Drug overdose not the cause of Sage Stallone's death

66ème Festival du Cinéma de Venise (Mostra), 11ème jour (12/09/2009) Tapis rouge pour la soirée de cloture du Festival de Venise 2009 Sylvester Stallone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Sage Stallone,36 , son of actor Sylvester Stallone was found dead in his home by an employee in July of this year. There was much speculation as to the cause of his untimely death, including some assertions that painkillers were the cause of the death. However, LA Coroner officials have stated that the cause of death was natural, and that there were only minute traces of hydrocodone in his system.

The mystery of Whitney Houstons death

Whitney Houston talking to the audience before proceeding to perform "Saving All My Love for You" during the HBO-televised concert "Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston" honoring the troops, who took part in Operation Desert Storm, their families, and military and government dignitaries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)There have been rumors circulating and many fans of the late singer have questioned the coroners findings with regards to what exactly killed Whitney. Many forums discussing her death seem to have fans in confusion about how she could have drowned from Cocaine, stating that Cocaine doesn't make a user drowsy.
Here's some interesting things to consider:
Cocaine if taken in small doses will not necessarily make one hyperactive and super alert but can induce calmness. If Houston had take a small amount prior to bathing it may, along with the other sedative like substances may have made her drowsy.

Cocaine, depending on how it is taken will remain in the body for different amounts of time. We do not know when the Cocaine was taken by Ms. Houston. The coroner said just prior to her drowning.

Cocaine can cause sudden death, by constricting the blood vessels in the heart. If one has blocked arteries and experiences rapid palpitations caused by the Cocaine,  the heart can suddenly stop or slow down and cause unconsciousness. Ms. Houston reportedly had 60 percent narrowing of her arteries.

Ms. Houston may not have had the strength or may have been unconscious but still breathing when she slipped beneath the surface of the water when her heart started going into cardiac arrest. (These are just theories)

Here are some concerns and questions:

How long was Ms. Houston alone in the bathroom?

Why did her staff forbid her to take baths? I suspect she has had a near drowning event before, perhaps from the same drugs.

Some reports indicate Ms. Houston was found face down. She may have tried to pull herself up and out of the tub, but lost consciousness doing so, slumping forward..

Ms. Houston did have Cocaine in her system, who knew, who bought it for her, who sold it to her? Most addicts can not hide an addiction for long from those around her and many famous addicts have someone to purchase or secure their drugs for them.

Did Ms. Houston do the drugs somewhere else? There was no sign of the drug in her home at the time of her death.

Why was Ms. Houston not still in treatment? She had other drugs in her system, which may have been legal but this does not mean she as an addicted was supposed to be on them.

What the reader must take away from this death
 Ms. Houston was clearly still an addict, not in recovery. She ultimately died as a result of a relapse assuming she had been sober at all since her last treatment. She may have rolled the dice one time too many, as most addicts that have been in treatment are well educated as to what drugs can and will do to them on any given day. Addicts are told any amount is a no no, any drug is a no no.

She was well informed. She was an addict that needed to be in treatment, not going to Grammy Awards. She was a singer in trouble, and it is hard to believe, her boyfriend, staff and family members were unaware of her still using. Very hard to believe. A long time addict remains under suspicion for a long time by their family, friends and loved ones. They become well schooled in what signs to look for and will always be keenly observant of any changes in their behavior.

Ms. Houston should not have been having alcohol, or marijuana. Most addicts use secondary drugs to heighten the high experienced by their primary drug of choice since it takes more and more of the addictive drug to give them the same high. Many couple up their drug usage with alcohol and marijuana, and prescription medicines for this purposed.

Many will say it is no one's fault but the singers, but truthfully speaking, she was still an addict, and those around her that knew it can share in the blame for not seeking help for her. After all, addicts rarely seek help for themselves. The best way to help an addict is not to hide their secret from everyone,but to bring it to light so it can no longer hide them, from their problem.

Related articles

• Bath Salt Addiction and why it can kill you
• Suboxone treatment for addiction to opiates
• Whitney Houston Autopsy: Accidental drowning due to cocaine and heart disease
• Ways to keep your kids from falling prey to drugs and alcohol
• Does an addict choose to be addicted?

Whitney Houston Autopsy: Accidental drowning due to cocaine and heart disease

American singer Whitney Houston performing on Good Morning America (Central Park, New York City) on September 1, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Los Angeles Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey announced today that the autopsy report of Whitney Houston concluded that the singer in fact was using cocaine, and that the singer also had heart disease. Death was due to drowning while under the influence of cocaine in the singer's system. 
It was widely reported that Ms. Houston had staff members that would not allow the singer to bathe under any circumstances. Now it becomes apparent that the real reason may have been that this "drowning" may have happened in the past. One can also speculate that the singer may have dismissed many of her former aids and assistants because she relapsed.

Has Heroin caused more deaths than auto accidents?

Image via Wikipedia
Well that depends on how this question was intended, if  you mean do more people die from automobile accidents than Heroin, the answer is probably yes.
Image via Wikipedia However, to put this into proper perspective first consider this, a greater majority of the population drive cars, so the odds of there being more deaths due to automobile accidents would naturally be higher especially if you take into account also that it is rare that there are ever just one vehicle involved in vehicular accidents resulting in death. However, if there were the same number of Heroin users as there are car drivers, those numbers would probably sky rocket. That doesn't even factor in how many vehicular accidents that may have occured from someone being high on Heroin.

Can using Heroin once kill you?

Answer: Yes it can, especially if you overdose, which is not uncommon. Heroin can also cause a number of other health/side effects that can have a fatal attack on your system.
For instance, some people have underlying hidden heart problems they are unaware of that using Heroin, even once could cause death. Read: Heroin Information and Heroin statistics for more information.

The "Choking game", a fatal high

Image via Wikipedia
Nothing could have been more terrifying for parents Jill and Paul Fung of Lexington,SC than to hear the news that their 11 year old son was dead.  What makes it more disturbing is how their son Spencer Fung died. The latest rage on Youtube and elsewhere for those seeking a quick "high" drug free is called the "choking game".  His death was less than 3 months ago and his story needs to be told to the public. For more on his story see:  Parents have a warning after son dies playing the "choking game"
 



The game involves various forms of asphyxiation whereas the participant chokes themselves just short of passing out. The effect of cutting off blood flow to the brain results in a temporary "high". What is not temporary however, is when it results in death.
A disturbing fact that needs to change as there are no public health agencies tracking the number of deaths that occur from this deadly practice, although many  people are quite aware of it.
A report published from the CDC estimates that between 800 to 1,000 children between the ages of 10 to 19 die of strangulation every year. Most are recorded as suicides, however, the grim reality may be that many of these reported suicides were accidental, brought on by the practice of self asphyxiation.
For more information on this disturbing new "high", see The DB Foundation. This site also has a partial list of many of the victims that experienced a "fatal" high.

Warning signs that your child may be involved with "The Choking Game"
This is a partial list of signs as reported by the Center for Disease Control.
Parents, educators, health-care providers, or peers may observe any of the following signs that can indicate a child has been involved in the choking game:

• Discussion of the game or its aliases
• Bloodshot eyes
• Marks on the neck
• Wearing high-necked shirts, even in warm weather
• Frequent, severe headaches
• Disorientation after spending time alone
• Increased and uncharacteristic irritability or hostility
• Ropes, scarves, and belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs or found knotted on the floor
• The unexplained presence of dog leashes, choke collars, bungee cords, etc.
• Petechiae (pinpoint bleeding spots) under the skin of the face, especially the eyelids, or the conjunctiva (the lining of the eyelids and eyes)

Related articles

• I never knew: the choking game 
• The choking game: is your child at risk? 
• Facebook choking game claims life of Brandon Stine, 11, at home in Michigan 

The Enabler

What is an Enabler?


As defined by Wikipedia, enabling is also used in the context of problematic behavior, to signify dysfunctional approaches that are intended to help but in fact may perpetuate a problem.  A common theme of enabling in this latter sense is that third parties take responsibility, blame, or make accommodations for a person's harmful conduct (often with the best of intentions, or from fear or insecurity which inhibits action). The practical effect is that the person themselves does not have to do so, and is shielded from awareness of the harm it may do, and the need or pressure.

Ok so that is the technical description, for the rest of us, an Enabler is someone that helps the addict succeed in being addicted. Sound too simple? It isn't. An enabler is another part of the addiction in the family. Enablers tend to be addicted to the addict. They are ruled by fear. The problem is their perception of protection and help is warped. They are often holding the loaded gun to the addicts head, along with the addict. The addict uses this gun (addiction) to manipulate the enabler, the enabler uses the gun/addiction as a means to keep them safe believing they are controlling the addiction and the addict. The enabler is just as deadly as the addict.

Yes, it is a hard pill to swallow, but if you are giving an addict money, or offering them any assistance with money, paying their rent, giving them rides, you are helping them rush to the gallows. No one wants to be the enabler, but somehow our love for our addicted loved one blinds us as much as it does the addict. We are in a trap, right along with the addict except their condition has now become our drug.
Where do you separate the line between love and addiction? Love and help, love and letting go?

To the addict, One day your family will get to the point where they have prepared mentally for your death, and if you make it long enough to realize this, you will know you are now truly alone with your addiction. The day the family support has lost hope, is the day you either own your disease and get help or you run toward the finish line that is at the end of your life. You know who your enabler is, and guess what, they are dying with you.  It's not that they have stopped loving you, they just got tired of watching you stop loving yourself. It's not that they don't want to help you, they are just tired of you not helping yourself. They don't want you to die, but they are tired of being a witness to your death. There does come this day, where you will run through their fingers like sand, and instead of cupping their hands to stop you from falling, they will just let you go.


Is your story your crutch?
Some may hold on to the hope to the bitter end. Hold fast to them and pray that they bring your bottom to you, since you seem to never hit it. Pray they find help, because when they are gone, you are gone. Family may let go, friends will let go, you have let go. One thing you can let go of safely is the past that you may be holding on to. There is rarely an addict, without a story. There is rarely anyone without a story that could justify everything an addict has felt, however, there are other ways the story changes who they are. Your story has lead you to addiction.

You are not dying alone..
We can understand what brings some people  to addiction, however, at some point, you have to sit that baggage down and move beyond where it has taken you, because now, it is holding you back. It can be done. People get well every day. The problem is, most don't live long enough to find this out. Who is your enabler? Look closely, deeply and honestly, they are probably the one in the room, that have no joy left in their eyes. They are the ones that are forever exhausted, endlessly in debt, trapped by their love for you, and the fear of your death, and all the while, your enabler, is dying with you. Its a slow painful death.

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• Does an addict choose to be addicted? 
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