Living with A Severe Drug Addiction

There is a certain stigma that surrounds addiction due mainly because of the way that the media portrays it; media often make the addict out to be a bad person and role model, which usually has the effect of discouraging other addicts from speaking out about their addiction for fear of receiving the same treatment. Only those who have had no experience with addiction will look down on addicts and label them ‘selfish’ because in reality addiction is an illness. It is this that causes the individual to behave in a selfish or even unfair manner; often without this person even realising he or she is doing so. Addiction is an illness that can affect anyone, and many celebrities have also fallen victim to addiction as well. Just like actress Carrie Fisher, who was open about how she suffered from a cocaine addiction for many years.

Cocaine as her Crutch

The recent news that 60-year-old Carrie Fisher died after suffering a heart attack while on a transatlantic flight has left many fans shocked and confused. However, for those who are aware of the Star Wars legend’s previous struggles with drug abuse, the news may not come as such a huge surprise. After rising to stardom at the age of just nineteen when she landed the role of Princess Leia in the ever-popular Star Wars franchise, she soon developed a severe cocaine addiction to help deal with the sudden fame and expectations that went hand-in-hand with this. Cocaine became her crutch and would be her drug of choice for many years to come, as she regularly abused it.

‘I Didn’t Even Like Coke That Much’

Fisher was interviewed in 2010 when she was promoting her stand-up comedy show ‘Wishful Drinking’, and during the interview she admitted that she had frequently snorted the harmful substance while filming Star War’s first sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. She said, “I didn’t even like coke that much; it was just a case of getting on whatever train I needed to take to get high.”

She even claimed that her addiction became so severe that she was warned to calm down by famously Bacchanalian comedian John Belushi, who himself died at the age of just 33 due to a drug overdose.

Losing My Choice

“Slowly I realised I was doing a bit more drugs than other people and losing my choice in the matter. If I’d been addicted to booze, I’d be dead now, because you just go out and get it,” she said.

Fisher revealed that she chose to avoid alcohol in her earlier years, but started abusing alcohol and drugs while filming. She even spent one night partying with co-star Harrison Ford and the Rolling Stones at comedian Eric Idle’s home; she decided to get drunk with the band despite her usual ‘no drinking’ rule and showed up to her early morning shoot on set just two hours later while still intoxicated. She said, “And we weren’t hungover, we were still in our cups. And if you watch the movie you can see that Harrison and I are smiling as we arrived in Cloud City. Doesn’t that sound like a euphemism?”

Overcoming Addiction

With addiction capable of affecting absolutely anyone, we want you to know that if you are concerned that you or a loved one may be suffering from this illness, you can contact us here at Blue Skies Recovery. We have worked with many individuals in the past, and we treat a range of addictions; our success rate speaks for itself. If you require any further information, then contact us today, and we will do everything we can to assist you.

Source:

1. Could self-styled ‘respectable former drug addict‘ Carrie Fisher’s decades-long struggles with substance abuse and weight loss have caused her heart attack?
   (Daily Mail)