Could Whitney Houston’s Death Have Been Caused by Drugs Given to Treat Addiction? 
News media report that benzodiazepines plus other drugs were found in her hotel room after her death. But ironically, “benzos” are often given to recovering addicts in conventional drug treatment facilities.
With the death of superstar Whitney Houston on February 12, 2012, the world lost another talented, beautiful individual. Ms. Houston died in her bathtub at the Beverly Hills hotel, just a few hours before she was to appear at Grammy celebrations.
Enough was known about her death to rule out the idea of harm at someone else’s hands. She was found all alone.
But as has happened too many times before with others, she had several bottles of prescription drugs in her room. While toxicology reports take several weeks to complete, it is possible that the type of drugs she had, combined with alcohol she had reportedly drunk that night, could have easily caused her death. Reports stated that Xanax, lorazepam (often sold as Ativan) and Valium were all present. These are all from a class of addictive drugs called benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines were also found present in the bodies of Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith and Amy Winehouse, at the times of their deaths.
Ironically, Benzodiazepines are Often Used in addiction treatment
Benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed at conventional drug rehabilitation programs that utilize the “dual diagnosis” in their treatment. This means that as a person is recovering from drug or alcohol addiction, they are diagnosed with a secondary mental problem and may often be given addictive drugs for treatment of this secondary condition.
In televised interviews, Ms. Houston admitted her problems with drug and alcohol abuse and made repeated trips to rehab, the latest being in May 2011. Only Ms. Houston’s doctors know if these benzodiazepine prescriptions resulted from her attempts to get clean from drugs and alcohol.
“At the Narconon Arrowhead drug rehab program, we have found that recovery can occur without using drugs like these that can be so dangerous,” stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at the facility in Oklahoma. “When people have a history of addiction or are under great stress, they may lose control of how much they have taken, combine them with alcohol which makes them more dangerous, or abuse them.”
At the Narconon Arrowhead recovery center, no drugs are ever used in the treatment of addiction. Instead, each person is supported with nutritional supplements and innovative calming techniques that ease the recovery process. The goal is to enable each person to reclaim a productive, enjoyable life that is completely free from drugs or alcohol.
One woman who recently completed the Narconon Arrowhead program reported that at a prior conventional drug rehab, she was diagnosed with anxiety one day after she arrived. At that point, she was still in withdrawal from cocaine, one of the symptoms of which is anxiety. The rehab’s doctor prescribed a benzodiazepine for her. At Narconon, she found that she was able to recover fully and stably from her addiction without the use of drugs of any kind.
“Benzodiazepines are not the only drugs given at conventional rehab facilities,” Mr. Hallmark added. “Methadone and buprenorphine are other addictive drugs that are given to opiate addicts. But here too, because of our unique methods of easing withdrawal and reducing cravings, we find that these drugs are not needed.”
Mr. Hallmark noted that in 2008, more than 270,000 people needed help at a hospital emergency room because of problems with benzodiazepines and methadone sent another 60,000.
“There is another way to recover from addiction and that is the Narconon Arrowhead way, without drugs of any kind,” he concluded.
To find out how you can help someone recover a sober, productive life without the use of addictive drugs like benzodiazepines, methadone or buprenorphine, call Narconon Arrowhead drug rehab center today at 1-800-468-6933.
