What is addiction?
“Addiction is a medical disorder, from the field of mental health, which is characterized by a person’s loss of control over the use of substances or over a certain behavior, despite the fact that this entails significant damages. Similar to other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder and others – not all cases are similar, and some are mildly, moderately and severely severe. The disorder is often expressed in an increasing need to consume the substance or difficulty avoiding it, in a compulsive psychological preoccupation with the use of the substance or the behavior, and the continuation of the behavior despite increasing damages.”
The data from Israel is surprising: one in seven people is dealing with an addiction to alcohol, drugs, prescription drugs or one of the official behavioral addictions – sex and pornography, gambling and internet computer games. “It is important to add that, contrary to popular opinion, addiction affects all ages, all sectors and all strata of the population,” notes Prof. Lev-Ran.
Do celebrities tend to get addicted more than the general population?
“I don’t know any research data that deals with this, and in fact the definition of celebrities is also flexible – network stars, reality TV, actors, singers, public figures – there is a wide range. In the end, the person’s personal story, starting with the personal background and ending with the path that brought him to publication ; plays a significant role in the risk of developing an addiction. As people publish more quickly, there is less emotional, mental and environmental infrastructure to accommodate the changes, and sometimes less confidence and more anxiety that the publication is about to disappear.”
Celebs are also people with financial resources, especially the successful ones, and this allows them more expensive addictions, like cocaine for example. Since they have enough sources to finance the addiction, then they also postpone seeking treatment. “However, the human suffering underlying addiction is shared by everyone, and today we are witnessing situations in which celebrities in various fields share their addiction much more than people from the Yishuv,” says Prof. Lev-Ran. “It is possible and necessary to learn from the courage that celebrities sometimes have to come out with their addiction, and to use them more as ambassadors in the field in order to help more masses reach treatment.”
The opiate epidemic
The substances to which the celebs are addicted are varied as mentioned, and among the addictive substances, some are more or less dangerous. “In recent years we have witnessed a veritable epidemic of opiate painkillers in the United States,” says Prof. Lev-Ran. This epidemic claims the lives of over 100,000 people a year, an astronomical number, no doubt.
Why are they so dangerous?
“These drugs in high doses pose a real danger to life. In general, substances that suppress brain activity and breathing, including alcohol and sleeping and sedative drugs in high doses, are more dangerous – both during the immediate effect and during withdrawal. It is important to add that the most dangerous is mixing substances, especially those that have a similar effect. In a significant number of deaths resulting from an overdose of opiate painkillers, it turns out that the person also took sleeping pills or drank alcohol, that is, mixed respiratory depressants at night.
“These are drugs that affect the central nervous system and reach the brain, the purpose of which is to help relieve pain, improve sleep, or calm anxiety,” Dr. Fazit Shaked, a clinical pharmacist and expert in drug counseling and treatment, explains to Mako Health. “Benzodiazepines, for example, are a family of drugs used to treat anxiety and insomnia. Both they and drugs from the opiate family can cause significant medical and neurological problems. Among other things, it is known that they may lead to impaired alertness, disrupt thought processes, cause tremors and affect the ability to retrieve from memory. Beyond that, their use may involve a psychiatric effect such as a change in behavior, perception (eg lead to paranoia) or cause apathy. In severe cases, this can lead to respiratory failure and even death.”
The problem with these drugs is that they create real dependence, and from there the road to addiction is short. “Many people use these drugs and find it difficult to stop the treatment, because they may experience ‘withdrawal symptoms’. In fact, a sudden stop in their consumption can cause severe symptoms such as: anxiety, sweating and uncontrollable tremors,” explains Dr. Shaked. “It is a slippery slope – Someone is in pain, asks for a prescription and from there finds himself in a cycle of anxiety, severe physical symptoms and addiction problems that only get worse.”
Could it be that it is more difficult for celebrities to get help?
Prof. Lev-Ran: “It is impossible to group all famous people into one group, but perhaps there are common lines. There are many who, by having to deal with the eye of the camera and the stage for years, are in psychotherapy for many years, and others who have avoided treatment altogether. It is likely that famous people have a significant need to preserve their public image, which often makes it difficult to disclose to other people, especially to strangers or groups. On the other hand, the therapeutic discourse and openness around addictive behaviors may actually make it easier in some cases for celebrities to seek help.”
Is there a way out of this, or is an addict always an addict?
“There is certainly a way out of this – unequivocally. Addiction can be treated just like any other medical and mental disorder can be treated. With the help of skilled and qualified therapists, and using a variety of treatments, it is possible to stop the addictive behavior and develop a full, active and meaningful life. The treatments often include Drug therapy, both for the treatment of addiction and for the treatment of related disorders such as: depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, eating disorders, etc.; along with individual and group psychotherapy, and often also couple or family therapy. Not all treatments are always required or possible, but as much as possible A better match between the magnitude of the problem and the magnitude of the solution – the higher the chance of success.”
In cases of addiction to substances from which withdrawal is dangerous, or when repeated treatment attempts at the clinic have not been successful, the recommendation is to start the process in a rehab center and continue long-term treatment after the end of rehab. “Today’s addiction treatment approaches are no less effective than any other field in mental health and medicine,” says Prof. Lev-Ran, “and this is a very important message that needs to be conveyed – it is important and worthwhile to seek treatment, and addiction can definitely be treated with compassion and non-judgment, along with very high efficiency by people who are skilled at it.”
Is there a medicinal development in the context of addictions?
“There is a growing interest in psychedelic substances and their therapeutic potential – these include for example MDMA, the hallucinogenic mushroom psilocybin and more. In particular, it seems that therapeutic protocols that include psychotherapy, using psychedelic substances in some of the sessions, can be particularly effective. There are already several studies that have shown the effectiveness of these treatments, and we are in the midst of many studies that test their effectiveness in many different addictions. I estimate that in the coming years this field will gain momentum in the treatment of addictions and mental health in general.”