Self-Destructive Behavior and Public Figures

What do Aaron Hernandez, Michael Jackson and Bill Clinton have in common? They all were very accomplished individuals in their professions but succumbed to self-destructive behaviors which could also happen to any of us. Some self-destructive behaviors are the result of unconscious anger against the self. Other such behaviors are the result of risky behaviors. In some cases, individuals are stimulation seeking (such as Evil Knievel), which could result in horrific consequences. There are unfair accusations hurled at celebrities such as Michael Jackson. This author was interviewed on the Howard Gluss show about Mike. He suffered from depression and was a very lonely individual who had difficulty crying out for help. Despite his pain from being burned in the past, he continued to perform under a very demanding schedule. Unfortunately, he was being administered Propofol by Dr. Conrad Murray who did not appear to be an anesthesiologist. Moreover, why such a powerful drug usually given in the OR in this case where Mike was in his bedroom. This was such a tragic loss of a great entertainer. Doctors should have said no to more drugs and confronted Michael about the need to get treatment. Michael succumbed to self-destructive behavior, not addressing treatment for his pain, psychic pain, and depression. Instead, he chose to medicate himself with drugs. He really was a dual-diagnosis patient…substance abuse with a concurring psychiatric disorder. In the case of Bill Clinton, one sees the tendency of individuals to recreate past traumatic situations. As Freud termed it, the repetition compulsion was the tendency to repeat the trauma of the past. In the autobiography, “My Life,” there is mention of Clinton entertaining the idea of an encounter with another woman in his home while there was a party in the backyard. Moreover,his stepfather reportedly chased him around the house with a shotgun, thus he was a product of trauma. He placed himself in extremely precarious situations such as that with Monica Lewinski.