How to Avoid the ‘Perfect Storm of Self-Destruction’
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston News: Funeral for late star to be held in Newark tomorrow as governor defends flying flags at half-staff; addiction expert Dr. Karen Khaleghi on how celebrities and others can start to overcome their addiction
Whitney Houston will be laid to rest in her hometown of Newark, N.J., Saturday in a private funeral that will be streamed over the Internet for all the world to see.
Related: Whitney Houston an ‘Iconic Figure’ Who Always Delivered
Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will sing at funeral, and Houston’s ex-husband, singer Bobby Brown, along with her “The Bodyguard” co-star Kevin Coster, and Oprah Winfrey will also be in attendance. In fact, Costner is expected to speak at the event, which will be held at noon at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark. Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is defending his decision to have the state flags lowered to half-staff in memory of Houston. Some are criticizing him, saying New Jersey doesn’t lower the flags for fallen soldiers, yet for celebrities. But he is correcting the record on Twitter, saying during his administration, the flags have been lowered for every New Jersey soldier who has died.
“Many in state are mourning the loss of a cultural icon in NJ’s history. We are recognizing her for those contributions.”
“We do lower the flag for fallen soldiers and police officers. Learn the facts before accusing.”
“Flag being lowered for her cultural contributions as an artist & New Jerseyan. Her struggles w/substance abuse r a diff topic.”
Drs. Morteza and Karen Khaleghi
We reached out to Dr. Karen Khaleghi, who has more than 20 years of experience treating people with substance abuse, who says there are many resources for celebrities – and others – to help them overcome their addictions, if only they will accept it. Here’s what she said…
There are approximately 24 million people in the U.S. struggling with addiction, which is about 9 percent of our population. Many in the entertainment industry would state that the rate of addiction among artists is no greater than the general population but that their struggles are in the public eye. No statistic exists that would refute either the belief that the rate is higher or the same among artists.
Related: Whitney Houston Reminds Us to Confront Substance Abusers
What we do know is that there is an acceptance and even perhaps an expectation that artists can be emotional and expressive of their emotionality and that the struggles they have experienced in their lives has allowed them to be in touch with a deep well of pain/struggle which they pour into their “art” and expression – be it in the lyrics of a song, the soulful singing of a song or the portrayal of a character as an actor. Many actors are revered for their ability to channel their emotion into the part they play, and to those outside the industry there is an attribution, whether accurate or not, that it is the personal issues of the actor that allows for this channeling.
That is different from what the everyday person experiences in their world. For the vast majority of people, there is an expectation that you keep your personal life outside of work and your emotional life in check. So, there are different expectations for those in entertainment.
There are also differences in the consequences of drug and alcohol use. For the vast majority, it is unacceptable and grounds for punitive consequences if there is demonstrated substance abuse. Employers must give those that work for them the opportunity to seek treatment or help if the employee states that they have a substance abuse problem and need help. However, there are a set number of chances to clean up before the individual loses their job.
Related: Commit to Drug Prevention and Help Loved Ones
And while we all have seen the celebrity brought to court for offenses such as driving under the influence - such as Lindsay Lohan – exceptions are made, latitude is given, and high-powered attorneys are employed to create another opportunity.
There is also the reality that there are those that surround the artist that serve to meet every wish and serve to fuel the fire of addiction. Any drugs and alcohol desired is obtained; the need for a prescription is not an issue in obtaining prescription meds, and there is rarely a conversation about whether this is in the artist’s best interest. Rather, it is frequently argued that the show must go on, and there is fear there another artist is waiting to take your place if you don’t perform up to par. There exists a ‘just get them what they need right now and we will think about this later’ mentality, but, unfortunately, ‘later’ never materializes. A perfect storm of self-destruction exists for the artist that has reached the popular public domain and has substance abuse issues.
In the case of Whitney Houston, it was well established by Whitney’s personal admissions that she had substance abuse issues. Though it is important to note that of all the interviews I watched or read, I never heard Whitney utter that she was “an addict.” Perhaps this admission occurred but was not shared. It is reported that Whitney went through three treatments for substance abuse. As an addiction treatment professional for 22-plus years, one of the key components to treatment is admission of being an addict, acceptance that you are powerless over your addiction, and understanding the need for total absence, unless under direct and specific treatment from a professional trained to treat addicts with dual diagnosis – such as being being bipolar and addicted.
In watching interviews of those close to Whitney after her death, I was shocked and dismayed that even those closest to her expressed such things as her friend Kelly Price: “… she was sober, maybe a little tipsy because she had champagne.” Is it really the case that Kelly believes that she is “sober” and at the same time “tipsy?” Add to this those that witness her drinking at pre-Grammy parties but did nothing to call attention to the problem. Rather, it appears that there was an acknowledgement that she was struggling with her voice and felt pressure to be what she had been in the past as an artist.
Having treated addicts for so many years I can tell you that we have advanced what we offer those who are sober and wish to remain sober; we offer sober companions and sober coaches. These sober companions travel with bands, actors and entertainers and keep a watchful eye on the surroundings and those that may sabotage progress made towards continued sobriety. It takes thoughtful people attending and surrounding the addict to help get through the rough patches, particularly when sobriety is not yet strong.
During the TV coverage of Whitney’s death and in the interviews of those close to her, there was a
reference made to Whitney fighting her inner demons and an allusion that those demons were the source of her struggle to remain sober. We do not know and can only speculate as to what those inner demons were. Perhaps those closest to Whitney know her personal trauma and pain and understand the emotional issue that lead to her substance abuse and need to self-medicate. I am certainly not suggesting that we have a right to know her trauma or her inner demons as they have been called.
I will tell you that we began treating addicts over 22+ years ago, and treating addiction alone is not effective. Our success in treating addiction is due to the fact that we help the individual to deal with their addiction and the emotional pain that lead to their addiction at the same time. It is in this dual treatment that sobriety can be attained and relapse prevented. Individuals have an unlimited potential to grow, change and lead happy healthy lives in sobriety.
Drs. Morteza and Karen Khaleghi are the founders of Creative Care Malibu, a leading edge treatment center for addiction and mental health. Dr. Karen Khaleghi speaks to parents and organizations about the formation of addiction, the critical aspects of nature and nurture and the resulting disconnection between emotions and behavior. Both she and Dr. Morteza Khaleghi (aka Dr. K) feel strongly that there needs to be more of a dialog about the genesis of addiction and the path to recovery, a process they call “connecting the dots.” Their latest book, The Anatomy of Addiction, discusses how to recognize what people and situations drive addicts’ behavior, how to understand the causes of addicts’ helplessness and dependency, and how to create new family dynamics that end the cycle of addiction.
For more daily expert updates, follow genConnect on Twitter and Facebook.
To stay on top of Dr. Karen Khaleghi’s latest posts, as well as the contributions from other experts on the site: Sign Up for genConnect.
Category: Health, Views on the News
Loading ...
Secured by