Philip Seymour Hoffman has appeared in many hit movies and TV shows. He won an academy award for his starring role in the hit movie Capote. Philip has also appeared in other memorable films such as the Big Lebowski, Almost Famous, The Talented Mr Ripley, and Boogie Nights. He has also just completed detox treatment for addiction to drugs.
From Prescription Drugs to Snorting Heroin
Philip Seymour Hoffman developed drug problems as a young adult, but he went to rehab and was able to put all that behind him. He managed to stay sober for 23 years, until he started using prescription drugs a year ago. It is not clear why he needed to take these prescribed drugs, but he quickly developed a problem. Within a year, he was snorting heroin and his life began to fall apart. He did the sensible thing and checked himself into rehab, and has now returned to the sober path – he will have hopefully picked up some important lessons from this experience.
Hoffman Highlights the Dangers of Prescription Drugs
Prescription drug abuse is on the rise and Hoffman is just one of many high profile victims. This is an easy trap for people to fall into – especially if they already have a history of drug abuse. In most cases, these drugs will have been prescribed for a legitimate reason. A common scenario is that people have been injured and need some strong opiate analgesia. So long as the person only takes these drugs as prescribed – to manage their pain – they should not develop any problems. Things go wrong when the person decides that they like the nice feelings produced by the drugs and they begin to take them for reasons other than their pain. They are then on a very slippery slope towards addiction.
Recovering Addicts and Prescription Drugs
People in recovery will often have legitimate reasons for taking prescription drugs. It is usually best to follow the advice of doctors. Here are a few things to consider in regards to potentially addictive prescription drugs in recovery.
- It is important that your doctor is clear about your history with addiction. They will need to consider this when deciding on the appropriate treatment.
- If you feel that your doctor does not understand your addiction problems, it might be best to get a second opinion.
- Never take prescribed drugs for any reason other than for why they were prescribed.
- It is a good idea to tell your doctor about your concerns about addiction and that you only want to take these drugs for the shortest possible time.
- It is not good to be in pain so there is no reason to suffer unnecessarily when there is a solution available.
- Be very honest with your medical team about your symptoms and never exaggerate in the hope of being given more drugs.
- Share your concerns about these drugs with friends in recovery but do not accept any medical advice from people who are not qualified to give it.
- There is no reason to feel guilty about taking strong drugs that have been prescribed for legitimate reasons – it does not mean that you have relapsed unless you begin to use these drugs recreationally.
Philip Seymour Hoffman Demonstrates the Need to Stay Vigilant in Recovery
Philip Seymour Hoffman had been sober for 23 years before falling back into addiction. This is a scary idea for people who believe that their many years of sobriety have given them immunity to substance abuse. It is vital that people remain on alert for addiction problems no matter how long they have been sober.
