Celebrities are no strangers to alcohol and drug addiction. Nor, it seems, are their children who may or may not be celebrities themselves. Recently Tom Hanks’ son, Chet, revealed that he had spent 50 days in rehab to overcome both an addiction to alcohol as well as cocaine. Cocaine, is considered a Class-A drug in the United States, making it highly illegal, but none the less it is a powerful stimulant that has addicted millions of people worldwide for many years. Many people use the drug in combination with alcohol because of the drugs ability to allow someone to drink heavily and then receive a “pick-me-up” effect that can get alcoholics through hangovers and other nasty effects brought on by drinking heavily or even to the point of binge drinking which is most popular among younger adults, but is obviously not exclusive to them. The combination of cocaine and alcohol isn’t, as some might think, uncommon. Nor is it uncommon for celebrities to abuse one or the other, or both. It’s been discussed before why celebrities in particular seem to be singled out and talked about constantly when it comes to their recreational habits, but the truth is their lives are targeted by the press because of the widespread interest in their lives outside the movies, concerts and other events where their work is showcased. Many people also ask why celebrities, who are for the most part very rich, would ever need the escape that alcohol and drugs offer non-celebrities. Well, we may never know all the answers to that question but it is certain that celebrities may have everything they could possibly want, but with that comes a life of constantly being monitored and scrutinized by millions of people who judge and gossip about things that normally wouldn’t be their business, but thanks to the internet and widely available celebrity magazines are totally informed and immersed in the lives of others.
This particular case highlights another interesting point regarding celebrities and their addiction stories. While Tom Hanks’ son is a celebrity in his own right, because of his music career (specifically rap and hip hop) he hasn’t quite attained what his father has as far as fame, but regardless of that his life is just as highly scrutinized and despite that his attitude towards the entire ordeal is impressive to say the least. Prior to the story of his addiction issues even coming to light online or in magazines, he openly came out and spoke about his troubles in a blunt and straight forward fashion, even stating that he didn’t give a **** about what people may be thinking about him and his struggles. While the language may have been a bit harsh, this is exactly the right attitude that addicts need to have in order to get their lives back on track. It isn’t about what others may think, whether it’s your family or millions of fans across the globe. Addiction, while it does have effects on family and friends, is a personal issue that must be dealt with on the inside first before any relationships, however important to you, can begin to mend. Personal and inner-spiritual help is what will have to come first in a recovering alcoholic or drug user, not what the rest of the world thinks of you whether you have a few friends and family or all the fans in the world. These are some of the ideals held dear in programs like AA and NA which Tom Hanks’ son credits very highly for helping him overcome his addiction issues, and they can benefit other addicts as well.
