RIP DJ AM

Seems like addiction is in the news quite a bit lately. With the loss of DJ AM, who's real name is Adam Goldstein, we unfortunately see another death in the face of addiction. Found in his New York apartment "wearing only sweatpants, face down on his bed with a crack pipe and unspecified prescription drugs" nearby, Goldstein obviously was struggling with a relapse. A tragic ending for someone who had been sober for a number of years- a reminder that addiction is a chronic, progressive and fatal disease. The sad part is, less than a year ago, Goldstein survived a horrid plane crash, only to end his life at a too-young age with drug use. The thing to remember here- he was in the grips of a disease. Keep away from judgment- at this point, Goldstein's decision making was so far from the norm that going to far could only be expected. THIS is what addiction does.

Dr. Drew Pinsky brought up an interesting point- that pain medication likely led Goldstein down a path away from his recovery. We know that pain medication can be addictive and dangerous- we just saw Michael Jackson perish from an overdose as well. So Pinksy probably isn't that far off. We'll never truly know what caused DJ AM to go on a final drug run...but we can learn from this. It's sad that it sometimes takes a tragic loss for people to get a wake up call, but maybe some of our friends and families that are struggling with addiction, or asking for help, will see this as a warning for their own behavior.

In October, The Associated Press reported, MTV was to begin his new reality show, “Gone Too Far,” in which he and concerned families staged interventions for drug abusers. As a legacy, I hope they continue with the broadcast. In the end, DJ AM was reaching out to try and help young addicts. Struggling with relapse or not, he still was able to encourage individuals to see help. That, in its own way, is heroic. So Adam, we'll miss you.


Here's DJ AM performing in Las Vegas:



And here's AM talking about his in-progress MTV show about addiction:

MTV Shows

Here's something funny.

As always, follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And see you this week.

"Celebrity" Rehab

The first time I watched "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" I was pretty much appalled. I was wondering what would possess someone who has done a great deal to take away the stigma of addiction and worked in all areas of the field to expose fallen stars during their most vulnerable moments. I still have trouble with this, but I think Dr. Drew Pinsky has his heart in the right place. From day one, the show was overhyped, with commercials about relapse, people in treatment going crazy and getting angry during detox, and baring their soul on national television. I guess, in many ways, it's no different that the Real World on MTV EXCEPT for the fact that the people on "Celebrity Rehab' have a life-threatening addiction.

I'm more worried that the people who want to participate in shows like this (or the offshoot, "Sober House") may be more in this for the last grasp of fame.

I mean, with TMZ and Perez Hilton and the like, we see pictures, blurbs, and information about celebrities entering treatment all the time. For a while, it seemed almost cool to go to treatment.

I'm worried that all of this exposure will water down the treatment industry; there's a few programs out there that do a REALLY good job with addiction, and a LOT that are mediocre at best. I'm hoping that this glut of media coverage and reality TV doesn't inspire people who just want to make money and see a market available to open a treatment facility. That's where people get more hurt and traumatized, which I've seen with some former clients.

When you're treating people with the disease of addiction, make sure your heart is in the right place. Dr. Drew, you do a good job with this forum, and I hope you're in it for the right reasons.

Here's an interview with Dr. Drew.




Here's something funny.

As usual, find me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

See you tomorrow.