To have little sympathy with celebrities with their addictions?

[Talldaisy13]

This isn’t about anyone in particular. Just that there are so many celebrities with drug and alcohol problems and they end up ruining not only their own lives but the lives of others.

I know that money and status doesn’t mean you are exempt from mental health problems. But there’s so much navel gazing and some seem to have no self awareness.

I’ve had close family members with addictions and although I understand that it’s supposed to be an illness, I’ve found that they blame everyone else for their problems and destroy everyone around them.

I probably feel the same about anyone but with celebrities it seems even worse when they have the means to get help and have lives others can only dream of.

You’re totally discounting addiction to prescription drugs, where they have (previously) been prescribed and then…

speaking from experience, here.

OP I am afraid you seem to have a fairly naive view of addiction.

'Aside from my husband, I can guarantee that absolutely no one in my life knew I was drinking 200+ units of alcohol a week. I was going to work in a very prestigious job. My kids are well put together'

With respect and meant kindly if you were drinking 200+ units a week your kids will have been affected massively you were perhaps too drunk to notice. Other people will have known, of course they will have.

Good on getting it under control now though. Keep it up.

I actually have a lot of direct experience of dealing with people with addictions. So I have more understanding than most.

I didn’t mention prescription medications, that’s a totally different thing altogether. There have been lots of medications that should never have been prescribed.

You have experience with addiction but at the same time no sympathy for addicts that happen to be famous?

People with addictions almost always blame others, or claim people just don’t understand.

They also often claim that their addiction was simply a personal problem and didn’t affect those around them. Yes, yes it will have, massively.

I’ve never been an addict no.

But I’ve had several people close to me who have been.

Who said it wouldn’t affect those around them? You can still have sympathy.

So you’re basing your opinions of several people who you know?

Respectfully OP you seem to be extremely personally bothered by this. Has something happened to spark this post and are you okay?

That tends to be how opinions are formed, through experience.

Yes. But at the same time that person should be able to acknowledge that they are not knowledgeable enough to make sweeping generalisations about whole groups of people.

You don’t feel sorry for Sarah?

I don't know. We've probably all encountered addicts and without exception they are liars, destructive, deluded, manipulative and that's being kind.

Think it's something we can make sweeping generalisations about.

I thank my lucky stars that I was never introduced to coke or heroin AND that Im not famous

Either one of those situations would be disasterous, let alone the combination.

I think it starts as part of a party lifestyle then by the time they realise they have a problem, it's already too late. Just like every addict, I presume.

Ant McPartlin springs to mind. Gets caught drink driving, says he has a problem and everyone praises him for getting clean.

Never mind the fact he could have wiped out a whole family driving whilst drunk.

Why celebrities? Not all celebrities are wealthy. And plenty of non celebrities are wealthy.

don’t you mean ‘wealthy people’ rather than celebrities? Or do you specifically dislike celebrities?

I agree 200 units a week? I think a lot of people would have suspected if not known for sure.

Nobody in their right head would actively choose to be an addict. I have every empathy for people who are gripped by addiction regardless of how famous they are or aren't.

Dunno about the kids, but other people wouldn't have "of course known". It's a couple of bottles of wine a night. I wouldn't know if anyone in my life was drinking a couple of bottles of wine a night.

Like any group, people struggling with addiction are not all the same and don’t behave in one fixed way. Some may lie or become manipulative, but that often comes from the illness rather than who they truly are. Many others don’t behave like that at all.

I am speaking from personal and professional experience.

My DM was kind, caring and one of the most compassionate people I have met. But she was also a functioning alcoholic for much of my childhood, although it is not something I was aware of as a child.

They are all manipulative, deluded and like to play the victim. All of them.
<it isn't an illness it's a compulsion that causes illnesses like liver disease>.

What if its prescription drugs?

You’re wrong, but I’m not going to keep going around in circles with you.

There are no intentional alcoholics.
There are no ex alcoholics.
Plea try to understand this.