The Final Words Have Been Said About the Death of Brittany Murphy

AP

Well, it seems like the final words have been said regarding the death of actor Brittany Murphy. The Los Angeles Coroner found that Murphy's weight was in the normal range for her height despite the rumors of an eating disorder. The coroner confirmed Brittany's husband, Simon Monjack's, repeated claims that she did not abuse drugs or alcohol; even though there were high levels of pain medication in her system, as well as over-the-counter cold medicine. In the beginning of this month the coroner stated that Murphy died from pneumonia, with multiple drug intoxication and a low-blood count as contributing factors - the death was believed to be accidental but preventable. Preventable?

It is true that people die from pneumonia every day, actually it can be quite common for elderly people to succumb to it. Brittany was a successful young actor who was reportedly healthy and had no substance abuse or mental disorders. It seems like her death was more than avoidable! If drugs were not an issue, then why did Murphy fill a prescription for 120 Vicodin pills 11 days before her death, and only 11 were left when she was found collapsed in her home. No one seems to know why she was prescribed the medication and the prescribing doctor surprisingly cannot be located. No more than four Vicodins are to be taken daily because of the acetaminophen levels, making the max she should have taken in eleven days would be 44 pills instead of 109. Apparently, to no avail, the coroner's officials have tried to find out from Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack, if he knows anything about the whereabouts of the missing doctor.

It all seems strange that her death is being ruled an accident when it clearly seems like there is more than meets the eye. It saddening that people would try and cover up the truth about the tragic and needless death of a beautiful star; to say that Brittany was struggling with prescription pain medication would be an understatement and Vicodin certainly played a part in her death. We do not honor Murphy's memory by trying to hide the truth about her life.

'Basketball Diaries' Author and Punk Icon Carroll Died

Jim Carroll, author of the famed Basketball Diaries, died on Friday of a heart attack. Carroll's life was forever shaped by his extensive Heroin use which is what most of his prose consisted of. Despite dying at, what many would consider, a young age, 60, he left behind a legacy that we all can cherish. He gave the world a close up, in depth, view of the trials and tribulations of an addict. In the 1970s, Jim Carroll played a major role in the New York art scene, where he mixed with artists such as Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, Larry Rivers and Robert Mapplethorpe. The 'Basketball Diaries' author and punk icon died from a heart attack at his home in Manhattan, his ex-wife Rosemary Carroll told The New York Times.

Carroll's poetry and other works were amazing, but, it was his gritty autobiographical tale of growing up in New York and ultimately becoming a drug addict, who went so far as to prostitute himself, that drew the most attention. "The book, which began life as a journal, was first published in 1978 and then became even more popular, particularly on college campuses, when it was issued as a mass-market paperback two years later", according to the NPR. It was adapted into a film in 1995 and it starred Leonardo DiCaprio. I always will remember the story as giving, arguably, the best portrayal of the progression of the disease of addiction; moreover, it showed people there was a way out if one so chose to do what was needed.

Jim Carroll starting writing poetry at a very young age. "Carroll was in his teens when he first received recognition for his poems, especially "Organic Trains" in 1967 and then "4 Ups and 1 Down" in 1970. Among his other works are collections such as The Book of Nods (1986), Fear of Dreaming (1993) and Void of Course: Poems 1994-1997 (1998)" reports the NPR. You can feel the pain in his words and you can hear his cries for help. So many pop icons have passed away this year it is almost unbelievable. However, it is uplifting to know that Carroll, unlike so many suffering from this disease, remained a productive member of society until the end of his days.

Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy Died

The world lost another great man this week, a man who had traits that we could all hope to have. In May of 2008 Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (February 22, 1932 - August 25, 2009) was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor which limited his appearances in the Senate. He died on August 25, 2009, at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. According to Wikipedia, "Kennedy played a major role in passing many laws, including laws addressing immigration, cancer research, health insurance, apartheid, disability discrimination, AIDS care, civil rights, mental health benefits, children's health insurance, education and volunteering. In the 2000s, he led several unsuccessful immigration reform efforts. At the time of his death, he was continuing to work on universal health care legislation, which is often described as his 'life's work'".

Ted Kennedy was the champion of many great causes in the United States; the mistakes he made in his early life are now overshadowed by his great deeds. Over the years, it has been said, Teddy had his struggles with alcohol, as did his son Patrick Kennedy; both of them fought for the rights of addicts as well as the rights of all. We owe a lot to the Kennedys for the legislative changes they were responsible for during their lifetimes; our younger generations are truly not aware of most of their great deeds. The blood, sweat, and tears that the Kennedy family gave and is still giving is absolutely amazing and something to marvel over!

Representative Patrick Kennedy (RI) has been a champion for the cause of alcoholics and addicts; he himself suffers from Bi-Polar disorder and the disease of addiction. Patrick worked tirelessly for the bill HR1424 (known as the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008) and it was finally passed in 2008 as part of Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The bill ensures that people who suffer from the disease of addiction and mental disorders can get a fair shake from their insurance companies. According to then Republican Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico: "This bill targets insurance plans that cover more than 50 employees. About 113 million people, we figure, are in group insurance plans that have, as part of their health care, mental health coverage. All of those, now, will have imposed on their insurance policy by operation of law that the insurance company will pay for mental health treatment in exactly the same way they cover physical ailments — the same amount of days in the hospital, the same amount of co-pay, and all the other technical words will be equal. And that's not what it used to be, and not what it is today. Insurance companies were already moving in that direction, but now we've made it so they can't slide backwards"(Time.com).

I encourage everyone to watch this video of Rep. Patrick Kennedy testifying concerning mental health parity at a House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions hearing on July 10, 2007. This is a powerful video and it helps to clarify the "disease of addiction." I look forward to hearing your thoughts.