Winehouse Legacy Helps Young Women In The UK

Beyond all the glittering lights of show business, there is a far more tragic side worth consideration; many of the people that society looks up to and kids dream of becoming one day, actually have severe mental health problems, not the least of which addiction. We don’t need to create a long list of all the celebrities who lost their battle with addiction after all the list grows longer with each year that passes. Prince died of a fentanyl overdose last year, the American rapper and singer Lil Peep fell victim to a suspected Xanax overdose this year—so the story goes, people who are unable to adopt a program of recovery are at high risk.

It doesn’t seem like it has been that long since English singer and songwriter, Amy Winehouse, passed away from fatal alcohol poisoning. Up until the time of her death in 2011, Amy had struggled with addiction and bipolar disorder, a condition she wasn’t particularly shy about sharing with the public. Who could forget her hit song “Rehab,” with the opening line, “They tried to make me go to rehab but I said, 'No, no, no.'" However, in the time leading up to her premature death Winehouse did in fact seek help via doctors and treatment; she did manage to abstain from using drugs and alcohol for brief stints of time. In the end, she was unable to escape the powerful grip of alcohol.

Winehouse’s story is, like so many others, one of tragedy; an amazing talent whose mental illness proved too difficult for her to overcome. While her death at the age of 27 was a tremendous loss for Amy’s family and saddened millions of people around the globe, her legacy is helping young women have a future free from drugs and alcohol.

 

Amy’s Place

Addiction treatment saves lives by giving people tools and coping skills for living life on life’s terms. The majority of individuals who make the courageous decision to take steps in breaking the cycle of addiction are introduced to a spiritual program of recovery, typically the 12 Steps. Those who go through treatment are in a position to continue their efforts outside of rehab, although many people struggle to avoid triggers and keep cravings at bay in their first year after discharge. Due to that reality, counselors encourage clients to utilize intensive outpatient programs (IOP), sober living homes, or some other form of transitive care.

The longer people stay involved with centers of recovery, the more equipped they are to handle the hurdles of life that can precipitate relapse. In an effort to prevent young women from following in Amy’s tragic footsteps, the Amy Winehouse Foundation created Amy’s Place, iNews reports. The center opened in 2016 for young women under 30 who have experienced addiction; Amy’s Place is the only recovery center in the UK committed solely to young women recovering from addiction. The eponymous recovery house helps young women transition from treatment to everyday life. Clients can come and go as they please but have to do specific activities, groups, and volunteer. Some of the young women in the program have been there for around a year, and they can stay as long as two years.

 

Addiction Treatment

If you are a young woman in the grips of alcohol or substance use disorder, please contact Hope By the Sea. We can assist you in learning how to live a life in recovery, one day at a time. We will give you the tools for coping with the obstacles of life, without drugs and alcohol.