To feel shaken by Liam Paynes death and wonder how we keep our kids safe

[middleagedandinarage]

Just that really, I'm a bit old to be a 1D fan and didn't know a huge amount about Liam Payne apart from him being part of one of the worlds most famous boy bands and having a son with Cheryl Cole but I feel very shocked and upset by his death. He was clearly a very troubled man, which I imagine came from being shot to fame at such a young age. Obviously not every child has that pressure but I feel incredibly worried for my own children. How do we keep our children safe and on the right track in a world that seems to have so so many pressures for them

He was diagnosed with adhd as an adult. Sadly, undiagnosed neurodivergence is responsible for a lot of mental health issues and drug/ alcohol related problems in later life. The music industry and celebrity stardom is a toxic mix and the perfect storm, particularly for people like LP who are just children when they find fame.

It's a very sad story, and sadly the latest in a long line of similar ones.

I bet Robbie Williams has lots to say on this. He was so young when he joined Take That. It was almost like when he left he didn't know where his place was and went on that bender at Glastonbury. Was sad to see, We didn't have social
Media back then but the paparazzi were still after him. I'm sure his family were worried sick...but he was an adult and came through it from what I understand. X

No, they can be loads of fun in moderation. Just like booze, base jumping and all manner of other things that can be bad for you if you're not careful 🤷🏻‍♂️

@Ramblomatic they’re often deadly, so many psychosis cases at Uni currently as cheap & cut with anything. It’s not the 90s anymore. I think there should be a serious campaign as too many think like you.

What good would a campaign do @User14march? Surely it would be better to legalise certain drugs and then we could control what is in them?

They're not 'often' deadly, they're very, very occasionally deadly in the hands of people who can't handle them, take to much of them, or aren't smart about who/where they're buying them from.

Education, regulation and legalisation has worked everywhere it's been tried.

Utterly bizarre reaction to this tragic event tbh OP.

@Ramblomatic University teenagers aren’t streetwise about dealers.

They're not 'often' deadly, they're very, very occasionally deadly in the hands of people who can't handle them, take to much of them, or aren't smart about who/where they're buying them from

I broadly agree but this does sound a bit like you'll only die of a drugs overdose if you are a newbie to the drugs scene. I'm sure LP thought he could handle his drugs!

Liam Payne was clearly high, and very, very drunk. He made a bad decision and fell. This is why drugs can be very dangerous indeed - they cloud your judgement (and I very much include alcohol in that).

You could definitely die of drugs in the 90s and people did.

@Goldenbear yes, that’s true. IME things feel potentially more dangerous now.

It's not just drugs to worry about. I remember reading Zayn's Wikipedia and it saying he had an eating disorder in one direction which he attributed to overwhelming workload/pressure.

Are you young? Were you young in the 90s. Everything 'feels' more dangerous as we are told that is the case via the internet and 24 he news channels, I'm not convinced that is the reality. Many teenagers don't drink that much probably due to their parents generation but I think drugs are still taken so I suppose that heightens the risk of dodgy as you are referencing.

It's booze! That's the real problem.

Again, how many people had eating disorders in the past, it was sometimes semi encouraged for young women.

It's a pretty unique kind of pressure that he faced, he was extremely famous from his teenage years, millions of people commenting on his life. Our kids likely won't have that.

How do people still believe this shite?

@Goldenbear not young & unfortunately well informed on particular case/s. Ketamine…

Because I grew up in a country where a lot of drugs are legal (and they have a great attitude to the ones that aren't) and I've had a great old time on them over the years?

I mean, I was, because my parents were smart enough to tell me what I needed to know instead of demonizing the subject.

You seem to like making sweeping generalisations about something you don't seem to know much about 🤔

@ramblomatic you are a bit cool for school aren't you!

I am quite interested to hear what your parents told you about dealers though.

@Ramblomatic I understand only too well. I am all for open discussion & I see your argument BUT I have seen some terrible consequences first hand. Who’d want their child to willingly take serious risks as it’s all a bit of a laugh? When they have no idea of source, strength etc. I could go on.

Drugs were legal? Do you mean decriminalised?

I don't think it's necessarily about being a 'newbie', but education is absolutely key.

Lots more too it though...some people just aren't equipped to handle them, just like some people can't handle booze, stress, whatever.

Then you add in how they interact with each other, prescription meds a person might be taking, where they are mentally...it's a minefield!

His death was very sad but he wasn't a child, he was a grown man who experienced pressures that the average person isn't going to experience.

You can't predict what will happen to your children or shield them from everything bad. Wrapping them in cotton wool does more harm than good, at some point children need to be let go to be adults and lead their own lives and make their own decisions. All we can do is provide a secure childhood and teach good values to them.