RIP Amy Winehouse

[Yeoman Randi]

Clearly the people who blame her for her own death have never known or loved an addict.

They are the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews of people who loved them.

I lost my 20 year old nephew to drugs and he didn't deserve to die because he had an addiction problem. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, incredibly talented and smart. And i loved him. And so did a lot of other people. I don't think he had any idea how many people loved him, but there was a line a mile long at his wake and funeral.

I never heard a single song she sang or wrote, but she didn't deserve to die, no matter what her problems were.

The people that have the nerve to say she deserved to die should seriously shut the fuck up. And be grateful that someone you love isn't struggling with addiction.

 

[TheSeeker]

^Well said.

 

[ares93]

Clearly the people who blame her for her own death have never known or loved an addict.

They are the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews of people who loved them.

I lost my 20 year old nephew to drugs and he didn't deserve to die because he had an addiction problem. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, incredibly talented and smart. And i loved him. And so did a lot of other people. I don't think he had any idea how many people loved him, but there was a line a mile long at his wake and funeral.

I never heard a single song she sang or wrote, but she didn't deserve to die, no matter what her problems were.

The people that have the nerve to say she deserved to die should seriously shut the fuck up. And be grateful that someone you love isn't struggling with addiction.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[JarodRussell]

Clearly the people who blame her for her own death have never known or loved an addict.

They are the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews of people who loved them.

I lost my 20 year old nephew to drugs and he didn't deserve to die because he had an addiction problem. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, incredibly talented and smart. And i loved him. And so did a lot of other people. I don't think he had any idea how many people loved him, but there was a line a mile long at his wake and funeral.

I never heard a single song she sang or wrote, but she didn't deserve to die, no matter what her problems were.

The people that have the nerve to say she deserved to die should seriously shut the fuck up. And be grateful that someone you love isn't struggling with addiction.

People don't get that you're a victim to addiction. You don't get addicted by choice. You can't pull yourself out of it, you truly need someone else to do that.

Then they all make those insensible remarks like "Get your ass up" or "He/she totally deserved it!".

 

[ares93]

People don't get that you're a victim to addiction. You don't get addicted by choice. You can't pull yourself out of it, you truly need someone else to do that.

Then they all make those insensible remarks like "Get your ass up" or "He/she totally deserved it!".

While I agree with you two. She left rehab twice. That's were I draw the line. She got help, but she didn't want it. Its on her...

 

[Robert Maxwell]

People don't get that you're a victim to addiction. You don't get addicted by choice. You can't pull yourself out of it, you truly need someone else to do that.

Then they all make those insensible remarks like "Get your ass up" or "He/she totally deserved it!".

While I agree with you two. She left rehab twice. That's were I draw the line. She got help, but she didn't want it. Its on her...

And, so... what? She deserved to die because of it?

 

[ares93]

People don't get that you're a victim to addiction. You don't get addicted by choice. You can't pull yourself out of it, you truly need someone else to do that.

Then they all make those insensible remarks like "Get your ass up" or "He/she totally deserved it!".

While I agree with you two. She left rehab twice. That's were I draw the line. She got help, but she didn't want it. Its on her...

And, so... what? She deserved to die because of it?

No, but i no longer consider her a victim of addiction. She got help, but she refused it. It was a conscious decision.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Clearly the people who blame her for her own death have never known or loved an addict.

They are the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews of people who loved them.

I lost my 20 year old nephew to drugs and he didn't deserve to die because he had an addiction problem. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, incredibly talented and smart. And i loved him. And so did a lot of other people. I don't think he had any idea how many people loved him, but there was a line a mile long at his wake and funeral.

I never heard a single song she sang or wrote, but she didn't deserve to die, no matter what her problems were.

The people that have the nerve to say she deserved to die should seriously shut the fuck up. And be grateful that someone you love isn't struggling with addiction.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

People don't get that you're a victim to addiction. You don't get addicted by choice. You can't pull yourself out of it, you truly need someone else to do that.

Then they all make those insensible remarks like "Get your ass up" or "He/she totally deserved it!".

While I agree with you two. She left rehab twice. That's were I draw the line. She got help, but she didn't want it. Its on her...

Why do you say "I couldn't agree with you more" to Randi when clearly you don't agree at all? Did you just misunderstand her point completely?

 

[ares93]

Why do you say "I couldn't agree with you more" to Randi when clearly you don't agree at all? Did you just misunderstand her point completely?

I lost a friend to addiction. She was 16. I know the deal. I agree with Randi, but not in this particular case. On average, most addicts dont get the chance to recieve help before they OD or otherwise end up dead. At least not in these neighborhoods where i live. Those who get help, willingly accept. Winehouse received help and she refused it, twice. While I have sympathy for the victims of addiction, i no longer consider her a victim. Not after refusing help twice.

Around here, dealers give drugs to kids or young teenagers to make them dependent on it. They use them as drug runners and shit like that. My friends wife is a nurse at the local hospital. You wouldn't believe the stories she hears.

 

[Lindley]

Unfortunately the only contexts in which I have even noticed this girl's name have been related to her rehab problems.

 

[MANT!]

I'm not surprised by the news of her passing.. but, as inevitable as it was, it seemed that her demons got the best of her too early..

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Why do you say "I couldn't agree with you more" to Randi when clearly you don't agree at all? Did you just misunderstand her point completely?

I lost a friend to addiction. She was 16. I know the deal. I agree with Randi, but not in this particular case. On average, most addicts dont get the chance to recieve help before they OD or otherwise end up dead. At least not in these neighborhoods where i live. Those who get help, willingly accept. Winehouse received help and she refused it, twice. While I have sympathy for the victims of addiction, i no longer consider her a victim. Not after refusing help twice.

Well, I see what you are saying...but you DO realize, of course, that addiction screws with your head as well, right? Part of the sickness of addiction is the mental thing that goes along with it - the games you play with yourself that say "Hey...I've been here a few days and feel lots better - I think I can check out now because I've got these concerts, or video shoots, or recording sessions, or________ to do."

Then you get out and when you get back around the drugs, your head plays more tricks and says to you "Hey...it won't hurt to do just ONE line of coke, right?"

Layne Staley of Alice in Chains died in 2002 from heroin addiction. And some of the stuff he said to friends and family in the last few years of his by-then-reclusive life, when they begged him to check into rehab (again) went something like this:

"You know...I know that drugs are killing me. The doctors say I'm at death's door. But the thing is, that I have so much money that I could check myself in anywhere, and find a way to get more drugs, when I could no longer fight off the craving. So why prolong my own life? I'm sick as a dog (he weighed, like 85 lbs when they found his body, although he was like 6 feet tall) and don't even have bowel control any longer. What's the point of going on like this? Or checking myself in somewhere with hopes of kicking this, when I know that as soon as I can no longer stand it, I have the ability and money to get more drugs, no matter the cost?"

The thing is that for these celebrities, kicking is extremely tough. Partly because they live life in a fishbowl with the tabloids on them 24/7, partly because they have more money than God and money creates ability to get what you want no matter how ill-advised, and partly because they have tremendous pressure on them to perform, cut records, make public appearances, etc.

No doubt that Amy made some terrible decisions. But then, the brain function and rational abilities of an addict are hardly conductive to making good decisions. Add to that, the pressure of celebrity and unlimited amounts of cash, and you have a lethal combination.

 

[ares93]

I don't know what kind of weird laws you have in the states, but on this side of the pond, once you're in rehab, you dont get out until the doc says you can. and if her doctor deemed her sane enough to leave, then she was sane enough to make her own decisions. meaning the whole mental sickness that comes along with drugs is out the window. now there are of course otehr ways to get out of rehab, but then the blame is on her attending physician. and if someone escapes from rehab they get a nice ride back in the backseat of a police cruiser.

however, i see your point regarding celebrity status. those addicts (and former addicts) i know where all everyday people. so you got one there.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I don't know what kind of weird laws you have in the states, but on this side of the pond, once you're in rehab, you dont get out until the doc says you can. and if her doctor deemed her sane enough to leave, then she was sane enough to make her own decisions. meaning the whole mental sickness that comes along with drugs is out the window. now there are of course otehr ways to get out of rehab, but then the blame is on her attending physician. and if someone escapes from rehab they get a nice ride back in the backseat of a police cruiser.

however, i see your point regarding celebrity status. those addicts (and former addicts) i know where all everyday people. so you got one there.

Unless it's under a court order, rehab in the US is totally voluntary.

 

[doubleohfive]

...and it totally ignores PKTrekGirl's point about how in some cases, celebrities have more than enough money to get whatever they want even when in rehab.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I don't know what kind of weird laws you have in the states, but on this side of the pond, once you're in rehab, you dont get out until the doc says you can. and if her doctor deemed her sane enough to leave, then she was sane enough to make her own decisions. meaning the whole mental sickness that comes along with drugs is out the window. now there are of course otehr ways to get out of rehab, but then the blame is on her attending physician. and if someone escapes from rehab they get a nice ride back in the backseat of a police cruiser.

however, i see your point regarding celebrity status. those addicts (and former addicts) i know where all everyday people. so you got one there.

Unless it's under a court order, rehab in the US is totally voluntary.

I'm curious how that's considered "weird" too. It's weird that a place you voluntarily submit yourself to can't hold you indefinitely against your will?

Not to mention that she's British and I know at least one of the clinics (and possibly both) she stayed at was in Britain, so it's not US law that's relevant to her situation.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I don't know what kind of weird laws you have in the states, but on this side of the pond, once you're in rehab, you dont get out until the doc says you can. and if her doctor deemed her sane enough to leave, then she was sane enough to make her own decisions. meaning the whole mental sickness that comes along with drugs is out the window. now there are of course otehr ways to get out of rehab, but then the blame is on her attending physician. and if someone escapes from rehab they get a nice ride back in the backseat of a police cruiser.

however, i see your point regarding celebrity status. those addicts (and former addicts) i know where all everyday people. so you got one there.

Unless it's under a court order, rehab in the US is totally voluntary.

I'm curious how that's considered "weird" too. It's weird that a place you voluntarily submit yourself to can't hold you indefinitely against your will?

Not to mention that she's British and I know at least one of the clinics (and possibly both) she stayed at was in Britain, so it's not US law that's relevant to her situation.

Derp, my mistake. I don't know how it works in the UK.

 

[Pingfah]

I'm fairly sure the same is true of the UK, you can't be detained in medical care unless a court has ordered it.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Unless it's under a court order, rehab in the US is totally voluntary.

I'm curious how that's considered "weird" too. It's weird that a place you voluntarily submit yourself to can't hold you indefinitely against your will?

Not to mention that she's British and I know at least one of the clinics (and possibly both) she stayed at was in Britain, so it's not US law that's relevant to her situation.

Derp, my mistake. I don't know how it works in the UK.

No worries, my comment was more directed at ares anyway who was talking about the "weird laws in the states." I was just agreeing with your point.

 

[ares93]

well, my bad then. but either way, over here, there is a law of compulsory rehab for addicts.