The Not so Glamorous Side of Being Famous
http://rickycwilliams.com/lamar-odoms-underlying-problems-needs-attention-not-his-drug-abuse/
Lamar Odom has been all over the news lately since he was in an induced coma and rushed to the hospital after overdosing on drugs.
Nov 2, 2015
It has become increasingly apparent that there is a relationship between fame and substance abuse, which has affected the lives of countless celebrities. Celebrities like Lamar Odom, Lindsay Lohan, and Daniel Radcliffe are just some of many who have abused the power of drugs or alcohol, due to the social pressures of being famous.
“I think fame leads celebrities to drugs because they are constantly [being] pressured. They have to keep up this façade that everything is fine externally, but they never show how they feel internally. Also many people look up to them, so if they make a mistake they believe that people are going to criticize them…so they turn to drugs,” senior Tatiana Taylor said.
“Anytime I’d go out to dance, camera phones would come out, that would make me very self-conscious, and what’s the easiest way to escape being self-conscious? Alcohol is a quick way of doing that” Radcliffe told People‘s Michael Miller.
Even though drugs have an awful image in society, people continue to use it as an escape; the power drugs and alcohol have on the human mind is surreal. Being famous means you do not get to live a regular life; you have no privacy, people idolize you, you have to live up to people’s expectations, and people will always be judging you. This can put a lot of pressure on a person, especially those who feel the need to fulfill everyone’s wishes. If you are going through personal problems in your life and you add the pressure that comes with your job on top of it, you may feel the need to turn to alcohol and drugs.
Lamar Odom is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Odom was recently in a medically induced coma after overdosing on drugs; when he finally woke up, it was discovered that he might need a kidney transplant. Odom has since then been steadily recovering physically, but he has personal reasons that may keep him down, emotionally. Odom has been going through many rough times lately such as his divorce with Khloe Kardashian, and the deaths of two close friends, Jamie Sangouthai and Bobby Heyward. Imagine having to go through all of this, while being pressured by managers and media; you would most likely feel like a balloon that is on the verge of popping!
Some may think that the “pressure” celebrities undergo from being famous is just an excuse for them to do drugs and drink alcohol. They also think that peer-pressure and stress do not justify the need for a drug-induced escape.
Linsay Lohan finally overcame her drug addiction and is thinking about running for president in 2020.
“I don’t think fame is pressuring them exactly, but all the stress from keeping a certain face in the media leads to drugs and alcohol to “deal” with their problems,” sophomore Chantal Rivera said.
Many people, including celebrities, don’t know how to deal with the overwhelming situations they are in, or with the stress that comes with it; this may lead to serious issues like anxiety and depression. Since we only know the portion of a celebrity’s life, we can never know for sure if the pressure they experience is an excuse to get publicity; but it’s a serious issue that is happening way too often.
