An addiction treatment center back in May 2011 was the last time Whitney Houston agreed to get help. It was her third and final stint in rehab and those close to her thought it was the one to stick. Unfortunately as we all learned recently, like so many other addicts struggling with their recovery efforts, it did not. You’ve undoubtedly read and watched an innumerable amount of coverage on the singer’s untimely demise and the dangerous cocktail of benzodiazepines, namely Xanax, Lorazepam and Valium that were all found in her hotel suite. But what’s more alarming than the drugs’ presence is the fact that much of the mainstream media is neglecting to report on the alcohol that was present. Ask any addiction treatment center and they’ll tell you our society’s willingness to overlook alcohol abuse and the serious consequences it can bring is frightening.
We’re taught as a nation that drinking is good and fun and what the sophisticated people do by advertisements as well as movies and television programs. And because of that we tell ourselves every day that’s it’s okay to drink, and it’s not really substance abuse when we drink too much or too often. That it’s all part of the ride when we suffer wild and reckless emotional and physical consequences as a result of it. It’s thinking like this that allows 34 percent of our population to become addicted to alcohol or engage in what public health officials consider risky, problem drinking. It’s why just about every addiction treatment center across the country is filled with alcoholics in addition to drug addicts. Just think about the statistics, eight percent of Americans ages 12 and older use illicit drugs compared to the above statistic on alcohol abuse. Remember the fact that there are far more alcohol-related deaths than illicit substance-related (3rd leading cause of death in America after all) not to mention the obscene rates of violent crime linked to alcohol. It’s alarming how socially irresponsible we as a society can be when we’re able to turn a blind eye to such a substantial portion of our population that desperately needs help from an addiction treatment center.
Amy Winehouse is another tragic example of a life lost far too early as she grappled with addiction. Look her up online and you’ll read story after story of her affair with crack cocaine and other drugs in spite of the fact that it was alcohol that eventually killed her. The longer we continue to ignore the realities of the effects of alcoholism on our loved ones, the more often we’ll have to read stories like the ones of these two incredibly talented women who we lost before they were able to find their way.
Florida Addiction Treatment Center
Destination Hope: The Women’s Program is a full service addiction treatment center in Florida for women suffering from substance abuse issues. If there’s a woman in your life who’s having problems with drugs or alcohol, please put her in contact with the folks at Destination Hope today. Take the life and death of Whitney Houston as the cautionary tale it is. Addiction can happen to anyone, anywhere, and if you don’t stop it, it will eventually kill you. Call us today when you’re ready to save your life.
