In my opinion, denial ends when you admit you are an Alcoholic, Addict, and that you have a disease! There are many ways you measure the disease’s timeline such as financial deterioration, loss of friends, family, and activities, OR the way you look! Please read my post about the telltale physical traits you can not hide when you are hooked.
Note: Think about yourself, a friend, or educating a young adult. By realizing the signs of the disease, we can take steps to eliminate or shorten the time line. The people I discuss in this post had a time line you can physically see. The dates the photos were taken speaks volumes. The point of this post is the glaring reality of what we are dealing with over a SHORT time. It is scary, but you can see the waste in people you admire.
I love movies and good TV sitcoms. So, I took the time to look at four, high-profile stars . I’m listing their names, their familiar movies, and their photos before and after their addiction. These photos span the 10,15,20 years during which they seriously abused their minds and bodies.
Please note Robert Downey Jr. turned his path around. He did this through multiple solutions–not just one. Which leads to my “Note” after the pictures.
The changes in all these people are impressive.
Jan Michael Vincent – Soldier Blue, Air Wolf, White Line Fever
Robert Shaw – From Russia with Love (his picture below), Jaws, (Captain Quint), The Sting,
Lisa Robin Kelly, one of the characters on “That 70’s Show”, definitely took a turn for the worse over the years. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2014 because of an accidental drug overdose. Kelly never committed to seeking help at a professional drug rehabilitation center.
Robert Downey Jr. – Chaplin, Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man
Note: Unfortunately, the research and findings we have now were not available for some of these individuals, but all of the information was available for Robert Downey Jr. and Lisa Robin Kelly. This website has documented impressive medical findings made since 2013. I cannot say there is no excuse for not turning the path, but we now have far more tools and education than the people before us.
Brian Masters
Addiction Reality Education: A Real American Dilemma 