THE INCREDIBLE RECOVERY OF
TODD “Z-MAN” ZALKINS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Introduction 4
Punk, Pills and the Long Way Back
13 The Opioid Crisis in Southern California 23 Addiction: A Life of Recovery and Service 33 Sources
INTRO
Todd Zalkins is lucky to be alive. In 2007, after a 17-year addiction to OxyContin and other prescription opioid painkillers, Zalkins checked himself in to a treatment center for help beating one of the worst cases of painkiller addiction his doctor had ever seen. Zalkins’ severe opioid addiction and subsequent recovery is the subject of the 2017 independent film The Long Way Back: The Story of Todd “Z-Man” Zalkins. The film won Best Documentary at the 2017 Phoenix Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the 2017 Newport Beach Film Festival, the 2017 Long Beach International Film Festival and the 2017 Asbury Park Music & Film Festival. We recently sat down with Zalkins, a Long Beach native, to discuss the movie, get his take on the opioid crisis and talk about his ongoing recovery and his work in the field.
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PUNK, PILLS AND THE LONG WAY BACK
The Long Way Back chronicles Zalkins’ early life in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore neighborhood. He became fast friends with Brad Nowell, Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, a trio who would later form the celebrated ska punk band Sublime. Together, the four fun-loving friends skated, surfed and partied their way through high school, drinking heavily and snorting piles of cocaine they stole from a friend’s dad. In their twenties, the four were full-fledged purveyors of Long Beach’s punk rock scene, which produced bands like The Vandals, T.S.O.L. and Tex & the Horseheads. Sublime formed in 1988, right around the time heroin entered the Long Beach punk scene. Zalkins, who is deeply afraid of needles, stayed away from the drug. However, his pals dabbled in it, including Nowell, Sublime’s talented songwriter and front man.
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Despite his fear of needles, Zalkins wasn’t
the cigar-chomping ringleader and instigator
immune to opioid addiction. In 1990, while
of the Sublime crew, reveling in chaos and
attending San Diego State University, he suffered
maintaining a constant supply of cocaine, pills
a back injury and was prescribed Vicodin for the
and booze. In 1995, Zalkins became the star of
pain. But instead of the four tablets a day he was
Sublime’s video for the song “Date Rape,” which
prescribed, he was soon taking 30 each day.
began to get serious airplay on college stations
He moved back to Long Beach, where he became
across the country.
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TRAGEDY STRIKES THE PUNK SCENE Meanwhile, Nowell was sinking deeper into a serious heroin addiction. He talked about getting clean for his girlfriend Troy and infant son Jakob, but on May 25, 1996, just seven days after marrying Troy and only a few hours after lamenting to Zalkins that he missed his wife and son, Nowell died of a heroin overdose after a show. Dave Donaldson, a friend of the band, says in the film that he thought Nowell’s death would be a wakeup call. “It was the exact opposite. It was game on. ‘We’re just gonna stuff ourselves with whatever substances we can to numb the pain and act like we’re still having fun.’” He pauses. “It’s amazing that any of them are still alive, really.”
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Zalkins’ mother says he was inconsolable after Nowell’s death. He left Long Beach and moved to San Clemente and, despite his addiction to painkillers, started a successful insurance firm. His life continued to be fueled by alcohol, pills and cocaine. “I was really enjoying it while the night was going,” Zalkins says in the film, “but the following days were always terrifying for me... It would get scary, laying in bed with my heart starting to skip beats, and I’m like, I’ll never do it again, I’ll never do it again, just gonna give my heart a rest and never do that stuff again. And a week later, I’d buy another ounce of cocaine.”
In 1998, three years after OxyContin was approved for sale in the U.S., Zalkins got a prescription for it, and his pill addiction escalated. He had a doctor in San Diego and one in Santa Ana. The street value of his monthly pill supply was $23,000.
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THE SPIRAL TO ROCK BOTTOM AND THE JOURNEY BACK TO THE TOP Around the tenth year of Zalkins’ addiction, things began to shift. He was taking 16 to 18 OxyContin tablets a day, plus 12 to 16 Norcos and two or three fentanyl sticks, which are used to treat the kind of severe pain caused by cancer or burns. His daily opioid habit was equal to 100 Vicodin tablets. Zalkins’ doctors found out about each other and cut off his supply. He began buying big balls of tar heroin to smoke and started forging prescriptions. He became antisocial. He stopped showing up to his office. He quit returning his mom’s
16-18 OxyContin 12-16 Norcos
phone calls and began avoiding everyone who loved him. “I’d lost my mind,” Zalkins says in the film. “I couldn’t speak clearly, and something was broken. I wasn’t functioning as a human being, and that was the end of the line for me.”
2-3 Fentanyl
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On February 16, 2007, Zalkins checked himself
his father committed suicide. Still, Zalkins stayed
into rehab. He didn’t sleep for 44 days, and he
in recovery. He spread his father’s ashes in
had tremors for nine months after detox. As he
the ocean and went surfing or long-distance
faced his demons during his first few years of
swimming every day with his dad.
recovery—and there were many—he wept “all the time.”
During those early years of his recovery, Zalkins wrote Dying for Triplicate, a memoir about his
Nine months into his sobriety, Zalkins made
addiction. The book sold more than 50,000
peace with his estranged father. But just three
copies and helped people all over the world who
days shy of Zalkins’ one-year sober anniversary,
were struggling with their own addictions.
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A FILM ABOUT REDEMPTION
A few years after the publication of his book, Zalkins was contacted by a film producer in Canada who wanted to make a documentary about his story. That producer was Richard Yelland, who flew Zalkins to Vancouver to discuss the project. “I became intrigued about the idea of it all,” Zalkins says. “Ultimately, another film producer became involved, and the rest is history.”
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Zalkins says that making the film was a very painful process for him. “We had to continue to revisit some subject matter that was often difficult to dredge up, listen to and watch. But it had to be done in order to get an effective message across. At the end of the day, I believe in my heart we have made a film with a good message, with hope and awareness.” Zalkins began to receive messages from people all over the U.S. and other countries who saw the film and were helped by it. “In the end, that is all that matters to me,” Zalkins says. The Long Way Back is just as dark and emotional as you might expect, but it’s also a story of redemption, fraught with hope and offering inspiration to others struggling with opioid addiction. And in the midst of the currently worsening opioid crisis in America, it’s a timely tale.
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THE OPIOID CRISIS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Although the opioid crisis has been less severe in California than in other states—a fact that some experts attribute in part to California’s diverse demographics, according to the Los Angeles Times—southern California is the state’s mostaffected region.1 Zalkins has seen firsthand the impact of the opioid epidemic on his community. “I got clean and sober in 2007, just before this ‘bubble’ of the crisis was getting ready to burst,” he says. “The last three to four years, young people are dying in parking lots outside of fast-food restaurants in the middle of the day. You hear over and over that it wasn’t long ago that he or she was a good student once upon a time or never even had a drug problem. I have run into this scenario dozens of times.”
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FAIR Health, a non-profit organization dedicated to transparency in healthcare costs, analyzed data from its massive database of 23 billion privately billed health insurance claims to study the opioid crisis in the nation’s insurance claims in southern California citing opioid-related diagnoses increased by 31,897 percent—yes, you read that right—from 2007 to 2016.2
7%
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five most populous cities. According to the analysis, private
OPIOID DEATHS IN 2016:
42,249
AIDS DEATHS PEAKED IN 1995:
51,000
“This is a problem that isn’t going away anytime soon,”
“I look at it no different than a wildfire that’s out of
Zalkins says. “In fact, in time, it will take more lives than the
control,” Zalkins says. “We can help some people by
AIDS crisis in the 1980s, with really no end in sight.” At its
pulling them out of the fire, but many are continuing
peak in 1995, according to the Centers for Disease Control
to perish because of it.”
and Prevention, the AIDS crisis had claimed 311,381 lives, 51,000 during that year alone.3 By comparison, 42,249 opioid overdose deaths occurred in 2016 alone, a five-fold increase since 1999, according to the CDC. To date, the opioid crisis has claimed more than 200,000 lives.4
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DISREPUTABLE TREATMENT FACILITIES FUEL THE FIRE When we asked about current laws or policies that Zalkins feels are especially damaging in terms of the opioid crisis, he doesn’t hesitate. “The inability of our own government to regulate the quality of substance abuse treatment and sober living facilities that run unchecked in our society,” he answers. Indeed, although southern California is home to many legitimate treatment centers, many others engage in deceptive and fraudulent practices involving body brokering, drug-testing mills and fraudulent insurance claims, according to a recent article in The Orange County Register.5
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Because Obamacare rules require insurance
services while providing very little in the way of
companies to pay for addiction treatment, and
effective treatment.
health insurance policies can be purchased through Covered California immediately upon arrival in the state, disreputable rehab centers advertise nationally to bring in addicted individuals from all over the country, even offering “scholarships” that cover their travel expenses and insurance premiums and deductibles. Once these individuals are set up in a “rehab” program, the program operators bill the insurance company for a wide range of
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In some cases, once individuals graduate from the “program,” they’re sent to live in an affiliated sober living home. There, drugs are made available to them, and after relapsing, they start the whole “rehab” process over again. In other cases, when their insurance money dries up, individuals are tossed out onto the streets, where they inevitably turn back to drugs. This practice, known as “curbing,” has contributed to a rise in homeless populations across the region.
THE REHAB RIVIERA
A recent Southern California News Group investigation uncovered a number of issues that help explain the proliferation of treatment and sober living facilities in Southern California, which has been dubbed the “Rehab Riviera� by industry insiders. To date, the area is home to 1,117 licensed rehab centers and thousands of unlicensed and unregulated sober living homes.
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The investigation’s findings include these sobering facts: •
Licensing requirements allow almost anyone to get a license to run a rehab center. Some programs are being run by ex-cons, and others are run by doctors on the verge of losing their medical licenses.
•
Just sixteen Sacramento-based inspectors oversee nearly 2,000 rehab centers in California.
•
Getting unbiased information about treatment facilities is difficult. The state maintains official assessments only on paper, and only in Sacramento.
•
Every two weeks on average, someone dies in a licensed rehab center in the state, but privacy laws make information about deaths inside of rehabs difficult to find.
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It’s not just that these disreputable programs exist, but also that separating the good from the bad can be a daunting and complicated task. Unfortunately, it is not yet common knowledge that it’s a completely necessary one.
THE PROBLEM OF LIMITED ACCESS TO QUALITY TREATMENT While insurance companies, state and federal regulators and local and national law enforcement agencies are investigating and suing some of the biggest players in the rehab scam, many others are falling through the cracks, according to The Orange County Register. And while legislators on both sides of the aisle are pushing for new state and federal regulations for treatment programs and sober living homes, the current state of affairs is dismal. “One of the biggest problems we have,” Zalkins says, “is when people want help, but there’s no availability due to the lack of facilities that can provide decent care unless the person has either financial resources or above-average health insurance.”
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What’s really needed for the opioid epidemic, Zalkins says, is more funding for reputable treatment centers, where addicted individuals can safely detox and receive counseling services while participating in other programs to help them stay in recovery. Still, despite the “bad seeds trying to make a quick buck,” the treatment industry in southern California is an industry Zalkins is proud to be a part of. “Let’s not forget the masses of awesome people who value their credentials and take pride in this profession of saving lives,” he says.
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AFTER ADDICTION: A LIFE OF RECOVERY AND SERVICE
Saving lives is exactly what Todd Zalkins does
he found in the insurance industry before his
these days. It’s what he has dedicated his life to.
addiction robbed him of his ability to function
When asked about the most rewarding part of his
has followed him into the field of addiction
life after addiction, Zalkins once again answers
recovery.
without hesitation. “Hands down, it’s to inspire and motivate other addicts to recover, whether it’s speaking to a crowd of hundreds at a college or working one-on-one with a guy I sponsor.” Zalkins is tireless in his mission, and the success
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Now a state-certified drug and alcohol counselor and master interventionist, Zalkins is founder and CEO of The Four Keys, Inc., an organization that addresses four key areas of recovery: action, awareness, recovery and connection.
ACTION But how do you help someone who doesn’t think they need help or who doesn’t want help? The answer is an intervention.
Taking action is the very first step to recovery. For those who are addicted, action means getting into a treatment program. For those who love someone who is addicted, it means getting their loved one into a program. Professional interventionists provide an essential service for families experiencing addiction, including helping them find a reputable treatment program for their loved one. Zalkins’ organization works only with high-quality facilities that offer a superior level of clinical and therapeutic care.
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Zalkins and his team pride themselves on matching individuals with a treatment program that will meet their unique needs. For those with a co-occurring mental illness, this will be a dual diagnosis treatment program. For those with a history of trauma, it will be a program that offers trauma-informed treatment. Zalkins’ All-In Interventions has a 90 percent success rate in getting the addicted person into treatment. “When it comes to intervention, I love it when the family gets to exhale,” Zalkins says. He points out that families, too, suffer when their loved one is addicted. “Of course, I want the addict or alcoholic to get into recovery—that’s the primary focus—but the family needs to heal, too, and I love to see them on their path to getting well just as much.”
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AWARENESS Zalkins developed and facilitates a two-day workshop for people who are in treatment to motivate them in their recovery and inspire long-term success. Day one of the workshop kicks off with a viewing of The Long Way Back, followed by a session where Zalkins shares his experiences. He helps the group understand the importance of sponsorship, mentorship and having a detailed recovery plan. The first day ends with an offering of practical and solution-oriented tips on navigating physical and emotional triggers for relapse.
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The second day of the workshop finds
Zalkins helps them understand how to build a
participants sharing freely about their lives, fears,
solid foundation for sobriety and offers practical
triggers and whatever else is on their minds.
tools for living sober and managing expectations.
Participants cultivate tools for sober living and
The workshop ends on an inspiring, hopeful note,
come to really understand that recovery is a
helping participants realize that they’re not alone,
lifelong process of change.
and they can break the bonds of addiction and find freedom in a life of purpose and meaning.
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RECOVERY The Nowell Family Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Zalkins and Brad Nowell’s father, Jim “Papa” Nowell, is scheduled to open a treatment facility in 2018. What makes this treatment program special is that it’s dedicated to serving male musicians who are suffering from an opioid addiction but who have no health insurance and lack the financial resources for treatment. Bradley’s House, which will be located in San Juan Capistrano, will offer complete medicaldetox as well as research-based clinical and therapeutic services for a holistic approach to treatment and recovery.
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CONNECTION
Zalkins’ larger-than-life personality, tinged with humor, honesty and warmth, makes him a natural storyteller and an effective and engaging public speaker. Zalkins inspires audiences around the world, speaking at high school and college campuses, treatment centers, corporations and private events. His motivational message helps to break the stigma of addiction, which prevents many from seeking the help they need to recover. The Z-Man Podcast is another way Zalkins connects with others in recovery. Available on iTunes, his podcasts are brutally honest, deeply moving and often utterly hilarious as he interviews the pals and peers who continue to encourage, inspire and motivate him in his continued recovery.
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ROOTS THROUGH RECOVERY WELCOMES ZALKINS ON FEBRUARY 6 During our interview with Zalkins, we asked
“I like the people there,” he says, pointing out
him about being a featured speaker for Roots
that a treatment center’s success starts with
Through Recovery’s one-year anniversary
its infrastructure. Zalkins says he is well
celebration on February 6. Why did he choose to
acquainted with Roots’ executive director Eric
partner and work with Roots?
Johnston and Johnston’s previous successes in the treatment field. “He has assembled an awesome team of loving and compassionate people. If you’ve got that happening, you’re going to be able to offer a high level of care to people in need,” he says. Zalkins also notes his experience with Roots’ CFO Kelly Elmore and others. “As an interventionist, it’s critical to trust who you work with. And I have a very high level of trust with the people at Roots, which is why I choose to work with them.”
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The feeling is definitely mutual. Roots Though Recovery is proud to count Todd as a friend and welcome him to our facility to talk about the painful realities of addiction and the long, hard—but ultimately rewarding—road to recovery. As we enter our second year of helping addicted individuals in Long Beach reclaim their lives through real and meaningful change, we can’t think of a better person to inspire hope in others who are struggling with the disease of addiction. As Zalkins himself will tell you from personal experience, anyone can recover, even if the odds are stacked against firmly against them.
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SOURCES 1. Karlamangla, S. (2017, October 17). California’s Opioid Death Rate is Among the Nation’s Lowest. Experts Aren’t Sure Why. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-ln-california-opioids-20171026-htmlstory.html 2. Peeling Back the Curtain on Regional Variation in the Opioid Crisis. (2017, June). Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/media2.fairhealth.org/whitepaper/asset/FH%20White%20Paper%20-%20Peeling%20Back%20the%20 Curtain%20on%20Regional_Variation%20in%20the%20Opioid%20Crisis%20-%20June%202017-5972405d4efee.pdf 3. First 500,000 AIDS Cases - United States, 1995. (1995, November 24). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00039622.htm 4. Drug Overdose Death Data. (2017, December 19). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html 5. Sforza, T., Saavedra, T., Schwebke, S., Basheda, L., Schauer, M., Gritchen, J., & Wheeler, I. (2017, May 30). How Some Southern California Drug Rehab Centers Exploit Addiction. The Orange County Register. Retrieved from https://www.ocregister.com/2017/05/21/how-some-southern-california-drug-rehab-centers-exploit-addiction/
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EMBRACE YOUR RECOVERY REDISCOVER YOURSELF Roots Through Recovery is dedicated to providing outpatient addiction treatment solutions for people to reclaim their lives and create their own path of recovery.
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