Corey Haim and Michael Jackson: Addicts or Truly Searching for Some Sleep?

With the recent death of celebrity Corey Haim, the issue of prescription drug abuse again hits the news. Seemingly it is becoming more common for celebrities to die from the abuse of prescription drugs. Corey Haim and Michael Jackson held more in common than being celebrities-both claimed severe insomnia and though it is early, it seems possible the long-term use of Soma and Valium may have contributed to Haim's death. Michael Jackson's death has been tracked to be deliberately caused by an anesthetic drug called Propofol with benzodiazepine effect.

Many minds have been sharing information back and forth on various message boards saying insomnia is a BS excuse celebrities use to gain "downers" to get high. My question is, is it?

It is no secret even to the lay person that prescription drug use changes the way the human mind functions over a period of time. Psychiatrists tend to limit the amount of time a person is on sleeping medication for this reason. The long-term use of Ambien, Lunesta, and even benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax cause the body to build up tolerance. Tolerance causes the person to need more of the medication to gain the same effect. More pills are needed for sleep and with more pills the possibility of an overdose increases.

Tolerance is something I have experienced first -hand. My physician alternates Ambien and Restoril (another sleeping medication) so tolerance is less of a problem but it remains a problem. Often, I go two or three days without sleeping even with taking the medication. The temptation to take more of the medication in an attempt to sleep is extreme when it has been days since I have slept an hour. With unlimited resources to the prescriptions used for sleep, it is easy for me to understand how someone could fall into the pattern of taking medications intended to help sleep more often than they should. The problem is overusing these drugs causes the body to become dependent on them and soon the person who was once using the drug for sleep uses it to make it throughout the day.

Corey Haim and Michael Jackson each abused drugs in the past-they admitted it and there's no contesting it as fact. In my past, I misused a medication called Esgic that contained a strong barbiturate named Butalbital which helped me to sleep. Is it possible the mistake of using these drugs in the past affects sleeping behavior patterns in the future? In my case, either this misuse did it or a brain surgery I underwent in my early teens. The problems with my sleeping came in during my 20's-not too far removed from the Esgic usage.

Corey Haim's toxicology reports are not out so we do not know what will be found in his system. Michael Jackson was found with medications his doctor used to help him sleep the last night of his life-nothing illicit. Corey Feldman claims Corey Haim was not acting like an addict in his last few weeks of life. Is it possible both men truly were trying to get some sleep when the overdoses occurred?

I do not believe people should be quick to judge Haim, Jackson, or any other former addict by saying the usage of sleeping medications makes them "junkies". Addiction is a process easily fallen into and often not on purpose. My Esgic usage came from being prescribed too large a dose from a family doctor and I did take a few too many over the course of two weeks. Because of that mistake, I spent two years trying to stop taking them completely. Ultimately, I overcame it and do not take pain medications of any type unless I have surgery or disabling migraines. Yet the sleeping problems persist for me. Perhaps Haim and Jackson were the same way as I am? The losses of both men were tragic and could have been prevented had they not gained access to more pills than should have been prescribed.

*Additional Source: Psychology degree (specifically physiological psychology) and personal experience*