The Silence from Michael Jackson’s Inner Circle
Michael Jackson. Photo courtesy of michael-jackson-photos.com.
Dr. Conrad Murray is on trial for the involuntary manslaughter of pop icon Michael Jackson.
However, National Association of Social Workers member Sherry Gaba in this The SOPcolumn says she wonders whether more people from Jackson’s inner circle should be held accountable for his 2009 death from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.
That is because Jackson’s struggles with drug addiction were well known and publicized, even by Jackson himself, Gaba said.
Gaba wrote in part, “…there is still a moral responsibility of those most trusted in the inner circle of a celebrity to stand up and call attention to addictions, particularly when they are this obvious.”
Gaba is an expert on celebrity addiction. She works behind the scenes on VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab,” offering counseling to participants. To learn more about her role on that program click here to read a June 2010 SocialWorkersSpeak.org article about Gaba. And to learn more about how social workers help people overcome drug and alcohol dependency, click here to visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Addictions Website.
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There were probably many people who were aware of Michael Jackson’s issues with drugs who could have spoken up and possibly helped him…however he was the only one who could actually take charge of his own struggles and admit that he had a problem and needed professional help.
It appears that he chose the wrong professional to help him with his sleep problems…he trusted a medical doctor to treat him. He had every right to be treated in a medically sound way and in an ethical and non negligent manner. This does not seem to have been the case…Dr. Murray seems to have treated Mr. Jackson in a manner that was medically inappropriate.
Unfortunately, celebrities because they have money, can afford to buy negligent medical care from unethical, professionally licensed individuals, who are guided by dollar signs rather than the “Hippocratic Oath”, to do no harm.