During Scott’s October 17th KUSI interview, journalist Elizabeth Alvarez mentions that we sometimes get too caught up in thinking of veterans as heroes. We forget that they are people, too—people who have experienced unimaginable trauma. In fact, they do it for the rest of us so that we never have to go through it. Make…
As Scott mentions in his book, The Opioid Epidemic, overdoses claim more than 200 lives every day. That’s the equivalent of a plane crashing every day and killing everyone on board. In 2020, that number rose to 250. Many substance abusers use their substance of choice to cope with stress and personal problems, and the…
San Diego is home to a large amount of the country’s veteran population. Scott recently joined KUSI’s Elizabeth Alvarez on Good Morning San Diego to discuss how his organization helps veterans and what can be done to get more San Diego veterans the help they could use. Scott stressed that for veterans, asking for help…
If anyone knows Scott H. Silverman, they know he’s not one to beat around the bush. His frankness keeps his life and recovery on track. Often, it’s what keeps others’ recoveries on track. Back in June, he shared the story of how he began the nonprofit organization Second Chances with The San Diego Union-Tribune. It…
On August 31st, we recognized International Overdose Awareness Day. The Times of San Diego published an opinion article by Scott in which he called upon San Diego citizens to help save lives. If you don’t think you have that power, you’re wrong. Often, community is the key to a person’s success or failure when it…
Scott H. Silverman joined KUSI’s Elizabeth Alvarez on Good Morning San Diego to discuss a disturbing episode that nearly killed a San Diego Police Officer. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has released body camera footage of a deputy who accidentally overdosed when exposed to fentanyl. In July, Deputy David Faiivae was a trainee at the…
Four Good Days, starring Mila Kunis and Glenn Close, tells the heartbreaking story of an addict trying to get clean for the fifteenth time. The addict, Molly, goes to her mother, Deb, and Deb is unsure of how to help her daughter. She worries about enabling her. She makes a few decisions while trying to…
Last year amid the pandemic, opioid-related deaths rose to a record 93,000. This historic increase was the result of the ‘perfect storm’ of: Deadly fentanyl Overprescribing of opiates Isolated opioid-abusers who couldn’t get help. Fentanyl’s Deadly Influence Fentanyl, Silverman warned, is becoming increasingly common as it is cheap, highly potent, and more readily available. Many…
I began drinking hard liquor at just fifteen years old. In fact, the vanity plate on my first car read “SOCOMF.” By my mid-twenties, I was using meth, cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana. I still believed I had everything under control. Life certainly would have been easier if I’d never picked up that bottle during my…
Being California Sober means abstaining from all ‘hard drugs’ (re: opioids) and using ‘recreational’ amounts of marijuana. This phrase was popularized by singer Demi Lovato, who has been very open about her recovery. Her willingness to share her wounds and healing in recovery has done a lot to reduce the stigma around substance use and…