Kelly Osborne is the daughter of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, but she has also become a celebrity in her own life. The adventures of her family became the stuff of legend thanks to the reality TV show The Osbournes – this film documented almost every aspect of their lives over a three-year period. She has also found fame as singer, writer, fashion designer, and actress. One of her greatest achievements has been breaking free of drug addiction to build a great life for herself.
Like Father, Like Daughter
Ozzy Osbourne probably has the most public alcohol and drug addiction problem of all time. His exploits with these substances only made him more of a celebrity. There were many scenes in The Osbournes where it was obvious that Ozzy was struggling due to addiction problems, but it was portrayed in a way that made it seem a bit comical. The sad reality is that Ozzy was paying a high price for his alcohol and drug use, and his daughter fell into the same self-destructive behaviour.
Kelly first began experimenting with drugs when she was prescribed vicodin after she had her tonsils removed; she was thirteen at the time. She loved the pleasant side effects of this substance because it made her feel comfortable around other people. Kelly had been dealing with low self-esteem as a teenager because she was self-conscious about her weight. She began to use her friends and family connections to get her hands on more prescription medication and it didn’t take long before she was hooked.
Eating Disorder
As well as developing a drug addiction, Kelly also developed an eating disorder. This put her into a vicious cycle where she would eat too much, which would make her feel bad, and she would then take drugs to overcome the negative feelings. She made a few attempts at recovery, but these were never successful. Kelly now realises that this was because her eating disorder was never dealt with, and this would keep pulling her back down into the substance abuse.
Kelly kept struggling to break away from addiction until 2009 at the age of 25, when she entered yet another rehab program. This time she took her treatment very seriously, and she did everything necessary to build a solid foundation for her recovery; she also began dealing with her eating disorder, which made a huge difference. She has remained drug free, lost over 70 pounds, and achieved a level of happiness she never experienced previously.
Kelly Osbourne and the Need for Dual Diagnosis Treatment
The recovery story of Kelly Osbourne highlights the importance of dual-diagnosis treatment. A dual-diagnosis means the individual has another mental health problem alongside their addiction; in the case of Kelly, this involved an eating disorder. It is vital that both of these conditions are treated together or else it can be very difficult for the person to make any progress.
Kelly Osbourne had been trying to self-medicate the negative feelings caused by her eating disorder. This meant that when she stopped using prescription drugs, she had no way of dealing with these negative feelings. She would be left facing the pain of her eating disorder without any means of comfort, so it is hardly surprising that she would then relapse so easily. It was only by dealing with the eating disorder as well as the addiction that Kelly was able to finally break free.
Giving up an addiction is no easy thing, and Kelly Osbourne has done well to achieve this. It is now going to be possible for her to create a great future that is not destroyed by substance abuse or her eating disorder.
