First of all, let me comment on the fine column by Pat Walsh (Finding a Fix, April 5). I had no idea Finding a Fix existed until I read the latest installment – how great! I, too, am a recovering alcoholic. Basically, I am what… Read More
On rare occasions, we as human beings have the opportunity to do something that could positively impact the lives of millions. And sometimes through our own personal hardships, we end up in the unique position of contributing to life-altering changes for people we don’t even know – and… Read More
In recent years, our communities have debated how best to manage Maine’s raging epidemic of opioid addiction. The question invariably arises whether providers and consumers of methadone maintenance are part of the solution or part of the problem. Recently, some municipal leaders and social services providers have voiced… Read More
There are changes afoot in the Low-Cost Drugs for the Elderly program, and as always, Eastern Agency on Aging wants to keep you informed of all the latest news regarding benefits. While it may seem confusing, help is just a phone call away at EAA. When the dust… Read More
In 1999, my doctor told me, “You have to stop drinking or you’ll die.” Tests revealed my liver was failing. During many years of heavy, daily drinking and in spite of many disastrous consequences, including being arrested at age 34 with a blood alcohol level of 0.33, I… Read More
Even though I have worked at Eastern Agency on Aging for more than six years, I am still amazed by some of the seniors I meet. They are truly inspirational. So, in honor of Older Americans Month in May, EAA is holding the first ever George Hale Silver… Read More
Jane York, 70, is happy to give up a corner of her dining room table if it means her husband of 28 years, Newton, also 70, gets the extra care he needs. “Being by myself, I feel better knowing someone else is looking in on… Read More
Quack, head shrinker, hippie, touchy-feely, social-worky, rent-a-friend. These are just a few of the slang terms applied to the work I do. I’m never sure what people are expecting the first time they walk into my office, but I’m pretty sure I’m not it. I… Read More
Think about when you go to the bank and withdraw money. We all have been conditioned to speak softly, as it is potentially dangerous to request cash in a loud voice, lest some unsavory character with ill intentions overhear the conversation and forcibly relieve us of our money… Read More
I read in the Bangor Daily News that yet another methadone clinic is planning to open in Bangor. While the “Close to Home” public awareness campaign on opiate addiction attempts to educate area residents, I can’t help but think that it is really trying to clear the way… Read More
If you’re like me, you don’t have a lot of patience when it comes to looking for something you need. Now, of course, I am not speaking of moseying through shops searching for that perfect gift. I am referring to the search for a specific agency which offers… Read More
Last November, The Acadia Hospital, with support from more than 20 community and media partners, including the Bangor Daily News, launched the Close to Home campaign. The campaign’s focus is to educate Maine residents about the dangers of opiate abuse. Opiates include, but are not limited to, oxycodone,… Read More
Getting more than you pay for has never been easier. Alan Shawn Feinstein, a multimillionaire from Cranston, R.I., has a plan that will make donations to Meals for ME go even further to help seniors. Feinstein has a goal of ending hunger in the United… Read More
The terms that are tossed around in the “senior care” arena can be hard to understand. When these terms are spoken only in initials or acronyms it is even more difficult. Below is a continuation of what we started last week. Keep in mind, if… Read More
I’m writing to offer a different perspective to the addiction problem that has destroyed the lives of many people in Maine and across the country. Let me start by telling you that I am a recovering drug addict. My addiction caused me to lose a business, a home… Read More
If you’re a senior looking into services for yourself, or are an adult child trying to help an aging parent, you may feel as though you need a special dictionary to understand all the terminology that is thrown around. It can certainly be confusing when… Read More
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 22-year-old author of this week’s column first appeared in Finding a Fix in December 2005, writing from the Aroostook County Jail, where she was being held on the charge of possessing scheduled drugs, a Class C felony. I’ve been struggling with drug… Read More
There is a lot to be said for “eating healthy.” Some of it good, such as, “Wow, I feel better and have more energy,” and some of it bad, like “This is too hard. I want potato chips for dinner.” One of the problems of… Read More
My substance abuse began when I was about 14 years old. It started with an overnight at a friend’s house with a little drinking – testing the waters. This began a long journey of alcohol and drugs, two broken marriages, children harmed, a number of OUIs and a… Read More
Recently, I heard the Beatles song “Taxman” from the Revolver album on the radio. As I was singing along, it occurred to me how appropriate it was because tax time is fast approaching. Now, many seniors may not need to worry about tax forms and… Read More
When I returned to my home state of Maine after living away for almost 30 years, I found myself confronting an aging and ill stepfather who had been an alcohol abuser for many years. He was debilitated by serious health conditions that would eventually result in his death. Read More
Be prepared. I am about to make you hungry. How does chicken pot pie with mashed potatoes, green beans and dinner roll sound? How about roast pork with gravy, red potatoes, peas and lemon meringue pie? Then there are the Maine standards of boiled dinners and macaroni and… Read More
It seems the whole world is awash in study groups and reports these days. This past week I attended two gatherings in Maine to hear about two very different reports, both of which will be of interest to readers of this column. In addition, I want to tell… Read More
There is a unique bond between a grandparent and grandchild. But sharing a bloodline is not required for making this relationship special. The Penquis CAP Foster Grandparent Program unites senior citizens with disadvantaged or handicapped children and youth in schools, Head Start and daycare centers. Read More
I would like to share my experience of how my life changed because I love an addicted person. Please allow me to tell you about my daughter. Let’s call her Melissa. Melissa was the second of three children – beautiful, strong-willed, full of adventure and… Read More
Some people spend their whole lives giving to others. And for some people, that’s just a start. Their generous spirit lives on and the giving continues long after they’ve passed away. So is the case with Elizabeth West. Her story is one of compassion. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Many of us have experienced times when we felt down or blue. Sometimes it’s for no apparent reason, and sometimes it’s because something difficult or painful has occurred in our lives. For most of us, these feelings last only a day or two and are… Read More
In AA they say that a person can only get clean and sober once they hit rock bottom. Well, I can’t imagine being any lower than the situation I am in right now. I am at the bottom of the darkest well known to man – prison. Read More
January is a tough month to get through. The holidays are over and spring seems so far away. Then there is the weather. It still gets dark early, it’s cold and it’s usually snowy, although we have been lucky so far this year. Still, the gray days can… Read More
I was raised in Houlton, Maine, in what some would consider a prominent family. And though I was a fairly good student, I began drinking in high school and thought nothing of it. I thought I was just being one of the crowd. Drinking and getting stoned was,… Read More
“Grandparents raising grandchildren feel everything from, ‘I wanted to be Granny and spoil her, but I can’t do that now’ to ‘I’m relieved that the child is safe and in a healthy place,'” said Barbara Kates, director of Maine Kids-Kin, a program of Families and Children Together. Read More
Those of us who live with a loved one’s substance abuse need all the support we can get. The relentless daily encounter with our own anger, fear and grief is overwhelming. Hopelessness can paralyze us. Even when we “know” better than to accept responsibility for another person’s bad… Read More
OK, we’re counting down to the New Year. Traditionally, it’s a time when we make great big plans to get in shape mentally and physically. Well, with years of broken resolutions behind me, I’m finally over the grandiose schemes. So this year I suggest a… Read More
In this season of miracles, of gift-giving and receiving, I am reminded of the miracle that happened in my life a number of years ago, when I was given the gift of sobriety. I received this gift after struggling to win a war with a foe that had… Read More
It’s amazing what can be done with a little fabric, a pouch of cat treats, catnip mice and plastic balls with bells inside. Or how about some dog bones and chew toys? Individually, all of these things are fine, albeit uninteresting, but together they can make a little… Read More
You might say Christmas came early this year for the addiction treatment community. Last Friday, in the final hours of the 109th Congress, our elected representatives in Washington, D.C., approved a measure that more than triples the number of people who can be treated for opiate addiction using… Read More
Just when you think there couldn’t possibly be anything else to put under the tree for your older loved one, I have a few more ideas. While cold weather and snow may warm our hearts and put us in the spirit of the season, the… Read More
Editor’s note: Beginning this week, The Acadia Hospital will offer a monthly column, “Because Your Mental Health Matters,” with Dr. David Prescott. New Year resolutions. I’ve never really been a person who makes New Year resolutions, although I’m not quite sure why. I’m pretty happy… Read More
I wait in my car, sipping a fresh cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. The young man I transport each day is my son. He is inside the methadone clinic getting his daily dose, undergoing a weekly urine test and receiving counseling services. This is a regular routine for… Read More
There is something sad about finishing off the last piece of double-layered pumpkin pie for breakfast. But alas, now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it’s time to kick our holiday spirit into high gear and start collecting the colorful, department store fliers full of good deals. Read More
BANGOR- Babies born to opiate-addicted mothers are almost always addicted, too. In eastern Maine, where young women of childbearing age make up the fastest-growing segment of the opiate-abusing population, the number of babies who begin their lives in the physical and emotional distress of opiate withdrawal is increasing… Read More
BELFAST – The day before Thanksgiving, Linda Nash paused in her preparations for a big family get-together to recall the weeks she spent commuting from her home to the neonatal intensive care unit at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. It’s a bittersweet memory, one that’s not easy… Read More
“People are skeptical about addiction recovery, Deb,” the radio talk show DJ recently told me live on air. “What about the Mel Gibson thing and what that says about recovery?” What indeed, I thought. Soon after, Matt Lauer introduced a piece on the Today Show… Read More
It is always heartbreaking to hear of people losing their homes to fire. Or worse, losing their lives. And it seems to happen more this time of year. Is it because of the cold weather and the holidays? We heat our homes and spend more… Read More
I had been a year and a half in AA. I had been through six weeks of intensive alcoholism treatment. Now I felt so good I decided I could be a social drinker – it’s called the insanity of addiction. A woman who was an… Read More
Another campaign season is over and we all survived. Having had numerous knocks on my door from canvassers, I started to think about home security. I mean how do we really know who these people are? Anyone can make a campaign button or carry a clipboard. Read More
Two letters have appeared recently in this column underlining the benefits and dangers of opiates for pain relief. In the first letter, a concerned mother wanted her child to stop suffering needlessly, regardless of his addictive history. In the second, a wife described her efforts to protect her… Read More
It seems there is a never-ending supply of scams out there to bilk seniors out of their money. The latest involves Lifeline. “Rosscare is warning elderly residents to protect their important information if they are contacted in regards to acquiring personal emergency response services,” said… Read More
Editor’s Note: The following letter was written in response to the Oct. 26 column about how recovering addicts deal with chronic pain. My husband and I live in the Greater Portland area. We believe medical professionals need to be better educated about addiction. They should… Read More
Penobscot County is a wonderful place to live, but it recently got a little better. “The Penobscot County commissioners teamed up with the National Association of Counties to take advantage of educational and financial benefits that would be helpful to our residents,” said Barbara Veilleux,… Read More
Are you a parent who sits up nights, worrying your teen is driving and drinking despite your warnings and discussions? Is someone you love trying to reclaim his or her life through substance abuse counseling or medication-supported treatment? Do your aging parents depend on meals on wheels, adult… Read More
Aging is not just decay, you know. As you age, you grow. As you grow, you learn. A tree’s leaves are the most colorful just before they die. If you’re always battling against getting old, you’re always gonna be unhappy because you’re gonna get old anyway,” said Morrie,… Read More
My topic is pain and addiction. Recovering addicts are still human beings. They still feel pain like everyone else, and they should be treated for pain like everyone else. But if they are honest and tell their doctors that they are recovering addicts, they are treated very differently… Read More
And so it begins: cold and flu season. Now, while there are distinct differences between these two ailments, being in proximity to a sneeze or a cough can spell trouble. “Influenza is spread easily from person to person, primarily when an infected person coughs or… Read More
I can’t even imagine the loss a family member feels when a loved one dies of something other than natural causes. But I do understand the pain a parent feels when they lose a child to drug or alcohol addiction. The first signs are subtle; usually the first… Read More
Former Brewer educator helped many students Marjorie Jenkins claims to have lived an ordinary life. But that just seems to be her way – unassuming and perhaps unaware of the impact her life has had on the hundreds of students who passed through her classroom… Read More
Hello. My name is Billie Jean Bonness. I am a 31-year-old recovering addict. A “junkie.” I was a bad IV drug user. I started out taking my parents’ Somas when I was 15. For people who aren’t up to date on the medications out there,… Read More
“As with child abuse and domestic violence many years ago, elder abuse is a problem that has been in the shadows for too long,” said Rick Mooers, Adult Protective Program administrator for the Office of Elder Services and member of the Greater Bangor Coalition to End Elder Abuse. Read More
Parents who are my age were in high school in the early 1980s. We’re the “just say no” generation, and many of us did say no to marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes. Those of us who chose to use these drugs were trying to feel something more, something better,… Read More
While it’s true that if you have your health, you have everything, it’s still a good idea to venture a peek around your home, including attic and cellar, and do an inventory of your assets. “People usually think of a house, car or land as… Read More
Editor’s Note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers agreed to share their personal stories. Today’s three profiles conclude the “Recovery Works” series. The… Read More
Editor’s Note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers agreed to share their personal stories. Today’s three profiles conclude the “Recovery Works” series. The… Read More
Editor’s Note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers agreed to share their personal stories. Today’s three profiles conclude the “Recovery Works” series. The… Read More
October is a busy month, what with craft fairs, apple picking, Columbus Day weekend, and of course the best candy holiday, Halloween. Here is one more thing to put on your calendar. The Penobscot County Triad annual meeting, to be held Thursday, Oct. 12, at… Read More
Editor’s Note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers agreed to share their personal stories. “Recovery Works” features these profiles each Thursday in the… Read More
Editor’s Note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers agreed to share their personal stories. “Recovery Works” features these profiles each Thursday in the… Read More
It is no secret that I love to shop. And I like nothing more than a good excuse to do so. Shoe stores: beware. The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk is on Oct. 7, and it’s just the reason I need to buy new sneakers. But… Read More
Editor’s Note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers agreed to share their personal stories. “Recovery Works” features these profiles each Thursday in the… Read More
Editor’s Note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers agreed to share their personal stories. “Recovery Works” features these profiles each Thursday in the… Read More
Don’t you just love the feeling of accomplishment you get when you’ve learned something new? I think it starts in childhood, like the first time you tied your shoes all by yourself or rode a two-wheeler unassisted. Well, you’re never too old to feel that… Read More
Editor’s note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers have agreed to share their personal stories. “Recovery Works” will feature these profiles each Thursday… Read More
Editor’s note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers have agreed to share their personal stories. “Recovery Works” will feature these profiles each Thursday… Read More
Friends, buddies, comrades, pals, cronies. Any way you slice it, friendship makes us thrive as human beings. But sometimes, illness such as Alzheimer’s disease can change things, and people may not be the same as they once were. Personalities may become drastically different, causing anxiety… Read More
Editor’s Note: September is National Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate the success of treatment and recovery programs, and to inspire people struggling with substance abuse and addiction, a dozen Mainers have agreed to share their personal stories. “Recovery Works” will feature these profiles each Thursday… Read More
Kimberly Oakley’s home in Bangor is filled with sunlight and the music of children’s laughter. It’s a life-affirming environment she’s still getting used to, a year after she moved from Virginia to Maine and stopped using drugs. In July of last year, exhausted after a… Read More
Even recovering from recent knee surgery, Sidney “Bub” McIntire’s enjoying the good life. He’s got a comfortable home tucked away in the woods of Searsport, a loving relationship with his wife of 22 years, and a gaggle of cheerful grandchildren who think he’s The Best. (They like his… Read More
We all need a little help now and then. And when we do, we typically get it without much fanfare. But sometimes when seniors require some assistance, family can slip into panic mode and automatically think “nursing home,” which may not be the best solution. Read More
Editor’s Note: Today’s column is written in response to last week’s contribution by Trenton psychologist Peter Rees. Dr. Rees, thank you for opening the discussion of why young people begin to use drugs. We absolutely agree with you that teens today do not have enough… Read More
The typewriter clacks softly as Evelyn Friedman’s 88-year-old fingers turn her feelings into poetry. “I have so much inside of me that if I didn’t get it out, I’d explode,” she said. “Writing releases things that either bother me or make me happy. I think… Read More
I don’t see simple answers, and do not consider myself to be an expert at treating substance abuse problems. Once a person becomes dependent on a drug in order to feel normal, there are different dynamics from those involved in starting unwise drug use. Starting unwise drug use… Read More
People tend to shudder at the mention of taxes. But sometimes the word tax is a good thing, for instance when it is paired with the word rebate. It’s time again for the Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent Refund Program, which provides tax relief… Read More
“I led the whole parade,” said Christine Blackmer, speaking of the event on the Fourth of July in Bangor this year, which also happened to be her 95th birthday. “I’d never led a parade before and probably never will again.” I wouldn’t be so sure. Read More
Readers respond Our son Jeff died on Mother’s Day 2006 at the age of 34, after 20 years of addiction. He grew up in a home surrounded by love. As his parents, we participated in every aspect of his life. We attended church together, where… Read More
Do you ever wish, as a senior, that you could get the government to really listen to you about the important issues that affect your life? When government policy is made, do you ever wonder if an actual elderly person had any input? After all, the elder policies… Read More
I took my first drink at the age of 14. I used alcohol for self-medication after losing my parents; it seemed to be the answer to my prayers and it helped me deal with my grief, loss, sadness and fear. I was married at 18… Read More
“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” That phrase can be annoying because hot is hot any way you slice it, but there actually is some validity to the notion. Thick and heavy air can make it seem warmer than the temperature reports. Extremely cold weather gets quite… Read More
As a Bangor Daily News reporter and the editor of this column, it has been my privilege to hear some very personal stories about recovery from substance abuse and addiction. Some of these accounts have stayed vivid in my mind for quite a while. More… Read More
BANGOR – Meals for Me has gone to the dogs – and cats and birds and any other nonhuman companion that a senior may have. As the nutrition program of Eastern Agency on Aging, Meals for Me has always served noontime meals to older people… Read More
We have a problem with substance abuse and addiction. It’s obvious what it is and we can either talk and complain about it or we can find a solution. If we change nothing, well, nothing changes. It’s that simple. I believe I was born with… Read More
As soon as the clouds roll in, the lights flicker and the weather channel displays its orange crawl line on the bottom of the television screen warning of a storm, I immediately run to the closet and grab a flashlight. A stop by the cookie cupboard is next… Read More
BANGOR – Union leaders held a rally Tuesday afternoon outside Eastern Maine Medical Center to draw attention to anticipated federal rulings that they claim could adversely affect workers’ rights and patient care across the country. Decisions that the National Labor Relations Board likely will make… Read More
My cousin and I were hateful children. My aunt – my cousin’s mother – had a problem with incontinence. If she laughed too hard she would tinkle a little bit. When we discovered this fact, we did whatever it took to put her into hysterics. Again, we were… Read More
The writer of last week’s Finding a Fix column, Barbara Dacri, the director of Crossroads for Women, was absolutely right. Women suffering from substance abuse in Maine need more programs specifically geared to women’s needs. Women also need safe, sober homes to stay in while they build a… Read More
The tourists are here, as evidenced by the number of out-of-state cars on the roads. While as Mainers we welcome these vacationers for their boost to the local economy, more people in the area means more precautions should be taken. This in no way implies that people “from… Read More
Promiscuous, depraved, irresponsible: Are these the images conjured up when you think about an alcohol- or drug-addicted woman? How about if she is pregnant, or a mother? A tremendous social stigma is attached to the abuse of alcohol or drugs by women. Perhaps this is… Read More
Not that I want to be thought of as a pest, as I have mentioned this before, but I feel it’s important to remind you of some of the things that are available through Eastern Agency on Aging – either free or for a minimal cost. Things you… Read More
Several recent reports confirm the alarming increase in prescription drug abuse in the United States. Here in Maine, a unique approach to limiting the widespread availability of these substances is under way and has the potential to become a national model. For decades, households have… Read More
Ah, the allure of the open road. It’s getting to be that time of year when we start thinking about vacations. And I confess, I have always harbored a secret dream of climbing into an RV and heading out for parts unknown. Never mind the fact that I… Read More
My prison caseworker once told me, “If you stop putting drugs and booze into your body, you might discover what you truly love to do in life.” That’s exactly what happened. The problem was, what I truly loved to do was steal things. Getting sober meant a career… Read More
Surf’s up. Not the ocean wave surfing glorified in Beach Boys music, but Internet Web site surfing. Just as there are endless waves in the ocean, there are seemingly endless Web sites full of useful information on line. Sometimes Web sites are the best way… Read More