Celebrity Tragedies Should Motivate All of Us

By Kevin Doyle, Ed.D.
President/CEO, Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School

The recent tragic death of former One Direction band member and solo artist Liam Payne, and the resulting media coverage, have led me to reflect on how we as a society look at and react to situations like this. I hope all reading this will join me in extending condolences to his friends and family, including his parents and his young son, as they celebrate his life and lay him to rest in the coming days.

Media coverage has been — as has happened time and again in the wake of a celebrity tragedy — sensational, exploitative, and intrusive. To me, this illustrates a stunning lack of awareness of what the use of substances can produce: tragic outcomes up to and including death. It is a messy disorder often characterized by out-of-control behavior by those who are afflicted rather than something that happens to people with poor character. Individuals with a substance use disorder may do things that are dangerous (like getting behind the wheel of a car, for example), inappropriate, and/or repulsive. The point is that these actions are the unfortunate progression of the disorder. That does not excuse the behavior or the person’s responsibility, but we should not be shocked when these things happen.

If anything, the possibility of these events should motivate each of us to address substance use in people we know as the health problem that it is. Not doing so not only makes us somewhat complicit, but also risks our having to live with the inevitable regret that comes following a tragedy that could potentially have been prevented.

In the case of Liam Payne, it is unclear exactly what happened. What does seem clear is that alcohol and other drugs may well have played a significant part in what was an irreversibly tragic outcome. Perhaps those in his life made attempts to help, perhaps not. In my experience, particularly with younger people, there is often a hesitancy to say something, to get involved, even to express concern, due to concerns about its not “being any of my business” or not be seen as “judging” someone. This hesitation can have dramatic consequences in that one’s friends and loved ones may be the only ones who can impact an individual’s decision to seek out help. Of course, there are no guarantees.

What is also clear to me is that the media obsession over the sordid details of this case is not only unhelpful but also perpetuates the stigma that addiction is simply an individual of poor character making bad choices — rather than the progression of a disorder that in many cases results in tragedy (still over 100,000 overdose deaths alone in the U.S. each year according to most recent statistics).

May Liam Payne rest in peace, may his family and friends find comfort in his memory, and may we learn how to address substance use in those around us so that they may get the help they need. And, finally, may the media approach tragedies like these with sensitivity, respect, and a desire to help audiences understand this disorder and reduce the stigma that prevents people from getting help.

Disclaimer: I did not know Mr. Payne, have never been involved in any treatment he may have received, nor do I know about any diagnoses he had.