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<p>Oh, don’t even get me started on politicians or TV personalities that I can’t stand. But if any of them died from an untreated mental illness or an addiction, I would have the same sympathy for them.</p>
<p>:)…Honey, if I were Angelina Jolie or Julia Roberts (especially the former) even with a nanny for every child, I wouldn’t be sitting down for more than a few seconds at a time. And there is Brad to contend with…</p>
<p>Yes, YDS, I remember those threads about Kennedy (I believe there were 2). There was another thread recently about someone’s death, but I cannot recall who it was, where some posters rubbed salt into the wound.</p>
<p>But the more we respond to such posts, the more we encourage continued insensitive posts. Maybe we should just not address those.</p>
<p>With all the recent brain research, much of which we have all benefitted from, ie: we all now know our children’s brains are growing like crazy in the decision and moderation areas until they are 25, there has been much evidence to show that the brains of addicts are actually different than the brains of those who do not become addicted to alcohol or nicotine or cocaine or opiates, or amphetamines or caffiene, or, or, or. An entirely different metobolic action is taking place in the brain of the 10% of the population who becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol.</p>
<p>It is a disease much like diabetes, in that some are actually born this way and NEVER metabolize drugs like a “normal” person, and they are immediately addicted to even alcohol at any level of introduction. (good luck living in the US and never having any alcohol. seriously) But, just like type 2 diabetes can be brought on by continued misuse of sugar and carbohydrates, a type of addiction CAN be formed through repeated misuse of drugs…</p>
<p>One thing that remains undeniable, however, is that if you do not believe addiction is a disease then you do not believe diabetes is a disease and you do not believe depression is a disease or bi-polar disorder is a disease. </p>
<p>It is a disease. It is deadly.</p>
<p>It is tragic, in the extreme, when somebody, anybody, dies from a disease. Addiction, diabetes, depression, heart disease… </p>
<p>It is simply tragic.</p>
<p>You can’t argue with the scientific facts. You don’t get to “decide” if addiction is a disease or not. It is.</p>
<p>ETA: The absolute biggest problem population with addiction these days are those who become addicted due to prescription opiates, given to them by, wait for it… doctors, taken as prescribed.</p>
<p>I didn’t think ellebud could be Angelina, because there’s no way Brad’s mother could EVER be ellebud’s mother-in-law. (But if you are reading, Angelina - please eat something.)</p>
<p>Just talked to my youngest d, who reminded me of when she watched the Whitney Houston-Brandy version of “Cinderella” every time it was her turn to pick a video.</p>
<p>Yes,jym, The venomous posts and lack of compassion by qdogpa have been disturbing. People have responded though because the posts are so insensitive that they are hard to ignore.</p>
<p>Agreed, sevmom. Sometimes someone says something so outrageous its just hard to ignore. But the more we respond, the more we give them a soapbox to dominate the thread:
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<p>I respected the voice and talent. She had a beautiful voice and I have in my memory bank a list of events in my own life that plays her music as background. Thank you, Miss Whitney Houston. Rest in perfect peace.</p>
<p>Unfortunately (or fortunately) I am waiting for Sunday bagels to arrive…so not Angelina. There are genuinely evil people who, when and if they died I would be “happy”: Pol Pot, Adolph Hitler…nothing says celebration like the death of a mass murderer. I think one can say that someone’s death is irrelevant to my life. A death of someone you didn’t know can be a tragedy due to age, onset, their talents that they will no longer share…But remember Alice Roosevelt Longworth who infamously said, “If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, come sit with me.”</p>
<p>Wow. Thank you for the link to Whitney’s Star Spangled Banner. What a joy! My favorite Whitney songs: Savin’ All My Love for You, I Have Nothing, All At Once, I Will Always Love You. I remember at some point Dolly Parton was interviewed about Whitney making such a huge hit with her song. The question was something like, gee, are you disappointed that your version was not as big a hit as Whitney’s? Dolly’s response was something to the effect of: Are you kidding me? Do you realize how much $ Whitney made for me?? I thank Whitney every day!</p>
<p>Whitney Houston’s talent is up there with the top 5 or so of all female singers that anyone has ever heard. Right up there with Barbra Streisand and… who else? She will be sorely missed. The only good that is sure to come of this tragic end is that we will be hearing a lot of Whitney’s songs played everywhere. My heart goes out to her loved ones. I am looking forward to watching the Grammys tonight. I wish all the performers strength to give their best performances despite the sorrow they are feeling.</p>
<p>I feel very sorry for Whitney Houston. She had an incredible talent and was so beautiful. Such a waste. I feel even sorrier for her family and what they have been through and will continue to go through. Addiction is a terrible disease and I hope they find a cure or help soon.</p>
<p>But having said that, I don’t understand why people do those things to themselves. You can’t become addicted if you never use the stuff. I know someone whose mother died of lung cancer and she continues to smoke two packs a day. I do understand that nicotine addition is horrible, but you won’t become addicted if you don’t pick up the first cigarette. She’s young enough that the warnings were there when she started. I also have less sympathy for a drunk driver who kills himself. Alcoholism is dreadful, but again, you won’t become an alcoholic if you don’t drink in excess. </p>
<p>At what point do we stop blaming an addiction and use personal responsibility? I understand that nobody is perfect. I should probably get a little more excercise and maybe more sleep. But watching people who are obese ordering double cheeseburgers with everything drives me nuts. Or people with high blood pressure who salt their big macs. We know what we should be doing and can’t just say “but I’m addicted.”</p>
<p>Might I add in my own defense that I was home alone last night, and after the basketball game was over, I watched CNN coverage of the news for a few hours, while on CC, waiting for H and D2 to get home. Can’t remember if I’ve ever had so many posts on CC in one day!</p>
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<p>LOL, teri. Your posts were the voice of wisdom!! Thank heavens!!</p>
<p>Ok, I will admit it. When Dan White (remember, the SF supervisor who killed Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk and was aquitted with the “twinkie defense”) committed suicide, I said “YESS!” Finally, he got what he deserved. Hooray. I am sorry, God. I also didn’t shed a tear when Osama Bin Laden was killed. But that’s about it.</p>
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<p>I can one up you on that one. I have worked with plenty of cancer patients who continue to smoke up until they can still hold the cigarette in their hands. It obviously becomes an issue once oxygen is brought into the home and they usually have to have someone take them outside to have their smoke.</p>
<p>When my sister-in-law, at age 57, died from cancer almost three years ago, we (well, other than my brother that she was married to) found out she’d been a closet smoker all of those years. I can honestly say I’ve stayed in the house, as an overnight guest, and could not detect the smell of smoke. My oldest brother (who she was not married to) told me when she was eventually diagnosed, and hospitalized, she fought and fought to go home, because she needed her cigarettes, and she couldn’t get them in the hospital; he was absolutely dumbfounded in learning how bad her addiction was (well, especially given none of us knew she was a smoker) and said they had all kinds of nicotine patches on her while she was in the hospital. She was also one who never saw a physician, ever… never had a mammogram, regular pap smear, etc. (I’m guessing this might be why they never had any children).</p>
<p>I feel sadness at the death of any human being, I really do, even if a person’s death was necessary. I am not judging those who don’t feel the same way, and I understand that I’m in the minority. I think it’s possible to feel sadness at someone’s passing while still wishing that person had led a less dissipated life, a more righteous life or a less destructive life. I don’t know any perfect people. I think we step on a slippery slope when we determine that some people are less deserving of basic human compassion than others. Punish them for what they have done wrong? Yes. Feel relief that they are no longer on this earth? Perhaps. Delight in their death? No, never, not for me.</p>
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<p>I delivered Meals on Wheels for several years to people who had “oxygen in use” warning signs on their apartment doors, but continued to smoke inside. It made me want to knock on the door, put down the bag, and run towards the nearest exit.</p>
<p>Getting back to Whitney Houston - when she was good, she was astoundingly good. That voice, that passion, that energy, that beauty… I’m not into pop, but listening to I Will Always Love You, or her version of the National Anthem, still sends shivers down my back - even after all these years. RIP Whitney</p>
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<p>Someone who exercises daily and eats a pristine diet, who goes to bed and gets just the right amount of sleep could presumably put you in the same category as someone with high blood pressure putting salt on food or an obese person choosing the less healthy food option. It could “drive them nuts.” So…I don’t spend much time letting others’ less than perfect lifestyles drive me nuts. As a less than perfect individual, it would seem hypocritical, and not only that, I’d be constantly miserable considering I’m a nurse who takes care of people all day long who don’t always make the right choices which will maximize their chances of living a long life of good health and vitality.</p>
<p>This could be very sad,</p>
<p>Whitney Houston’s 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, was just rushed to Cedears-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles …</p>