Recent articles describe how the show House of Carters was intended to portray the family’s efforts to bring back their musical careers and reunite family members, but the unexpected death of Leslie Carter is shifting discussions of the show toward the seriousness and struggle of prescription drug addiction.

At the time of her death, Carter is said to have been residing in New York with family members while she focused on battling the addiction. She was found unconscious and the family has asked for privacy regarding any other details. It has been reported that Carter’s young daughter was not present at the time of her death. Leslie Carter, 25 years old and married, was also pursuing a musical career, having featured a song in the movie Shrek.

Prescription drug overdoses are a leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. as the problem continues to climb to crisis levels. Experts believe the jump in numbers of addictions and fatalities is due, in part, to the high availability of prescription medications like Vicodin and OxyContin.

Ongoing research is looking further at biological or genetic factors that may put some people at higher risk for acquiring an addiction, as well as the ways the brain responds and changes to the presence of the drugs. Users may feel a strong sense of euphoria, though short-lived, which encourages their brain to desire that feeling again and again. Professional and medical help is required to reach recovery from prescription drug addiction.

Between 1993 and 1998, Ms. Butler performed the starring role in ABC television’s blue collar comedy Grace Under Fire. The show enjoyed great success ranking among the top ten television programs for two of its seasons. Personally, Butler also found success and was honored twice for her work by being nominated to receive a Golden Globe award. The show was favorably compared to the prior major success sitcom Roseanne. Ms. Butler was receiving accolades, but was evidently stingy when it came to sharing the joy.

Lacking Grace Under Fire

According to her own account, Ms. Butler spent her years on Grace Under Fire behaving badly and treating people around her with disrespect. The former television star says that she was abusing drugs during those years but failed to see the impact her drug habit was taking on her career and on her working relationships. She reports berating co-workers over dialog down to the choice of a single word in a 22 minute script.

Though she didn’t realize it at the time, she now sees how she was making those around her miserable. In an attempt to paint a picture of her diva-like behavior, Ms. Butler recounted an incident when she placed a call to her then-manager in order to complain about the color of the limousine which had been sent to carry her to an awards event. Looking back, Ms. Butler acknowledges she ought to have been told to be grateful for the luxury ride. Instead she was coddled.

From LA Mansion to Homeless Shelter

Her drug use and rude behavior caught up to her one day in 1998 when the show’s creator decided everyone, including himself, had had enough and asked Ms. Butler to leave. The show was cancelled and Ms. Butler entered drug rehab. Ms. Butler entered drug rehab several times in fact, describing her LA rehab experiences as carrying a hefty price tag ($30,000/month), offering sous chef menus but not registering with her. It was at this point that the actress gave up her LA mansion, left Hollywood and headed to a farm in Georgia. There, Butler lived with 15 pets until her bank account ran dry.

Out of work and out of money, Butler ended up living in a homeless shelter. Speaking with utter frankness, the comedic actress said she nearly died from drug use and compared herself to the late Michael Jackson. When pressed to be more specific about her drug problem, Ms. Butler replied that she "did all but crack and needles" during the worst of her drug abusing. The actress said she doesn’t concentrate on what is past. The past is filled with regret.

Butler was willing to say that she now wishes she could undo former mistakes and her bad behavior toward co-workers. She expressed a hope that former colleagues will be able to forgive her. Perhaps trying to undo past mistakes, Butler is once again in LA, this time performing stand-up comedy at the Downtown Comedy Club. She spoke of her desire to put together a reality-based TV show with herself as the center. She knows it will be hard slogging and referred to herself as a Kentucky Derby racehorse looking to make a comeback. Best of all, she verbalized a healthy desire to forgive, be forgiven and to keep laughing.

Johnny Jolly was a defensive lineman for the Green Bay packers and performed his role well. Jolly was a starter in 32 games over two NFL seasons (2008-2009) during which time he completed 82 tackles (2008) and 75 tackles (2009) respectively. The sixth round draft pick out of Texas A&M was a force to be reckoned with. When he was required to leave NFL play due to drug charges, the Packers struggled to fill the hole he left behind. Jolly also struggled to fill the hole that football left in his life.

Jolly says that he was first introduced to codeine during high school when classmates offered him the drug in syrup form mixed with sprite and jolly rancher candies. The codeine concoction is known on the street as "purple drank". Jolly refers to hometown Houston as the "city of syrup."

Mr. Jolly said that he was first attracted to the taste of purple drank, but over time began using it on both good days and bad days in order to get going. Though he used the drug during high school and college, Jolly says that his use spiraled out of control following his indefinite suspension from the NFL during the offseason in 2009.

At that time Jolly had been arrested three times in three years on charges associated with codeine. He had also failed NFL drug testing. As a result, the former defensive end sat drunk and alone in a hotel room in February of 2011 watching his teammates battle out a Super Bowl victory.

In an ESPN interview Jolly reported feeling as if codeine was his only friend during that period. Jolly told the reporter that by then he was using the drug daily in order to numb himself to the pain of losing football, which he compared to losing a bunch of loved ones in a single blow.

Jolly’s parents also had a history of drug addiction. Jolly’s father was in prison during many of his young years as a result of crack use. Jolly’s mother, also once addicted to crack, got help and has been sober for over 20 years. Her hopes that her son would follow her footsteps into drug rehab were brought low when Jolly was recently arrested for the fourth time for possession of codeine. On November 17, 2011 the former NFL star was sentenced to six years in prison for violating the conditions of his parole.

The codeine syrup abused by Johnny Jolly is routinely glorified to youth through hip-hop music. Why glorify something that costs people all the things that they value most in life? What is there to celebrate in a youth of numbed feelings and stripped of relationships?

Johnny Jolly will be eligible for parole in January of 2013, hopefully then he will be ready to re-start his life without drugs. His own mother’s life is testimony that long-term changes are possible.

Mr. Hammond says that during his childhood, he found his father difficult, maybe even frightening to be around. Hammond’s father was a war veteran who was deeply troubled by recurring dreams and ghoulish images relating to his combat experiences. Although this was troubling to his young son, Hammond says his father never abused him in any way. Unfortunately, Hammond’s mother was not a safe haven, either.

Instead, Hammond describes life with his mother as systematic and lengthy brutality. According to Mr. Hammond, his mother not only beat him, but also stabbed him and subjected him to electrical shocks. Mr. Hammond has carried the scars of those childhood abuses and fears into adulthood where, despite the veneer of laughter and comedic incisiveness, just below the surface he was struggling just to function. The abuses committed against him by his mother eventually transformed into abuses against himself.

Mr. Hammond reveals that he kept alcohol in his desk at work. Alcohol became a sedative to combat his frayed nerves and the images which, similar to his father, began to trouble his mind. Sometimes alcohol didn’t do the trick, and when that happened, the comedian says that he would cut himself. He says he remembers cutting himself for the first time when he was only 19 years old, but that over time, it became a habit.

Few not close to the scene would have guessed that Mr. Hammond’s personal terrors and addictions were bad enough that the actor had to be taken in a straitjacket with a police escort from NBC to NY Hospital in 1998. Mr. Hammond reports being so incoherent that when his wife arrived, he couldn’t even recognize her.

This sad episode was followed by worsening addictions. In 2002, Mr. Hammond says that he began to add cocaine abuse to his list of destructive behaviors. There was a stint in drug rehab, but Mr. Hammond still continued his downward plunge.

In 2009, Hammond tried crack. In fact, the actor admits to spending time in a Harlem crack house. The pattern of binging and hospitalizations became almost cyclical. Mr. Hammond says that doctors in the psych ward gave him a different diagnosis each time. According to Hammond, he was variously diagnosed as being schizophrenic, having bipolar disorder and suffering from multiple personalities. He recalls that at one point he was on seven separate medications. Doctors, he says, really had no idea what was wrong with him.

Those SNL performances were given through a haze of medications which Mr. Hammond initially referred to as soul-killing. The SNL environment was one in which performers were expected to perform and Mr. Hammond took the necessary medications so that he could meet the expectation.

As he began to view himself as a victim of trauma, he gained appreciation for the medications that help trauma patients to stabilize and cope. Mr. Hammond is not ashamed of his struggles, which he describes as being hit by a Mack truck. Falling down after being hit is nothing to be ashamed of. Mr. Hammond focuses instead on his repeated efforts to get back up. In his words, "I kept trying to get back up. And then, I did."

Among the celebrities on Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Sex Rehab is Phil Varone, former Skid Row rock band drummer. Part of the controversy over Varone’s sexual addiction has been spurred by his activities outside of the Dr. Drew show, including participating as a product model for a sex toy manufacturer and posting videos of himself in sexual encounters with numerous fans. He has called it part of the "entertainment" element of being a celebrity.

The question, say recent blog posts, is that if people with sexual addictions seek treatment but also act out sexually in these public ways, can their condition be viewed in the serious perspective of addiction? After all, addiction is progressive, destructive and consuming and warrants professional help for true recovery.

The reality for many people with sexual addiction is that the excessive, compulsive sexual behaviors are a way to avoid or cope with negative emotions. Many have lifelong problems with intimacy and sexual acts become a quick "fix," similar to drugs or alcohol.

Because celebrities with sexual addiction may act out in ways that capture the public eye, their symptoms of sexual addiction are more noticeable and seem more controversial. At the core of all sexual addiction, regardless of the ways the person exhibits sexual behaviors, is an inability to control their actions even when the consequences are severe and known. Like other addictions, recovery from sexual addiction is possible, but requires professional help and a commitment to learning new ways to cope with triggers and stressors.

De La Hoya’s battle with alcohol began as early as age 8 at family functions where drinking was the norm. He drank when training for fights, preparing for public appearances and promoting events for his company. His alcohol problem, which was compounded by cocaine abuse and infidelity, got so bad he told reporters, “I’m surprised it hasn’t killed me.”

When a party in Los Angeles ended in yet another blackout, De La Hoya recognized that he couldn’t win this fight without professional help. Like many others who have gone before him, De La Hoya chose Promises drug rehab center to begin his journey of recovery. After living with alcoholism for 30 years and attempting alcohol rehab many times before, he checked himself in for a 30-day stay, and extended for another three weeks.

Now De La Hoya publicly boasts being happier than he has ever been. He spends time with his two children and has found healthier ways to de-stress. Recognizing that addiction recovery requires ongoing effort, De La Hoya reportedly has continued to receive treatment and stays involved in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Although the sports world doesn’t talk much about the prevalence of addiction in its ranks, De La Hoya’s struggles make clear that no one is immune to the disease of addiction. And now, months after completing drug rehab, his courage in the ring has been outshined by his courage in battling this chronic, progressive illness.

De La Hoya’s openness and humility about his struggles with substance abuse send a powerful message that addiction doesn’t care who you are, how many people idolize you or how talented you are. Even “high-functioning” addicts who win world titles and oversee corporations can be secretly battling addiction. And it can knock you out in one round if you don’t get help.

Derek Boogard was only 28 years old when a toxic mix of alcohol and painkillers claimed his life in May 2011. The New York Rangers hockey star was known as a towering and combative opponent on the ice. Off the ice, he repeatedly battled his addiction to prescription painkillers like the oxycodone which eventually killed him.

Oxycodone is a potent drug specifically designed for pain management. It is available in a time-released formula which goes by the brand name OxyContin. A powerful medication by itself, the drug becomes especially dangerous when it is combined with alcohol.

Mr. Boogard had suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and concussion five months prior to his death, just the latest in a string of serious and painful injuries throughout his high school and NHL hockey career. Upon his death, his family opened up about the young man’s repeated efforts to break his addiction to painkillers including several stints in OxyContin rehab. Mr. Boogard’s last rehab experience was as part of a program jointly sponsored by the National Hockey League and the Player’s union. Standard treatment calls for any patients being prescribed oxycodone to be given strong warnings against consuming alcohol.

So was Mr. Boogard’s death an accident or suicide? The chief medical examiner in the Minnesota city where Mr. Boogard passed away explained how investigators determine the difference between suicide and accident in cases such as that of Derek Boogard. Investigators look at medical histories, look for possible signs of prior suicide attempts and most telling – the level of toxicity at death. Greater than 1,000 times normal levels would be indicative of suicide while above three times normal levels points to an accidental overdose.

While it is certain that Derek Boogard’s death was directly attributable to drugs and alcohol and not the concussion he sustained, his brain was donated to the Boston University School of Medicine. There, doctors have been looking at brains which experienced head trauma for signs of degenerative disorder. At least two other NHL players have donated brains for the study. So far, they have reported a significant link between sustained head trauma and brain damage.

Derek Boogard was a fighter on the ice for many years. No doubt he lived with constant pain as a result and sought to continue his career by abusing painkillers. It is a problem that likely infests the sport. For this reason, developing strategies to manage pain for athletes while guarding against addiction deserves a 110 percent effort.

What Is Propofol?

Propofol is a short-acting drug that is delivered intravenously either as a sedative agent or as part of general anesthesia. The drug is used by veterinarians, but in humans it is used to maintain anesthesia, is given as a sedative agent to ventilated adults, and is used as a sedative for endoscopic patients. Since Propofol is not a pain-relieving drug, it may be combined with opioids to provide pain relief.

Propofol may provide users a sense of mild euphoria as they emerge from a sedated state. It also is known to cause hallucinations and create a feeling of disinhibition. Some doctors refer to the white medication as “milk of amnesia.” Its ability to induce a loss of awareness has made it useful during procedures such as endoscopy. The drug reduces anxiety and tension while promoting relaxation and sleep.

Side Effects of Propofol

The pleasurable effects of Propofol are severely counterbalanced by its side effects and potential for danger. Propofol causes such difficulty breathing that it is never appropriate to administer the drug unless the person receiving it will be monitored and perhaps even in conjunction with oxygen being administered (depending upon dosage). Other effects include swelling of the throat, rapid heartbeat/palpitations, lightheadedness/fainting, and numbness in the extremities.

A significant portion of Dr. Murray’s (Mr. Jackson’s physician) trial will focus on the doctor’s attentiveness to Mr. Jackson after the drug was administered. Anesthesiologists report that Propofol is a safe drug when properly used, but also warn that the medication does not interact well with drugs from the benzodiazepine family. The combination so dramatically diminishes the ability to breathe, along with increasing the likelihood of heart failure, that one physician compared it to jumping up and down on thin ice. Mr. Jackson reportedly took a large dose of Lorazepam on the day he died.

Normally it would be difficult to accidentally overdose on Propofol. Over 200mg of the drug would need to be administered in order for overdose to occur. People begin to experience a state of sedation with as little as 40mg of the substance.

Propofol is a drug with addictive properties even though it is not scheduled as a controlled substance. It is a dangerous medication that should never be used without professional supervision. Given the risks associated with its use outside of medical procedures, someone who chooses to use the drug recreationally would need a desperate reason for wanting to “check out” of reality.

Now in his mid-30s, almost 10 years from his last appearance in an NFL game, Ryan Leaf is working to be a positive influence on teens. His greatest accomplishment won’t be a return to football, say reporters, but is his recovery from drug addiction and the negative behaviors that catapulted his life into chaos.

Growing up in Montana, Ryan Leaf began a love of football before he even started school. As a state high school football star, Leaf recalls problems with extreme competitiveness around other kids and an injury that kept him out of the game for several weeks. His emotions often got the best of him, say reporters, due to a strong temper. He later became a star on the Washington State college football team, then left college early to join the NFL.

When a momentously bad game happened, he openly lashed out at reporters and even fans, building a reputation based on his negative outbursts. After leaving a short NFL career, Leaf began a professional career outside of sports and then began assisting with coaching as a volunteer for a Division II school in Texas.

However, a repeated wrist injury led Leaf to begin using prescription painkillers, a journey that led him to addiction. He began visiting multiple doctors to acquire more medications. He recalls the prescription drug addiction escalating to a point where he stole medications from the players he was coaching, a crime which later led to a criminal conviction. The addiction intensified even further, leading him to break into a private home to steal pain medications.

Now in recovery, Leaf states that his painkiller addiction began from an attitude of refusing to be anything but the best. His competitive nature, says Leaf, drove him to need the drugs as a coping mechanism – and to deny getting help when he needed it.

His recovery includes active participation in a 12-step addiction program and interactions with other people enduring the same battle. Regular drug testing and support from an active sponsor and probation officer also help in the process. He also participates in healthy activities like fishing or low-key softball leagues.

Talking to teens to help them make better decisions is also part of Ryan Leaf’s addiction recovery, as well as the realization that challenges will always be there – but there are better ways to handle them.

Ms. Davis says she began drinking when still a teenager living in the south. Feeling like the lone brunette in a sea of blondes, she says that drinking alcohol was her attempt at fitting in with others. And, she says, she drank a lot during those years. Pinpointing a single cause is hard for her and she doesn’t eliminate any genetic predisposition she may have inherited from a family which includes others who struggle with drinking. To Ms. Davis, alcoholism is a disease and one not to be played with.

Providentially, at age 22, she entered acting school and quickly discovered that staying up to drink was taking its toll on her ability to learn and perform. It was then that she felt she needed to choose between drinking or acting and acting won the day. The actress adopted a teetotaler attitude and has tried to follow it throughout. She has not been a drinker during her years of acting notoriety despite her on-camera persona.

As is the experience of many other recovering alcoholics, people often try to coax her to make an occasional exception to her normal no-alcohol policy, but the actress steadfastly refuses. Though she says she still has bad days, she is committed to her alcohol-free life – a life that has lasted far past the mere 30 years that she expected to live when she was a heavy-drinking teenager.

The actress says that, also like her on-screen character, she would enjoy having a husband and baby, but isn’t making it her focus. She wouldn’t mind adopting, either, and has actually turned, at least some of her focus, toward serving as global ambassador for Oxfam International through whose auspices she ended up volunteering in an AIDS orphanage. Adoption is something Ms. Davis admires, but doesn’t think she should undertake without full thought and commitment. Meanwhile, Ms. Davis sees herself as an advocate for the underprivileged and needy women and children across the African continent and uses every opportunity to spotlight their cause and raise money to improve their situation.

The lovely, sober and charitably minded movie and television star says she does have one guilty pleasure: chocolate. Deciding that being skinny doesn’t equal happiness and certainly can’t guarantee love, she indulges her love of chocolate and coffee lattes, but never has more than two.