Nobody dreams about growing up and becoming an addict. Nobody wants to struggle every single day and be constantly controlled by something other than their own decisions. And, despite the fact that people do drugs and people drink alcohol, you can almost guarantee that no, their intention wasn't to become an addict.
Because addiction is not a choice.
I've drunk alcohol many times in my life, and most of the people I know have, too. I know people who have done a whole smorgasbord of drugs at parties. And I'm not an alcoholic. And they're not addicted. Addiction is a complex beast, brought on more heavily by various different factors. But you don't know if those drinks in college will lead to a life of being controlled by a bottle, and you don't know if that one time you tried something at a party is going to ruin your life.
But sometimes it does, and you become that terrifying image of someone with the life run out of their eyes and a needle falling out of their arm. You become a discussion: Is your life worth it because you made one (or, of course, multiple) bad decisions? Is the world a better place without you in it? Is trying to save your life worth the money? You're labeled a "junkie," a nuisance to society and the star of a conversation that you don't get a say in.
And then, someone like Demi Lovato overdoses.
A celebrity, the top of society, someone who we sometimes believe has the money to pay her demons away. It is a fall from grace, but we don't even consider it a stumble. She receives support from every corner of the world, prayers from some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry and thousands of fans wishing her well.
And that isn't bad.
And it isn't unfounded.
She's an extremely well-liked celebrity who hit a giant bump in the road after years of struggling very openly. Providing support and love is not a bad thing - but when the average Jane and Joe going through the same thing receive vicious, careless treatment for the same thing, it becomes, at least, worth mentioning.
Because the biggest difference between Demi Lovato and the homeless addict you picture when you think of drug addiction is support. Financial and emotional support. Becoming famous absolutely does not remove your struggles, but it can make it more manageable, at the very least because people are more apt to support you if they know and like you.
People all over the world have been invested in Demi's story of addiction, sobriety, relapse and overdose. Her song, "Sober," in which she admits she was no longer clean after 6 years, won appreciation and applause and support from listeners everywhere. When news broke that Demi was rushed to the hospital, people were terrified she was going to lose her life. It is a far cry from Americans wondering if people who overdose should just be left to die.
The sentiments of "I hope she's OK" and "we love you Demi" and "you'll get through this" are a far cry from comments under other addiction-related content, such as "another 'victim' he must of slipped or tripped on the needle," "executed in the middle east, don't put up with this CRAP" and "wake up people and stop helping the scum bags."
Both people overdosed.
Both were revived.
But one is a celebrity.
We have a long way to go when it comes to drug addiction. Yes, overdose revivals cost cities money. Yes, many people put others in danger because of addiction. No, addiction is not a good thing. But it wouldn't hurt anyone to treat other people who suffer addiction in the same accepting, supportive way we've done with Demi.
Money can't buy you sobriety, but as of right now, money can buy you support. We need to change that, offering at the very least the sympathy we are giving to Demi to others who deal with her demons every day.
