Russell Brand's Letter to Amy Winehouse

Several people pointed this letter out to me today.  Whether or not you're a fan of Russell, he knows about addiction - he was addicted to heroin and used it daily for 11 years.  He was able to stop.  Some of us can directly relate to his words, others, I hope will never have to experience what's its like to love an addict.  But I think it helps to understand, and he describes it eloquently.

I'll share the main points here, if you'd like to read it in it's entirety, you can read it here.

The priority of any addict is to anaesthetise the pain of living to ease the passage of the day with some purchased relief.

When you love someone who suffers from the disease of addiction you await the phone call. There will be a phone call. The sincere hope is that the call will be from the addict themselves, telling you they've had enough, that they’re ready to stop, ready to try something new. Of course though, you fear the other call, the sad nocturnal chime from a friend or relative telling you it’s too late, she’s gone.  It is impossible to intervene.


Winehouse and I shared an affliction, the disease of addiction. All addicts, regardless of the substance or their social status share a consistent and obvious symptom; they’re not quite present when you talk to them. They communicate to you through a barely discernible but un-ignorable veil. 


Addiction is a serious disease; it will end with jail, mental institutions or death. I was 27 years old when through the friendship and help of Chip Somers of the treatment centre, Focus12 I found recovery, through Focus I was introduced to support fellowships for alcoholics and drug addicts which are very easy to find and open to anybody with a desire to stop drinking and without which I would not be alive.

All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill. We need to review the way society treats addicts, not as criminals but as sick people in need of care. We need to look at the way our government funds rehabilitation. It is cheaper to rehabilitate an addict than to send them to prison, so criminalisation doesn’t even make economic sense. Not all of us know someone with the incredible talent that Amy had but we all know drunks and junkies and they all need help and the help is out there. All they have to do is pick up the phone and make the call. Or not. Either way, there will be a phone call.

Peace, Hope and Love, Barbara