Haim Battled Drug and Alcohol Addiction

AP

"But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day".

The teen movie icon from the 80's, Corey Haim, may have finally succumbed to his addiction. Haim battled drug and alcohol addiction over the years going in and out of drug treatment facilities, as well as dealing with a number of medical issues. No one is entirely sure the exact cause of his death, but everyone has their suspicions. In 2007, Haim is reported saying to Larry King in an interview on "Larry King Live", that he would be a "chronic relapser for the rest of my life". While the actor was filming "The Lost Boys" he started doing drugs, this was the beginning of the end for the star who would never have another hit movie staying out of the spotlight for the most part over the last 20 years.

"I was working on 'Lost Boy's when I smoked my first joint," he told the British tabloid, The Sun, in a 2004 interview, "I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack". Haim stated in the interview that while in rehab for the first time he was exposed to prescription medications like Valium and other strong sedatives. It did not come as a big surprise when four (4) different prescription medication bottles were found in the actor's apartment which he shared with his mother. The contents of the bottles have not been released as of yet, but, it is more than likely that what was in those bottles played a part in the actor's death. "I started on the downers which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck", The Sun reported. "But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day."

In the last few years Haim was trying to make a big comeback in Hollywood, letting people know that he was hungry for work. In 2007, Haim and teen star friend Corey Feldman, costarred in an A&E reality show called "The Two Coreys". It was cancelled after two seasons but it was a good start for the actor who has been out of the business for many years. In 2009, he appeared with Jason Statham in "Crank: High Voltage" and he had movies in line for 2010.

LA County Coroner's Office Assistant Chief said to reporters that Haim stumbled out of bed around 1am this morning and collapsed right in front of his mother. She called 911 and an ambulance rushed Corey to the hospital - Haim was pronounced dead at 2:15am.

Utah Man Pleads Up Felony

When being sentenced in court most people are trying to get less time. Nobody ever wants to serve longer than they have to, why would they? A man from Utah who was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute is doing just that. Damon Conrow was sentenced Tuesday on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after asking to "plead up" to a first-degree felony. The charge had been a second-degree felony, but Conrow wanted a longer sentence. Conrow believes that the more time he spends off the street, the better his chance at recovery is. The 25-year-old pleaded guilty in December to the charges, but, on Tuesday, 2nd District Judge Pamela Heffernan made a last ditch effort to allow Conrow one last chance to change his mind and withdrawing his plea - Conrow declined.

Conrow said to the AP that, "he'll soon be happier than he is now because he'll get off heroin. He said within about eight weeks of going to jail, he expects withdrawal symptoms to ease so he can start having normal sleeping patterns". Who knows maybe Conrow's decision will save his life, allowing him an opportunity to focus on recovery. The gift of twelve-step programs is that they can be found even behind iron bars and prison guards. The best place for Conrow is in a safe environment where he can focus on himself. Hopefully, Conrow will be able to find what so many other addicts and alcoholics find - peace of mind.

Conrow believes he needs more time in jail in order to lower the chance of relapse, why would the Judge stop him? However, it is a little surprising that the Judge didn't sentence him to a drug treatment facility? Treatment is the wiser choice for someone in the grips of their addiction. It will be interesting to see if Conrow's plan is a success.

Celebrity Prescription Drug Related Deaths

2009 was a tragic year for many celebrities suffering from prescription drug addiction, echoing a much larger problem that exists in the world today. More people are addicted to prescription drugs than anything else and more people will certainly lose their lives as a result of these drugs. In the last two years prescription drugs have taken the lives of Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, and just last week we learned prescription drugs may have played a role in the death of Brittany Murphy. The cocktails of legal prescribed medications found near each late star at the time of their death was unbelievable; at what point are the prescribing doctors going to realize that sooner or later an overdose or drug related death will take place. In the last 45 years there have been a number of celebrity prescription drug related deaths:



Marilyn Monroe
Date: August 5, 1962
Drugs: Pentobarbital (AKA Nembutal) and chloral hydrate (sleeping pills)










Jimi Hendrix
Date: September 18, 1970
Drug: Secobarbital, AKA Seconal (sleeping pill)









Elvis Presley
Date: August 16, 1977
Drugs: As many as 14 different drugs, including codeine (painkiller) and methaqualone, AKA Quaaludes (sedative)









Keith Moon
Date: September 7, 1978
Drug: Clomethiazole, AKA Heminevrin (sedative)










Margaux Hemingway
Date: July 1, 1996
Drug: Phenobarbital (anti-seizure sedative)










Dana Plato
Date: May 8, 1999
Drugs: Carisoprodol, AKA Soma (muscle relaxant), and Vicodin (painkiller)









Chris Penn
Date: January 24, 2006
Drugs: Promethazine (antihistamine) and codeine (painkiller)










Gerald Levert
Date: November 10, 2006
Drugs: Six drugs: painkillers Vicodin, Percocet and Dextropropoxyphene (AKA Darvocet), sedative/anxiety medication alprazolam (AKA Xanax) and two non-prescription antihistamines








Anna Nicole Smith
Date: February 8, 2007
Drugs: Eleven drugs, including chloral hydrate (sleep aid) and several sedatives/muscle relaxants: clonazepam (AKA Klonopin), lorazepam (AKA Ativan), oxazepam (AKA Serax) and diazepam (AKA Valium)








Pimp C
Date: December 4, 2007
Drugs: Promethazine (antihistamine) and codeine (painkiller)










Fortunately, there are many stars that do seek help and go into treatment with the hope of freeing themselves from their addiction. Just last week Aerosmith's Steven Tyler checked into drug treatment for his prescription drug problem. With many musicians, like Steven Tyler and Michael Jackson, repeated injuries over the years have contributed to dependence on pain medication. Treatment is always available for those who find themselves dependent and there are many alternative pain management programs.

New York has Become aTesting Ground for the Potential to Expand Treatment Programs

About 37 percent of people who need and seek out drug and alcohol treatment do not get it because they cannot afford it. Sadly, many people end up in jail or prison before they ever go to treatment. In a lot of cases getting caught up in the legal system is a direct result of states not providing adequate drug treatment availability. In the last year a number of states have even cut spending on drug treatment. What is interesting about cutting spending on drug treatment is that sending someone to treatment is significantly less expensive than prison. New York has become a testing ground for the potential to expand treatment programs.

The Rockefeller drug laws enacted in the 70's were reformed this year, this is a huge step in the right direction and will save more lives. Now, nonviolent offenders who would have faced long, mandatory prison terms will be provided treatment and New York will be injecting $50 million in the treatment programs state wide. "An estimated 80 percent of the 60,000 offenders in New York's prisons have substance abuse problems", according to the Associated Press. Expanding drug treatment is the most logical decision and makes clear that the disease concept of addiction is starting to make sense to politicians.

Unfortunately, California recently cut $250 million designated for rehabilitation services throughout the prisons and jails. This has done nothing but cost California more money in the long run by contributing to recidivism, in a prison full of addicts there is only one solution that has proven to work - treatment. Congress recently passed a bill that will in the near future prohibit insurance companies from denying insurance based on pre-existing health conditions. This will allow more people to get health insurance thus giving more addicts the option of life saving drug treatment - hopefully. Sadly, many insurance companies do not cover the cost of detox or treatment despite it being classified and accepted as a disease; perhaps, when this bill in Washington is completely worked out, that will no longer be the case. It is time to give people the care they deserve, treatment is always a better choice than prison.

California Officials to Jail Drug Offenders

Federal judges ordered California to reduce its prison population, but this week the Schwarzenegger administration is set to vote on increasing funding to police anti-drug units, which would allow California officials to jail more drug offenders. The California Emergency Management Agency was to decide yesterday whether to route $33 million in federal money to narcotics task forces around the state that have had trouble getting the upper hand on drug criminals. It seems strange that funding for drug treatment programs was cut in half from $120 million two years ago. The increase in money for anti-drug units will most likely help to convict low level drug offenders that would be better served by going to treatment and it would cost the state less than imprisoning them. There seems to be a lot of contradiction in California legislation, on the one hand funding for prisons and treatments has been cut, on the other hand judges are ordering the state to lower the prison population by more than 40,000 in the next two years; but Schwarzenegger wants to channel more money into putting drug offenders into prison, the same type of offenders that are responsible for the over crowding to begin with.

"The Drug Policy Alliance estimates that the increase could yield 13,000 arrests during the coming year, resulting in prison time for nearly a quarter of those apprehended, at a cost of $160 million" according to the LA Times. Lopsided is the only word that comes to mind when considering that drug treatment funding has been cut and just last month legislators approved a $1.2-billion reduction in prison spending; yet, the Governor would have more money be put forth to make more arrests and ultimately work against lowering the prison populations state wide. "While one side of the government is addressing prison overcrowding, another side seems to be acting directly counter to that goal," said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, deputy state director of the nonprofit Drug Policy Alliance.

At some point the state needs to realize that this is a vicious cycle that will be impossible to break as long the various branches of government are working against each other. As long as California continues to flood its prisons with low level offenders without providing them treatment options they will without a doubt be more likely to be repeat offenders. Education is the best solution to prison population reduction, which exists in drug treatment facilities - not prisons.

A Balanced Fulfilling Life After Addiction

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Hope By The Sea has developed one of the most powerful methods of helping clients learn how to make choices that create an effective, balanced and fulfilling life. We will help you clarify and authenticate you, so that you will have a loving, wise and passionate life.  Hope By The Sea is a place to heal from Substance Abuse, Alcoholism, Depression, Anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other symptoms that have taken over your life, affected your relationships, interfered with your ability to work efficiently, created distance and turmoil with the people you love, in general, caused you grief.  There is HOPE.  You can resolve these issues, as all these symptoms are treatable.                                                              

We understand the disease of addiction’s neurobiology and that the pathology is reversible. Our Program addresses the mid-brain (the survival brain) neurochemistry as well as restoring the dominance of the fore brain (the loving descent law abiding brain).   Various techniques are used to restore the fore brain dominance and to provide tool for the client to deal with the physical and psychological stresses that life brings. 

Ernie Co-Founder of Hope By The Sea