Jamie Lee Curtis has not long been 60 and has struggled with addiction for many years. Now, she has been through drug rehab and recovery and has come out the other side. One day back in 1998, Jamie was in her Los Angeles home cooking up dinner for her family. She then dipped into her pocket, pulled out 5 Vicodin pills and knocked them back all at once with a sip of wine. 

 

 

What is Vicodin?

Vicodin is a painkiller that contains both acetaminophen and hydrocodone. Although it’s a popular prescription drug, Vicodin has some serious downsides—for example, its effects are so powerful that they can lead to addiction. Vicodin overdose is also an issue. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction to Vicodin, rehab may be worth it for your recovery.

 

What Jamie didn’t realise was that her friend was watching her from a doorway. Her jig was up, it was no longer her little secret. Now someone knew about her addiction she had been hiding for 10 years. She wasn’t ready to face her demons. No one knew about her addiction except the person she got the Vicodin pills from. 

 

“I love you, but I am not going to watch you die”.

A few weeks down the line, her sister has prescribed the pills for an injury. She wasn’t fond of how they made her feel, so left the bottle full. Jamie was soon sneaking into her room and stealing the pills. Feeling guilty, she left a note to her sister explaining what she had done. Instead of being angry, her sister opened her arms to her and said “I love you, but I am not going to watch you die”.

A couple of months later, Jamie picked up a copy of Esquire magazine. She stopped abruptly at an article called “Vicodin, My Vicodin”. She read Tom Chiarella’s tale of his addiction to the painkillers and felt for the very first time that she was not alone. 

 

Jamie’s addiction began when she was undergoing routine plastic surgery for her naturally puffy eyes. Photographers would refuse to shoot with her due to them – which made her embarrassed. The surgery to remove the puffiness wasn’t all that painful, but she was prescribed Vicodin nonetheless. 

This spiralled into her addiction. Jamie was a well-controlled alcoholic and drug addict, continuing to work well, never taking the drug before 5 pm to keep her functionality. She craved the warm feeling that comes with opiates, like sinking into a hot bath. The feeling she chased for many years. 

 

How is Jamies Addiction Now?

Addiction runs deep in Jamie’s family, her dad Tony Curtis, struggled with alcohol, cocaine, and heroin addictions. Her brother Nicholas, unfortunately, passed away after overdosing on heroin when he was just 21 years old. 

Jamie feels that to call yourself an alcoholic or drug addict, is like wearing a badge of honour. It’s acknowledging how big the statement is, and a life-changing title to give yourself. Keeping it as a secret is the reason why it is such a pervasive illness. 

 

Jamie has now been sober for years, attending recovery meetings often, and even making her own when there are none available. 

 

Have you been struggling with a prescription drug addiction?…

Prescription drug addiction is a very serious, often fatal illness that requires treatment. Because many of these drugs are legal, it’s easy to feel justified in taking them for more than what they were prescribed for—but it’s dangerous. Prescription drug abuse can lead to other forms of substance abuse as well and should be taken just as seriously as any other kind of addiction treatment.