GatewayRedbirds.com

New thread, because I felt like we were pissing on PSH who never did anything to us other than provide the enjoyment of great characters on film.

I've never done hard core drugs- but I've had to rein in my drinking a few times-not so much from the proverbial getting hammered situations, (though they have happened) - but from times where I craved having one each/every night. Then 2, then 3 or 4+ each/every night. I think that need to drink more, to feel as good as you think you did last time, is where the problems are.

I can only imagine that some drugs other than alcohol are exponentially more addictive, and some people are not wired well to handle such addiction.

Molly wondered-why does this happen so much to some greatly talented famous people? Besides the additional exposure to temptations that come with celebrity, it could be that the mental traits and makeup that enable them to achieve their fame, are same traits that bring them down. Their strength is also their weakness.

There's some discussion about this in this article where people that do crazy extreme sports and risk-taking. It sort of surmises, if these folks weren't getting their thrills from the extreme adventuring - they'd probably be junkies. I'm wondering if PSH and others that couldn't beat their addiction tend to predisposed this way too:
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/me ... nture.html

Good idea - I'll move my PSH post over here -

Did I? Catholic upbringing aside, yes I did. Not heroin but a lot of other stuff (and I probably would've tried it had it been around). What stopped me from ending up like PSH and so many other famous people? First, I had a job that required me to not be high/addicted. Second, I couldn't afford it. Those restrictions don't necessarily apply to actors, musicians and others who don't have to work continuously and have a lot of money plus easy access.

I guess sometimes being a middle-class corporate grunt is a good thing.

P-D yesterday has a good article about a more "regular guy" addicted to meth

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/he-lost-it-all-to-meth-the-marriage-the-money/article_5c48ff6a-894d-5cec-a852-42c7bb1113a0.html

Since we've broken out a new thread, here is my post again--a 1995 article by a heroin addict that is the best thing about the subject I've ever read. Long, really good.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/arti ... -my-monkey

I feel fortunate. I've never tried anything but alcohol. I rarely drink it these days. It was a problem for a time in college and I have a feeling it's hereditary since I have a few alcoholics in my family.

I've never been addicted to a substance in my life, but I've done oxy, percocet and vicodin so I definitely get the wonderfulness of opiates and how easy it would be to get addicted. I can't imagine how good heroin probably is.

trill wrote:I've never been addicted to a substance in my life, but I've done oxy, percocet and vicodin so I definitely get the wonderfulness of opiates and how easy it would be to get addicted. I can't imagine how good heroin probably is.

The wife had an attack of vertigo the other day--really weird, completely out of nowhere--and we were in the doctor's office, and naturally I was bored so I started reading the posters. They had a flier dedicated to how Kaiser Permanente was going to manage your pain medication, how they were going to keep tabs on what you'd taken, wouldn't replace lost pills, etc etc etc. And, as you say, that's the stuff you get from doctors, which isn't as potent as heroin.

Radbird wrote:Good idea - I'll move my PSH post over here -

Did I? Catholic upbringing aside, yes I did. Not heroin but a lot of other stuff (and I probably would've tried it had it been around). What stopped me from ending up like PSH and so many other famous people? First, I had a job that required me to not be high/addicted. Second, I couldn't afford it. Those restrictions don't necessarily apply to actors, musicians and others who don't have to work continuously and have a lot of money plus easy access.

I guess sometimes being a middle-class corporate grunt is a good thing.

Interesting that Robert Downey, Jr. was able to get and stay clean. Maybe jail time helped? Who knows but he definitely fits the profile of someone w/tons of money and free time on his hands.

Prescribed as a cough suppressant and a cure for morphine addiction, and apparently worked very well as both.

Molly wrote:

Radbird wrote:Good idea - I'll move my PSH post over here -

Did I? Catholic upbringing aside, yes I did. Not heroin but a lot of other stuff (and I probably would've tried it had it been around). What stopped me from ending up like PSH and so many other famous people? First, I had a job that required me to not be high/addicted. Second, I couldn't afford it. Those restrictions don't necessarily apply to actors, musicians and others who don't have to work continuously and have a lot of money plus easy access.

I guess sometimes being a middle-class corporate grunt is a good thing.

Interesting that Robert Downey, Jr. was able to get and stay clean. Maybe jail time helped? Who knows but he definitely fits the profile of someone w/tons of money and free time on his hands.

Money, spare time and being enabled by your support system definitely makes it easier to be a functioning addict, but let's not pretend it's some celebrity-specific affliction.

Simon Pegg had a nice analogy today:

@simonpegg: The trouble with addiction is that you can park the car but you can never switch off the engine or stop yourself from hearing the revs