Celebrity Cocaine Addiction

It seems that we've lost so many of our most loved celebrities over the years, several to either a hidden or publicly known cocaine addiction.

Ike Turner, Corey Haim and Whitney Houston are a few that have died largely due to their addiction to the cocaine substance.

It really does leave us shocked and deeply saddened when we hear of these losses. It causes us to wonder "What could have caused their addiction?" "Didn't they have it all?" "Why did they feel the need to punish themselves?"

We question ourselves to the depths, all in vain it seems, as we come to no logical conclusions that can pacify our desire to know...WHY?

So, I'm putting it out there: what are the reasons that you think these and other celebrities have lost the battle to cocaine addiction and died?

Was it the pressure of the fame? Was it their lack of solid friend and family counsel?

Please, I'd really love some insight on this.

Well, I think a lot of it is because fame comes with fortune and when you really think about it, what can you buy someone who is already wealthy enough to have everything they want (and probably already has it)? And more to the point, if they already have everything they want, then what's next? what is left? A lot of people choose power and control but a lot of people choose cocaine which also temporarily gives you a feeling of control and power.

It probably has a lot to do with the pressure from their jobs. It's a moment of drug induced relief. Also, it keeps them going. They're probably thinking they're able to get more of what they think needs to be done. This includes forming connections, and that may involve partying. Eventually, the situation they're in escalates into a severe addiction.

I think it has a lot to do with the high life, and the pressure of it as well. Many successful use cocaine, and a huge part of it would probably be the stress of their jobs. Some people feel like they perform better if they're high, so perhaps actresses and singers use cocaine so that they can do their job better, and make more money. Also, when young people are introduced to the fame and riches, many producers and managers take advantage of them and encourage them to use cocaine. They're pretty much telling the young celebrities that if they use the drug, they will become rich and famous and get all they ever wanted. This can be very appealing to an aspiring celebrity, so they comply with their manager's request.

Are you saying the producers and managers encourage them to abuse cocaine because they want them to be more productive? Considering that it is a stimulant, the celebrity would be wired to work longer. I'm under the impression it would be the reason why they'd pressure them to use.

I don't know if this is how it works in such an industry but it wouldn't surprise me. It's a way of getting things done quickly and if you're working in that area then you need persistence, hard work and integrity. However, encouraging cocaine use does seem like it would be counter productive in the long run. There are, however, celebrities who admit to using drugs in order to improve their performance. Lemmy from Motorhead is one person who springs to mind for his use of amphetamine and look where he is now - still with us but in bad health. Journalist Hunter S Thompson is another person who comes to mind.

It's the only reason I can imagine for a manager encouraging cocaine use. He or she would either coax the celebrity for performance or to be social at parties to create connections. True, it's counter productive in the long run, but not necessarily for the manager. It is rare for a star to maintain the same level of popularity over years. New faces are common and desired in that business. Trying to push the celebrity to their fullest while they are solely in the spotlight is probably important to them. Then, they move on to the next one.

I think that cocaine is taking many people for the same reason that it is taking celebrities. Many celebrities have came forward to speak on how lonely that life could be. Loneliness can drive you to do many things, including take drugs as it can take off a lot of the pressure they are facing.

I think that many times when celebrities start doing coke, they kind of see it as socially 'acceptable' in their social circle. The "problem" starts coming in when people become addicted to coke, and have to use it all the time. Not everybody who does coke becomes a full-blown addict. Most people would think that doing any coke at all is a problem, but there are those out there who feel that doing coke is just part of 'the business.'

I think certain celebs use it to get things done, they use it how "normal" people use coffee, and then they supposedly stop when they don't "need" it. In certain social circles it's seen as a pick-me-up instead of a hardcore drug. I saw a fashion show of a very well-known and celebrated designer where he had designed things for people to carry cocaine in, like, no big deal, this is where you carry your coke.

Honestly I feel as though there must come a point in some wealthy celebrities' life where they have everything they have ever wanted and have been successful in doing so and drugs are the only way they can get the same euphoria they may have felt the first time they stepped on a stage/got an oscar/got number one in the charts.

Perhaps they also feel that since they have been massively successful in life, they will never be one of the people who ends up addicted which unfortunately never seems to be the case. I also imagine it is readily available within the circles of the mega-rich.

I think it shows how celebrities are human. People probably die every day from cocaine addiction but we don't hear about it. The fact that they are successful and probably wealthy just makes it much more available which makes it easier for them to use cocaine on a regular basis.

A lot of celebrities end up using cocaine because it is known as the "rich person drug." It's really stupid and it causes an enormous amount of stress to your heart. Celebrities are just as human as all of us but they sure don't hold onto a lot of their responsibilities as a person.

Celebs live their lives in the fast lane and with that comes the thrill to experiment with all sort of drugs. Since money is no problem, they have access to their preferred drugs anytime they want and before they know it,they are fully addicted and their lives take a downward spiral and leads them to their early graves.

This. Cocaine is a stimulant, and many people use it to enhance their abilities. Even prostitutes have said that they use cocaine or meth when doing their job because they found that they get more work done when they have the drug in their system. Of course a manager having its client use cocaine is harmful in the long run, but managers don't care because as soon as their client is no longer profitable to them, they dump their client. Just look at Lindsay Lohan. She was used and abused by many of her managers and publicists. She made them millions of dollars, and the minute she was no longer able to make them so much money, they quit working for her, and left her with a huge bill for all of their work.

Hmmm...I have to say, very interesting perspective and input! I understand what you are putting forward, which is that these celebrities have attained and accumulated so much, whether it's money, fame, clothing, cars, all that material stuff, but somehow, that they seem to have lost sight of what really matters in life.
The question arises in my mind as to whether these persons still maintain a good and close relationship with family members who serve as positive role models, or whether they've gotten so caught up that they have turned away from their "hometown" and just chased this "fame thing" so much that they're now alone, and that they've now lost sight of the need to preserve good health, and to keep the body functioning and feeling well.
It really is disheartening.

Exactly! And nowhere in the process does it occur to them that this very practice/habit that they are relying on/using in order to allow them to "cope" is actually counter-productive, and does no such thing!
Never has something that actually does nothing but destroy the body's internal organs, been counted realistically as something that has any long-term or lasting benefits!
It's time that these celebrities...and anyone else who has found themselves relying on these substances to "cope" to seek help and go to an addiction center, or at least call a help hotline, because they are all so valuable to and needed by those who love them.

Very good point! Do you know of other ways that you would recommend to a person like this (other than substance abuse, of course), that would enable them to fight and defeat loneliness?
I'm sure a lot of those persons who have fallen victim to addiction have felt that they were without any other options, as you have rightly mentioned, so what is it that you would recommend to them, or what is it that you'd say to them if you got the chance, to encourage them to seek another way?

It'd be really helpful!

There's been a number of them that have sought help. Demi Lovato, Robin Williams,and Zac Efron are just a few who had addictions but then went to rehab. It's sad how they have had to struggle, but at least some of them were able to get better.

Most celebrities jump into the limelight without fastening their seatbelts, wearing their lifejackets or putting on their helmets. In other words, they sought fame even when they're unprepared for it. The result: extreme, almost difficult-to-overcome pressure. Who's to blame then? The celebrities are partly to blame for their actions but if they're able to redeem themselves later on, then they deserve my respect. If after years of being a celebrity they still make "fame" an excuse to use drugs, then I'm not buying that anymore. I'd say fame is wasted on many irresponsible celebrities.

The problem is that society sees this as something good, everyone recalls the case of this model that after being caught got a lot of contracts...