The addiction started early, said celebrity Kelly Osbourne, and almost cost the star her life.
Actress Kelly Osbourne, daughter of world-famous rocker Ozzy Osbourne, said her addiction to pain medications began following a relatively minor surgery as a teenager. She was prescribed the prescription pain medication Vicodin in liquid form, and soon an addiction formed that turned into dozens of pain pills each day.
Now in her mid-20s, the actress talks about her recovery and her multiple rehab sessions with a renewed focus on maintaining a drug-free life. Though she sought treatment earlier for her addiction, like many people recovering substance abuse, Kelly Osbourne said she didn’t fully reach success until a few years following rehab.
Osbourne’s addiction, as is common in substance abuse cases, began to form a strong emotional connection. She said in interviews that the drugs gave her a sense of self-esteem and led her to believe people enjoyed her presence when she was taking them.
The Osbourne family gained renewed fame with their reality television series, “The Osbournes,” and then a special program on MTV called “Osbournes Reloaded.” In 2009, Kelly Osbourne hit what could be called a bottom point with drugs, saying that she needed to find assistance with the addiction or she would lose her life to it.
During her lowest points, Osbourne said she slept constantly and should have overdosed, taking as many as 50 painkiller pills in a 24-hour period. When her family questioned whether she was abusing a substance, she says she lied about it and became good at hiding the truth.
She also lends insight into the stark reality of substance abuse for millions who are also addicted to prescription medications or other drugs – for most, recovery lasts a lifetime. The celebrity, who has also perfumed as a musician and has also modeled, said a relapse could occur for her, or anyone, who is working through recovery. To be addicted, Osbourne says, is to carry the addiction with you on a day to day basis. This includes recurring thoughts about the drugs.
Vicodin is a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, a type of narcotic pain reliever. Available only by doctor’s prescription, Vicodin is among the group of prescription painkillers that are highly addictive and widely abused in the U.S.
Warding off relapse for Kelly Osbourne is accomplished by keeping in close contact with her sponsor and relying on that relationship for support when the temptation arises. She also says maintaining a personal inventory of emotions and experiences helps fight off cravings, and that even though there is a great deal of fear involved in letting go of the drugs, little by little a person can recover.
Osbourne also describes the sense of losing her ability to keep the addiction under control and hopes to spread the message to others that they should avoid this path at all costs. As she works to develop her career, Kelly Osbourne has appeared in “Dancing With the Stars” and has said she is now able to experience each moment of life without the drugs.
http://www.addictiontreatmentmagazine.com/culture-media/kelly-osbourne-addicts-avoiding-relapse/