Amy Winehouse, Addiction and You

A talented, tortured artist died and the public sentiment runs along the lines of, "It figures, she deserved it." Personally, I am saddened by the news. Amy Winehouse's life was riddled with addiction. I take it as another reminder of the insidious work addictions can do to a person.

Although she was encouraged to quit, went to rehab, (even though her heart was mostly not in it from the sound of her lyrics, "Tried to make me go to rehab, but I say no, no, no") she seemingly had opportunities to release her demons.

Addiction is a funny thing though, it grabs you and promises things it cannot deliver. The deception that more of the same will eventually save you, often leads creative, passionate individuals down the same dead end road. Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Janis Joplin, these women heard the whispers and did not know how to stop listening to the lies.

At first addictions feel like "The Answer." Finally, there is something that matches the intensity found within. Whether it is drugs, alcohol, eating disorders or other compulsive behaviors, the addiction helps, at first.

Maybe it calms the nerves, or lets the individual sleep in peace. They may not care so deeply about the things that concern them, or they can forget for a moment everything. Sometimes an addiction will create a powerful new persona, or let the artist continue working throughout the night or go without food. How can they perform, create or function without their substance of choice. It has become a part of who they are.

Everyone surrounding the addicted soul can see clearly what needs to be done, but the person themselves can only see blurry images when it comes to themselves.They lose their instincts and can no longer tell when enough is enough. The vibrancy of the life is snuffed out, first figuratively and then often for real.

In the classic story of The Red Shoes, there came a point when the only choice was to cut the possessed shoes off. Sadly, severing the addiction from the person is not always successful. It is however, always painful. You'd think a person released from the grips of a monster would be relieved, but the toll this process takes can throw them either way.

Unfortunately for Amy Winehouse, her latest stint in rehab was not a success and the addiction won.