‘As tragic as that is to watch, almost 20 million people are living in recovery,’ Robert J. Lindsey says of ex-Alice in Chains bassist’s death. By Ryan J. Downey Mike Starr in 1990 Photo: Marty Temme / Getty Images The death of ex-Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr raised a number of questions for his fans , as the loss of anyone who publicly struggled with drugs or alcohol often does. Why wasn’t his treatment, documented on VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab” and “Sober House,” a success? Why can’t someone like Starr just stop using drugs? “[The addiction] literally hijacks the person’s brain and takes over,” Robert J. Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, told MTV News on Wednesday (March 9). “For somebody who has become physically and emotionally addicted, stopping and staying stopped is the hardest thing in the world to do. “The first thing to understand about alcoholism and addiction is that it’s similar to other chronic illnesses, like heart disease or diabetes. It’s chronic, it’s progressive and it’s fatal if it’s untreated,” he added. “Some people, despite the best efforts on their part and others, will die from their addiction. It’s our hope that Mike’s death will serve for many as the opportunity for them to either seek help for themselves, a friend or family member.” The NCADD estimates that there are more than 23 million people in the United States who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs. “That’s almost 10 percent of the population,” Lindsey pointed out. And while Starr’s death made headlines, as the seemingly endless relapses of other celebrities do as well, he’s quick to illustrate the growing picture of treatment. “It’s equally important to highlight the fact that we estimate that maybe 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery today.” The history of Alice in Chains is unfortunately tied to drugs, specifically heroin, in many ways. The group wrote several songs about it and regularly disappeared from the limelight while singer Layne Staley battled his demons . He eventually died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine in 2002 while living as a virtual recluse. Starr had been gone from the group for nearly two decades already, reportedly fired for his inability to manage his own drug habits. In more recent years, he seemed to be doing well on “Celebrity Rehab” and “Sober House.” He was living in Salt Lake City, Utah, and reportedly making music with Days of the New when he was arrested on suspicion of drug possession during a traffic stop last month. TMZ reported on Wednesday that Starr had been mixing methadone and anxiety medication just hours before his death, according to his roommate. The report maintains that Starr was using the drugs as part of his effort to stay clean and had been “doing a pretty good job.” “In terms of recovery, for most that are successful, it starts with abstaining completely from the use of alcohol or other drugs,” countered Lindsey. “At the same time, we certainly have had some experience that in some cases some medications can be very helpful in people’s recovery. But it needs, absolutely, to be managed by a physician who is both specifically trained, experienced and certified in addiction medicine. This is not something that can or should be done by the individual or done with a physician who is not certified in addiction medicine.” So what separates someone like Starr from rockers like Keith Richards or Lemmy from Mot
