Drugs, alcohol and the waste of life

Few things sadden me more than seeing talented people waste their gifts by turning to drugs or alcohol. I know nothing about Jonathan Rhys Meyers (pictured) except that he’s a very talented actor and that he has struggled with alcohol addiction for years. I’ve no idea if his addiction is linked to his fame, or his family or if he was born with a compulsion to squander his talents.

We are all, I know, responsible for our own actions and  yet I get quite angry when vulerable creative people are left to destroy themselves. I get exasperated with that person – I was furious with the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman when he died from drug intoxication. But I’m also angry with those who don’t stop it happening, the close friends and family of the one who succumbs to the addiction. I ask myself, how could you let this happen? Surely he just needed more care? Of course you loved him, but you didn’t stop it happening! Marilyn Monroe, River Phoenix, Heath Ledger, Presley, Judy Garland, Richard Burton, Errol Flynn, Oliver Reed, WC Fields, William Holden, Amy Winehouse, Joan Rivers, Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Kurt Cobain, Billy Holiday … the list goes on and on. All this waste.

If someone I loved was in danger of falling, I’d be there to catch them until they could stand by themselves and I wouldn’t let them go.

The latest photos of Jonathan Rhys Meyers by the way shows a healthy looking talented actor with his arms around his wife. They’ve just had a baby. The struggle goes on but they can hold on to each other. I hope they hold tight and never let go.