Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leonard Buschel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Leonard, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
I had been a drug dealer for 23 years. On August 3rd, I drove myself to the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage. I smoked a joint on the way there, and had one in the glove box for the ride home 28 days later. I never needed to smoke it. I knew within the first 2 days there, that my dealing days were over, because I lost all desire to ever snort a line of coke, nibble on magic mushrooms, drink a few vodka on the rocks, drop Ecstasy or smoke weed ever again. And you can’t sell drugs without trying them first.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When I founded Writers In Treatment nine years ago with Bob Downey Sr., our tag line was Treatment Works! I had been using drugs everyday for 26 years, and after one very hot August in the desert at the abstinence ashram known as The Betty Ford Center; I have stayed clean and sober ever since. In 1994 at BFC, nothing was forced down our throats. Neither meds nor the 12 steps. I did do a first step there and had the only revelation I needed to stay for the 28 daze; listen to my peer’s stories, my counselor’s advice, the lectures and educational classes and the still small voice within. I realized I had been living an insane existence and had flirted with death on more than one occasion. Most importantly I learned, it was not only possible to go a month without weed, booze, or percodans, it was preferred, advisable, desirable, and a win/win. No more arrests, emergency rooms, or being frozen by frightening frisks at airports and borders.
When I had 10 years sober, proving to myself sobriety wasn’t just a phase or a fad, I became a CAADAC substance abuse counselor. My stints as a salesman, art gallery manager, photographer, and publisher had not proven significantly successful. And as Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss.” And my bliss had become showing the addict and alcoholic there could be a better (and certainly longer) life after a career of wild and obsessive substance ABUSE.
In 2013, I created the Addiction Recovery eBulletin to insure every counselor, treatment provider, mental health practitioner; addiction survivor and the general population would have easy access up-to-date articles, videos, essays and professional opinions regarding the universe of addiction and treatment. I wanted the eBulletin to encourage the saved to stay that way and the afflicted to seek help before it was too late. Today, 12 years later, the eBulletin is sent out every Tuesday and reaches over 22,000 recipients in the USA and the UK.
LINK: https://addictionrecoveryebulletin.org/
This past April, my experience strength and hope contained in my book was republished and retitled, HIGH: From Cannabis to Clarity and contains a new forward and postscript. The first version of this book published in 2021 received this review from Shadoe Stevens, “An award-winning, worldwide personality and innovator for radio, television, film, new media, and visual arts.”, and was rated over 4 stars on Amazon. With the new book released, I look forward to entertaining and helping through my personal voice and stories.
LINK: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/high-from-cannabis-to-clarity-leonard-lee-buschel/1147221150?ean=9781960415509
Have you ever had to pivot?
After spending 23 years as a full-time drug dealer, through a series of miracles I found myself driving to the Betty Ford Center. I wasn’t going there to get sober, I was going because I thought I was having a nervous breakdown and the police were about to arrest me. I thought of that scene in Annie Hall, when Woody makes a reference to Marshall McLuhan, standing in line at a.movie theater; when challenged by another person in line, he reaches behind a pillar and brings out Marshall McLuhan. So, I thought, if the police came to the rehab to arrest me…I could pull Betty Ford out from behind a tree and she would tell them the whole world would be better off if Leonard Buschel stayed in rehab because he was slowly dying from drug addiction. Well, the cops never came and I never got high or drank alcohol again; nor, have I done a drug deal ever since. Thirty years later, I edit and publish a successful health and wellness Addiction/Recovery eBulletin with over 20,000 subscribers and a weekly open rate of 45%. I am grateful to be able to use my past experience to help those currently suffering from addiction and alcoholism.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Building relationships! Training and knowledge is important to withholding skills, but they mean little to nothing if there is no one to impact or help with them. Connecting with my audience, building my network personally and professionally, and sharing what I have to offer with others are key. The eBulletin features Persons of the Week, many of whom I know personally and can attest to their impact in the recovery community — I know that my audience will be able to identify with them and spark engagement. My book, HIGH From Cannabis to Clarity, is intended to help others and the ability for others to identify with my story and relate is essential to fulfilling that purpose and engaging readers. I help those in my network, and in turn they help me — what goes around, comes around in this business and we are here to help each other grow and succeed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://addictionrecoveryebulletin.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/addictionrecoveryebulletin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086299431015
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardleebuschel
- Twitter: https://x.com/leo_buschel50
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WritersInTreatment
