Lessons Learned from Celebrity Overdose Deaths
We see it on the news and hear various speculations before anything is confirmed. Over 70,200 Americans died from a drug overdose in 2017 alone, and celebrities are no exception. Celebrity overdoses are a sad but eye-opening event. While we should certainly mourn these lost stars, we can also learn from them.
Celebrities Who Died of Drug Overdoses
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse famously sang that she wouldn’t go to rehab, a decision that may have cost Amy her life. At the young age of 27, Amy died of alcohol poisoning. She also had a history of using illicit drugs like heroin, crack, and cocaine, as well as smoking weed. While Amy tried and failed to become sober on her own, she neglected to get the professional addiction treatment she needed.
Heath Ledger
At just 28, this Australian actor was found dead in his New York City apartment in 2008. The death was found to be an accident from an overdose of various prescription drugs. Heath’s fame was taking a toll on his mental health, specifically, his role-playing The Joker, which was said to keep him up at night. Struggling with how to cope, he often took sleeping pills. In combination with other abused drugs, this led to a deadly combination. Holistic addiction treatment may have helped him address all of these issues.
Marilyn Monroe
Famous for her white dress and subway scene, this American icon had some dark secrets hidden underneath her beautiful exterior. She was found dead in her home in Los Angeles from an overdose of sedative drugs that she had been taking for depression. The death is a suspected suicide. Although she had contact with a psychiatrist, her depression, substance abuse, health problems, and possible bipolar disorder were too much for her. Proper dual diagnosis treatment, including a mental health program and substance abuse help, may have prevented Marilyn’s death.
Mac Miller
This late rapper struggled with substance abuse throughout his life. His fame seemed to exacerbate his issues when he began to experience depression and took various drugs to cope with his poor mental health. Eventually, Mac Miller died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, alcohol, and cocaine. While he did attempt to remain sober, Miller frequently relapsed. Relapses can happen, but it is important to learn ways to prevent such instances and to avoid common drug triggers.
A Personal Story of Addiction and Loss
Wish You Were Still Here
In some twisted sense of circular logic, it felt like I was paying for the privileges in my life with servitude to cocaine. I wouldn’t have wished withdrawal on my worst enemy and would have given up everything I had in my life to be able to just live one week free from pain and sickness. When you spend two years trapped in a haze of vomit, joint pain, and minimal lucidity, nothing makes sense, and everything makes sense all at once.
I started doing coke because I had no reason to believe anything bad would ever happen to me. I had gone through 17 years without ever facing the slightest amount of hardship. Looking back on it, I was bored and wanted to create some conflict in my life. I had a G-rated version of a death wish if there is such a thing. My “friends” practically fell over themselves trying to connect with a dealer that would keep me in plenty of white powder. When one got caught and went to jail, another would gladly fill his place—I was a very good customer.
When my parents found out what I was doing, they treated it like I stole a car and went for a drive past curfew. They started saying how “stupid” cocaine was and how only “losers and morons” get caught up in it. They assumed that that would be the end of the conversation, now knowing that they had a newly born “loser and moron” in their midst, one who was perfectly happy with that role. I went merrily on doing coke for about a year after that. When I started looking for a way out, there was no exit to be found.
It was my best friend who had convinced me to finally get help. How did he do this? He died. I knew at that moment I’d found the conflict I was looking for and wanted no more part of it. My parents only learned the depths of my problem when I pleaded with them to get me treatment. After my best friend’s funeral, I checked myself into a luxury drug rehab program and never looked back. I came close to leaving my program three times, but the image of my best friend lying there lifeless kept pulling me back.
After I left treatment, I stopped talking to all of my old friends and was determined to set up a new life away from everything that could possibly pull me back. I do not know if my story is typical or not. I just know that I have been clean and sober for the past three years, and that is how I intend to stay for the rest of my life. I am happy to have a life and to be alive. I just wish my best friend was still here.
Call Our Florida Rehab Today
It is important to learn from these celebrity overdoses to better understand how dangerous addiction can be. Like most overdoses, these deaths are preventable. One good way to prevent this from happening to you or your loved one is to go to a luxury rehab that will help you overcome your addiction problems.
We create a comprehensive healing process to address the entire destruction left behind by your addiction. Whether you are struggling with substance abuse or witnessing a suffering loved one, do not wait to get help. To learn more about our West Palm Beach rehab and how to start your sobriety journey, reach out to us at 561-677-9374.
Sources:
- National Institute on Drug Abuse- Overdose Death Rates
- People- The Dark Knight Turns 10: How the Joker Took a Toll on Heath Ledger Before His Death at 28
- PBS- Column: Marilyn Monroe and the prescription drugs that killed her