...Can they help it?...Should we judge them?...That's a good addiction!...Same as working the ole bod......pure choc is supposed to be good for u
I sit in judgment of no one -- we're ALL broken humanity in some way or another, just in different degrees and individual areas. Yes, like iron, dark chocolate is excellent for the heart as well as a mood enhancer
and thanx, there are a lot of smart people on this board which keeps me coming back...that and the sheer entertainment factor from the lightning-quick wits and the off-the-wall shoutbox chatter.
I recently watched a documentary on Whitney Houston's death -- she was acutely intoxicated w/ cocaine and assorted anti-anxiety drugs were found in her bloodstream, the evidence on the bathroom counter -- she was also drinking heavily. Houston wore dentures, the coroner's report indicated, common among long-term drug abusers due to the acidic chemicals, and perhaps vomiting and tooth grinding, which is also common among drug and alcohol abusers. The coroner said she had mild emphysema and was losing her voice. She was terribly anxious about her performance and comeback and couldn't break the cigarette habit. The coroner said she was so 'out of it' that she didn't realize the water in her tub at the Beverly Hilton was extremely hot at 93.5 degrees and according to the anatomical records must've stood there (didn't take long) until her legs & feet sent her into shock and she collapsed forward and drowned. Not a member of the '27' club like Cobain, Hendrix, Joplin, or Jim Morrison, but a tragic end to an obviously substance-controlled person who couldn't cope without them.
You mention pain and it's easy to see how addictive narcotics can be because the same areas of the brain that correlate to pleasure induced by the dopamine spike are the same areas affecting addiction (whether it be sex, shopping, gambling, drugs, gluttony, exercise) and even the sensation of
pain. I've read from neuroscientists about the mind-body connection and an interesting book on how the body doesn't register pain at all. Pain is only in the brain. People can even become addicted to pain (!) which I suppose would be 'cutters'. These patients may perceive pain-free periods as bland, stressful, and unfulfilling and themselves as numb. They may turn to addictive drugs and alcohol as a means of overcoming this stress and numbing and recreating the seemingly paradoxical highs they felt while in pain.
I think these extreme high-living rock stars are doing the same thing -- finding life stressful in their need to keep performing, bland and unfulfilling/numbing without addictive substances to recreate the high they must feel when on top of the world. Then the physical addiction takes over and they're psychologically and physically caught in a downward spiral.
And yes, in this world of digitized social media, people are more disconnected from a support group than ever. I see no sign of our isolationism improving which will only lead to an increase in suicides and the continued escalation of improper drug use. Generations Z and Alpha won't know what it's like to really 'know' their neighbors' lives and provide a support network -- they may not even know support in their own families as people move for jobs and lose touch w/ even their own kin. I looked this up today, you might find the following interesting:
The students of our world today who are currently at school and university are the children of Generation X, born between 1995 and 2009.
Generation Z is the largest generation ever, comprising almost 30% of the world’s population. Globally there are almost 2 billion of them.
They are the first fully global generation, shaped in the 21st century, connected through digital devices, and engaged through social media.
Gen Z facts: Also known as ‘generation connected’ or ‘dot com kids’
- 1 in 2 predicted to obtain a uni degree
- By 2025, will make up 27% of the workforce
- Predicted to work 18 jobs across 6 careers and live in 15 homes in their lifetime
- 2,000,000,000 Gen Zs globally
- Use language like ‘Fam’, ‘FOMO’ and ‘YOLO’
Gen Alpha: Following the Gen Zeds are our pre-schooler and kindergarteners of today – Born since the year 2010, they are the children of Gen Y, and they are truly the millennial generation, born and shaped fully in the 21st century. They are logged on and linked up – known as ‘digital natives’. They are the most materially endowed and technologically literate generation to ever grace the planet!
Will add you to my prayer list for healing. You might look into therapeutic CBD products for relief and here's a link to check out, not sure if it works but if pain is only a brain/nerve reaction creating a perception of pain it's worth looking into. This patch interferes with the nerve to brain connection it seems, eliminating the brain's perception of pain. No drugs, just electrical science.
https://zangdeal.com/kailo-patch/?src=yt