In Hollywood, plenty of drug scandals have made news headlines and while many of them end in tragedy and sometimes death, there are some celebrities who have overcome their addictions to be stronger and better than they were yesterday. Any addiction is hard to break, and as a celebrity, the added stress of constantly being in the public eye can make things even harder, but these celebs managed to triumph and we salute their success!

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Oprah

As if a crazy past riddled with abuse and poverty wasn’t bad enough, Oprah also drug issues to contend with. During her 20s, Oprah admitted to using coke and she apparently was also a regular user during the ’80s. Today Oprah has long let go of her addiction and has become one of the most successful women in the world.

From YourTango.com

If you’re at the end of your rope with an alcoholic husband, you’ve come to the right place. In this video, Author, Psychologist and YourTango Expert Dr. Jack Singer answers the question: My husband has a serious drinking problem and it seems to be deteriorating. Is there anything I can do about that, or should I just plan on leaving him?

“The first step is to see if he admits he has a difficult time with alcohol and he’s willing to get help,” says Dr. Jack. “If the answer is ‘no,’ if he’s denying it or finding excuses, you need to get out of the relationship.” After all, the likelihood of recovery for an alcoholic in denial is awfully slim. On the other hand, if he can admit he has a problem and is willing to work on it, your marriage may still be saved.

Want more advice? Check out the video at YourTango.com.

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Source: DJ Bobby Trends

Some men will try anything to avoid taking care of their kids and now you can add Dennis Rodman to the growing list of sorry fathers.

Dennis’ ex-wife Michelle Rodman filed court papers this month, claiming he owes $808,935 in unpaid child support for his 9- and 10-year-old children, plus an additional $51,441 in unpaid spousal support. So basically, he needs to come off of almost $1 million. Dennis’ lawyer however, says he ain’t got it, claiming “Respondent Dennis Rodman is broke and cannot afford any additional fees.”

Why not? Well, according to him, Dennis isn’t making what he used to back in the day, which doesn’t surprise anyone considering the Bulls’ glory days are long over. But he also says Dennis is “extremely sick.” A rep told TMZ the supposed sickness refers to the former baller’s ongoing battle with alcoholism, although Dennis visited a doctor a few months ago and he’s in “great physical shape.”

I’m with Dennis on the claim that he can’t afford these high payments anymore but why would you just stop paying altogether? His legal team says the child support figure is based on an order Michelle obtained behind his back, requiring him to pay $50,000 a month in child support. He’s supposedly been fighting the order since 2010, but now that he’s let everything go unpaid he’s facing a possible 20-day sentence in jail. Sounds like him and T.O. need to start a support group.

What do you think about Dennis’ Rodman’s case? Should he go to jail?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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At the beginning of every month I receive a story list as a freelance writer for Madame Noire. This month one of the topics was alcoholism and it shocked the hell out of me. It hit close to home. Not because I’m some raving alcoholic but a few months ago my drinking exploits had become so commonplace that I started looking up quizzes on the internet and talking to people about alcoholism because I was concerned that I might have a problem. Honestly, it was less me thinking I had a problem and more about judgments other people were projecting onto me and my friends. After some much needed reflection I started asking myself the hard questions about my “fun”. What I learned was that I wasn’t an alcoholic per say but I did abuse alcohol at times, usually on the weekend.

You hear about binge drinking all the time in college but if you’re not in a white fraternity somewhere having 24 hour drinking sessions and passing out in your own vomit you don’t think the rules apply to you. So below, I’ve compiled a list of alcoholism symptoms for you to check out just in case someone you know is abusing alcohol or is in fact suffering from alcoholism. Most importantly if you or someone you know has a dependency on alcohol, it’s best to find professional help for yourself/friend or find a supportive circle because you never know the demons people are dealing with.

Let’s take a look at some signs of alcoholism via Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Help’s website:

• Preoccupation or Craving: Spending large amounts of time thinking about your next drink
• Increased Tolerance: Needing more to get the same effect
• Continued Use: Inability to reduce/stop your intake despite progressively damaging consequences
• Withdrawal Symptoms: Like the shakes or nausea and need a drink just to get to ‘normal’ again
• Drink Alone: Often drink secretively to avoid getting caught drinking and to avoid suspicion
• Regular Blackouts
• Hide your Supply: Always have alcohol available, often on you, just ‘in case’ you need some
• Find an Excuse to Drink: You’ll always be able to justify having a drink, e.g. ‘I’ve had a bad day, I’m stressed out … or any other ‘creative’ reason
• Failed Promises: Have promised on more than one occasion (even to yourself) that you’ll cut down or quit without being able to
• Family and Friends Avoided: Often don’t want to do things and spend time with the people you usually do – becoming vague and distant [Source]

Among me and all of my friends , every single one of us has either been affected by alcoholism or dealt with an addiction personally.  In the African-American community, one of the reasons alcoholism is so prevalent and often fatal is because we tend to not take it as seriously.  Drunken fist fights, binges and blackouts are a Friday night with family and friends, not an indication of a problem.  Witnessing several people in my family suffer from addiction I can attest to the fact alcoholism is a family disease: When one person suffers so does all who love them with secrets and shame and a feeling of helplessness.  Alcohol attacks your life like a loose thread on a cheap dress: With every pull it slowly unravels until all that you’re left with something that doesn’t remotely resemble the life you once had.  Check out the following signs that it’s all about to fall apart and one way to try and keep it all together.

(BET) — A neighborhood’s liquor-store density had a significant impact on at-risk drinking among African Americans who consumed alcohol, particularly for women who drink, according to a new study.  ”There has been limited research on this topic among specific minority groups or by sex,” said Katherine P. Theall, associate professor in the department of community health sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. “Researchers have only recently begun to examine in greater detail the impact of the neighborhood and other distal factors on health outcomes.”

The study, which will be published in the May 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, investigated links between neighborhood liquor stores, on-premise outlets, convenience stores, and supermarket densities and at-risk drinking among African Americans.  ”Investigations that examine neighborhood influences according to specific demographic characteristics such as differential impacts by gender or race,” said Theall, “are still emerging as we think of ways to best intervene and prevent adverse health outcomes based on neighborhood changes or polices.”

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If your loved one struggles with drinking at abusive levels, it can make you grow weary and angry and harbor unnecessary resentment and bitterment.  But, there are certainly some positive steps that you can implement to help them overcome their battle and start living an abundant and empowered life.  Here at least seven positive and loving ways that you can assist:

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