Amy Winehouse, Celebrity Addiction and Death

I don't know Amy Winehouse, but I do know addiction.

There's been a lot of talk about how she died and what circumstances led to her death. We've all heard the reports of multiple rehab admissions, on and off recovery, public "altered" appearances where it was obvious she was taking something, etc.

Winehouse's death is obviously a terrible tragedy, and her celebrity status made her recovery that much harder. Why? Because there's no privacy, and there's a great deal of pressure to start working again before you are mentally and physically ready because so many incomes depend on you (managers, agents, publicists, musicians, etc.). You receive "special" care that is not good care, and the public enjoys watching or hearing "drama" -- and sober people just aren't that dramatic compared to when they're using.

I was treating a rock star once who told me something that I'll never forget: He said, "When I'm loaded, I'm a better news story, people talk about me, I'm popular, I'm important. And when I'm sober, nobody seems to care because there's no story. I'm not doing anything newsworthy. To me, that's the hardest part about staying sober."

A big part of recovery, of battling addiction, is to make a lifestyle modification -- to change your biological, psychological, social and spiritual life. The goal is to look internally and find a sense of purpose, find out why you do what you do, to develop new skills and experience positive things. And whether you're a celebrity or CEO or just a man or woman with a family, it requires you to take time out from your normal existence.

We've all heard the tragic stories of well-known people who die from some type of drug, alcohol or prescription pills. And most people assume that the drugs cause someone to instantly "overdose," which means a rapid death. We hear about somebody going to sleep and never waking up.

But people don't just die from addiction because they overdose or stop breathing or go into cardiac arrest. The constant use of drugs and alcohol compromises your entire body systems, making you more susceptible to pneumonia and many other "addiction-related" problems. Most people don't realize that addiction doesn't usually just kill rapidly, it more often causes a slow death but one that still has a life expectancy far less than the average person. Problems with nutrient absorption, neurotoxicity, mental health issues, cardiac impairment, immune system dysfunction, lung and respiratory problems, kidney dysfunction, the list goes on and on.
Addiction, untreated or not well treated, robs you of your ability to think and the ability for your body to function. Over time, you develop physiological and mental health problems that can lead to severe impairment and death.

The next time somebody announces "drugs weren't involved in this person's premature death" when the individual has a history of abusing drugs and alcohol, think again. It's easier to see the connection when the death is sudden and there's a pile of pill bottles on the night stand. But, more common, the drugs and alcohol put the person in a compromised state of health that eventually led to their death.

 

Comments

[C Karen Stopford]

09:45 AM on 07/31/2011

Drinking and drugging as attention-getting behavior is no excuse, and Winehouse's death is no more tragic than the deaths of addicts and alcoholics that occur on a daily basis. If it were easy for anyone to stay sober, they would. So you don't get as much attention sober? Get over it. Work on the constant need to be the center of the universe, and you might get somewhere. The real tragedy is a judicial system that allows stars to "get away with it" time and time again. The average person would be incarcerated after the first violation of probation. No attorney or judge is doing these people any favors by giving them a slap on the wrist and sending them back out to the night clubs.

[ElBruce]

02:53 PM on 07/31/2011

Yeah, keep wagging that finger from up there on that pulpit! I'm sure it'll help a lot...

[Walter Klinetob]

02:07 AM on 08/01/2011

Your informed opinion of the nuances of drug addiction and rehabilitation surpasses any doctor in the field. Thanks for setting the record straight and letting these degenerates know that sobriety is as easy as it looks.

*lol*

[jennielake]

06:54 AM on 07/31/2011

If she was healthy and "normal" would she have been in the spotlight - NO !

... shame on us as a people for feeding into this.

[littlebrowngirl]

11:32 PM on 07/30/2011

Loved Amy's music but she was a slow motion train wreak. I can only imagine the pain that the familiy and friends of the addicted feel. Trying to help, seeing lapses, wondering if the next call will be the final call. It is a tormenting thing for all. I hope that this situation can save someone who is headed down the same path. Families don't want this for anyone.

[sunshineshines]

08:16 PM on 07/30/2011

this is right on the mark.

[CAMBEL]

06:36 PM on 07/30/2011

Yes, being a celeb was so tough for her....she went and lived in St. Lucia for nearly a year supposedly to get off drugs. Didn't work.

[SILVANUS]

01:18 PM on 07/30/2011

People vampirically feed on tragedy, which feeds on that in return.

[fightthapower]

01:03 PM on 07/30/2011

I read this with some skepticism. I do think that Dr. Karim is spot on with his opinion. The thing is, given the Amy Winehouse tragedy, what's to be done/said about Charlie Sheen's impending train wreck. When is someone going to say enough's enough? I find it interesting that this conversation has not turned to a discussion the similarities between Mr. Sheen and Ms. Winehouse. (I think someone at HP will end up writing a piece on this now ;>)) Surely his family and his handlers (or someone who cares about him) sees that his outcome will be something along the same lines --and hopefully does something to help him instead of sensationalizing his addiction. Maybe he is drying up since he hasn't been in the headlines lately. I pray that Mr. Sheen and other people (not just celebrities) are able to find their way to get help because people of all stripes and occupations have addictions.

[abbienormal]

02:24 PM on 07/31/2011

The trouble is that no one can do anything to help Sheen except himself. If he doesn't want help, nothing will work.

In my personal experience, I have found that people that try to help end up making things worse because they try to control something that is uncontrollable by anyone except for the addict. They end up cleaning up messes with the hope that the addict will notice - which of course they will not.

My parents have been going through this hell with my sister for years now.

[fightthapower]

08:32 PM on 07/31/2011

abbienormal my prayers go out for you and your family. I sincerely pray that your sister gets some help--and you and your family are able to remain strong enough to support and love her enough to not give up on her. May God keep her.

[Mr Harry Koch]

12:36 PM on 07/30/2011

If half the people showed how they cared about her when she was alive, she may have tried to quit. We only care when shes gone. She suffered from a disease, and because of it she is dead. She paved the way for many british artists who entered the US music scene including Adele and Duffy. It is a tragedy that such a soulful voice will never sing again...

[CAMBEL]

11:39 AM on 07/30/2011

Oh Give me a break, enough with the "It's so tough to be rich and famous". Winehouse left and lived in St. Lucia for months supposedly to get better. The only thing they said that KEPT her from going totally out of countrol was the fact that the hotel banned her from drinking. So what did she do? She goes and rents a house there. She didn't want to recover, and when she did, her relationships and the people in her lives weren't enough. Celebs have access to places and recovery programs that others do not. Trying to pretend that poor Amy who could go off to an island to escape it all was a victim is beyond ridiculous.

[Pleneras]

09:06 AM on 07/30/2011

Media and tabloids follow people like amy around in order to receive a paycheck. Those entities live off the lives of others like flies live off anything it can find.

[Alexandra Spinner]

01:30 AM on 07/30/2011

For once a sound, objective, general medical overview thus far.

With just a hint of a "rock stars" dilemma, I think? Shoot.

I remember hearing a rock star say in an interview he wasn't interested in getting
high, because the roar of his fans loving his music and with the agreement of that
musical purpose; he could never receive that 'kind of high' from a drug or alcohol.

His true joy and high came from his performing and singing. I think this is
clarity in an artist understanding and appreciation for his gift.

'nuff said.

[peegan]

07:08 AM on 07/30/2011

I remember a singer with a very famous band saying something like that, about ten years into an on and off twenty year heroine addiction.

[Megandale]

08:14 AM on 07/31/2011

Not that simple.

[Piaget2011]

01:03 AM on 07/30/2011

I am tired of speculating about what killed her - if she overdosed or if her body just gave out etc. All I keep thinking about is that she died alone and something about that makes me really sad. I hope it was painless and peaceful.

[Highball]

11:29 PM on 07/30/2011

Yeah, it makes me sad too.

Sadly, I think she's been effectively alone for a long time.

[GirlInNYC]

01:06 AM on 07/31/2011

Same. That and no more Amy Winehouse in my ears? A horrible thought. I loved her sound. She was my Billie Holiday, seriously.

[avacat]

11:36 AM on 07/31/2011

Faved, she was my Janis Joplin, with that unique sound that can't be imitated, it just IS.

[Me atlast]

12:00 AM on 07/30/2011

"Love is a losing game" original demo track... one of her best.

Her death is a loss, the gal could sing. She may have hit her peak on "Back to Black", but I feel she could have hit a higher one, had she survived herself...

RIP dear soul... rest easy girl....

[Lynda Groom]

11:31 PM on 07/29/2011

Many people can't handle success and it appears that this woman was one of those.

[abbienormal]

02:26 PM on 07/31/2011

It is more likely that she was suffering from mental illness.

[Edy Williams]

07:14 PM on 07/29/2011

We Hope to hear AMY Sing her "rehab' song. s he was verylovely. Wish she washere to sing,"Solutions!":Bringhome 50,000 Troops for Sept.!(early),"Saving America a Trillion in"meals"etc,.Second song,: Save our seniors tiny allowances!
A song":We QUIT FUNDING U,S Money to other countries.La,La La!!
We Miss ya AMY!!

[shakesome]

10:30 PM on 07/29/2011

I love your writing style! You've invented totally new & unheard-of punctuation, spacing and grammar. Almost as if Amy was reaching from beyond the grave via Ouija board.

[Edy Williams]

12:47 AM on 07/30/2011

Amy had thesame gift of :James Dean.Marilyn,Liz Taylor: she dared to be unique! All her beautiful looks,& to sing like thT, TO HANDLE WHAT SHE MANAGED TO DO.oNLY 27.
wE ALL REQUIRE A "SERENITY PLACE TO BE RESILENT. hER DAD LOVED HER SO. sHE WAS JUST CAUGHT WAY UP THERE IN aLL THAT!. sEEMED WAY TO SEVERE,HER LOVE OF HER LIFE 2/HALF YEARS IN PRISON? hARDLY HE DID NOT DESERVE IT.!hOPE THEY PLAY HER MUSIC ALL OVER THE PLACE.wHAT shame.! My p.c.does it own "letter "style without me. Oh well.