Today the world lost another celebrity and the whispers are it was drug-related. Philip Seymore Hoffman was found dead in his NYC apartment possibly due to his use of heroin.
Many people ask why do people do a drug like heroin which can kill you after one use? Why do people turn to drugs at all?
Of course I am no doctor or expert but from what I have seen many turn to drugs out of desperation to ease the pain of just living. Undiagnosed or mistreated mood disorders are often common amongst those who turn to drugs. I've said it before and I will say it again- the mental health treatment in this country is seriously lacking.
Treatment is time-consuming, expensive and not always easy to come by. Mental illness can strike anyone. Rich or poor, fat or skinny, black or white, young or old.
People who have been living with a mood disorder know the frustration of the journey. Many of us have also self-medicated. Those who are in denial of their illness turn to drugs which is dangerous. Even those who admit they have a substance abuse issue live dangerously either by still using or struggling to stay clean.
What is the answer?
That's tough.
We need more quality care accessible to all. We need understanding from others that mental illnesses are real and treatable.
We need to be more compassionate and knowledgeable and less judgmental.
Maybe it is our society that keeps us all on this hamster wheel that keeps us living stressful lives.
It is so easy to say that we are just going to slow down but in reality many of us cannot.
There has to be a way to fix this problem that plagues us so greatly.
Drug addiction is rarely seen without an underlying cause.