One more amazing artist left us from drug overdose.

tom petty dies from opiate drug overdose

It hurts. It hurts because closure is necessary for new beginnings. Tom Petty was not only an American classic artist, but a longstanding tourer that continued long into age including health problems. Though he was open about his heroin use in youth, there was little spoken about his death until his family came open about opioids and overdose. It was not only brave but beautiful to step outside of the norm to ask for silence or try to put away as much information as possible when it comes to drug or alcohol use. Although managing emphysema and a broken hip, this musical virtuoso that shaped American rock and Roll and influenced many was also a human being. Mortal in every sense to the debilities and difficulties of life. The problem is the prescription opiates are killing many, and though they may not be known musicians, the effort to speak about the detoxification and recovery from the addiction to these pain killers is real. They are being prescribed and the country is impacted by it not only economically but emotionally.

We commend the family for making a decision that is uncommon, one of breaking anonymity to his overdose and previous problem, and the other hoping that it could begin a conversation about opiates. Well, it got us to speak. And we continue to speak. Prescription opiates like Vicodin, oxycodone and oxycontin to name a few or overly prescribed and easy to become accustomed to and hard to let go.

At La Jolla Recovery we want to destigmatize the heroin and opiate problem that exists today. With the Surgeon General’s comment as a national addiction epidemic as well as the president stating its emergency, the solution lies in making sure it can be identified early, attended through treatment and hopefully placing preventive steps to minimizing future overprescribing narcotic and painkillers as well as laying responsibilities of institutions and people making this possible.

Here’s to change and above all the bravery of some to be open to leave us looking inside for more solutions and always remembering the community that proper detox and withdrawal from heroin or opiates should be done with supervision and over an extended period with continuous treatment in order to extend sobriety and cement recovery.