Is This What Caused the Death of Heath Ledger?

The death of actor Heath Ledger shocked and stunned many people. It was both incredibly sad and unexpected. Heath Ledger was best known for his highly acclaimed role in Brokeback Mountain. He was completing work on his latest role, the Joker in the upcoming Bat Man movie and had several other projects in the works. Heath Ledger is survived by his partner, Michelle Williams, and thier daughter.

The last time I saw Heath Ledger he was walking around Downtown Manhattan. Usually we ran into each other in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where I most often saw him carrying his daughter on his shoulders. He was obvioulsy enthralled with her. The other day I passed the house where Ms. Williams lives with Matilda. The paparazzi were out in force, taking up the entire sidewalk. There were TV reporters as well. They were waiting for "Heath Ledger's Ex" to return home to New York. I heard someone say they hoped they could get a picture of the child. I'm sure I made a disapproving face, involuntarily. Intellectually, I know they are "just doing thier job". At at time like that though, all I can think was "vulturish". "She could be a relative" one of them said and they began taking pictures of me. The TV camera man ran towards me. I put my hood up and just walked through. At the corner, I sighed deeply. You see, after hearing the details I believe I know what, very likely, caused the death of Heath Ledger.

The Medical Examiner has announced that he is waiting on a toxicology report to determine Heath Ledger's cause of death. This means he has ruled out the causes that would have presented themselves in the initial examination. Those would be things like an aneurism, a congenital heart problem, undisclosed cancer and the like. Toxicology reports are done for one reason: to detect what medications might have played a role in a death, after excluding other possibilities.

At the apartment where Heath Ledger was staying, ( which is owned by Mary Kate Olsen) a number of prescription medications were found. They included several brands of anti-depressants and the anti-anxiety medication, Xanax. Heath recently desrcibed himself as "having some problems with insomnia and angst" but other wise, in good spirits. I would like to point out that it is not unusual for people to try a number of different anti-depressants and/or anti-anxiety meds, one after the other, or even in pairs. Some people are lucky enough to find one that works for them on the first try but many, many people try several different kinds before they, hopefully, finding one they feel is helpful. Whether depression or anxiety is situational (brought on when stress depletes the brains "feel good chemicals" temporarily) or inherent (one's brain chemistry simply, as a matter of course, is deficient in producing "feel good chemicals") people's differing brain chemistries mean that a prescription that works for one person will not necessarily work for another and that no pill works for Everyone.. So, I was not surprised to hear he had a number of different brands prescribed for him. To have that many, my first thought would be to assume that he simply did not discard those he had tried and found ineffective.

Most people have heard commercials on TV for anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs. They include tag warnings now. "The medications have been known to increase thoughts of suicide in teens and young adults". That is one possible adverse reaction. An adverse reaction is an effect that is Opposite to what is expected and what one wants occurs. They occur in a certain percentage of the population. What percentage, exaclty, is not known. That is because the tests which measure this are paid for by the companies that market the drugs. Still, it is a small percentage of all who take the drugs. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs save lives. Period. I am not against them ...and most peole take them without negative consequence. However, I do feel that anyone who is prescribed these drugs needs to be Closely monitored and Especially just after they begin taking a new prescription. Most peole do not have adverse reactions and if somene is monitored, an adverse reaction would be obvious to a trained professional, so trying one of these medications should not be seen as "high risk', if common sense is used. However, I feel that any Doctor who prescribes these medications and says " come back in a few weeks" with what we know now Is being irresponsible. It is true that each time a new prescription is tried there is the possibility of adverse reaction. The commercials do Not say this but it is true : Anyone, at Any age can have an adverse reaction. Adverse reactions have been around as long as these drugs have, even though initially drug companies buried reports that they occurred. The reports, showing the drug companies knew about these reactions from the first, came to light only after law suits brought by the families of those who had killed themselves or killed others, while taking these drugs, reached civil courts.. A person can also have an adverse reaction even when trying a different drug in the same class. That is, for example, just because one brand of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication was tolerated and no reaction occured, one can Not assume it won't happen if a new one is tried. Noone knows who will have a reaction and any different type of prescription could cause a reaction, even in a person who previously had no adverse reaction to similair but non-identical drugs. Whenever a prescription is changed there is risk.. each and every time.

This is what happens during an adverse reaction: Often in a very short period of time (which can be weeks... or even just a matter of days) the individual's mood becomes radically worse. Cognitive functioning is compromised. (The person feels confused, fuzzy, thier personality may change radically and they may do things that are blatantly out of character for them. A person can lose thier 'train of thought" easily, they're easily distracted. They may seem "out of it" at times). Irrational thoughts develop (Everyone hates me. There is just no way things Could get better.,,or.. I should get revenge ) There are an intense urges "to act". (The person becomes either suicidal..or homicidal and may begin making concrete plans to carry this out) Urges to act come in waves. (People describe talking themselves out of acting , temporarily, only to have the urge return again later. "Dismissed" thoughts can return repeatedly.). Hurting onself or others, comes to be seen as a viable option and one can feel strongly compelled to do so. During the adverse reaction whatever was initially felt is intensified, many times over. If the person was sad, they become despondent. If they were anxious, they become hyperactive. If they were angry, they become furious. It is an altered state. One that some people do not survive. The cure is simple though....a change in medication, a discontinuation of the one the person is "allergic" too. When this is accomplished, it is a characteristically a very short period of time until the person thoughs revert to realistic thinking.

The reason I feel particularly strongly that an adverse reaction could be what caused the death of Heath Ledger is that the details I have heard fit the pattern of impluse. That is: Ledger was still active, making plans, working. He had not isolated himself, totally withdrawn, as happens with continued, standard, deep depression. In fact, Heath Ledger had asked someone to meet him the next day for an appointment. This would suggest he could have acted on an urge. If the number of prescriptions found were pills he was stockpiling, that would point to a someone who possibly had those urges,made plans, backed off from them and then when they urge became overwhelming, had the means at hand and acted on the urge, on impulse borne of illogical thinking. Some raise the possibility of accidental overdose. It is posssible with some adverse reactions to become so fuzzy that one truly "can't keep track of what one is doing.. or what one has done." However, what is most striking to me is the "out of the blue" nature seen here. There was no major, slow, downward spiral of increasingly problematic behavior. He was fulfilling obligations, showing up, planning for and talking about the future and then he was gone. That he sought treatment meant he was attempting to deal with issues, yet he was functioning. Becoming so out of it that one accidentally overdoses or so despondent that one would hurt themselves is typically not something that occurs over a very short period of time, rather there is usually a build up. When I hear of someone who was recently keeping appointments, socializing, and making plans for the next day, the next week and the next year, I immediately wonder about a possible an adverse reaction. Mainly, because of the incredible speed with which one can see radical changes in mood, actions and behavior. Just recently Heath Ledger was known to be discussing projects that would begin soon ..as well as projects that would not begin for months or even this year. He was making immediate And long term plans. This, perhaps most of all, is a red flag.

I think back to seeing Heath, bouncing his daughter, laughing, not long ago. Even when I saw him In New York he still seemed happy, jovial, calm and thrilled about have his daughter. He seemed to be full of plans and looking forward to the future. So no matter which drug the Medical Examiner says Heath Ledger took, it will not alter my opinion. Which brand name, what type, which exact formula, prescribed or illicit..it's inconsequential to me. I know how someone goes from showing up and functioning to despondent, in intense pain and hopeless in Such a short period of time. I know what it is like to see someone who is fine and then suddenly, shortly thereafter, unable to think straight, make sense of simple things or keep track of thier own actions. I have seen people's characters change so radically, in such short periods of time and the first thing I want to know is .....what are they taking that Has been prescribed.. Every time I hear one of those drug commercials, I cringe and think of how irresponsible the drug companies Still are... by implying that adverse reactions only happens to the young, to those who aren't yet adults. That's patently false. The drug companies past lack of responsibilty and greed cost many a life and now, sadly, they may have contributed to Heath Ledger losing his. I wonder if those closest to Mr. Ledger fully understand about adverse reactions and hope knowledge about it would spare thier feelings. An adverse reaction is, in many ways, very similair to a poisoning. The person having it is not responsible for thier actions and thoughts..which are chemically induced.. Because it is a chemical causing certain thoughts and urges, those around the person having the reaction can't change the feelings or behaviors for the person, no matter what they do or say. When there is an adverse reaction the only way to spare the individual is to withdraw the drug they are allergic to,,,,,,,and quickly. Unfortunately, many in the general population are not aware of adverse reactions, the symptoms of adverse reactions or the fact that it can happen to anyone. The risk is Not limitted to teens or young adults, as the ads still say.

Most likely, what will happen is the Medical Examiner will simply return a finding that "Heath Ledger's death was caused by the over taking of ................" . There will be no mention of the Why. I hope the very real possibility of adverse reaction will be considered and investigated. How long ago Mr. Ledger started a new prescription is one question I would like to see answered. Another is when the drug manufacturers will be held responsible for the omissions in thier commercials..and the results that ensue because of them. "Lying by omission" is still lying. The vast majority of people will not have an adverse reaction. Those who are left behind by someone who had one and acted upon it need to know that the person was in the grips of something beyond thier control..And they need to know that thier guilt is undeserved. Adverse reactions are Medical conditions which render the person having them unable to act in thier own best interests . Having said this or that can not cure an adverse reactions. Nor can it cause them.. Someone who has died because of an adverse reaction died because there was no medical intervention in the face of a recognizable condition. It really is as simple ..and sad..as that. Is this what happened to Heath Ledger? I think that it is highly likely.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Michelle and Matilda Williams, Mr. Ledger's other family members, his friends, fans and colleagues in the entertainment industry. All who knew him know that a bright light has gone out too, too soon. All who enjoyed watching him practice his craft, looked forward to seeing more...
He won't be forgotten.