Celebrity Drug Addiction – DJ AM

World famous DJ and recovering addict, Adam Goldstein, otherwise known ad DJ AM, was found dead on Friday at his New York apartment. Around his body, police investigations found a variety of drug paraphernalia including prescription bottles and a pipe inside DJ AM’s residence, after the 36-year-old’s lifeless, shirtless body was discovered face-up, clad only in shorts, in his bed at around 5:20 p.m. Goldstein’s death was ruled an accident caused by acute intoxication from a combination of cocaine and prescription drugs. The medical examiner discovered a laundry list of drugs in AM’s body including crack cocaine, Oxycodone, Vicodin, Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax, Benadryl and Levamisole, a drug commonly used to cut cocaine.

Goldstein’s early adolescence was plagued with addiction, abuse, and depression, which led to overeating and eventually an addiction to crack cocaine that caused him to attempt suicide. With a gun in his mouth, Goldstein pulled the trigger and the gun jammed. Taking this as a sign, Goldstein voluntarily admitted himself into Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program, and began his road to recovery. In September of 2008, Goldstein was the victim of a devastating plane crash in South Carolina where all people died except another musician, Travis Barker of Blink182, and himself, and left him deeply traumatized. This plane crash forever changed his life, and is believed to ultimately be the reason Goldstein began using drugs again. Goldstein was diagnosed with Post-Tramautic stress disorder from the crash, and fell into a deep depression when trying to stop the pain medication prescribed due to the excessive amount of burns he suffered as a result of the crash. He was also rumored to be suffering from “survivors guilt” as a result of the plane crash where other people died.

Goldstein was a recovering addict, with approximately 10 years of sobriety, and became one of countless individuals who beat their addictions for a length of time, and then a traumatic incident causes them to resume their old ways. The mental as well as physical pain endured by Goldstein were the reason behind the prescribing of several pain medications as well as anti-anxiety medications, most of which were found in his body during the posthumous toxicology report. It is very common for people who once suffered from a heroin or opiate addiction to resume the habit after enduring a painful surgery or accident. The truth is nobody is above the urge of addiction. Some people are more vulnerable to the threat of addiction, but nobody is immune. Goldstein had 10 years clean, and after being administered pain medications for a length of time, he quickly resumed self medicating once the hospital had ceased. This was ultimately the cause of his death. If you or a loved one are struggling with the disease of addiction, do not hesitate to seek the help of a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility in your area to provide the support you will need to combat the urges to used illicit substances.

Goldstein had been filming a documentary where he reaches out to teens who are battling the disease of addiction, and tries to enroll them in a Drug Treatment Program. After orchestrating an intervention with family and friends, the addicts would be ushered into an Inpatient Program where they would receive several hours of intensive group and individual therapy to help prevent relapse. The show, titled “Gone Too Far,” was a very touching program, and he truly helped a lot of people through its release.