Did Angus Cloud Overdose?
Angus Cloud was a 25-year-old actor, best known for playing “Fez” on the HBO television series Euphoria. On Monday, Jul 31, 2023, Cloud’s publicist, Cait Bailey announced sadly that he had died at his family’s home in Oakland, California. Embed from Getty Images
No official cause for Angus Cloud’s death has been announced yet. But, his mother reported a “possible overdose” during her 911 call and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Angus was open about his struggles with addiction and mental health. He also lost his father after a short illness only 2 months ago and was still in mourning after recently burying his father in his native Ireland.
It would be unfair to make any assumptions about the nature of Angus Cloud’s death at this point, but we can take his openness about his mental health challenges as an indication that depression and drugs may have been a factor.
Why Are So Many Celebrities Using Drugs or Depressed?
The truth is that celebrities probably don’t have substance use problems or depression at a significantly higher rate than the general population. It may only seem that way because when a young celebrity like Angus Cloud dies suddenly, we all hear about it.
Anything that a celebrity may have said about their own mental health and any past issue of substance use quickly finds its way into the headlines again. No, this isn’t because people are unkind or enjoy gawking at the suffering of celebrities.
We propose there is a more innocent explanation. We are used to idolizing celebrities and imagining their lives are perfect, or at least closer to perfection than our own. When a celebrity like Angus Cloud admits to grappling with addiction and mental health it makes them seem more relatable.
It reminds us that celebrities are people too, just as vulnerable to the slings and arrows of the human condition as the rest of us.
How and Why Addiction Impacts Celebrities Lives
It’s important to remember that celebrities are people just like the rest of us. While they may enjoy the adoration of millions of fans and the financial rewards that come with a successful career in entertainment, they also endure a lot of stress. Being an actor or musician isn’t an easy job, believe it or not.
Actors often work very long hours. They may travel to work on location and not see their families for weeks at a time. There is also a certain amount of stress that comes from constantly being in the public eye. Imagine if you couldn’t go out to a restaurant and just enjoy a meal with a friend without worrying about a photographer purposely taking unflattering photos of you.
Celebrities are almost always regular people before becoming famous. When they suddenly come into money and fame, the temptation of addiction can be too much to resist. They also find that their lives change in unexpected ways. They may not know who their real friends are and who is just a sycophant or hanger-on. Add to that the fact that they have the same nature and nurture risk factors for mental health disorders that the rest of us do.
Celebrities are Mortal, Just Like the Rest of Us
Even though we know intuitively that celebrities are flesh and blood human beings like the rest of us, it’s still hard at times to visualize them having the same sorts of problems we all do. The truth is many celebrities struggle with self-esteem and self-image.
More than a few have dual diagnoses and are also common among celebrities. More often than not, when a celebrity is battling addiction, there is a co-occurring disorder like depression or anxiety along with a substance use disorder.
Luckily, famous people have access to the same solutions as everyone else. While it may be harder for them to find a 12-step meeting where they can experience anonymity, they can still find their way out of addiction by going to an addiction treatment program that offers thorough aftercare planning and helps them build a roadmap for recovery.
What We Can Learn From Angus Cloud and Other Celebrities with Addiction and Depression
We can learn a number of things from celebrities who have dealt with addiction, depression or other mental health challenges.
Here are some examples:
Talk About It – Don’t Isolate
The fact you’re aware of the fact that Angus Cloud struggled with mental health, it’s because he opened up and talked about it. The reasons why celebrities share their battles with addiction or depression vary. Sure, many of them know the media will eventually find out anyway, and make incorrect assumptions about what’s happening in their lives. But celebrities with depression or other problems also talk about them because they know that is the first step toward healing.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, don’t stay silent about it. The solution begins with a conversation.
Accept Reality
You can’t hope to begin to solve a problem until you acknowledge it exists. It may sound silly, but most people need to hear themselves say “I’m depressed” or “I can’t stop drinking” more than once before they start to accept the reality of their predicament. Denial is incredibly powerful and it isn’t only the denial of the person with a mental health disorder or addiction that can be an obstacle. The denial of loved ones can be just much of a problem.
Speak the truth about how you feel and what you see. Don’t sugarcoat it. Accept it and get ready to do something about it.
Tackle the Problem Head On
It’s true that when a celebrity has depression or is battling a drug problem it often takes time for them to get help. But, if you look at any successful celebrity recovery, you see they all took action to get better. We all have different “bottoms”. The bottom is nothing more than the point where you stop digging the hole and look up.
Once you’ve identified the problem and stopped heading in the wrong direction, don’t pause. Don’t rest. It’s time to RUN toward your recovery.
Ask for Help
A celebrity may have an 8-figure bank balance and be able to captivate the world with nothing more than a wink at the camera, but they have no more power over addiction or depression than anyone else. Celebrities who overcome depression or addiction recognize their own powerlessness over their problem and ask for help. It takes humility for anyone to ask for help, but imagine being famous and idolized by millions of people and needing to ask for help. If celebrities can humble themselves and ask for help, you can too!
They say recovery is an “inside job” and it is. But that doesn’t mean we recover alone. Recovery requires communication and participation. Ask for help, even if you’re afraid to. Especially if you’re afraid to.
Believe That You Can Recover from Addiction and You Will
Escaping the madness of alcohol and drug addiction is tough. But the way out for you or your loved one is a lot closer than you think. The single biggest indicator for success in addiction recovery is willingness. It doesn’t take the discipline of a monk or the strength of a giant.
If you can bring just enough willingness to try and enough courage to dare to hope for a future without drugs – that’s all it takes to make your start. North Jersey Recovery Center has helped thousands of people just like you recover from addiction and heal from co-occurring mental health disorders.
We’d like to help you or your loved one too. But you have to make the first move. Call us now at (877) 790-5873 or submit your information here to see how we can help.
