Sick, Sick, Sick

I admit that this is a sore subject for me given the fact that several people I love (and have loved in the past) are addicts, but I am truly bothered tonight. As it is well know, Lindsay Lohan is an addict (as are Charlie Sheen and many other celebrities.) 


One of the gossip rags posted a story which detailed a probation report written about Lindsay. Now, I am not a fan of hers, have never seen one of her movies, etc. Frankly, I wish someone in her life would step up to the plate and sequester her, but that is neither here nor there. 


It is completely shameful and disgusting that anyone would publish a report that detailed, specifically, which medications Lindsay is one. Everything from what she uses to fall asleep, to her preferred birth control, to some antibiotics, were listed. 


Now I accept culpability for reading these sites and therefore encouraging them to print such garbage, but I honestly prefer the happy news of babies, engagements, etc. 


Listing someone's personal medical information is not acceptable. People laugh and say that because they're celebrities, they open themselves to the attention. To an extent that is true. But what does it say about us as a society that we discuss the personal troubles of people like Charlie Sheen ad nauseum? 


Sheen is another one with very, very, severe problems. He is an addict in the throws of a personal crisis. There is nothing funny about his antics. He has five children, none of whom will be "OK" should he meet an untimely demise, and none of whom will survive his addictions unscathed. 


Where is the line drawn on acceptable news and gossip items? Recovery is hard, and that is putting it mildly. Though I prefer him sober, from not only loving addicts, but working with them for five years, I can promise that I understood 100% when he said, "I was sober for five years a long time ago and was bored out of my tree." 


To maintain dignity as a culture we need to step back and allow these people to either heal, or self-destruct, in private. Yes, they do bring on much of it themselves, but that is not a license to feed their demons.