Taraji P Henson Talks Therapy, Feeling Helpless

Academy Award winner Taraji P Henson has become a fierce mental health advocate in recent years. Since launching the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in honor of her late father who lived with mental illness, the Empire actress has shared her personal story in an effort to get people talking about mental health and hopefully inspiring members of the Black community to reach out for help.In an interview with Self magazine, the recently engaged actress got candid about mental health issues, having to be strong in the midst of helplessness and finding a good therapist with the help of a friend.“I hope that one day we can all be free to talk about mental health and be okay with seeking help,” she said.“There are some times where I feel absolutely helpless. That's human. Everybody feels like that. Just because I'm a black woman, don't put that strong-superhero thing on me.”Henson recognized that with a dayjob that consists of sometimes channeling negative emotions and invoking trauma, self-care is paramount so she found a productive way to recenter herself.Art As Therapy“Art is therapeutic for me,” she shared. “A lot of times when I have to reach these emotional places, I have to use things in my life, and a lot of times I've healed myself.”While art therapy has helped her deal with things, there were still other areas where Henson felt she had an opportunity to grow so she opted to enter talk therapy. “I had aligned all my chakras, and I still wanted to headbutt a bitch,” she joked. “The therapy came into play out of necessity. It was [a] time where I was like, ‘Oh, I'm just not feeling like myself anymore,’ and my son was going through his issues with becoming a young black male in America with no dad and no grandad." In 2003, Henson's son's father was murdered and three years later her own father passed away."It was like, ‘Okay, I'm not a professional. We both need help,’” she said.So Henson went in search of a therapist but like many, finding the right therapist for her needs was not as easy as she had hoped. But it would be her Empire co-star, Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe who would recommend the perfect therapist for Henson - one that just so happened to be her own.Sidibe's TherapistSelf reached out to Sidibe about her decision to recommend and share her therapist with her co-star and friend.“It was extremely important for me to find a therapist who is a black woman, just because black women live in a different world than everyone else,” Sidibe wrote. “Our problems, daily interactions, and expectations are different than most other people, so I wanted a therapist who I could cut through the societal foundation of who I am with, so that we could get to my specific issues. There's a shorthand between us. We speak the same language because we're from the same world.”For Henson, finding care for herself was necessary but so is helping others in the community access help as well, something she is able to do with her foundation.“I think my mental health foundation picks up where my art leaves off,” Henson explained. “We have to deal with these traumatic situations [children experience], and these teachers and therapists and social workers need to be trained in cultural competency to be able to pinpoint [when a] child is having an issue that's deeper than just wanting to be bad in class.” 

Marijuana Vaping Busts Skyrocket

The recent wave of vaping illnesses and deaths has pushed authorities to crack down on illegal vaping cartridges, cranking the number of seizures of illegal marijuana vaping products through the roof in 2019.  According to the Associated Press, over the past two years more than 510,000 marijuana vaping cartridges have been seized by authorities across the nation. More than 120 people have been arrested in connection with the products. Big Busts In 2019In November a 30-year-old Minnesota man was caught speeding in Nebraska and police wound up searching his vehicle after "detecting the presence of a controlled substance." Inside the vehicle, they found 386 containers of THC wax, 144 packages of THC shatter, 62 THC vape cartridges, 39 containers of THC edibles and liquid products, and four pounds of marijuana. Nealry 1,000 pounds of marijuana and 2,000 vaping cartridges were seized during a routine traffic stop in North Texas in late November. The drugs were on their way to North Carolina. In October, a tip from a concerned anonymous source, led Wisconsin authorities seize more than 10,000 vaping cartridges, 18 pounds of marijuana and $950k. North Phoenix authorities had their own massive bust in September when they were able to seize $380,000 worth of drugs including THC vaping cartridges while serving a warrant. Daniel Ray Hawkins and Benjamin Blake Lumpkin were arrested in North Carolina. They stand accused of running a DMT lab (DMT AKA dimethyltryptamin is a powerful hallucinogenic drug) and putting DMT into marijuana vape pens. The DMT found inside the house was worth an estimated $4 million. “The solution to decreasing the risk associated with THC vapor products lies in continuing towards a legalized and regulated market, not increased criminalization and arrests,” said NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri.Vaping IllnessesWhile busts appear to be ramping up as vaping illnesses and deaths continue to rise on a daily basis. As of November 21, the CDC's Latest Outbreak Information for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injuries (EVALI) reports that there are now 2,290 cases of EVALI and 47 deaths linked to the illness. Alaska, which was the only state unaffected by vaping illnesses, reported their first case on Tuesday. 

A Breathalyzer For Opioids Is In The Works

Researchers at UC Davis are working on a device that can detect the presence of opioids similar to the popular devices that detect alcohol on people's breath. "When we started this nobody knew you could measure drugs in breath," Professor Cristina Davis, the chair of the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department at UC Davis, told CBS Sacramento.She along with her team of researchers helped develop the device, which they believe has the potential to save lives.How It WorksThe device in question is described as a "less invasive way to monitor a patient's drug use by collecting their breath in a small specialized machine. "Dr. Nicholas Kenyon, a member of the research team described the way the device works to CBS Sacramento. “We collect breath in a liquid format in this device and we chill it and then we collect it as a liquid and run it through a mass spectrometer to measure what’s in there.”The team believes that their device can help a multitude of professionals including doctors, firefighters, law enforcement and probation officers identify drug use. For doctors, the device could help them ensure patients aren't misusing their prescriptions. “A device like this could help tell if they’re taking the drugs like they’re supposed to,” Davis said.For police officers, the device can help identify drivers under the influence, while for probation officers could use the device to make sure that parolees remain sober.Davis has high hopes for the future of breath testing. “I would love to say in one to three years that we actually have people using this for one of the application areas and I think from there it will grow. I think over a five-to-10-year time frame, that breath testing won’t just be a story, it’ll actually be at your doctor’s office,” Davis said.Marijuana BreathalyzerAnother type of breathalyzer is being rolled out to combat driving under the influence of cannabis. Star Labs have created a device that uses nanotechnology to detect THC levels in breath. While breathalzyers for alcohol use have been in use for decades, similar tests for marijuana have been slow to develop due to the way THC works in the body.Determining the ratio of THC in someone's breath versus the amount of THC in their blood has left scientists scratching their heads. And federal prohibition makes researching the drug to come up with a proper way to measure it in the blood and breath particularly difficult. According to NPR, Star Lab's marijuana breathalyzer is "nearly ready for mass production" and could potentially be on the market soon. 

Son Of Late NFL Star Terry Glenn Dies Of Apparent Overdose

Terry Glenn Jr, son of the late NFL wide receiver Terry Glenn, recently died from an apparent accidental overdose on Thanksgiving. He was 22.Grieving His FatherShortly before his death, Glenn Jr tweeted about grieving his late father who suffered an untimely death three days before Thanksgiving a couple years ago."Thanksgiving was my dads favorite game to play in as a cowboy. And you best believe your boy was right there in the stands,” Glenn Jr. tweeted on the day of his death."I miss him so much," he revealed in a follow-up tweet. "This time of year is the hardest by far man...this was his holiday and the last one got cut short right before we were allll gonna be together....really just wonder why."On November 20, 2017, the elder Glenn passed away at the age of 43. He was involved in a fatal car accident where he was ejected from the car.  Prior to his death, Glenn Jr. worked as a sales associate at a Champs Sports store in Ohio. Justin Hoosier, the store's assistant manager, said this about Glenn Jr. “He definitely was hardworking and passionate,” said Hoosier. “He was always talking about the influence of his dad. He wanted to keep that legacy but also make a name for himself.”The Family Speaks OutA statement from the family was published on 10TV:Kimberly Combs-Matthew’s son - Terry Glenn, Jr. - died tragically on Thanksgiving Day in Columbus, Ohio of an apparent accidental overdose.Terry Jr. was a burgeoning entrepreneur, aspiring vlogger, and avid sports enthusiast following in his famous father’s footsteps. Those that knew him, commented on his infectious personality- “he never met a stranger.”Still grieving from the untimely death of his record-setting father - just two years ago in a November 2017 car accident - Terry Jr. reminisced on Thanksgiving Day in a Twitter post saying “I miss him so much. This time of the year is the hardest by far man... this was his holiday...really just wonder why.”Typically sharing the day with football and family, Terry Jr. stated “Thanksgiving was my Dad’s favorite game to play in as a Cowboy and you best believe ya boy was always right there in the stands.” Terry Jr. spent many of his formative years watching his father play America’s pastime as a star wide receiver.Terry Glenn, Sr. was as a key contributor to winning seasons and championships contests for National Football League teams including the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and the Dallas Cowboys.Prior to joining the NFL, Glenn Sr. played as an Ohio State University Buckeye, shattering school records along the way. Coping during the holidays can be difficult – especially when wrestling with depression and drug or alcohol addiction.Many people try to overlook their feelings and participate in holiday festivities alongside their friends and relatives, yet studies show that nearly 1 in 5 Americans will feel down during the holidays. If you, or a family member needs help with a mental or substance use disorder at any time, there are resources that can offer support.Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration National (SAMHSA) Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.Both services are confidential, free, and provide 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year information help, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental health and/or substance use conditions. They provide referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.Arrangements for Terry Glenn, Jr. are pending and his family requests to allow them to mourn during this profoundly difficult time.We make this appeal for privacy on behalf of those close to us, who wish to remember Terry Jr. and celebrate his life quietly and in peace. We thank you for your love, understanding, and prayers of support. Terry Jr. lived a wonderful life, and he will be fondly remembered and terribly missed by his family and friends.

Morning Roundup: Dec. 3, 2019

Meth Is Killing More Utahns Than Ever [Salt Lake Tribune]Ben Affleck And Jennifer Garner Fight Post-Relapse [Radar Online]Teen Opens Free Mental Health Lounge For Kids In Need After Being Stabbed By Bullies [News3TV]The Class Of 2000 "Could've Been Anything." Until Opioids Hit [NY Times]Built For Counterterrorism, This High-Tech Machine Is Now Helping Fight Fentanyl [NPR]What Would A War On The Drug Cartels Look Like? [Town Hall]Public Health Crisis: 25% of Youth Are Addicted To Phone, Often With Mental Health Problems [Fast Company]"Secret Santa" Causes Millennial Anxiety [Mental Floss] 

Doctors Use "TikTok" To Teach Teens About Vaping Dangers

Figuring out a way to reach teens has been an ongoing issue for medical professionals, teachers and parents for decades. But now, a handful of doctors have found a very modern solution to raising awareness and educating teens and it's a popular app called TikTok.What Is TikTok?The app, which Slate describes as a "social network for amateur music videos," allows users to express themselves in 15-second clips that they can then upload for their followers to see.Dr. Rose Marie Leslie uses the app to inform teens about the health impact of e-cigarettes and other medical misinformation. For Dr. Leslie, it's important to dispel harmful health myths which are becoming more widespread thanks to the Internet. “I may not be the perfect health guru on social media,” Dr. Leslie told CNBC. “I don’t meditate or do yoga, I rarely get enough sleep, I’m not vegan and I don’t post inspirational quotes. But let me tell you, I have never and will never try to convince you that drinking celery juice cures cancer.”Dr. Leslie, who can be found on the app under @DrLeslie, practices family medicine at the University of Minnesota. Her TikTok videos have put a spotlight on vaping illnesses, birth control and she even busts medical myths for her 300,000 TikTok followers.Dr. Leslie is happy that her videos are making a positive impacts on teens' lives. She regularly receives letters, emails and comments from teens thanking her for helping them understand the issues. She also receives a number of medical questions that some teens are afraid to ask the adults in their lives. The Power Of Social MediaDr. Austin Chiang is also a big believer in the power of social media. He uses Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to help young doctors and to educate the public on how vaccines work. Public health experts see the use of social media in medicine as an overall positive thing. “I’ve heard the criticism that doctors and other medical professionals on social media are somehow less credible, or won’t be taken as seriously by their peers,” said Sherry Pagoto, a behavioral scientist and professor at the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut. “But I think that school of thought is going to be a thing of the past.”Pagoto added that “it would be great for public health organizations to follow the lead of these medical professionals on TikTok.”

Willie Nelson Has Quit Smoking Marijuana

Country legend Willie Nelson, who smoked his first joint in 1954, revealed in a recent interview that breathing problems have forced him to stop smoking marijuana, his notable drug of choice.“I have abused my lungs quite a bit in the past, so breathing is a little more difficult these days and I have to be careful,” Nelson told KSAT TV.“I started smoking cedar bark, went from that to cigarettes to whatever. And that almost killed me.”Nelson, who has a history of emphysema, was left with no choice but to give up smoking the bud. “I don’t smoke anymore - take better care of myself,” Nelson said.Leaving Cigs & Whiskey BehindThe 86-year-old singer told Rolling Stone back in April, “I’m kind of the canary in the mine, if people are wondering what happens if you smoke that shit a long time,” he said. “You know, if I start jerking or shaking or something, don’t give me no more weed. But as long as I’m all right...”While the country legend first tried marijuana in 1954, it wouldn't be until over two decades later before he opted to make it his number one vice - a decision that the singer stands behind. He cut out the cigarettes and whiskey and never looked back.“I wouldn’t be alive. It saved my life, really. I wouldn’t have lived 85 years if I’d have kept drinking and smoking like I was when I was 30, 40 years old. I think that weed kept me from wanting to kill people," he told Rolling Stone, "And probably kept a lot of people from wanting to kill me, too — out there drunk, running around.”Willie's ReserveThough he may not smoke it anymore, he is still in the marijuana business. His medicinal marijuana brand Willie's Reserve launched back in 2016 and is still going strong. “This is a culmination of Willie’s vision, and his whole life,” said Michael Bowman, Nelson’s spokesman said in a statement about the launch. “Really, he wants it, at the end of the day, to envelop what his personal morals and convictions are.”Bowman continued, “Willie has spent a lifetime in support of cannabis, both the industrial hemp side and the marijuana side. He wants to be something that’s reflective of his passion. Ultimately, it’s his, but it was developed by his family, and their focus on environmental and social issues, and in particular this crazy War on Drugs, and trying to be a bright light amongst this trail as we’re trying to extract ourselves from the goo of prohibition.”