In the news lately, actor Charlie Sheen has made headlines for his recent
hospitalization and heavy drug use.
The news of his addiction, his interviews, and his rehab decisions have been plastered across news stations, newspapers, and websites across the country. People have been fascinated and surprised by his attitude towards his addiction because of his outlandish quotes such as, "I am on a drug: It's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."
His recently gained media attention is well-deserved due to these types of statements; however, our society's media tends to cover these types of stories and tales of victory of addiction are not as common. We have all heard the stories of Heath Ledger, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley and their resulted deaths from substance abuse; however, did you know that Tim Allen, Robin Williams, Jamie Lee Curtis, Drew Barrymore, and many other celebrities have battled addiction and have overcome it? The list of celebrities who have overcome addiction is vast, but we do not know these stories.
So my question is this: why is this so? With people across the United States battling addiction every day, why do we not celebrate a recovering addict? Why do we give more media attention to those who do not survive or recover?