RIP Phillip Seymour Hoffman

[homer]

Wow, only 46 years old.

[GAME05]

it's sad such amazing talent often comes with an equal share of personal demons. unquestionably one of the best actors around.

[jerichoholicninja]

Can't believe he was only 46. He looked more mid-50's.

[chadomac]

You probably look older than you are when you're overweight and abuse drugs.

 

He was one of my favorite actors, it's a bummer.

[homer]

You probably look older than you are when you're overweight and abuse drugs.

 

He was one of my favorite actors, it's a bummer.

 

He has always looked older than he is. Maybe he's always been on drugs? I mean he was like 26 when he did Big Lebowski.

[JimH5]

That's a bad way to go, alone, on the floor of your bathroom with a heroin needle in your arm.

 

I'm certainly sad for his kids. They are much too young to have to deal with the loss of their father. And I'm sad that he was addicted to heroin. I guess I just don't understand addiction.

 

We've known for years and years that the stuff is addicting, and that it can be fatal. So I don't understand why someone would try it even once. Death wish? Overconfidence in one's ability to not become addicted? Impulse control? An inability to put off today for better tomorrows?

 

I understand that some people are just wired with addictive personalities, and we all have personal demons. I'm thankful that my own demons are too many doughnuts and bouts of laziness.

 

It's a shame that he died, just as it's a shame when anyone dies from something that seems avoidable.

[Baldkin]

It's not so simple as an addictive personality. It is a disease of the brain. No different from heart disease, it is about 50% genetics, and 50% lifestyle.

 

Sorry, I see that sort of thing posted in lots of places, all too often. It is not as simple as making a choice.

 

I'll get off my high horse now and say, it's a shame he died, but I hope his death brings to light this fact and that more people take the time to learn more about addiction, and learn that it isn't so simple as flipping a switch.

 

http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/is-addiction-a-disease.htm

[JimH5]

That's a good response, Baldkin, and I'm not trying to take the Nancy Reagan approach to drugs.

 

I want to be respectful of those with the disease. I just don't know what things can be attributed to a diseased brain and what things are due to bad decisions.

[Baldkin]

That's a good response, Baldkin, and I'm not trying to take the Nancy Reagan approach to drugs.

 

I want to be respectful of those with the disease. I just don't know what things can be attributed to a diseased brain and what things are due to bad decisions.

 

I re-read this and didn't mean to sound like I was jumping on you, Jim. I have had family who've dealt with this disease and I just dislike when it is portrayed as a matter of willpower or a simple choice.

 

I just want to spread that knowledge, the more people who know, the more people who can help.

[homer]

Many times addiction is a symptom of some underlying mental issue or trauma.

[JimH5]

 

I re-read this and didn't mean to sound like I was jumping on you, Jim. I have had family who've dealt with this disease and I just dislike when it is portrayed as a matter of willpower or a simple choice.

 

I just want to spread that knowledge, the more people who know, the more people who can help.

 

No offense taken. If and when I display ignorance on a subject, I'm fine with being steered in the right direction.

 

Thankfully, I have not had drug use/abuse issues in my family, so I'm an outsider when it comes to diagnoses, treatment, causes, etc.

 

In the days after Hoffman's death, the news reports sound as if he had been struggling with this for awhile. It's especially sad that he was so gifted in his art, and so tormented by his addiction.

[chadomac]

Yeah, apparently he had issues when he was young, beat them for 23 years or so, and then relapsed within the past few years and had continued to struggle.

 

It will be interesting to see how they handle those Hunger Games movies given the fact that he is an integral part of the plot in a blockbuster franchise.

[jerichoholicninja]

It will be interesting to see how they handle those Hunger Games movies given the fact that he is an integral part of the plot in a blockbuster franchise.

 

I didn't read the article but according to a headline I saw they are going to CGI him. Not sure how they would handle his voice. Then again, I've never seen the movies so I have no idea what his character is or does.

[Baldkin]

 

I re-read this and didn't mean to sound like I was jumping on you, Jim. I have had family who've dealt with this disease and I just dislike when it is portrayed as a matter of willpower or a simple choice.

 

I just want to spread that knowledge, the more people who know, the more people who can help.

 

No offense taken. If and when I display ignorance on a subject, I'm fine with being steered in the right direction.

 

Thankfully, I have not had drug use/abuse issues in my family, so I'm an outsider when it comes to diagnoses, treatment, causes, etc.

 

In the days after Hoffman's death, the news reports sound as if he had been struggling with this for awhile. It's especially sad that he was so gifted in his art, and so tormented by his addiction.

 

It is amazing how many of the great actors and performers seem to be afflicted with these sorts of troubles. As a society we are slowly learning and comprehending what goes on in the brain and it will take time for things to propagate to the masses.

 

Another amazing read on this subject:

 

http://debbiebayerblog.com/2014/02/04/phillip-seymour-hoffman-did-not-have-choice-or-free-will-and-neither-do-you/

[rwa12]

From what I understand re:Hunger Games, the majority of the filming is done, they just needed him for a few more scenes. Like was mentioned, the alternate POV, as well as CGI should finish it out. FWIW, he has a fairly large role in the third book. Yes, I'm admitting to reading the series.

[MJLiverock]

That's a bad way to go, alone, on the floor of your bathroom with a heroin needle in your arm.

 

I'm certainly sad for his kids. They are much too young to have to deal with the loss of their father. And I'm sad that he was addicted to heroin. I guess I just don't understand addiction.

 

We've known for years and years that the stuff is addicting, and that it can be fatal. So I don't understand why someone would try it even once. Death wish? Overconfidence in one's ability to not become addicted? Impulse control? An inability to put off today for better tomorrows?

 

I always wondered how anyone could get hooked on sticking a needle in their arm but my understanding is the heroin addiction rise often comes from an addiction to pills, specifically the opioid painkillers. The prescription painkillers become hard to get but the heroin is cheap, easy to find and fills that void/need/addiction that began with the pills.

I just had friend I grew up with that had fallen from a ladder, messed up his back, took painkillers for sometime and has a very addictive personality. I just found out his wife left him and he has burned many bridges because he now has a heroin addiction. The guy used coke and other drugs in high school but had been clean for a long time, he's in his 40's now and was running a successful business married to a school teacher, 2 kids, etc. so I was surprised to find out he was hooked on heroin until the news of his back injury and months of painkiller pills apparently awakened his old addictive nature/cravings.

 

I'm not saying all these people dying, being revived, passed out in cars, etc. with heroin in their system started down that path because of injury but I think a number get their first exposure through pain pills. The pills are easy to take, sometimes easy to find or get until the addiction takes over and they start going through them way too fast to get replenished and the alternative is quit, start robbing pharmacies, or try heroin, and too often the choice of quit is too hard or not the path taken.

[jerichoholicninja]

I have no idea how people can be addicted to pain pills. The two times I've been prescribed them they made me feel worse than the pain.