Articles

It’s always sad news when individuals die as a result of drug addiction or alcohol dependence, especially for family members of the victim and alcohol and drug treatment professionals. The news that teen idol Corey Haim has died from an apparent prescription drug overdose once again places a societal trend on the front pages. Anyone can suffer from prescription drug addiction, though, and many good lives are lost every day.

The unfortunate analyses when famous individuals have drug abuse problems tend to focus on the person and not the behavior. Deaths due to overdoses merit sympathy for victims and their loved ones, but we also need to highlight the progression of the disease behind the loss. We can express sorrow for human loss and warn others of the dangers of prescription drug abuse at the same time.

Pop culture is not to blame for the rising popularity of prescription drug abuse, nor is it immune from the negative effects. However, the general public only sees the rebellious behavior at the height of careers and the end result when tragedy strikes. We rarely pay attention to pop stars in between those times when they are suffering at the hands of drug addiction and are not on every TV, magazine, or tabloid.

While the accessibility of drugs is greater for the rich and famous, the availability is everywhere. Famous or not, every drug addict follows the same path to the bottom. Any addiction counselor will tell you they have seen it all before, since they help addicts every day. They will also tell you that too many people are not aware of the great risk in abusing prescription drugs.

The pain is great for those close to Corey Haim and his fans, regardless of how he expired. The alcohol and drug treatment community can relate with the feelings because it is common to see drug addiction take good people, and far too often. If more of the general public would take these occasions to become educated on the dangers of prescription drug abuse, maybe there would be fewer victims and loss of life from it.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides Medication Assisted Treatment for prescription opiate addiction as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment. If you or a loved one suffers from drug addiction or alcoholism, please call us now at 888-777-8565 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.