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2 Generations of Pain & Addiction: The Linda Price Story Apr 12, 2018

Show notes

When Linda Price graduated high school, her dream of the perfect life was with a home, a baby, and a husband. These all eventually came to fruition, but not in the way she had imagined. An unfulfilling childhood led to Linda seeking love in the wrong places, getting involved with multiple abusive men, and becoming addicted to drugs. She was always on the run, trying to escape life.

After becoming pregnant with Devin, who was featured in our past 2 episodes, all Linda wanted was to give him the love and care she never had. Sadly, she struggled with this, too, and would later give Devin the painful apology that “the drug was more important than you were.” From times of using drugs together to Linda refusing to take her only son in when he had nowhere else to go, their lives have been an emotional rollercoaster.

With the mother and son now sober, living under the same roof, and Devin getting his life on track after finishing his prison sentence, we conclude the Price family series with a happy ending and positive outlook. Linda now has the son she always hoped she could raise. To persevere through so many challenges in life is truly inspirational, and we thank Devin and Linda for sharing their stories.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

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I Spent $1 Million on Drugs: The Devin Price Story - Part 2 Mar 27, 2018

Show notes

Devin Price blames nobody but himself for the direction his life took. As a kid, Devin thought his childhood was fairly normal. His dad ran off and his mother became addicted to drugs, but Devin’s grandparents did their best to provide a stable, loving home. By 17, Devin had gotten into harder drugs, both selling and dealing. But that was only the beginning.

In the coming years, Devin would get an underage girl pregnant, commit crimes, spend time in rehab and jail, make meth, start an escort service, and eventually land himself a serious prison sentence.

At the end of Part 1, Devin had just been pulled over by police, with a car full of drugs, and contemplated suicide in that moment. He faced a long list of charges, all of which carried a maximum sentence of life in prison. Fortunately, Devin didn’t spend that long behind bars.

At 29, he’s still young, recently out of prison, has a new outlook on life, a job, and is taking things one day at a time. Hear how Devin dealt with prison and kept clean, what’s motivating him to stay away from drugs and alcohol now, and some inspiring words for other people who may find themselves in a similar situation.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

HBO Red Onion State Prison Documentary Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eAOzxZNJyE

Write to or help prisoners: www.writeaprisoner.com

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I Spent $1 Million on Drugs: The Devin Price Story - Part 1 Mar 20, 2018

Show notes

By 17, Devin had gotten into harder drugs, both selling and dealing. But that was only the beginning. In the coming years, Devin would get an underage girl pregnant, commit crimes, spend time in rehab and jail, make meth, start an escort service, and eventually land himself a serious prison sentence. Looking back, it seemed that Devin had plenty of skills, they were simply misused.

Now, at 29, Devin is still young, and recently out of prison. He’s clean, has a new outlook on life, and is ready to share his story.

In this series, Devin takes us through his life from beginning to now, as we hear his story and follow his progress trying to stay clean and get back on his feet.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

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Out of the Gutter: Howard Heathcote’s Story - Part 2 Mar 13, 2018

Show notes

Howard Heathcote grew up in a house of addicts. Out of 2 parents and 9 children, only one, an older sister of Howard’s, miraculously avoided drugs and alcohol completely. Aside from that miraculous exception, fate was all but sealed for the rest of the family.

There was never a shortage of alcohol, pills, and cocaine at Howard’s home. He became addicted at the kitchen table, with his parents, before his Mom passed away when he was only 10 years old. As Howard shares his life story during this 2-part series, you’ll hear of one shockingly unfortunate occurrence after another.

By just 13 years old, Howard was a full-blown alcoholic. He remained that way until 7 years later when he was no longer an alcohol addict, but a heroin addict. His lifestyle inevitably led him to crime, and that led him to spend nearly a decade in prison, beginning in 1997.

Howard is 53 now. And while life isn’t without challenges, he is clean and doing well. He runs a website and Facebook page with over 6000 likes, called The Opiate Report, which is used to explain opiates in detail, their history, facts about detox, triggers, and more, attempting to be a light at the end of the tunnel for this epidemic.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

Shooting Star performed by Linda Nusca

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Out of the Gutter: Howard Heathcote’s Story - Part 1 Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

He runs a website and Facebook page with over 6000 likes, called The Opiate Report, which is used to explain opiates in detail, their history, facts about detox, triggers, and more, attempting to be a light at the end of the tunnel for this epidemic.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

This episode contains music used under the CreativeCommons license: Mary Brett Loroson - Theme From Whatever

Receive our newsletter, contribute show ideas and feedback by emailing: karla.tolstoy@standupspeakup.ca

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Burst the Bubble: Uncovering the Link Between Leadership and Mental Illness Feb 27, 2018

Show notes

It takes a special person to be a leader. One thing historians have questioned for years is the apparent mental instability of both great and terrible leaders alike. Do the qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for a strong leader? What traits are common among them?

Nassir Ghaemi looks at this very topic in his book, A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness. Ghaemi is an academic psychiatrist, author, and Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He’s written a number of books on mental illness and mood disorders and has contributed to many other published works.

Host Karla Stephens-Tolstoy talks with Nassir today, and we’ll hear specifically about 3 leaders and their struggles with mental health: Dr. Martin Luther King, Gandi, and John F Kennedy. Not only are the stories interesting, but also inspiring, and serve as a reminder to those suffering from mental illness that there’s no limit to what they can achieve in life.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

Links:

This episode contains music used under the CreativeCommons license: Mary Brett Loroson - Johnson City

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Burst the Bubble: Somalian Pirates Feb 20, 2018

Show notes

Jay Bahadur is an investigator for an international agency. He’s a Canadian, born in Toronto, Ontario, who went on to be a journalist and author, becoming well-known for his reporting on Somalian pirates.

He got an inside look at Somali piracy, after spending months in the country, living with pirates, and venturing into areas that most journalists wouldn’t dare visit. Jay documented his experience in a book titled The Pirates Of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World, which was released in 2011.

6 years later, in 2017, a movie by the same name was released, which closely follows Jay’s story. It’s also known by an alternate title, ‘Dabka’ and was directed by Bryan Buckley. Jay is portrayed on screen by Evan Peters, and the film also stars Barkhad Abdi, Melanie Griffith, and Al Pacino.

Listen as Jay tells us what it was like to venture into places that most other journalists would never dare, how he got the pirates to open up, whether or not the movie was true to his book, and more.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

Links:

Pirates of Somalia trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=trFQOslCa6U&ab_channel=FilmTrailerZone
Pirates of Somalia by Jay Bahadur book: www.amazon.ca/Pirates-Somalia-Jay-Bahadur/dp/1554686830
Pirates of Somalia movie on iTunes: www.itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/the-pirates-of-somalia/id1312259861
Jay Bahadur Twitter: www.twitter.com/PuntlandPirates

‘Ain’t Never Gonna Let You Down’ performed by Linda Nusca

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Burst the Bubble: Kratom: Part 3: More Amazing Stories Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

Since the release of our first episode about Kratom, we’ve had a flood of comments from users telling us how much Kratom has changed their lives. It’s nothing short of shocking and amazing to hear how so many people were lifted from such dark places thanks to this humble plant. The sad part is that, in the U.S., Kratom is facing even more government pushback. On February 6th, the FDA released a statement comparing Kratom to opioids and blaming it for 44 fatalities. You can read the full letter below.

Kratom advocates strongly refute the FDA’s claims. Their belief is that existing science on Kratom does not justify it being placed on any schedule or controlled substances list that would prevent consumer access. They’re encouraging continued lawful access to Kratom, with balanced regulation, proper research, and protecting rather than harming public health. Based on what we’ve seen, we are 100% on the side of the Kratom advocates.

If you’re not, hearing the stories in this episode will likely change your mind. We’ll share with you many of the stories that have been submitted, and our guest Josh (who is now a trusted Kratom vendor) tells us about his struggle with opioid addiction, being discharged from the military, spending 4 years in a maximum-security prison, and how he finally built the life he wanted.

Host and Producer: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

Links:

FDA kratom announcement: www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm595622.htm
Josh’s kratom store: www.soapkorner.com
Other trusted kratom vendors: www.standupspeakupblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Vetted-Kratom-Vendors-1.pdf
Article on the FDA announcement: www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/2018/02/09/fda-weaponizes-opioid-label-against-kratom-consumers/2/#e68250350079

‘Landslide’ performed by Linda Nusca and Andrew Hunt, recorded by Mauro Giammarco.

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Burst the Bubble: Kratom: Part 2: Real Life Stories Feb 07, 2018

Show notes

Perhaps the most fascinating and stunning part of our journey learning about Kratom is the real-life stories from its users. It is after hearing these stories that we really understand the effect this plant can have on lives, and why its advocates are so passionate about its acceptance.

Adrian is a 62-year-old mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother in Jamestown, New York. She became medically addicted to pharmaceuticals and eventually lost everything. Although she was not responsible, 2 more generations of her family went on to suffer from addiction as well.

After hearing about Adrian’s struggles with pain for years, you’ll be shocked to hear about the effect Kratom has had on her life.

David Derian also joins us again, but this time not to talk about the Botanical Education Alliance. He shares his experience with pain, pharmaceutical addiction, and recovery. David can’t even think about life without Kratom, yet his business, INI Botanicals, has faced repeated challenges for trying to make Kratom accessible to others.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

Links:

Chanda Lynn: www.facebook.com/chandalynn33
More about Adrian & Chanda Lynn: www.post-journal.com/news/page-one/2017/09/a-rally-to-recover www.psmag.com/social-justice/three-generations-of-opioid-addiction
David’s U.S. Kratom Legality Map: www.speciosa.org/home/kratom-legality-map/

Receive our newsletter, contribute show ideas and feedback by emailing: karla.tolstoy@standupspeakup.ca

Support the show: www.standupspeakup.ca/give/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Burst the Bubble: Kratom: Part 1: Kratom Saved Me Feb 05, 2018

Show notes

Canada is experiencing record numbers of deaths from opioid overdoses. In 2017, there were an estimated 4000 drug overdose deaths in the country. A substance that may be able to put a dent in that number is worth looking into. Kratom is a leafy plant from South East Asia, from the coffee family.

It’s an ancient drug, traditionally used to relieve pain, increase energy, appetite, and sexual desire. It was also known to be used as an opium substitute in the 18th & 19th centuries. In 2013, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Kratom had no legitimate medical use.

Recently, the FDA issued a health advisory against the plant, which some claim is spreading misinformation about its dangers, and not backed up with any scientific evidence. Currently, Kratom can be sold legally in Canada in a powdered form, but only for aromatherapy purposes. At this time it has not been approved for consumption by Health Canada.

In the first part of our series on Kratom, we hear from experts such as Dr. Edward W. Boyer of Harvard, and Angela Watson and David Derian of the Botanical Education Alliance.

Later in the series, hear stories from users of Kratom who say it has improved - and maybe even saved - their lives.

Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy

Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative

Links:

This episode contains music used under the CreativeCommons license: Derek Clegg - Four Walls

Receive our newsletter, contribute show ideas and feedback by emailing: karla.tolstoy@standupspeakup.ca

Support the show: www.standupspeakup.ca/give/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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