of the year. Over the centuries, it has accumulated all kinds of dissociated elements ― including carved pumpkins, ghostly spirits, costumes, trick-or-treat, parading, watching the parade ― that give it a weird combination of exuberance, irreverence, and irrelevance. Those who look forward to it, think, “Cool. It’s kind of silly. Kind of childish. But why not have some fun with it!” Those who could easily get along without it think, “It’s contrived. It’s a kids-only deal. It’s a pain. Lousy candy. Toilet paper on telephone poles. Maybe I’ll just stay in. Turn off the lights. When the doorbell rings, I won’t answer.”
Even with all that, Halloween is a special time of year. In the deep fall, when the action of business or school or politics has heated up and the temperature has cooled down, Halloween asks us to remember what life was like when we were little and got excited about an event that seemed full of possibility, with a tinge of danger. Who knows what might happen? Halloween ― so unlike the approaching Thanksgiving holiday, with its sense of family and celebrating traditional values ― is all about fantasy, exploration, pushing the edge, doing whatever we want to do. So dive in, dabble, or don’t. Halloween says OK, go ahead, whatever ― give yourself free rein, before the Big Holidays ask a whole lot more of you.

© 2010 John Sharp, M.D. | All Rights Reserved | Home | Profile | Blog | Contact | Links | The Emotional Calendar | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Login 

Maureen Canning Video

"CELEBRITY REHAB WITH DR. DREW' SEASON FOUR PREMIERE 10/13 AT 10 PM

VH1’S HIT REALITY SERIES “CELEBRITY REHAB WITH DR. DREW”

CHECKS IN FOR A FOURTH SEASON

Season Four Cast Includes Eric Roberts, Jeremy London, Rachel Uchitel, Janice Dickinson, Leif Garrett, Frankie Lons, Jason Wahler and Jason Davis

“Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” Season 4 Premieres

Wednesday, October 13 at 10PM*

Catch a Sneak Peek of the Premiere Episode on VH1.com
Beginning Friday, October 8

Los Angeles, CA – September XX, 2010 – Dr Drew’s hit VH1 reality series “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” checks back into rehab for a fourth season.  The series, consisting of eight one-hour episodes, is slated to premiere October 13 at 10PM*.

Season four of “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” will follow the real-life experiences of eight diverse celebrity patients undergoing an intensive 21-day detoxification and treatment program at the Pasadena Recovery Center.  As they each struggle with their own demons in their quest to get well they must also do this amongst some other very strong personalities who create more hurdles for each other than a helping hand.  The cast, many who have been recent tabloid fodder even while they were in rehab includes: Eric Roberts (The Expendables), Jeremy London (“Party of Five,” “7th Heaven”), Rachel Uchitel (Infamous Party Planner), Janice Dickinson (“The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency”), Leif Garrett (Musician), Frankie Lons (Keyshia Cole’s Mother), Jason Wahler (“The Hills”) and Jason Davis (Socialite).

Returning to the show to help Dr. Drew are drug counselor Bob Forrest and resident technician Shelly Sprague who have each spent years on both sides of the rehab fence.  Dr. Drew is also bringing in some additional prominent physicians to help him give the patients supplementary one-on-one care.

Dr. Drew is a highly respected practicing MD, board certified in internal and addiction medicine who will once again give viewers an unflinching look at exactly how the rehab process works and what it feels like for participants.  Dr. Drew hopes to use his celebrity patients to humanize the process and show viewers that treatment is a viable way to break the cycle of addiction.

While most people know Dr. Drew as the host of the syndicated radio show Loveline and the MTV show of the same name, Dr. Drew is a medical doctor on staff at Huntington Hospital and assistant clinical professor of KECK USC School of Medicine.  His book, Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again (Harper-Collins,) is all about what treating addicts is like from a caretaker’s perspective.  Dr. Drew co-authored the first academic study on celebrities and narcissism.  The study was published in the Journal of Research in Personality (Elsevier) in September 2006, and is the first systematic, empirical scholarly study of celebrity personality.  Additionally, he is a New York Times best selling author with his work The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America (Harper Collins).  Dr. Drew can also be seen as host of VH1’s “Sober House” and “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew” along with MTV’s “Teen Mom” and “16 & Pregnant, Life After Labor.”

Viewers can catch a sneak peek of the season’s first episode on VH1.com on Friday, October 8. Subsequent episodes will be available on VH1.com the morning after they air. Additional video content from “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” including show extras and highlight clips from each episode will be available on VH1.com and on VH1 Mobile throughout the season.

"Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" is executive produced by John Irwin and Damian Sullivan for Irwin Entertainment.  Dr. Drew Pinsky, Howard Lapides and Joel Rodgers are also executive producing.  Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, and Noah Pollack are executive producers for VH1.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 95 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

*** For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit VH1's press-only Web site at www.vh1.com/press

*All times ET/PT

Dr. Drew on Lifetime's The Balancing Act talks about RX Drug Abuse

New Law Requires Pharmacies in Massachusetts to Carry Rx Lock Boxes

Rx Locker Compliance Package Made Available To Pharmacies

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 9, 2010 Massachusetts passed Chapter 283 of the Acts of 2010, adding Safeguards to the Prescription Monitoring Program and furthering Substance Abuse Education and Prevention. Section 11 of the act requires all pharmacies in Massachusetts that dispense schedule II, III, IV, or V prescription drugs to make available lock boxes for sale at each location. More info at http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw10/sl100283.htm. To help pharmacies comply with the new law, Rx Locker, a lock box designed by renowned addiction expert Dr. Drew Pinsky to secure prescription medications within the home, is offering all pharmacies a special compliance package.

"We commend Senator Tolman, Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts Pharmacists Association and the entire the state of Massachusetts for supporting this law, the first of it's kind in the nation, and taking the lead to address the very pressing problem of prescription drug abuse," said Dr. Drew.

The Rx Locker is a patented locking storage device designed to hold up to 4 prescription pill bottles and still fit inside a standard medicine cabinet. The RX Lock Box features a chromed metal combination lock that provides convenient access for the user while ensuring secure storage and privacy.

Prescription drug abuse among teenagers in the United States has become a serious concern. National Survey on Drug Use and Health identifies that 1 in 5 teenagers have abused prescription medications -- pain relievers, stimulants, sedatives and tranquilizers. About 70% of teens that abused say they got the prescription drugs from family and friends.  (National Survey on Drug Use and Health.)

Dr. Drew Pinsky is a practicing Medical Doctor, board certified in internal and addiction medicine. He is also the executive producer and host of several television series including "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," "Sober House" and "Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew" and host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Loveline." He is the author of 'Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again, When Painkillers Become Dangerous' and the New York Times bestseller 'The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America.' For more information about Dr. Drew please visit www.DrDrew.com.

The Rx Locker Compliance Package is available now at www.RxLocker.com/ma. Locker Brand, Inc. designs and manufactures locking storage devices for the home and has numerous patents and patents pending. (www.RxLocker.com/ma)


SOURCE Locker Brand
Back to top RELATED LINKS
http://www.DrDrew.com
http://www.RxLocker.com/ma

Shatner arrives at the Tweet House via helicopter