Award-winning Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman Found Dead in Manhattan Apartment

[Chris_]

Award-winning Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman Found Dead in Manhattan Apartment, Law-Enforcement Official Said

The New York Police Department is investigating, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine exact cause of death

Wall Street Journal

That was unexpected.

[Chris_]

Fox News says it was a drug overdose.

link

[NHSparky]

Whoa...never saw that one coming.

And I loved the roles he played.  RIP.

[Mr Mannn]

Fox News says it was a drug overdose.

link

Another talented man dies from his poor choices.
I will never be able to act as well as Hoffman, but I was wise enough to avoid drugs.

Rest in Peace, sir.  May you be free at last.

[Chris_]

Police question manager at store where actor was spotted Saturday

The man told police he saw the actor withdraw large amounts of cash at an ATM at a bank near Hoffman's West Village apartment at about 8pm Saturday night. He said he saw Hoffman hand over the cash and appear to purchase drugs from two men, both wearing messenger bags, who appeared to be working together.

Fox News

Stupid bastard.

[Wineslob]

Stupid is as stupid dies. I really fail at trying to care about these "poor" actors.

[NHSparky]

I love how they're playing up how "tony" his little neighborhood was, and how the guy lived in a $10K/month apartment.

Uh, whut?  The words, "10K/month" and "apartment" should NEVER be used together.  At standard mortgage rates, that translates to the payment on a $2 million place.  And he jacked it up for a cheap high and left a girlfriend and three kids (all under 10) behind?

While I loved his acting, sounds like he was the ultimate loser at the, "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes" carnival.

[Eupher]

Stupid is as stupid dies. I really fail at trying to care about these "poor" actors.

 

[SaintLouieWoman]

Stupid is as stupid dies. I really fail at trying to care about these "poor" actors.

You say it well. I'm sick of listening to all the blah blah about him. How many others needlessly die of drug overdoses? Yet the media folks are trying to steer us to approving legalization. I guess if folks want to be stupid, it's tough to stop them. He obviously wasn't thinking of personal responsibility.

[Wineslob]

You say it well. I'm sick of listening to all the blah blah about him. How many others needlessly die of drug overdoses? Yet the media folks are trying to steer us to approving legalization. I guess if folks want to be stupid, it's tough to stop them. He obviously wasn't thinking of personal responsibility.

It's the "Cult of Personality".

[wasp69]

Stupid is as stupid dies. I really fail at trying to care about these "poor" actors.

No kidding. 

What's that?  Another shallow, immature, selfish, rich idiot melted his brain with dope and is room temperature?  Damn, bummer...   

[Maxiest]

Well unlike some of you and as a recovering addict, which I have only talked about a few times on here, I have deep sympathy for the guy and understand his struggle.  If it were as simple for him to "Just Say No" he would have.  Yes his choices lead to he demise but it isn't as cut and dry as some of you lay out, and I understand and accept that you don't understand.  We call you guys "normies."    He sought help on several occasions but unfortunately the disease of addiction takes constant vigilance, an acceptance one can't and doesn't have the will power to control it, and the willingness to take action against it.

Just a little story from the AA Big Book that gives some perspective;

"Our behavior is as absurd and incomprehensible with respect to the first drink as that of an individual with a passion, say, for jay-walking. He gets a thrill out of skipping in front of fast-moving vehicles. He enjoys himself for a few years in spite of friendly warnings. Up to this point you would label him as a foolish chap having queer ideas of fun. Luck then deserts him and he is slightly injured several times in succession. You would expect him, if he were normal, to cut it out. Presently he is hit again and this time has a fractured skull. Within a week after leaving the hospital a fast-moving trolley car breaks his arm. He tells you he has decided to stop jay-walking for good, but in a few weeks he breaks both legs."

"On through the years this conduct continues, accompanied by his continual promises to be careful or to keep off the streets altogether. Finally, he can no longer work, his wife gets a divorce and he is held up to ridicule. He tries every known means to get the jaywalking idea out of his head. He shuts himself up in an asylum, hoping to mend his ways. But the day he comes out he races in front of a fire engine, which breaks his back. Such a man would be crazy, wouldn't he?"

"You may think our illustration is too ridiculous. But is it? We, who have been through the wringer, have to admit if we substituted alcoholism or any addiction for jay-walking, the illustration would fit exactly. However intelligent we may have been in other respects, where alcohol has been involved, we have been strangely insane. It's strong language but isn't it true?"

[BlueStateSaint]

I have heard, in the rooms (some here know exactly what I mean) yesterday, that he was in and out of said rooms, and did ask for help on occasion.  People, places, and things.  He obviously didn't change those.

[Eupher]

The fact is, addiction is a powerful, compelling disease of the human condition. It's a mental and a physical disease. There are biological, chemical, physiological, and psychological elements that the physicians, shrinks and the Ph.D's have been learning about for millennia.

The next fact is, not all addicts are intended to survive their disease. Thinking they will just because they're rich and famous is pure folly.

As some have already eloquently said, recovering from addiction takes active, physical and sometimes painful labor. It takes vigilance and it takes removing oneself from the equation, meaning it takes dropping ego, becoming humble, and accepting of a course of action that runs counterintuitively to one's own sense of priorities. It takes allowing other people and a much Higher Power to transform and heal oneself.

Hoffman either didn't do what was necessary or failed to allow those people to do what they could do. For him.

Either way, he's just another statistic. Not all addicts are meant to recover. He's simply one of them.

[Big Dog]

Whether accidental or suicide, he died by his own hand. He chose the path, and walked the path he chose.

I have no sympathy for the dead dumbass, or the woman who chose to make babies with him. Any sympathy I have is for the children he hurt by his choices.

[FlaGator]

I have heard, in the rooms (some here know exactly what I mean) yesterday, that he was in and out of said rooms, and did ask for help on occasion.  People, places, and things.  He obviously didn't change those.

The fact that he leased an apartment all by himself away from his family and support system spelt trouble. I hope whoever was counseling him advised against it. Had he been on one of the rooms that I visit I don't believe this would have gone unnoticed, not that we could have done much about it. He set himself up for failure be cause he couldn't HALT his old behavior.

[Wineslob]

Sorry but I've never bought into the "disease" of addiction, Mental disorder, possibly. Weakness, ya, big time. IMO defining it as a "disease" removes responsibility from said person. Do they need help? Absolutely. However, if they cannot show the intestinal fortitude after many tries, sometime you have to "wash your hands". I've had to do this twice.

a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/disease

[Purple Sage]

There is a genetic predisposition to addiction.  I know this because I have several alcoholics in my family.  Knowing this, I simply chose not to have a drink every darned day of my life.  It's a risk I was/am unwilling to take.

This guy KNEW he had an addiction problem, but he still chose to hit that heroin after 23 years knowing what it would do to him and his family.  I have no sympathy for him. 

My heart breaks for his girlfriend and children.  She gave him "tough love" by throwing him out of the apartment, hoping he would hit bottom.  Unfortunately, he did; just not in the way she intended.

[Maxiest]

Sorry but I've never bought into the "disease" of addiction, Mental disorder, possibly. Weakness, ya, big time. IMO defining it as a "disease" removes responsibility from said person. Do they need help? Absolutely. However, if they cannot show the intestinal fortitude after many tries, sometime you have to "wash your hands". I've had to do this twice.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/disease

I understand your feelings completly.  And even though I have the "disease" I have rarely ever said that because I felt like it was a cop out.

[Eupher]

I don't pass judgment on the "disease" label -- alcoholism, especially, has been identified as a disease far longer than I've been on the planet so I just accept it for what it is, definitions notwithstanding.

I absolutely concur with the business about, "Hey, if you're sick and have a disease, get the help you need, do what you have to do, and recover. If you can't do what you need to do to recover, you'll probably die. Ball's in your court, buddy."

Enabling people who have the disease helps no one, especially the sick person.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Sorry but I've never bought into the "disease" of addiction, Mental disorder, possibly. Weakness, ya, big time. IMO defining it as a "disease" removes responsibility from said person. Do they need help? Absolutely. However, if they cannot show the intestinal fortitude after many tries, sometime you have to "wash your hands". I've had to do this twice.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/disease

The brain is the malfunctioning organ in addiction. There is a genetic predisposition to substance abuse.That being said one must "flip the switch"(make the choice to take the substance to begin with) in order to set the disease into motion. People have different levels of self control as well. Its a cross we all carry to some extent.

[Wineslob]

I understand your feelings completly.  And even though I have the "disease" I have rarely ever said that because I felt like it was a cop out.