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Alastair Mordey, Head Counseller and Programme Controller at The Cabin Chiang Mai looks at the sad demise of Whitney Houston and what can be learnt from this terrible loss:
Alastair Mordey, Head Counseller and Programme Controller at The Cabin Chiang Mai looks at the sad demise of Whitney Houston and what can be learnt from this terrible loss:
“I am the director of The Cabin, a drug and alcohol treatment centre in Northern Thailand, and within hours of the news of Whitney’s death breaking, as occurred when Amy Winehouse’ death was announced, we had already received ten times the normal amount of global enquiries. It appears that the untimely death of an icon such as Whitney could ultimately save lives. It has already provided the catalyst for a number of people all over the world to examine their addictions, acknowledge they have a problem and seek help.”
It is tragic that it should take the shocking and untimely death of a prodigiously talented and popular person to have this effect, but Whitney’s death has caused people to reassess their opinions about her life and her well-publicised problems with drugs and alcohol. From the criticised stage appearances, and increasingly dishevelled appearance to the tabloid scoop photos of her drug paraphernalia covered bathroom, there have been regular reminders that Whitney was fighting, and quite probably losing a battle to control her use of various substances.
The problem is that Whitney’s struggle all too often provided a source of amusement and intrigue. Her downfall from the 6 Grammy winning, 7 consecutive Billboard number 1 one superstar to the person addicted to crack and supposedly living in squalor has been well documented. Shouldn’t someone within her close circle have done something to help stop her fall from grace?
The public seems to enjoy it when celebrity stereotypes are enforced, ‘oh look Shane McGowan’s drunk again,’ ‘Charlie Sheen’s on another bender’, ‘Mickey Rourke’s been womanising…’. There is a certain sense of acceptance that people will continue to live a certain lifestyle. The reality is that Whitney’s creativity and career would have been vastly improved by rehabilitation and recovery. You only need to compare the scintillating live performances early in her career to the shambolic ones once drink and drugs took over to realize this.
Whitney had tremendous potential to influence people whilst alive and the sad fact is that her ultimately tragic failure to deal with her addiction disorder could prove to be a turning point for many. The sheer unnaturalness and perverseness of a person’s death before it is expected has a way of bringing us back to reality. Her death should stand as testament to the negativity and destructiveness of the bacchanalian lifestyles so lauded and feted in unreal and trendy ‘celebrity land’.
It shouldn’t take the death of a prodigiously talented woman such as Whitney to make people realise that there is absolutely nothing glamorous about addiction.”
Happy Valentine’s Day
The team here at Full Portion would like to wish you all a very happy Valentine’s Day.
The Truth about Plastic Surgery The Western Mail
More and more people are going under the knife in a quest to achieve a beautiful body. Glynis Jackson did just this and talks to Kirsty McCrum of her surgery and how it changed her life. Read it here.
“Greeted like we were old friends” SW15 review of Caparossa Putney
The team at SW15 enjoyed a pleasant evening of fine Southern Italian hospitality at Caparossa read their review here.
Cliff and Tom from Coach Trip in Checkum Campaign
Cliff and Tom from Channel 4′s successful teatime television show Coach Trip, are working with Macmillan Cancer Support raising awareness for Testicular cancer.
2000 mean are diagnosed with Testicular Cancer in the UK every year.
For more information about Testicular Cancer and to view the campaign click here.
