Malibu Beach Recovery Center

December 16, 2011- Vietnam and Substance Abusers Pat Olsen writes another in her series on substance abuse problems around the world with a look at Vietnam.

December 9, 2011-Malibu Beach Recovery Diet™: Holiday Recipes 2011 Licia Jaccard recommends pan seared duck, a salad with twice baked goat cheese souffle, and strawberry cheesecake.

December 5, 2011- Group Therapy in Addiction Treatment Pat Olsen looks at the role group therapy plays in recovery.

December 3, 2011- Julia F: 90 Days of Rehab Courtesy of Starbucks Joan Borsten looks at “Cadillac” insurance policies and applauds Starbucks for being there when the insured really needed them most.

November 14, 2011 - Intervention the Sequel:  Angelina Gets Married Joan Borsten goes to Angelina’s bridal shower and remembers back to the day three years ago when Candy Finnigan intervened on Angelina  before millions of viewers, in one of the most dramatic episodes the Emmy winning A&E series has ever aired, and brought her to Malibu Beach Recovery Center.  

November 19, 2011 - Professionals in Recovery Pat Olsen writes about recovery groups for specific professions such as lawyers, doctors and nurses.

November 12, 2011 - The Malibu Beach Recovery Diet Thanksgiving  2011 Recipes - Licia Jaccard offers recipes for a small Thanksgiving dinner:  Turkey Cutlets; Arugula Salad with pears, cranberries and goat cheese; and a sugarless pecan pie.

November 8, 2011 -   Checking In -- Four Loko, Bath Salts, and College Drinking Pat Olsen updates us on three important posts:  Four Loko, Bath Salts, and College Drinking.

October 21, 2011 -   Prescription Pill Abuse Tragedies - Will They Never End? Pat Olsen worries about the crackdown on doctors who abuse their Hippocratic oath.

October 16, 2011 - The "Recovery-Speak" Dictionary - More Definitions Joan Borsten adds more definitions to her dictionary.

October 13,  2011 - The Malibu Beach Recovery Diet - Red Quinoa, Wild Salmon, Pear and Fig Tart Tatin Licia Jaccard offers some elegant and tasty low glycemic recipes for the fall season.

October 12, 2011 - Substance Abuse on College Campuses Pat Olsen looks at how colleges from Rutgers to the Linn State Technical College in Missouri are dealing with drugs and alcohol.

October 1, 2011 - Alcohol Abuse in the U.K.   Pat Olsen begins her series on substance abuse problems around the world with a look at alcoholism in England.

September 18, 2011 - Wet Houses, Where Alcoholics Aren't Urged to Get Treatment Pat Olsen discovers that there are “wet houses” in Minnesota where alcoholics live and drink.

September 18, 2011 - Relationships in Early Recovery Pat Olsen wonders about the rules for sex and love in early recovery.

September 13, 2011 -  Malibu Beach Recovery Diet - Plum Tarte Licia Jaccard, who helped create the American version of the French low glycemic diet that is a key component of our treatment system,  has two great recipes using the plums now available at the local farmers market.

September 8, 2011 -  Nora Volkow and the National Institute on Drug Abuse Pat Olsen  profiles Neuroscientist Nora Volkow who heads National Institute of Drug Absue, a branch of the NIH.

August 30, 3011 -  Smoking: An Addiction in its Own Right Pat Olsen reminds us about nicotine addiction .

August 27, 2011 - Meth Inside Out Malibu Beach Recovery Center Counselor Susan S., herself an accomplished television and documentary producer, gives a thumbs up to Meth Inside Out, a new DVD series.  

August 24, 2011 - Ambien--Sleep Medication That's Addictive Pat Olsen writes about the  sleeping pill that many become addicted to.

August 18, 2011 -  A&E's Intervention TV Show - Michelle from New Jersey : Joan Borsten profiles Michelle from New Jersey, the third client who has come to Malibu Beach Recovery Center through the award-winning TV Show Intervention and Interventionist Candy Finnigan.  Joan also follows up on  Angelina and Rachel, MBRC’s other two alumni from the Intervention Show and snaps a photo of the three New Jersey girls at a 12 Step Meeting.

August 14, 2011 - Xanax and Alcohol: Two Monsters at a Time
Joan Borsten tells about the new client who had a drink at the airport, xanax on the plane, and ended up in Los Angeles not knowing who she was, or where she was…

August 13, 2011 – Addicted Doctors Pat Olsen reports that 10 medical institutions have just introduced the first accredited residency programs in addiction medicine, where doctors who have completed medical school and a primary residency will be able to spend a year studying the relationship between addiction and brain chemistry.

August 5, 2011 -  Actor Martin Sheen to Congress:  Drug Courts Effective Hollywood star and activist, former Malibu mayor Martin Sheen goes to Congress to testify in favor of drug courts.

July 24, 2011 - The Malibu Beach Recovery Diet:  Summer 2011 recipes
Joan Borsten contributes a new recipe for Citrus Salad and Chef Mitch adds a vegetable soufflé.

July 19, 2011 - Robert Garrigus, Daniel Radcliffe Come Clean about Substance Abuse Pat Olsen writes about Robert Ggarrigus and Daniel Radclife who have come forward to talk about their problems with substance abuse.  

July 16, 2011 - Substance Abuse and Pharmacy Robberies Pat Olsen writes about thieves who rob pharmacies looking for cough medicine and prescription pills.

July 11, 2011 - Betty Ford: Champion of Women Pat Olsen pays tribute to Betty Ford, with personal insight from Lisa Anne Penny whose dad worked for President Ford.  Lisa reports that during her own struggle with drugs, she looked to Betty Ford for inspiration.

July 10, 2011 - Drinking Diaries: Women Writing about Alcoholism Pat Olsen writes about she had done on a site called Drinking Diaries, a forum for women to share, vent, express, and discuss their drinking stories without judgment.

July 3, 2011 -- Swedish Study: Alcoholics Predisposed to Addiction Relapse More Frequently Joan Borsten looks at a new Swedish study which found a 90% relapse rate among alcoholics genetically predisposed to addiction.

July 1, 2011 - Heroin and Portland, Oregon Pat Olsen finds that kids are still flocking to Portland for heroin.  

June 25, 2011 - Marijuana, the Most Commonly Used Drug Pat Olsen discovers that the National Institute of Drug Addiction now considers marijuana“the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States.”

June 21, 2011 - Addiction - An Equal Opportunity Disease Or, Meet David Carr Pat Olsen reports on New York Times columnist David Carr and his battles with addiction.

June 17, 2011 -- California Workers' Comp - Fueling the Prescription Drug Epidemic? Joan tells the dramatic story of  Krissie Bergo who came to Malibu Beach hopelessly addicted to narcotics and benzodiazepines.  Her pusher was “Dr. X,” her Workers Comp Pain Management doctor.

June 6, 2011 -- 12 Questions to Ask When Considering a Treatment Provider Pat posts a list of  12 questions to consider when selecting a treatment program:

May 16, 2011 -- Caron Treatment Centers Pat writes about Caron Treatment Centers, and a man she met there who made an impression.

May 13, 2011 -- Alcoholics Anonymous--Time for a Change? Pat reports on a controversial article about alcoholism and anonymity which appeared in The New York Times Styles section. In it, NYT reporter David Colman used his first and last name when he revealed that he’s in recovery, which is a no-no in the world of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Several Malibu Beach alumni and staff weigh in on the anonymity factor.

May 9, 2011 -- Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack Speaks Out Against Prescription Pill Abuse Pat salutes Mary Bono Mack for taking a stand against prescription pill abuse. The Republican representative from California is heading a commerce panel for the Energy and Commerce Committee to raise awareness of the problem

May 8, 2011 -- Five Addiction Interventionists Worth Hiring Joan recommends 5 interventionists who are not only effective professionals but seem to genuinely care about the people they intervene on and their families.

April 27, 2011 -- Yoga and Recovery from Addiction Pat Olsen writes about the impact yoga can have on addiction and quotes our own lead exercise instructor Oleg Yevseyev.

April 22, 2011 -- Malibu Beach Recovery Diet™: A Delicious Way to Help Sustain Long Term Sobriety Joan Borsten writes about Malibu Beach Recovery Center’s low glycemic diet and the positive impact healthy gourmet food, prepared by French chefs, has on the physical and mental health of clients.

April 21, 2011 -- thefix.com Pat Olsen found a new, commercial addiction and recovery website calledTheFix.com.

April 18, 2011 -- Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic Pat Olsen reviews the new book “Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic:Professional Views and Personal Insights” by Sarah Allen Benton.

April 15, 2011 -- High Level Executives Also Need Rehab Pat Olsen reports on the new CNBC episode that Marc Dreier, the high-profile New York lawyer who admitted to a $400 million investment fund fraud, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in July, 2009 an also treatment for alcoholism while locked up.

April 13, 2011 -- Anthem Blue Cross of California: As cheap as it comes. Joan Borsten follows up on a previous blog about Anthem of California and corporate reluctance to pay for chemical dependency treatment, or just to pay at all.

April 3, 2011 -- New York, New York Pat Olsen discovers prescriptions for oxycodone have doubled in the last three years in New York City.

April 2, 2011 -- Purdue Pharma Offers $1 Million to Help Fund Florida's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program What about California? asks Joan Borsten.

April 1, 2011 -- Los Angeles Civil and Criminal Defense Attorney Mary Masi reflects that in the modern world society is measured by the character and prevalence of its crimes and misdemeanors.  Without a doubt, she writes, drug and alcohol related crimes are the most prevalent today.

March 23, 2011 -- It's Official - Gambling is a Behavioral Addiction Pat Olsen reports that for the first time, gambling will have its own category in the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: behavioral addiction. (The DSM is the "Bible" for the medical industry and required when providers bill insurance companies.)

March 21, 2011  -- Bath Salts--Not so Soothing Pat Olsen writes about a college student who killed his girlfriend using bath salts.

March 11, 2011  -- Kids and Prescription Drug Abuse Russell Armstrong lauds the efforts of the treatment center Promises to guide parents in how to keep their medicine cabinets safe.

March 2, 2011    -- Addiction Counselor, Poet and Song Writer Pat Olsen on Tim Conley, an assistant professor of Social Work at the University of Montana who teaches two courses on addiction and counsels addicts.  He writes songs from the other side of the fence, capturing his clients’ experiences.

February 25, 2011 -- Dr. Gregory House, Addicted M.D. Watching “House” is different once you  know about prescription pill abuse writes Pat Olsen who recently  caught the episode where he goes to rehab solely to try and escape jail.

February 4, 2011 -- Pill Mills Pat Olsen takes on pill mills, “the places where bad doctors hand out prescription drugs like candy.”

January 29, 2011 -- Getting Sober Isn't Enough - Resolve Your Legal Issues Joan Borsten and Malibu Beach Recovery Center legal counsel Jeffrey Miles look at what happens when the newly sober do not take care of their old legal problems.

January 27, 2011 --  AARP Article on Seniors and Addiction Pat Olsen looks at AARP’s  “Special Report on Older A
addicts” which quotes a report from SAMHSA as predicting that the “number of boomers with substance-abuse problem will double from 2.5 million in 199 to 5 million in 2020.”

January 14, 2011 --  Drug Makers Infiltrating a College Curriculum? Pat Olsen reports on  how Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of oxycodon, funded a book on managing chronic pain that the author, who is a paid Purdue Pharma lecturer, managed to get in front of unsuspecting medical students attending a University of Toronto pain management course.

January 8, 2011 --Ted Williams--A Family Man with 2 Years Clean Taylor Armstrong covers the story of the week - Ted Williams, a man with a golden voice from Columbus, Ohio, who lost everything to alcohol and drugs and then became the luckiest guy around.

December 30, 2010 --   Linda Freud, Medical Intuitive Joan Borsten writes about Linda Freud, the medical intuitive who uses a pendulum and data base of diseases and remedies to diagnose and prescribe. 

December 25, 2010 --  Malibu Beach Recovery Center to offer SAG Tier II Health Plan members creative financing options
Joan Borsten looks at serious setback for the entertainment industry -  approximately 12,000 Screen Actors Guild members will now have to pay privately for chemical dependency treatment.

December 23, 2010 --  An ER Doctor's Humanity Pat Olsen wonders what doctors think about their patients who drink or abuse other drugs and finds at least one answer.

December 14, 2010 -- National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse (NCAPDA) Taylor Armstrong looks at  the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse, one of her favorite non profits.. It was started by April Rovero when her son Joey, an Arizona State University student took a lethal dose of alcohol and prescription pills prescribed to him by Rowland Heights (California) osteopath Dr. Lisa Tseng.  

December 6, 2010 -- Meet Candy Finnigan, Interventionist Pat Olsen interviews Candy Finnigan, part of the cast of the Emmy-winning A&E show “Intervention,” televised Mondays since 2005, co-author of the self-help book When Enough is Enough: A Comprehensive Guide to Successful Intervention. She’s privately helped many people get into treatment, including singers, actors, and politicians, but she has also educated millions about addiction and recovery through her regular appearances on “Intervention,” inspiring them to seek treatment for themselves or their loved ones.  Candy has brought two clients from the Intervention Show to Malibu Beach Recovery Center for treatment.  Angelina, now vibrant young woman who now lives in West Los Angeles, holds down a steady job, has reconnected with her family, is involved in a committed long term relationship, and participates fully in the 12 step community and Rachel.  When Candy intervened on her she was homeless, sleeping on the steps of a Fifth Avenue Manhattan church.  Now she lives in Malibu.

November 30, 2001 --  From Four Loko to Whipahol Pat Olsen finds that that just as Four Loko manufacturers agree to remove the caffeine and other stimulants from its drink, a whipped cream infused with alcohol makes the news. 

November 22, 2010 -- When Babies Are Born to Substance Abusers Taylor Armstrong highlights a Discovery Channel program on women in prison who are pregnant.

November 17, 2010 --  You Oughta Be in Pictures Pat Olsen blogs about the Partnership at DrugFree.org’s Facebook Photo Campaign called: “Share Why You Believe in Drug and Alcohol Prevention.”

November 10, 2010 --  Innovative L.A. court program helps women get off drugs and turn their lives around
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and Malibu Beach Recovery Center co-owner Taylor Armstrong joins the blog as a regular contributor with her salute to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and his successful program for women addicts.  

November 7, 2010 --  Juiced, in More Ways than One Pat Olsen looks at the Four Loko scandal.

November 1, 2010 -- A Blog for Teens About Drugs Pat Olsen discovers that the National Institute on Drug Abuse has a blog for teenagers—The Sara Bellum Blog at http://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/.

October 24, 2010 -- Understanding the Addicted Brain Joan Borsten tries to simplify for non-scientists the impact alcohol and drugs have on the brain.  Addiction is a disease of the brain, she writes.  Substance abuse shuts down the pre-frontal cortex which is responsible for functions such as reasoning, problem solving, judgment, impulse control.  The decision-making processes pass to the unconscious Limbic system which associates alcohol and drugs with the principal source of pleasure and relief in life, and with survival itself.

October 24, 2010 -- The Physical Toll of Alcoholism Pat Olsen looks at damage alcohol can cause to one’s appearance and the impacts on one’s health including brain degeneration, cancer, depression, and insomnia.

October 14, 2010 -- A "Different" Addiction Blog Pat Olsen remembers a thought-provoking, literary blog is The New York Times’ blog called Proof. 

October 10, 2010 -- Ready for Rehab Pat Olsen interviews Malibu Beach Recovery Center alumna Elizabeth M., an actress who just celebrated a year of sobriety, about what finally got her into treatment.

October 5, 2010 -- Meet Malibu Beach Recovery Center CEO Joan Borsten Pat Olsen, lead writer of the New York Times’ popular Boss column, joins us as a guest blogger.  She begins by interviewing CEO Joan Borsten about her experiences in the field of alcohol and drug treatment, and her mission to draw awareness about the prescription drug epidemic sweeping California and the nation.

October 2, 2010 -- Addiction by Prescription – the Purdue Pharma-OxyContin Saga Continues Just three years ago Purdue, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures OxyContin was fined $500m.  The US Attorney demonstrated that they were marketing and promoting OxyContin as less addictive, less subject to abuse and diversion, and less likely to cause tolerance and withdrawal than other pain medications.    Yet young people all over California, and the nation, are still being prescribed lethal quantities of OxyContin, becoming addicts and dying.  Something has to change.

October 1, 2010 -- Dr. Thom Lobe, MD,  Brings Holistic Innovations to Malibu Beach Recovery Center Dr. Thom Lobe has joined the Malibu Beach Recovery Center clinical team.  A medical doctor, surgeon, and naturopath Dr. Lobe is expected to add exciting new dimensions to our successful holistic approach to treating addiction. 

September 19, 2010 "Recovery Speak" - A Dictionary for "Normies" Working in the Field of Addiction Joan published the first entries in the dictionary she has been creating for “normies” (non-addicts) working in the field of recovery. She calls it “Recovery Speak.”  Bill and Lois Wilson probably never imagined that Big Book would spawn a whole new vocabulary.

September 17, 2010 -- Helping Defense Attorneys Creatively Extricate Addicts from Harm's Way John Tarasi founded Sober Guard to help defense attorneys get their clients into treatment and out of jail.

September 14, 2010 – Money and Awareness to Fight Addiction – the Brent Shapiro Foundation Oleg and I went to a glitzy Beverly Hills fundraiser on a mountain top overlooking Los Angeles with a serious message.  Since losing their son Brent to complications resulting from drinking and ecstasy,   Defense Attorney Robert Shapiro, his family and friends have made it their mission to educate the public about drug and alcohol addiction.

August 29, 2010:  “Brave New World - Where Most Addicts Pop Pills to Stop Cravings and Stay Sober” Tom McLellan, PhD, outgoing Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, advocates “medication-assisted therapies”.  He envisions the day when addicts will routinely swallow pills to stave off all cravings, the same way folks today routinely take pills to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol.   McLellan spoke at a panel discussion organized by “Intervention TV” and “Hollywood, Health & Society” for addiction industry insiders.

August 12, 2010:  “Dopamine for Dummies - Understanding Dr. Kenneth Blum and the Reward Deficiency Syndrome I loved trying to make the role dopamine plays in addiction so simple even I could understand it.  Dr. Kenneth Blum, one of the foremost authorities on the relation between genetics and addiction, says he was highly controversial in 1990 when he co-founded what is known as the “alcoholic gene,” and is still controversial but less so.  His current focus is on the Reward Deficiency Syndrome which affects most addicts, and is why he loved the “dopamine enhancing” aspects of the Malibu Beach Recovery System for Treatment of Addiction.  If I was casting a movie, Christopher Lloyd would play Dr. Blum.

August 7, 2010 – “Addiction Industry Insiders Meet with Senator DeSaulnier at Malibu Beach Recovery Center” This was a fun event.  The clients got to go out for a movie and lunch.  We got to introduce State Senator Mark DeSaulnier to a group of industry insiders who heard first hand about his efforts to fund CURES, the online real time data base which allows physicians to check for doctor shopping and pharmacy hopping.   Hoping the Senator went back to Sacramento with a lot of good ideas about what can be done in terms of prevention, treatment and recovery.

July 27, 2010 - Grace Slick and Michelle Mangione Give Back to Gulf Fishermen, Musicians. Grace Slick lives here in Malibu and comes from time to time to do co-dependency workshops with her daughter China.  She is still unbelievably charismatic.  I like to show the younger clients the You Tube  video of Grace singing “White Rabbit” at Woodstock.  As Chelsea B. once said – Wow, she was young like me once.”  I hear the song she wrote with Michelle is doing well.