07/26/2025
Reading this post validates what I’ve said many times over. Having lost my own brother just a few months ago, due to complications of his addiction. I can attest to treating celebrities much differently.
My brother was dismissed and treated as if his life didn’t matter by the same healthcare workers that he should’ve got treatment from. Instead cancer grew throughout his body after being told to just take yet another pill and he’d be fine.
Too many human beings that suffer each day are meet with judgement and attitudes of belittlement. My brother died sober less than six days from FINALLY being admitted into the Presbeterian Hospital in Albuquerque NM.
His life mattered as do so many others that are dismissed, judged, and not seen as worthy enough to be treated with compassion.
This is a repost 👇 from a Social Work Rebecca Lehr. We absolutely agree with this perspective. 💔
With all the heartfelt mourning and tributes for Ozzy Osbourne this week, I found myself reflecting on something deeper.
Ozzy’s struggles with addiction were no secret. His battle was messy, public, and long. And still, people remember him with admiration. They call him a legend. They celebrate his talent and his legacy. Rightfully so.
But it brings up a hard truth we don’t talk about enough.
Why is addiction seen as forgivable in celebrities, but unforgivable in the people we pass on the street?
Why do we rally around musicians, athletes, and actors while distancing ourselves from our neighbors, clients, or even family members who face the same disease?
As social workers, mentors, helpers, and advocates, we meet people in the middle of their hardest moments. We do it because every human being deserves dignity, regardless of their struggle, income, or status. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It touches every zip code, every family, and every level of society. Healing shouldn’t be reserved for the famous or the favored.
Addiction is addiction.
Recovery is recovery.
Love is love.
Let’s not reserve grace and respect for celebrities only.
