Why Do We Always Suspect Drugs When A Celebrity Dies Young?

It seems like every year more and more celebrities are dying long before their time.

Many are ruled accidental alcohol poisoning or drug overdose while others are never really determined to the satisfaction of families, friends and fans. The sad thing is that whenever you hear of a celeb dying young the first thing that comes to mind is overdose and it not only comes to mind but the thought shouts at you in bold neon letters. Why do we always suspect drugs when a celebrity dies young? The answer to that is quite simple. It's probably due to the culture we live in and the fact that drug abuse is running rampant in our society.

A Look Back at the Last Decade

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You really only need to look at the past decade to see why everyone suspects drugs first as the ultimate cause of death in young stars. Starting with Michael Jackson's death in 2009, the world was in shock when the King of Pop died of an overdose administered in his home by a medical professional, his own physician Conrad Murray. Michael had been administered the lethal doses of Propofol along with two benzodiazepines, Midazolam and Lorazepam.

While many fans couldn't believe that Jackson had a drug problem, others simply chalked it up to being par for the industry. According to Per Wickstrom, owner of several successful rehab centers, "Drugs have become a way of life for a large portion of the population which leads us to believe that there are deeper underlying psychological issues that aren't being addressed." It is his contention that drugs and depression are often interrelated. Speaking from A Forever Recovery, his drug rehab facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, Wickstrom explains that part of the recovery process is dealing with deep seated issues the addict is trying to 'self-medicate.'

The Next Shocker – Amy Winehouse

For British singer, Amy Winehouse, the substance that caused her early demise wasn't a pharmaceutical but a drug of another kind – alcohol. It was ruled that Amy died of an accidental poisoning that resulted from drinking too much within hours before her death. Alcohol is traditionally the 'drug of choice' for manic depressants and over the years a huge number of songs were composed about such things as 'crying tears in my beer' because that's what alcoholics do when life gets them down. They try to drown their sorrows.

Instead of getting help, they try to numb their sorrows in the bottle. But who would have ever believed that stars as big as Michael Jackson or Amy Winehouse would succumb to depression? They, as far as anyone could see, were on top of the world with a successful music career and the adulation of fans all over the world.

The Death of Prince

Even more recently, there is still some amount of speculation surrounding the death of Prince. At this time the results of the autopsy have not been released but Per Wickstrom notes that just the day before his death, a California doctor was contacted to help the young artist who was allegedly addicted to pain killers. The findings of the coroner may be released any day, but there is little doubt in the minds of anyone following the tragedy that drugs did, indeed, play a major part in the star's death. So why do we automatically assume drugs caused the death of our favorite stars who died young? Again, it is probably because addiction was responsible.

If you or a loved one is battling addiction, seek help before it is too late. Help is out there but the addict needs to accept the problem before any treatment will be successful. From rock stars to the everyday fast food workers, no one is immune to substance abuse. Get the help while you still can.