I was saddened to hear about the death of ‘Glee’ star Cory Monteith. I was sad to hear that his girlfriend Lea Michelle is left without a lover. I was sad to hear that his mother and father are now left without a son. I was sad to hear that, yet again, his death could be due to an overdose.
Monteith’s substance abuse problem was shocking news to many when he openly admitted that by 19 he was into “anything and everything, as much as possible”. His substance abuse journey began with a little pot and alcohol at 13 and it quickly escalated from there.
Marijuana; No Big Deal
I look at substance abuse as a crap shoot. While more and more adults and teens are keeping a pipe close at hand, it’s a crap shoot whether it will escalate into something much more harmful. Much like drinking. A person can choose to socially drink or they can choose alcohol as an excuse to sooth every mishap and sorrow in their life. Eventually their continuous sorrows sends them into a tailspin of excuses where alcohol becomes an addiction.
That is why as parents we should be encouraging our kids to put the pipe down rather than shrugging it off as mainstream. As parents, our usage of pot should be far out of reach for any teen to see. We set examples of what is right and what is wrong in everything we do in front of our children.
Pot may not be addictive but it is as mind-altering as alcohol or other drugs. Stupid decisions are made under any circumstance.
Why Are So Many Celebrities In Rehab?
I admit it. I am not a martyr by any means. However, the increase in celebrity deaths due to substance abuse is astonishing. I’d like to think that, as a parent, no manager or agency would ever get a strong enough hold of my child that their perception of right and wrong becomes skewed without my continued support and advice.
Cory Monteith’s death, Lindsay Lohan, and the latest Justin Bieber shenanigans leads me to ask; What happened to these kids? Where were the parents and management team when the public was consciously aware of their children’s actions? Was the power of celebrity status too strong for them to intervene?
Ah…….but it doesn’t work that way I’m sure. I have no doubt that the parent’s are jubilant about their child’s success and would never encourage a lifestyle of substance abuse. I have no doubt that parent’s are put in the corner and told to MYOB.
After all is said and done though, there has to be a healthy balance for these celebrity youngsters or this cycle of substance abuse and rehab will continue to grow. It starts with keeping the family and friends as part of the balance. I think celebrity or not, when we turn a blind eye to substance usage, in some cases, we may arrive too late in the game to intervene.
Legal or Illegal; Substance Abuse Comes In Many Forms
It’s time as society that we discourage the use of mind-altering substances. I know of many who died from prescription drug abuse. I know of many children on Adderall and Anti-Depressants. Our ability to cope has become harder and harder as our World becomes increasingly more judgmental of one another.
There’s a pill for everything. If we don’t have a pill, we choose food, gambling, drugs, or sex as an outlet to our frustrations. I have to say that I’m happy that my children didn’t choose the road to celebrity. But even then……..who knows where they will end up? We try our best as parents but many times the World takes over.
RIP Cory Monteith. If rumours are true, I hope that your death will assist another up and coming child star in making the best decisions for a healthy and hopeful lifestyle. When a tragedy like this happens, it’s another message that things must change to end the cycle of abuse.
