Addiction begins and ends with pain

In writing this article, I wanted to reflect on the life of artiste Whitney Houston. Today, the world is devastated. We are shocked. Whitney was a phenomenal singer who blessed our lives with a wonderful, majestic, powerful voice. She touched our hearts. She inspired us. She wowed us. She gave us a voice when we were in pain and, equally, she gave us a voice when we were joyful. I, too, join with many of her fans in grieving the sudden, tragic death of this icon.

We are not sure of the cause of death in Whitney's case, but what prompted me to write this article was a discussion I had with several persons on the weekend and, the question they asked was, "Why do so many successful persons and celebrities succumb to drug use?" We reflect on Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Elvis Presley and many others.

It is hard to conceive that people who are famous, successful, wealthy and seem to have everything going for them would engage in habits that can destroy their lives.

Whitney Houston came from a well-established family; her mother is an accomplished gospel singer and she grew up in the church where she honed her skills as a singer. She soon rose to stardom and was undoubtedly one of the world's best-selling artistes. She confessed she had become addicted to 'crack' cocaine, marijuana and tranquilisers. She went into rehabilitation for her substance-abuse problems. She made a comeback in 2009 with the now famous song I look to You. The comeback was short-lived. Her voice had changed; it became hoarse. She slipped back into old habits. She had a meltdown in public; was spotted dishevelled-looking in public; cancelled performances.

Stardom is a burden

Stardom brings with it popularity and, sometimes, immense success. One has to be constantly performing. Public life can put people under tremendous pressure. There is this constant pressure to be perfect, to be superhuman, to live up to other people's expectation of us. To be what other people want us to be.

I must admit, I have never treated any movie star, so I do not know the details of their lives even if I did, it would be unethical to discuss their mental-health issues, but based on what we know and what we have been told, many famous and popular persons suffer from depression.

Greater risk for depression

Depression is a common disorder which affects one in five females and one in 10 males. Sadly, the pressure that comes with stardom can sometimes put some people at greater risk for depression. Unfortunately, depression often goes undetected and, worse yet, many persons who are depressed do not receive adequate treatment. Some people refuse treatment or do not access treatment out of fear, shame, stigma and sometimes ignorance.

Many people use drugs to self- medicate their pain and depression. Despite the success, the fame, the money, she had a turbulent life. Her marriage was a troubled one; there was reported drug use and physical abuse.

Then, on Saturday, word came of her death. Whitney was found dead in the bath tub of a hotel. Indeed, addiction begins and ends with pain. Another star is gone. May her soul rest in peace.

"The greatest love of all is easy to achieve, learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all."

May we all find peace and love by learning to truly love ourselves.

Dr Wendel Abel is a consultant psychiatrist and head, Section of Psychiatry, Department Of Community Health and Psychiatry, University of the West Indies. Email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.