July 30, 2012

 Bath Salts: Dangers of a New Synthetic Drug

Until recently, most Americans hearing the phrase bath saltsprobably conjured an image of a relaxing, therapeutic soak in the tub.

But that was before a spate of bizarre incidents involving people often likened to zombies. Like the Georgia man, 21, who rambled incoherently about eating people and, when he did not blink at the pepper-spray police blasted in his eyes, was Tasered 14 times before police could subdue him. Or a 35-year-old central New York woman, who, growling and barking like a dog, rampaged naked through her town before police subdued her with a Taser, witnesses said. She later died of an apparent cardiac arrest.

Police and many drug experts believe events like these have been fueled by the synthetic drug called “bath salts.” And while every bath-salts experience is not ending up in the news, it is causing “an alarming number of ER visits across the country” and thousands of calls to poison control centers, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Until quite recently, they were entirely legal.
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July 25, 2012

Overcoming Addictions with Cliffside Malibu

This episode features an interview with Richard Taite, CEO of Cliffside Malibu treatment center.

Listeners will learn about the stages of change model of recovery,
as well as tips for dealing with loved ones with addictions.

July 23, 2012

Cliffside Malibu: A Gracious Portal to the Journey Home

From the moment my bare feet touched the earth of Cliffside Malibu, a luxury treatment facility, I knew I was in the garden of centered souls. Unencumbered by my ridiculous choice of stilettos, I was very curious to connect with the man who planted the seeds, provided the nourishment and brought in the sunlight that inspired such abundant growth. I visited with Richard Taite, Founder and CEO.

I realized Cliffside Malibu was a reflection of the person Richard had become. It is a kind, gentle, quiet place that births an environment for a profound connection with the human spirit within all those who arrive for whatever purpose. Richard serves as the compassionate and devoted parent welcoming and honoring his ‘family’ into a home he created for them. With genuine esteem for all who arrive, he is there to serve the highest good of all who come through the door.

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July 18, 2012

The Depths Of Drug Despair: How Did An American Heiress And Her Billionaire Husband Sink So Low?

Their fondness for illegal substances such a crack cocaine and heroin was widely known. Their full-blown addiction, however, not so much. Only those in Eva and Hans Kristian Rausing’s privilege world, knew to some extent. But not the full extent.

After being arrested for driving erratically in London last week, her husband, estimated to be worth a staggering $10 billion as heir to the Tetra Pak fortune, was found with drugs on him, and subsequently arrested.

A search by UK police in his 5-story mansion discovered something they weren’t looking for: The body of his wife.

Reports have varied since the discovery, but now the latest news suggests Eva could have been dead in one of the two squalor rooms they occupied for a MONTH. The mother-of-four was only 48.

Rausing and his wife have previously donated large sums of money to anti-drug charities, including the Mentor Foundation, which is an international program that steers youth away from drug use and abuse.

But in the end, all the money in the world or the charities they helped ultimately could not stave off their own demons.

We spoke to addiction expert, Richard Taite, President and CEO of Cliffside Malibu, to get his opinion, and he provides an enlightening, if not incredibly troubling insight into just how deep in the trenches the couple were with their drug addiction.

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