Hollywood stars usually set the trends that the rest of us follow — in the cities, to suburbia and beyond.
But not in the case of painkiller addictions.
What started as a problem among the rural poor in America has now spread across the nation and into the Hollywood spotlight. The effective chemicals in prescription painkillers — called opioids — are derived from the same poppy plant used to make opium and heroin. Painkillers give a feeling of euphoria and, just like heroin or opium, carry a high risk for abuse and recreational use.
"Addiction to opioids in America crosses all cultural and economic barriers," said Dr. Andrew Kowal, director of the Pain Center at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. "You could be living in the hills of West Virginia, or an actor making $10 million on a movie."
The popularity of opiates skyrocketed during the late 1990s, after pain management specialists went on a mission to treat chronic pain.
Kowal says that between 1997 and 2005, methadone prescriptions shot up by 1,000 percent, oxycodone prescriptions (slow acting OxyContin) went up 600 percent and prescriptions for generic Vicodin increased 200 percent.
Anyone can become dependent on prescription painkillers, but addiction often begins with an emotional dependence. "People start self-treating their anxiety, depression or loneliness," Kowal said.
"That's why you see a lot of the Hollywood stars with it," he said. "Even though they're popular and famous and surrounded by lots of people they're ultimately lonely."
The following stars have dealt with an addiction to painkillers — or "hillbilly heroin," as one celebrity called it. Many of their stories reflect the pain and emotional turmoil that has resulted from the painkiller addiction boom.
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