“Friends” star Matthew Perry was found dead Saturday in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home, law enforcement sources said. He was 54.
But with Matthew Perry, it’s personal to me in a particular way. We’ve never met, but he’s my brother in arms regarding addiction.
Perry had stratospheric success as part of an ensemble cast of a hit TV show. He once dated Julia Roberts. He made tens of millions of dollars and was adored by probably as many fans. He was a very funny guy. He recently wrote a memoir about his brutal, lifelong struggle with the disease of addiction. And he died last week at the age of 54, for reasons yet to be determined.
People in Hollywood are eagerly waiting for the results of a toxicology report on the late Matthew Perry to see if he was under the influence of drugs when he died. But we should be better than this, as death shouldn’t be treated as entertainment. His family and friends aren’t excitedly anticipating the cause of death. Sensationalized speculations diminish his memory, which is unfair, especially since he shared his struggles with addiction in his candid book out of a desire to help others understand the disease.
Writing a memoir about the most embarrassing parts of your life shows a desire to assist others. In a world filled with self-congratulatory recovery stories, Perry’s book, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” stood out because it honestly portrayed the fragility of recovery. I deeply appreciate this honesty. When I mention that I could still die from a heroin overdose, many people think I’m exaggerating, even though I’ve come a long way from those dark days. But the late Matthew Perry would understand that there are no guarantees in addiction recovery, and he vividly described the painful process of withdrawal.
I’m starting to realize that as a society, we often believe in magical solutions to addiction. We don’t want to hear how tough it is to treat this problem. Many still believe that a stint in rehab can magically fix everything, but that’s only an option if you’re fortunate enough to have health insurance.
