I have watched with interest and deep sadness the story of Whitney Houston’s death. I have heard the defense of her friends talking about how well she was and how she had a “couple of glasses of champagne” the analysis has begun and the so called experts are out in force with their opinions. The only person I have heard so far who told it like it is and clearly understands the current state of addiction in this country was Dr Drew Pinskey on Anderson Cooper 360i. Dr. Drew no stranger to addiction and thankfully much more than a talking head he has a deep understanding of addiction. Dr. Drew’s point was that our alcoholics and addicts are getting sober but switching to a new “legal” drug the prescription drug. No addict should ever take a pill which is addictive. It will stir the beast and they will go back to their addiction in a heart beat. Today it is prescription drugs which are killing our people. Some of these addicts leave the treatment centers on these pills. They are already taking a mind altering substance lethal for an addict and are unable to work a program of recovery. They cannot get to the sunlight of the spirit through the steps because their minds are not open, their hearts are not open and our own medical profession and treatment centers are sending them to their death. People who want to be sober and live will suffer chronic pain rather than take a narcotic pain killer myself included. I would rather live with pain than die which is what will happen if I become addicted to anything again. Heath Ledger, Brittney Murphy, Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith the list goes on and on.
We are burying our friends in AA not because they drank again but because of prescription pills. Dr. Drew keep up the fight some of us are listening because we know first hand what you are talking about we have been to enough funerals to not question what you are saying.
You can see Dr. Drew’s report here http://drdrew.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/15/pill-popping-rx-for-death/
