Celebrity tragedies - is it a risk of fame & fortune or a risk from being human?

History is littered with tragic celebrity deaths - Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Karen Carpenter, Amy Winehouse to mention a few and then, last weekend Whitney Houston.

Is it the pressure, attention (that they so often initially seek) and money that can be seen as the root cause? It may be so but I actually think that it is a reflection of human life. Emotions are part of our human make up and we often wouldn't be without them. However many people in life suffer things they struggle to cope with resulting in addictions, mental health issues and worse. This is not unique to celebrities.

At the end of the day, there are people whose lives provide them with the intervvention or diversion that they need that helps them cope and there are those who either do not find this or do not grasp it when it comes along. Within the last month, James Corden has spoken about how fame affected him. He describes his behaviour 4 years ago as "spoilt and brattish" and says he was feeling lost until he opened up to his parents and took the decision to listen to them and the advice of friends.

At work as a pharmacist, on a daily basis, I see patients who suffer. It may not be so publicly but we are all vulnerable as humans. I draw inspiration though from the heroin addicts that I see that embark on a methadone programme and come out the other side. It may not always happen, but it can happen.

And yes - famous or not - we like to blame addicts for "getting themselves in that situation" but how many of us truly would choose to wake up tomorrow and be an addict? My advice: keep talking to your friends and be a true friend to those you know. Having a support network and being a support for others will help with the tough times that we will no doubt have ahead of us at times. Let's make sure we celebrate and appreciate the good times too!

Why blog and what to blog about?

Having not written in my blog for over 6 months again, I really wanted to make another entry and get it kick started again. I then started wondering what to write about and from there, why am I actually blogging? Is it for my benefit or other people's?

Am I thinking this too much, well maybe!

Some blogs seem to be people talking about social issues / current affairs and trying to challenge the thinking of their readers. Some blogs seem to be a kind of diary. Maybe the reason my blog needs a kick start is because I'm not sure of which kind my blog is.

I think mine falls into the third category though - a bit of both. Why I didn't come to that conclusion earlier who knows - after all the blog is entitled "Blended Girl"! I feel my blog will sometimes be cathartic and a way of expressing myself and other times may speak about issues that I feel strongly about. I have come to the conclusion that this is absolutely fine. Selfishly my blog will be for me - an oultlet from the business of life and some valued reflection time. If other people choose to read my blog, I am flattered and hope that they will find some benefit - whether it be entertainment or a different view of life.

Here goes a new chapter in the life of Blended Girl!