Two Trials for the Price of One

Two Trials for the Price of One

When watching the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray we are actually getting to trials for the price of one. The first trial concerns Dr. Murray and whether or not he was criminally responsible for Michael Jackson's death. The second person on trial is Michael Jackson. As much as possible the defense will portray Michael Jackson's lifestyle in as negative terms as possible. They will try to convince the jury that Michael Jackson was a long time drug addict who would go to any means to obtain his required drugs. The question that needs to be raised is why Michael Jackson started taking prescription medications in the first place. I think that Mr. Jackson had some very legitimate reasons for taking pain killers. One extenuating factor would be the instance in which his scalp caught on fire. Anyone who has accidentally burned themselves has some idea of the pain of a severe burn. Is it possible that Michael Jackson became dependent upon painkillers after the initial pain had subsided.?The answer is yes. It has also been reported that Michael Jackson suffered from severe back pain. This is another instance where painkillers may be indicated. Was Michael self medicating? The answer once again is likely yes.

The question is can we blame Michael Jackson? The question then becomes can we blame anyone who is in severe pain from trying to relieve their discomfort. Anyone who has experienced extreme back pain or arthritic pain knows that any relief from the pain is very welcome. While this sometimes result in addiction? The answer is yes. What some people don't realize however, is that some people require prescription medication to function in their daily lives. Some people have the choice of regularly taking prescription medications or tolerating a life of debilitating pain. Is it any surprise that some individuals choose to use prescription painkillers. Does this mean that they all become addicts? The answer is no. Some do and some don't. Some people may need to take painkillers on a daily basis to function in their lives but they do not take these medications to get high. They take them so that they can live.

The same argument can be made for antidepressant medications. In this case a person may have the choice of living of very compromised life or taking antidepressant medications for the rest of their life in order to attain a better quality of life. Although I agree that addiction is a big issue in North America, let us not dismiss people who require medications to function in their daily lives.