A Woman Who Was Loud without Apology

The voice. The hair. The tattoos. The voice.

I am still not over Amy Winehouse's death. This past week, I've been obsessed with reading any article I can find about her passing, her as a person, her music. Perhaps I'm looking for an answer as to why.


Knowing I had to write this blog post, I started googling women and addiction-- is there some connection between gender and substance abuse?


There is.


According to the book Women under the Influence by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), girls and women, compared to boys and men, get hooked on alcohol, nicotine and drugs more quickly at lower levels of use, develop substance abuse diseases more quickly, suffer more severe brain damage from alcohol and drugs, and ultimately die sooner.


Despite these facts, 92 percent of the women who are in need of alcohol and drug abuse treatment do not receive it.


I find it ironic Betty Ford's passing earlier this month solicited commentaries how her openness in discussing her addiction put a light on the issue and how much has changed since then. It has. And it hasn't.


It is sad that those battling addiction are considered weak, and those who are public figures face further scrutiny as they are paraded around gossip news outlets.


Throughout my week of reading, one of the best pieces I found was from someone who knew Amy Winehouse before she was famous, the actor Russell Brand. He talks about how he came to know her and witness her talent. He also recounts watching addiction take hold of her. But as a former addict himself, he advocates for society to change its attitude and handling of addicts:



"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 do know drunks and junkies and they all need help and help is out there. All they have to do is pick up a phone and make the call. Or not. Either way, there will be a phone call."



If you know someone battling addiction, please be a support to them and try to get some help. Click here for resources in Connecticut.


And just because I want to, click here for a link to an excellent NPR story on the passing of Amy Winehouse. Below is the concluding paragraph, which really says it all:


"Women's suffering has often inspired admiration from audiences whose embrace of their tragic heroine can seem like equal parts sympathy and sadism. Those of us who took pleasure in the fruits of Amy Winehouse's inner turmoil now have to acknowledge its ultimate end. As we contemplate this, we can also revel in what was most entrancing about her music: its brashness and utterly engaging power, the upfront expression of a woman who was loud without apology. Her big notes still live."