100 Celebrities Who Overcame Addiction
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition characterized by compulsive substance seeking, continued use or engagement in an activity despite negative consequences, and long-term brain changes related to continual substance use.
Addiction can be behavioral or physical, and the two types often go closely together and can even co-occur. Physical addiction typically involves compulsive intake of a mind-altering addictive substance. On the other hand, behavioral addiction occurs when a person loses control of their conduct in order to engage in particular behaviors that produce temporary pleasure but are ultimately harmful to their wellbeing when repeated in excess.
Behavioral addiction is the impulse to engage in a particular behavior or activity irrespective of the detrimental consequences on a person’s capacity to be physically and mentally healthy and functional in the household and community. The individual may find the behavior psychologically satisfying or get a “high” from doing it. Still, the implications of continually making the choice to engage in that behavior may leave them feeling guilty, remorseful, or even overwhelmed.
Addiction is now recognized as a “chronic relapsing brain disease” by medical experts in the United States and around the world. It is a complex problem that exists in the addict’s brain — in their underlying belief systems, cognitive processes, compulsions, obsessive thinking and subsequent behavior, as well as in physical changes in certain brain structures and levels of neurotransmitters. Thus, the person affected does not have full control over their actions or thoughts.
Irrespective of the substance or activity to which an individual is addicted, addiction often has a much-cascading effect that not only puts the addict’s life in jeopardy but also provokes untold levels of pain, strain, fear, and negative consequences for family members, loved ones, friends, co-workers, and the surrounding community.
The term “addiction” is frequently misused and applied to any form of overindulgence or to any bad habit. But, in truth, something becomes an addiction only when it starts to produce significant issues and consequences for the person and for people around them.
Addiction to alcohol and drugs is believed to be caused by a combination of physical and psychological reliance on those drugs. Nevertheless, an addiction does not have to involve physical dependence. Undoubtedly, a physical dependence can develop as a result of addiction to some substances, such as alcohol and narcotics, but this does not have to be the situation for someone to be an addict.
Physically, addicts respond to a particular activity or substance distinctively from others who are not addicted, and will usually crave it when they attempt to abstain. The truth is, whether there is a physical dependency or not, the root of the issue is psychological. Those who become addicted to an activity like sex or gambling do not require the behavior to maintain physical homeostasis; they are psychologically reliant on the activity, but not physically.
Addiction is a progressive condition. Without the proper care, support and therapy, the addict can only worsen over time. Such an individual should expect a continuous worsening in their life, surroundings, and relationships if they become locked in the downward spiral of chronic drinking, drug misuse, or another addiction. If they are unable to overcome their addiction, they face the risk of worsening mental and physical health, and even of death. Addiction is an extremely dangerous disorder that takes and destroys lives needlessly every day.
What defines an addict?
Two striking characteristics distinguish an addict from an individual who merely overindulges.
For an addict:
- Immediately after they start using a substance or engage in an activity, they lose all control of their intake or actions and find it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to stop on their own.
- Suppose they are able to stop as a result of medical intervention (like a medical detox) or serious repercussions. Even then, since the problem resides in their mind, they may not be able to stay stopped. It is likely that they will instead relapse at a certain stage unless they get adequate treatment for the psychological aspect of their addiction.
A person who just overindulges will generally be able to stop or moderate their drug use if given a compelling cause to do so, like a health warning, the threat of losing their job, or the threat of a relationship collapse. They may require medical assistance due to physical dependency, but they will still typically be willing to stop.
However, without the proper expert aid and treatment, an addict will be unable to moderate, stop, or permanently stop their drug use despite the severity of the effects on their mental wellbeing, work, health, finances, or personal relationships.
As previously stated, a person does not have to be physically reliant on a substance to be an addict. Such a person may go days without drinking or doing drugs, but once they surrender to their mental need, they quickly lose control over how much they consume. This can have serious effects, such as an alteration in personality while drunk, or a binge that lasts for hours or even days.
In between these binges, they may have times of abstention or self-control. But once the psychological impulse sets in, the consequences of their last drink or drug event may not even enter their mental process. If it does, it is disregarded, and the addict remains deluded enough to think (at their core) that this time, it will be different, unless they have finally come to terms with their condition and begun their process of recovery.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, please do not wait another day to seek help. Addiction is a uniquely devastating condition that destroys the lives not only of addicts themselves, but of their friends and family as well.
The different types of addiction
There are several different types of addiction, which can be divided into physical and behavioral addictions.
The following are some examples of substances that can cause physical addictions:
- Alcohol
- Amphetamines
- Cannabis
- Cocaine
- Codeine
- Crack cocaine
- Crystal meth
- Diazepam
- Ecstasy
- Fentanyl
- Hallucinogens
- Heroin
- Inhalants
- Ketamine
- Mephedrone
- Methadone
- Opioids
- Oxycontin
- PCP
- Prescription drugs
- Steroids
- Tobacco
The following are some examples of common behavioral addictions:
- Computers and/or cellphones
- Cutting
- Eating disorders
- Gambling
- Playing video games
- Pornography
- Shopping
- Seeking pain
- Sex
- Working
The celebrities who battled addiction and overcame it
Drug addiction is a widespread disease that does not discriminate based on social status, race, faith, or gender. It has the power to destroy the life of anyone, from middle-class stay-at-home parents to powerful corporate CEOs.
According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), addiction is so pervasive now that it affects as many as one out of every 10 Americans. Elite musicians, actors and actresses, politicians, social media personalities, and others are still vulnerable to substance addiction, and may be even more susceptible due to the stress of their lives in the public eye, the pressures of fame, and the increased opportunities for indulgence that come with circulating in an elite social sphere. And the tragedy of celebrity drug addiction simply serves as further proof of how prominent this problem truly is.
Irrespective of the fame, money, and seemingly infinite free time that comes with some celebrity lifestyles, a lot of well known celebrities and public personalities still suffer from addiction.
This list of 101 celebrity drug users demonstrates that some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and other talented artists from around the world have struggled with drug addictions and sought professional help to aid in their recovery. Hopefully, learning about their journeys will help you to reevaluate your concept of addiction, which in turn will help combat the societal stigma around this disorder.
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