The recent tabloids have been flooded with articles about Lamar Odom's hospitalization. The 35-year-old was found unconscious on October 13, at the Love Ranch South, a legal brothel in Pahrump, Nevada. He remained unconscious and in critical condition for 72 hours.
Since then, it is reported that Odom can now breathe on his own and even get out of bed. Now that he's thankfully improving, it's time to talk about the bigger picture. It's time to talk about what Lamar Odom was actually doing there. Authorities said Odom overdosed on cocaine and other drugs that are still unidentified during his four day stint at the brothel. While Odom has shyed away from the label "drug addict," he is clearly fighting something that he cannot defeat on his own.
Lamar Odom is dealing with substance use disorder, and the way that the public talks about his drug use affects millions of other people struggling with addiction. Substance use disorder is a chronic brain disease, but you wouldn’t know that from how drug abuse is so easily brushed off by the public, especially when said addict is rich or famous. Some in the public might even assume that just because they have money, it excuses their behavior.
Imagine someone saying something like: "Why can't Lamar beat cancer? Isn’t he rich enough to afford the treatment?" That statement is clearly absurd, but we approach people struggling with addiction in the same way. "He's rich. Can't he afford to go to rehab and quit?" "Why is he using drugs? He should put his money towards better things."
In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than good intentions or strong will. Drugs alter the way one's brain works, which is why quitting is difficult, even for those who are ready to do so.
One of the reasons people turn to addiction is to combat their depression. Depression is an all too common gateway into drug and alcohol use, and it’s easy to see why. Those who experience clinical depression drink excessive amounts of alcohol or take drugs in order to escape their negative emotions. In attempts to battle their illness, they try to self-medicate.
I think it's time that we as a whole start working towards changing the stigma around addicts. If we're all on their side, it gives them that much more strength to quit. We should start working towards rehabilitation and harm reduction programs rather than taking legal repercussions on addicts. They need help, and locking them in a cell isn't going to do any good.
Those who actually sell the drugs though are a whole different story. Drug dealers encourage the scared and vulnerable to continue on their path of self-destruction, which is absolutely sickening. Dealers should not only be serving jail time, but should have to sit in and listen on rehab meetings to hear recovering addicts tell their stories. Maybe then they will change their ways, after seeing how many lives that drugs have destroyed. Evoke the guilt in these dealers, and make them realize that there are other ways to make a quick buck.
Lamar Odom is a father, husband, son, and friend. Regardless of his celebrity status, he has demons just like the rest of us do. He may be afraid to ask for help as so many other addicts are. If you are struggling with addiction, I urge you to ask for help, because you are not alone. If you know anyone who is suffering from substance abuse, I encourage you to help them as much as possible. There is only so much that one human can do for another, but sometimes that little bit of light can change someone's life. We need to try to help them before it's too late.
