ShareThisNo matter who you are, taking drugs inappropriately can kill you.
Before Michael, Anna Nicole and Heath, there was Elvis, and before the King came numerous others. Celebrities don't have a patent on dying prematurely from addiction and accidental overdoses to prescription medications, but it does seem that this tragedy takes its toll on artists to a greater degree.
Why do these celebrities seem unable to learn from those who have gone before them? Dying from an accidental overdose or mixture of medications is tragically foolish, but I can understand how it happens. These powerful drugs distort your thinking and your short-term memory, and even people who use these medications appropriately can forget when they last took a pill.
There is also a problem with the physicians who prescribed the medications. One would think that these stars would have the best concierge medical services money could buy, and while it is true that they could have gotten meds elsewhere, you'd assume that their private physicians would be aware of the drugs in their client's system.
No responsible medical doctor would prescribe these kinds of medications and doses without first carefully checking to see whether their patient was taking any other drugs and double- checking for toxic interactions.
There is no question that the lives of stars are different, but it's supposed to be a better life, not one that leads to having to battle your inner demons with drugs. Perhaps this is why even friends and family members may be in denial when a celebrity is clearly in trouble.
What does it take to get celebrities (or anyone taking narcotic medication), and those close to them, to see they are in danger? When Michael told ex-wife Lisa-Marie Presley that he feared he would die like her famous father, didn't she, or anyone close to him hear a cry for help?
As a therapist and substance-abuse counselor, I know what it's like to work with people who have a high profile, and I am painfully aware of how the lifestyles of the rich and famous can be destructive as well as seductive. Sometimes even very educated professionals get caught up in the whirlwind of star power and will lose sight of the boundaries, allowing themselves to mistakenly give their patient what they want instead of what they need.
That being said, you can lead a star to rehab, but you can't make them stay. When someone holds the power, those who work for (or are enmeshed with) them may be in fear of losing their coveted position if they insist on some type of intervention.
The bottom line here is that, it doesn't matter what your position in life is, who you work for, or whom you treat; if you suspect there is drug abuse going on, you need to get help. Speak to an objective professional. Do it now -- if not, you could be next. You can find more information at www.nida.nih.gov.
(Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a marriage and family therapist in Westlake Village, Calif., is the author, most recently, of "Emotional Fitness for Intimacy." He also hosts "Emotional Fitness" on NPR. E-mail him at Barton(at)BartonGoldsmith.com.)
EMOTIONAL FITNESS
