heath ledger found dead.....

[Riverkilt]

Sadly, may turn out to be an all too common entertainer's death. The insane life makes it hard to sleep. Sleeping pills are prescribed. The entertainer gets in the habit of taking the sleeping pills each night before going to bed.

Sometimes, maybe they've been drinking (not necessarily booze) and they wake up to use the bathroom. They're in a haze from the effects of the pills, come back to bed, don't remember they've already taken their sleeping pills for the night and habitually take their evening dose AGAIN because they're "going to bed."

Result is an over dose.

And, of course, all that is exacerbated if they have been drinking alcohol.

No clue if that's what happened to him, but its not uncommon at all for entertainers.

Such a sad waste.

Ron

[Pleater]

I can really relate to the dangers of overdosing by habit.

The number of times I simply can't recall if I have take my tablets in the morning - when I am suposedly awake and aware... luckily nothing drastic happens if I take them twice or if I forget - the numbers probably even out over time.

Poor young man.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

its not uncommon at all for entertainers.
Ron

Actually it's not uncommon for drug addicts to OD but pretty uncommon for folks in the entertainment industry to be drug addicts. The differernce here is that when someone famous confuses their chemicals it gets headlines. When a dentist in Duluth ODs it's not such a big deal news-wise. Oh, and for the record, dentists have a higher percentage of drug abuse than just about any other professional group in North America. Something to do with ease of access to drugs.
Mr. Ledger was a drug addict who used heroin. Presumably he died from a self-induced drug overdose. Will he be missed? Sure, by his family and friends (and his dealer). But actors are interchangable in Hollywood and some other, talented, young man will come along and take his place.

Sorry if I have offended some of Mr. Ledger's fan base, but it's not as if the world has lost some guy who developed a cure for cancer.

[Riverkilt]

Aye, I are one too and have worked as a substance abuse counselor for far too many years. Many who die this way are addicted.

But do wanna point out that one does NOT have to be a drug addict to accidently overdose on Rx meds that are normally taken as prescribed. The OD can happen from being very sleepy, or sleepy with a few drinks earlier.

Some of us addled old codgers develop "systems" to insure, or reduce the likelyhood of such OD. Daily pill holders. Turning the pill vial front to back on even/odd days. Moving the pills after first dosage.

The coroner will advise in time...

Ron

[Pleater]

John Donne
Meditation 17
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee..."

[Makeitstop]

I think it makes me sound like a total B@$!@&% but my first thought after hearing about his death was "Well, I guess he won't be back the next batman movie." And after hearing that the role of the joker stuck with him and kept him from sleeping, I'm suddenly expecting much more out of his performance than before.