Adam Goldstein, otherwise known as DJ AM, was found dead last night in his SoHo apartment. The autopsy results are forthcoming, but when the investigating officers on the scene rolled his body over, they discovered an almost-empty bag of crack underneath him.  According to the New York Daily News, they also found “a glass crack pipe in his bedroom and at least seven bottles of prescription drugs on his kitchen counter, including the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.”

Did Goldstein die of a drug overdose? Unfortunately, it will be quite some time-at least a couple weeks-for the answer to that question is known for certain. Toxicology tests are pending, according to the Associated Press. Until that time, it seems likely that the results will conclude that DJ AM’s death was due, at least in part, to the abuse of drugs.

Goldstein: His History with Drug Abuse And Addiction

Goldstein was 36 years old when he died and had a long history of drug abuse and addiction, which he often discussed openly. One of his defining characteristics was his 11-year sobriety, a fact he often mentioned at clubs when he djed and often talked about with interviewers when asked. His drugs of choice? Crack and Ecstasy, but crack especially.

He has said in the past: “I would deejay until 2 a.m., go get drugs and stay up until 10 in the morning doing drugs in my apartment. Then I would wake up and eat like a beast. I was the only fat crackhead in L.A.”

He was set to continue talking about the problem as the host of a reality show on MTV called “Gone Too Far” that would chronicle drug and alcohol addiction interventions staged by concerned friends and family of addicts. It was set to debut in October of this year, and Goldstein was looking forward to it. He told Extra magazine in July that, “It makes me feel great. People were there for me when I asked for help, and I had no idea how to stop, so I’m there for them.”

Drug Addiction and Tragedy

What triggered DJ AM’s relapse that most likely led to his death last Friday night? Last year, Goldstein survived a plane crash that killed four people. He and Travis Barker, the drummer for band Blink 182, were the only people who survived the crash. After that incident, he had skin graft surgeries on his head and neck and reportedly developed an understandable fear of flying. The result of this was a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication, Xanax, since the dj had to fly regularly for his job.

Goldstein told Glamour magazine that: “Every day I have to remind myself that no matter how much time I have behind me, I’m still a drug addict At any given moment, I’m five seconds away from walking up to someone, grabbing their drink out of their hand and downing it. And if I do that, within a week, tops, I’ll be smoking crack.”

Getting Help for Drug Addiction Before Drug Overdose

If you or someone you love has a problem with drug addiction, get the help you need before it’s too late. For more information about the types of drug rehab programs available, contact Michael’s House today.

Painkillers, especially opiate painkillers, are extremely addictive. It doesn’t matter who you are: if you take prescription medications like OxyContin, hydrocodone, Xanax, Vicodin, Fentanyl or codeine, you will build up a tolerance to the drug, requiring more and more to achieve the initial pain killing effects. This physical tolerance is one of the characteristics of prescription painkiller addiction and once it sets  in, you will need a medical detox to break its hold.

There are a number of reasons that people become addiction to prescription painkillers, but high on the list is the attempt to self-medicate emotional pain. The emotional reasons we abuse drugs and alcohol can be broken down into four different categories:

• Inability to handle pain
• Feelings of unworthiness
• Need for approval from others
• Need for control

Emotional Painkiller Addiction: Inability to Handle Pain

As a child, it is normal to feel overwhelmed by emotional pain, experiencing feelings like helplessness and loneliness. However, as an adult, it is possible to learn to manage these feelings in a healthy way rather than turning to drugs for assistance. Taking a painkiller doesn’t make the feelings or the problem disappear. Instead, when the effects of the drug wears off, the original problem is still there and is now compounded by the issue of prescription drug addiction.

Emotional Painkiller Addiction: Feelings of Unworthiness

Feelings of unworthiness may come from not receiving the affection you needed as a child or the perception that you did not get what you needed from the adults in your life. A very small child may speculate on the cause of this and decide that he or she does not deserve to be loved. The essence of these feelings is shame. Sadly, these feelings can follow us into adulthood and hinder us even if we find a loving spouse and community. Taking painkillers may seem like the only way to feel better about ourselves. Unfortunately, the mechanism of opiate addiction is such that, over time, without the pills, we feel even worse than we did before we started.

Emotional Painkiller Addiction: Needing the Approval of Others

Approval from other people is a core need for most individuals. While wanting and needing recognition is healthy overall, it can be debilitating if too much importance is placed upon the opinions of others. Again, painkillers may seem like the best way to combat obsessing over what other people think of us.

Emotional Painkiller Addiction: Needing Control

The need for control is another reason that a person may turn to painkillers. The fact that life is uncontrollable is scary, but unfortunately, painkiller addiction can become dangerously out of control, too. You may be able to control your mood with the first pill, but the second and third and fourth will control you.

End Painkiller Addiction at Michael’s House

Healing from painkiller addiction is not impossible. At Michael’s House, we know that facing the pain and discomfort can be an unimaginable thought, and we are here to help you every step of the way. At Michael’s House, we have the tools and resources you need to become healthy again, breaking your addiction to painkillers with an painkiller detox and rehab program that is personalized to suit your needs. Call Michael’s House today for more information.

It is a story that, by now, has become familiar to anyone who understands the behavior of prescription drug addicts.   An individual will do anything - sacrficing their relationships or careers - to obtain more Vicodin, OxyContin or other painkillers.

Mary “Kathy” Madill, a 55-year old nurse in a Denver emergency room has been caught forging prescriptions and stealing Fentanyl (a powerful painkiller) from the hospital.

This is a common occurence is the world of prescription drug addiction.  Glamorized to some degree by the TV hit House, medical professionals addicted to painkillers has become a serious problem in the United States.   The unchecked access these individuals have to the medications means that they are likely to be using them in secret over a long period of time before anyone notices.

And with all prescription drug addictions that involve painkillers, the individual develops a tolerance to the drug over time.  That means it will take more and more of the substance to achieve the desired opiate effect - which consequently may lead to overdose or other issues.

As for Ms. Madill, she was suspended and the subsequently fired from her job at St. Anthony Central Hospital.  While it still remains to be seen whether or not the hospital is going to press criminal charges, one can only hope that the former nurse seeks the help she needs from a drug treatment program before it is too late.

His death has faded from the headlines, but questions surrounding the death of Michael Jackson continue to surround law enforcement officials and attorneys in the Los Angeles area and in Nevada.   The question of whether or not Jackson had a drug addiction has become a major focal point - as accusations of malpractice by his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray continue.

Recently, Nevada law enforcement officials requesting a search warrant for the home of Dr. Murray would seem to indicate that prescription drug addiction is the focus of the investigation.

The warrant claimed that police had probable cause to believe that “records, shipping orders, distribution lists, use records relating to the purchase, transfer ordering, delivery and storage of propofol (Diprivan)” could found on the premises.

If that proves to be true, then Murray may be in for a long period of turmoil.   He would certainly be at risk for losing his license, and if it is determined that he delivered the fatal dose of Diprivan with negligence, criminal murder charges could be on the horizon as well.

Certainly, fans and mourners want to believe the best about Mr. Jackson.  But if he was a drug addict, then the fate he made would be similar to that of Elvis Presley (whose daughter Jackson was once married to).  Presley was surrounded, in the later years of his life, by “yes men” who would do his bidding, no questions asked.  Among these hangers-on were a number of physicians so starstruck by “the king” that none would say no to him when he asked more and more powerful drugs.   It was these same drugs that would eventually kill him in 1977.

Famous people are far from the only ones who suffer from opiate addiction to painkillers.  Regular people from all walks of life need the life-saving help of a drug treatment center to break the cycle of addiction - and learn how to live a clean and sober life.

It is one of the most unforgettable images of 1980’s - Michael’s Jackson filming a Pepsi TV commercial with his brothers when suddenly the pyrotechnics used to light up the stage accidentally cause the singer’s hair to catch fire.

The singer, of course, survived and would eventually recover from his burns.   But now, after his death, there is speculation that this incident could have been the beginning of a drug addiction that would last until his final days.

Jackson himself admitted as much to his fans in the years that would follow.  He said he took heavy medication, and became addicted…seeking help in rehab, “This medication was initially prescribed to treat excruciating pain I suffered after recent reconstructive surgery on my scalp.”

This highlights an important point about prescription drug addiction, namely that drug rehab centers are filled with individuals who started using Vicodin and painkillers for a legitimate reason, but soon found themselves addicted to the opiate effects of the drug.

After using the prescription painkiller Vicodin for a significant amount of time, the body will become accustomed to having it in their system.  Missing even a single dose of Vicodin can bring about strong withdrawal symptoms until one of two things occur:  either the individual will take another dose of the drug, or they will be able to stop using long enough so that the body has a chance to detoxify (thus bringing the withdrawal symptoms to an end).

How bad are Vicodin Withdrawal Symptoms?

The answer to this question depends on the seriousness of the individual’s addiction.   Men and women who have been taking large amounts of Vicodin each day, over a long period of time, are likely to experience very strong withdrawal symptoms when they quit or miss a dose.  Vicodin, however, is so powerful that even those individuals who have used for a very short period of time may experience moderate withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to quit.

What are the most common Vicodin Withdrawal Symptoms

The following is a list of some of the most common Vicodin withdrawal symptoms:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Mood swings
• Strong drug cravings
• Chills and sweats
• Sleeplessness
• Restlessness

How long do Withdrawal Symptoms last?

The individual who is suffering from a Vicodin addiction can expect withdrawal symptoms to last several days to two weeks.   The onset of these symptoms usually takes place 24-48 hours after the last dose of the medication.

Getting help for a Vicodin Addiction

If you know someone who is suffering from a prescription drug addiction, specially involving Vicodin, it is important to help them find a qualified drug rehab program as soon as possible.   And if they are going through withdrawal, contact a detox professional who can help maintain their health and safety during this difficult time - lessening the chance of relapse along the way.

Kaye Gibbons, best-selling author, has pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud stemming from her arrest in an incident where she posed as a doctor to receive prescriptions for the painkiller Vicodin.

Gibbons is a well respected American novelist who has seen two of her books, Ellen Foster and A Virtuous Woman become featured selections on Oprah’s Book Club.  She also suffers from bi-polar disorder - a condition that has plagued her for most of her adult life.

The incident with the illicit Vicodin occurred when the 48-year old author submitted prescription online as if she was a physician, then went to her local North Carolina pharmacy to pick them up.

This incident draws attention to lengths addicted individuals will go to in order to obtain more Vicodin.    It is the extreme extension of a number of illegal or unethical practices that include forging prescriptions and “doctor shopping” - wherein the individual will visit a number of different doctors and feign injury in the hope of obtaining more Vicodin under false pretenses.

Make no mistake, Vicodin addiction has the power to destroy lives.   If you or someone you know has become addicted to Vicodin, as is unable to stop, it is important to get them into a qualified drug rehab program as quickly as possible.

OxyContin was introduced to the market several years ago with initially positive results.  But soon, emergency rooms began filling up with OxyContin overdose cases involving those who were overwhelmed by the power of this prescription painkiller.

For parents, addicts or those suffering from chronic pain - consider the following important facts about OxyContin and OxyContin addiction:

6 Things to Know about OxyContin Addiction

1. OxyContin was created to help those in pain.  The idea behind OxyContin was a noble one, provide a time-release medication so that individuals suffering from high pain levels did not have to take repeated doses of their drugs.

2. OxyContin can be very dangerous.  When OxyContin is crushed or snorted, the individual receives ALL of the active ingredient at once - making them highly susceptible to overdose.

3. The Internet is fueling the OxyContin addiction epidemic.  Right now, there are thousands of illicit pharmacies operating on the web that offer OxyContin without a valid doctor’s prescription.  Internet savvy kids are, in particular, finding their drugs in this manner.

4. Kids are the fastest growing demographic in terms of OxyContin Addiction.  The highest growth rate in terms of teen drug addiction in United States are for prescription drugs such as OxyContin and Vicodin.

5. OxyContin is nicknamed the “hillbilly heroin”.  As offensive as the first part of this moniker is to some, the second word holds more than it’s fair share of truth.  Many of those suffering from a heroin addiction turn to OxyContin because of the powerful euphoric effect it provides.

6. Individuals with an OxyContin addiction experience strong withdrawal symptoms.   Among all opiate drugs, OxyContin withdrawal ranks with Heroin in terms of drug cravings, depression and anxiety that occurs when the individual is not using.

If you know someone who has become addicted to OxyContin, or developed a similar prescription painkiller addiction, it is important to help them find a quality drug rehab program.    Drug rehab offers individuals a chance to break free from the bonds of addiction - and steer their lives down a more positive path.

Online availability of addictive prescription drugs such as Vicodin or OxyContin has fueled a rise in the number of painkiller addictions over the past several years.

As if the dangers of the drugs themselves are not a good enough reason to steer clear of online pharmacies, here are five more potential dangers of buying drugs over the Internet.

1. It may be a crime. Shipping medication over state lines is a crime in many parts of the United States.  If you buy prescription medication from an online pharmacy in another state, you may walk out to meet the UPS man and end up face-to-face with law enforcement instead.

2. It is dangerous. If you receive prescription medication in the mail, you have no way of knowing if the pills were tampered with, or if there are even what they claim to be.   The result is that you will be taking medication that could have been handled by anyone throughout the transaction.

3. It supports bad things. There are several criminal enterprises that have admitted to using online pharmacies as a means of generating income or laundering money.   That means the money you spend there could be used to aid terrorists or build up the businesses of drug dealers in your community.

4. Your identity is in danger.   You’re going to give your credit card information to an off-shore online pharmacy?  That’s like taking your identity, putting a bow on it and presenting it to hackers around the world as a gift.  There are some shady people working behind the scenes at Internet pharmacies, and you don’t want them having access to your most valuable personal information.

5. Potential reactions. Actor Heath Ledger died because of an accidental overdose that occurred when he mixed different prescription medications over a short period of time.   With no doctor to provide you with good advice about taking these medications safely, it would be easy for you to succumb to an allergic reaction or a bad mixture with other drugs that could potentially lead to overdose.

If someone you know is struggling with a prescription painkiller addiction, help them find a drug rehab program that break the cycle of addiction once and for all.

As if the rise in teenage prescription drug abuse wasn’t bad enough, now many young people are mixing a variety of different medications together in attempt to achieve a more potent euphoric effect.  Unfortunately, as the death of actor Heath Ledger should have proven, mixing prescription medications is an incredibly dangerous activity that has caused the death of hundreds of young people each year.

One such case involved Phillip Ray Cottle, a 21-year old from Baytown, Texas who suffered from cystic fibrosis.   Phillip died several weeks ago after taking a mixture of Hyrdrocodone (the generic term for Vicodin) as the powerful painkiller OxyContin.   Phillip’s death was one of nine to hit young people in the small town in recent months.

The most popular, and subsequently dangerous mixtures include Vicodin, OxyContin, Xanax and Soma (the latter two being powerful muscle relaxant).

The most frightening thing about teenagers and presciption medication is that research surverys have found that young people are more likely to try Vicodin or Xanax as they would marijuana or alcohol.  This stems from a lack of basic information about prescription drugs and emphasizes the parents role in drug awareness.

It is absolutely essential that parents educate their children about the dangers of prescription drug use.   Many teenage children (and younger) are under the mistaken impression that just because something is prescribed by a doctor that is inherently safe.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Individuals who abuse and misuse a drug such as OxyContin are exposing themselves to a substance as addictive and potentially deadly as heroin.

If you, or someone you love has been abusing prescription drugs, find a drug rehab facility in your area that can help them get treatment before it is too late.