No one can deny that Michael Jackson, the King of Pop was one of the greatest artists of our times. There won’t be another artist like him. Like many celebrities, he suffered from anxiety, pain and chronic insomnia. This chronic inability to sleep can rob ones’s ability to have a life. Sleep deprivation plays with mind, our physical well being and our emotional state.
I have posted a few blog posts about how to get the best night’s sleep. Whether it means choosing the right neck pillow for sleeping, or getting into a sleep routine every night- it is definitely possible, with some discipline. Of course there are artificial ways to battling insomnia as well such as sleeping pills.
In the last few years or so, we have heard of numerous celebrities who died under suspicious causes- linked to prescription drugs. Over the last few years deaths due to prescription medication have arisen. People don’t realize how powerful these drugs can be when taken for a long time, in large doses and frequency and in combination with other drugs.
The Journal of the American Medical Association puts death from all drugs, illegal and prescription, as the #2 cause of death. The #1 cause was motor vehicle accidents.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that from 1999 to 2004, unintentional poisoning death from prescription drugs sleeping pills, antidepressants and tranquilizers grew 84 percent to 20,950 deaths, overtaking cocaine and heroin combined as the leading cause of lethal overdose.
Lest we forget the deaths of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith. Both were found dead suddenly, and unexpectedly with a mixture of medications in their blood. In Jan 2008, Heath Ledger died from a cocktail of six prescription drugs including Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Diazepam, Temazepam, Alprazolam, and Doxylamine. Ledger had been complaining of anxiety, an inability to sleep, and had pneumonia. In February 2007, Anna Nicole smith was found with a deadly combination of sleeping meds and prescription meds in her system. This even happened to past celebrities like Elvis Presley, who in 1977 was found with a powerful medley of prescription medications.
With the passing of Michael Jackson, I again wonder to myself- is it that easy to get hooked on prescription medications? According to Gary Boggs, executive assistant of the Drug Enforcement Agency's Office of Diversion Control, the arm of the DEA that investigates unlawful trafficking of prescription medications, “The abuse of these drugs is only second to the abuse of marijuana," He also says that it is reported that out of the 7 million Americans who abuse prescription drugs, 5.2 million of them are involved in some kind of improper use of pain relief medications, such as Vicodin or OxyContin. “
To all my readers of the Neck Pain Support Blog- please take your prescription medications seriously and responsibly. Think about it, we only “hear” about celebrities who abuse drugs- in fact we love to read about it and gather all the “details”. Did you know that in 2005, At least 8,500 deaths were attributed to the overuse of painkillers, according to the DEA. That's a 114 percent increase in the number of fatalities associated with such abuse since 2001. Between 2004 and 2006, there was a 39 percent spike in the number of emergency-room visits that were connected to pain-reliever abuse. It can be said and hopefully understood that Prescription Medications when abused, can kill you. Its just not worth it.
**Post Note** As of today, the DEA recently joined the Los Angeles Police to determine the true cause of Michael Jackson's Death. According to experts, the DEA is often called in to assist in cases that might involve drug abuse
Source: The Christian Science Monitor
Additional Reading Resources
- Choose the Right Neck Pillow for Better Sleep Naturally
- Which Sleeping Position is Best For Me
- Simple Tips to Sleep
- 6 Ways to Get A Better Night’s Sleep
- Better Sleep equals better control of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease
- Sleeping Comfortably when you Have Neck or Back Pain
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