17 Sep Lamar Odom Receives Third Drug Intervention
Life in the public eye is not easy for many people: the pressure of fame, a demanding career, and the discomfort of being in the public eye can be incredibly waring. For a person who struggles with addiction, these pressures can be particularly stressful and dangerous. This seems to be the case for Lamar Odom, famed basketball player and husband of Khloe Kardashian. Recently, Odom went missing for several days after his friends and loved ones attempted a third intervention with him.
Long Time Friends Came Together For Support
Many of Odom’s childhood friends became extremely worried about him as he spiraled further and further into addiction. A number of them traveled from New York to talk to Lamar about his addiction. The friends, some of whom are much less affluent than Odom, apparently literally knocked on his door and begged him to come home and get clean. Odom was not receptive to their efforts and responded with anger to his old friends, telling them to go away. When his friends finally were able to see Lamar in person, they learned that the successful star was freebasing cocaine.
Khloe’s Attempts to Help
Odom’s wife, Khloe, has been publicly distraught as she’s attempted to help her husband get clean. Kardashian and her family successfully helped Lamar seek help for his oxycontin addiction last August. Lamar did stay in treatment for a few weeks but relapsed back into addiction shortly after leaving. In addition to trying to help him work through his substance abuse issues, Khloe has attempted several times to stop the affairs Lamar has been engaging in. The couple has spent time in therapy, where they’ve attempted to help strengthen their troubled relationship and identify some of the issues that are leading Odom to use and commit adultery.
Teammates Have Also Tried to Help
Odom’s former teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers and current teammates on the Los Angeles Clippers have also expressed concern for the talented player. Many of them banded together for an intervention with Lamar just around a month ago. Members from both teams talked to Lamar about, among other things, the way his addiction was impacting his career. The discussions went on for a few hours, until Odom apparently abruptly left the site of the intervention.
A Family History of Addiction
Like many addicts, Lamar is at a higher risk for addiction because his father, Joe Odom, is himself a recovering heroin addict. Lamar has had a rocky relationship with his father and has expressed several times that he has serious fears about becoming an addict like him.
Sources do report, however, that Odom has entered a rehab facility, and many people suspect that if he has made the decision to receive the treatment he needs, it may be because his father talked him into entering treatment. While the rich and powerful colleagues and married family he is surrounded with have all attempted to get through to Lamar, it is possible that his father, who knows first hand about struggling with addiction, and whose life story has had such a huge impact on Lamar may be the only person who can get through to him.
Hope For Lamar
It seems clear that Odom has a strong support system around him. His wife, in-laws, immediate family, and teammates are all trying to help him in the best way that they can. By entering treatment, Lamar has made an important step in working towards a much better life. He will certainly need love and support after he leaves treatment and uses the tools he used to stay clean, and hopefully he will be ready to accept that from those he loves.
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