Who would have thought the Ladies' Home Journal would be the forum where Paula Abdul would finally confess her worst-kept secret? The American Idol judge has admitted that she developed an addiction to painkillers as a result of a series of painful injuries to her neck and back. In addition, the pop icon suffers from the chronic neurological disorder "reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome," with which she was diagnosed in 2005.
Her addiction was to various medications, including shots of lidocaine, as well as pain medications approximately 80 times stronger than morphine, along with a nerve medication.
Paula admits that after 12 years relying on drugs, she had decided she'd had enough and checked into the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California last Thanksgiving for treatment.
"I could have killed myself," Paula admits. "Withdrawal--it's the worst thing. I was freezing cold, then sweating hot, then chattering and in so much pain. It was excruciating." Poor thing! We're with you girl. We might like to tease you incessantly, but it doesn't mean we don't love you.
T-Bone says:
I was just at LaCosta Resort & Spa in Carlsbad and I saw no treatment facility. I'm so confused!
Kate says:
I also have been on that long road
through a horrible car accident.
80 times stronger ?? Are we talking
Fentanyl? That is an important part of her story, I believe. On
top of that, knowing this, I give
her credit for only been seen a few
times looking pretty damned stoned.
I was given 200 mg. of morphine
per day, (time released) and had
absolutely zero quality of life,
until my brain and body got used
to it over time.
I am seriously glad she came 'clean'
and is starting to talk about this.
She is so right about killing herself. These drugs, in large
doses, kill your respiratory system.
The good news is that I still have
a lesser form of painkillers, and
am VERY careful to make sure I can't
work through the pain without them.
I hope Paula can do the same.
I never would have thought a neck
injury could cause excruiating pain
to this degree, until I experienced
it.
Hope she does whatever it is she has
set out to do. She's passed the
withdrawls thankfully, and now
it's more of a choice. I think
she'll make better choices - as
when you are in pain, the choice
starts out being the drs'. And
then, within days, it's too late.
Fentanyl. Morphine. All of it. I
am not a fan of American Idol
but I wish Paula Abdul every
success and applaud her honesty.
Kate
Jenny says:
This is so NOT TRUE!
Bozo Goop says:
Jenny, are you retarded?
amber says:
The la Costa Resort is a fancy hotel, NOT a treatment facilty. Nice try, Paula.