Drugs are bad...mmmkay? (Updated)

[Taya]

But I'm not joking.

 

It appears Heath Ledger has died from a drug overdose. I think it's pretty damn sad, but I guess I feel more frustrated at the fact that people keep dying from drug overdoses!! When is there ever going to be enough warning?

 

EDIT: Okay so they're still not sure quite what happened, but apparently he had pneumonia. Maybe that was related. Also he had sleeping pills that he'd been taking for insomnia. Or so I hear. So who knows...

[Guest nephitess]

:o oh my......

[Vemynal]

damn it

 

I'm hoping that they at least finished all his scenes in batman begins, if they did he can at least go out with one lat hurrah.

[Taya]

I'm pretty sure he was finished with that - he played the Joker right?

 

But like a friend said, it's gonna be kind of creepy to see his new movies knowing he's deceased!

[KellySedai]

From what I've heard he finished all the scenes with the new Batman movie so it should be released as planned this summer. 

 

Apparently he'd been having terrible insomnia from the stress that playing the part was putting on him.  Lots of psychological stress mostly from having to put himself in the mindset of a psychopath.  He was taking Ambien, and I don't know if the rest of you have had experience with this drug, but its not just a sleeping pill.  Its a hypnotic drug that can and usually will cause hallucinations among many other problems.  If there was an overdose, I'm sure it was purely accidental and a real tragedy to boot.  I've always loved him as an actor, and its a damn shame for him to die so young and with so much ahead of him.

[Taya]

I agree, it's so sad :( I really feel bad for his family.

[Kara_J]

Yeah he was the same age as me!  :o

 

It seems, from what I can gather, that he was taking a mix of anti-depressants and sleeping pills on top of having pneumonia. All of the drugs were prescribed and at least one of those weren't to be taken if you have respiratory illnesses..but if he didn't know he had pneumonia (it could have been in it's early stages) then it just seems a tragic accident! :( He had finished Batman and was in the middle of filming another movie with/directed by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame.

[Guest Far Dareis Mai]

I feel the worst for his little girl. I'm not sure how many memories stick with a child that is only 2, but I can't really imagine what that will be like for her later on. It's a terrible shame, I really enjoyed him as an actor.

[Besolyn]

It's absolutely devastating. I'll be 28 in 2 months, I can't imagine having life cut so short. :'(

[Taya]

I know, it's pretty scary to think about. He was a boy from my town too!

[Niamh Sedai]

I feel really sorry for his family- apparently, his parents found out was dead when they watched the news :( And his poor daughter!

[Besolyn]

How awful!!  :'(

 

How much more horrible will this story get?

 

Taya, how's the town holding up? I know from experience how a town feels when the whole population is depressed.

[Alaksuleiel]

thought you all might like to see this beutiful painting:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/artist-captures-three-sides-of-heath-ledger/2008/01/24/1201025081783.html

[Loreina]

It's a tragedy, so sad. Taya you're right, and it's not just a problem with overdoses. People aren't taking drug interactions as seriously as they should. The interaction between Ambien and certain common antidepressants is well documented, but people think that if the doctor prescribes both drugs, that somehow makes them suddenly ok to take together. Nothing could be further from the truth. My sister was taking an antidepressant, was admitted to the hospital for an infection, and THEY gave her ambien "to help her sleep". She didn't know who she was or where she was for a day and a half. And she had told them she was on an antidepressant! 

Always ask about what you are given, even in a hospital, and always read and/or make them explain to you all of the special precautions of each drug. If you are very sick, have a friend or relative give you your meds. If that's not possible, buy one of those compartmented pill holders and have a friend or relative fill it for you, so you don't forget, or get confused, and take a double dose. *nods*     

 

[Taya]

Well, I was talking to a girl who went to high school just down the road from where Heath went, and is friends with a lot of people who knew him in school - apparently the tall poppy syndrome that affected people in past years has disappeared and they are all genuinely grieving for his loss.

 

I found it bizarre on Australia Day (26th Jan) because I was watching some pretty fireworks and yet I was also thinking about Heath Ledger and how he'll never see another Australia Day. Very sad :(

 

That is so awful about how his parents found out. Gawd.

 

From what I know, it's never late enough to lose a child - my mum's grandmother was 80 or something when her daughter (mum's mum) died, and she died herself a week later.

[Kepen alheal]

This is rather a huge coincidence, cause my school has lost like 8 people to drug searches in our school in the past month!!!

Our school is supposed to be this all high and mighty school cause we have the best test takers and grades in all the area, yet this is happening!!! Its so not good for our reputation!!! lol

Just thought id give a bit of a shout out!!!