How American Rapper, Mac Miller Died of Apparent Drug Overdose

How American Rapper, Mac Miller Died of Apparent Drug Overdose

The rap world lost Malcolm McCormick (popularly known as Mac Miller), a young American talent aged 26. He was found dead in his San Fernando Valley residence in California on September 7, 2018, after an apparent drug overdose. Despite his awareness of the effect of drug overdose, he never failed in discussing his drug usage and struggle with substance abuse. However, he had denied rumors that that labeled him a “drug addict” to Rolling Ston at a time. Not only that, he often wrote songs about his mental health, daily drug usage, and desire for sobriety.

However, several investigations by various news agencies have been trailing the ‘real’ circumstances surrounding his death. ABC’s local news affiliate in Los Angeles reported that a male friend of Mac’s called the emergency line ‘911’ after he found him unresponsive. So far, artists such as Chance, Wiz Khalifa, Earl Sweatshirt, and Post Malone have expressed their heartbreak on social media.

Before Mac’s death, he got himself involved in a drunk driving accident which saw his vehicle totaled. The rapper crashed his Mercedes SUV into a power pole very close to his Los Angeles home. Having fled the scene initially, he eventually turned himself in. Upon some tests, it was discovered that his blood alcohol level was over twice the legal limit. It was the accident that ultimately saw Miller’s arrest for DUI, even though some spotlighted the event a troubling personal trajectory for him, who had his girlfriend, Ariana Grande split from him just a month prior. Click here for more information.

Miller’s Drug Use: How it started

As a coping strategy for stress, Miller began to rely on marijuana while touring. He later resorted to using codeine, promethazine, and cocaine to manage his mental health (depression), which he never denied. According to him, criticism and stress that characterized his Macadelic mixed tape tour in 2012 made him rely heavily on the addictive drug.

He had made several attempts to quit lean which proved abortive until November 2012, before commencing production of Mac Miller and the Most Dope Family, his MTV2 reality series.

In May 2014, Miller discussed his battle with depression in Faces, his tenth solo mixtape. He explained how a drug habit similar to that of Philip Hoffman would eventually put him in a coffin, making references to codeine cough syrup, cocaine, and angel dust. He even admitted to having suicidal thoughts before the release of his album.

In a personal documentary released in February 2016, the rapper got candid about his drug use, claiming overdosing was terrible. He also explained precisely how he migrated from the use of marijuana into harder drugs, just because he hated being sober.

Miller’s date with pop-star Ariana Grande saw a positive turnaround in his life. The substance abuse issue became a dealbreaker for the duo. Their relationship eventually ended up in May 2018 on the grounds of the duo’s busy schedules, as claimed by them.

About a month before his death, he had released an album, ‘Swimming.’ A large part of the songs on the album describes the aftermath of his breakup with Grande and his struggles with anxiety and depression. He was also scheduled to commence a national tour in October.

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Drug Overdose

Drug abuse often comes with the risk of severe side effects, which include overdose. Whether you abuse alcohol or not, an illegal drug like cocaine, or prescribed medications —such as opioid painkillers— development of addiction will always be a concern. In some cases, the persistence substance abuse behavior persists may often result in overdose.

Any drug overdose can either be intentional or accidental. Accidental overdoses tend to occur when people take more dose of prescribed medication than intended to achieve particular results, or when there is heavy use of an illegal drug to get a better high. Intentional overdoses, on the other hand, are often a result of someone attempting suicide. Irrespective of the intent, any death as a result of an overdose is tragic while any overdose can have severe and lasting effects.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse asserted that the total number of deaths caused as a result of drug overdose increased more than twofold from 2002 to 2015. Additionally, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2016 discovered that the number of deaths related to opiate use has risen by 200% since 2000. These numbers underscore, perhaps what is obtained today as more than ever. The essence of recognizing the symptoms and signs of a drug overdose it that you save the life of a loved one.

Some of the common abused substances and drugs include Adderall, alcohol, Ambien, Ativan, bath salts, benzodiazepines, cocaine, codeine, clonazepam, crack, ecstasy/MDMA, fentanyl, Flexeril, heroin, hydrocodone, inhalant, Klonopin, kratom, lorazepam, LSD, marijuana, meth, methadone, morphine, opioids, oxycodone, painkillers, Percocet, steroids, tramadol, valium, vicodin, Vyvanse, and Xanax.

Signs and Symptoms of Drug Overdose

The psychological and physical symptoms of overuse of a drug can differ depending on the kind of medicine taken, and if the drug was taken together with other substances.

Common symptoms and signs of a drug overdose can include any of the following:

• Unsteady walking
• Dilated pupils
• Chest pain
• Serious difficulty in breathing, shallow breathing, or full stoppage of breath
• Gurgling sounds indicating the blockage of the person’s airway
• Blue lips or fingers
• Vomiting or nausea
• Abnormal high body temperature
• Aggressive or violent behavior
• Disorientation or confusion
• Agitation
• Paranoia
• Convulsions or tremors
• Unresponsiveness
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness
• Death

It is not mandatory for an individual to exhibit all or even the majority of these signs, as a few of these symptoms can imply that a person is experiencing a drug overdose.

Risk Factors

If a person abuses any substance, the risk of overdosing is always inevitable. However, certain conditions and actions can further increase that risk; they include:

• Significant physiologic dependence on the drug
• Abusing a variety of substances, (alcohol inclusive)
• Prior overdose(s)
• Intake of a large quantity of the content at once
• A gradual increase in the substance dose over time
• Dropping out of drug or substance abuse treatment
• Intravenous drug use
• Reluctance in seeking emergency help when needed
• Being recently freed from prison
• Resumption to drug use after some period of abstinence
• Previous suicide attempts
• Low level of physical tolerance

Tolerance means the state occurring as a result of your body becoming accustomed to the drug presence. Therefore, it needs increased quantities or more frequent drug doses to attain the kind of high previously gotten with a smaller portion of treatment. If you persist in increasing your dose or taking the drug more frequently, you may be vulnerable to the risk of overdosing.

Tolerance can also influence overdose risk in some other way. For instance, people who have a history of massive or chronic abuse of the substance may have a certain level of tolerance to the impacts of a drug, thereby allowing them to consume more than an individual who is “drug naïve,” or has a history with less intake of the substance. Following attempts to abstain from the drug at any time, tolerance can abate in the drug-free period. If that person suddenly returns to taking the drug, particularly in quantities that they might have once been accustomed to, there might be an occasion of overdose.

What to do in a situation of the drugs overdose

If a loved one or you have been potentially involved in an overdose of drugs, seek medical attention immediately by calling 911 to get emergency help. While awaiting the arrival of medical personnel, you might also implement some first aid procedures. It is, however, essential to be sure not to put your safety at risk as some drugs can prompt unpredictable or violent behavior in the victims. Such procedures include:

• Checking the person’s heart rate and breathing
• If unconscious, try to get a response from the person. You can ask the person some questions to assess their alertness level and to keep them engaged calmly, if possible
• In the case of the person not breathing, turn them on their side
• Provide CPR if you are medically qualified to carry it out, and that’s if necessary
• Provide first aid as instructed by 911 operators
• Prevent the person from taking more of the substance
• Get as much information as possible, including the quantity and the period the person took the drug last
• If otherwise labeled substances or prescription medications have been used, take with you the container to the ER, irrespective of if it has some element in it or not
• Take note of any identifying paraphernalia, or take along any containers of other elements or drugs the person may have taken
• Avoid reasoning with the person or providing your opinions about the event
• Stay calm while awaiting the arrival of medical personnel
• Give assurance of help to the person

Preventing Drug Overdose

Avoiding using drugs is not the most advisable way to prevent an overdose. However, if you, or someone you love, is already a victim of addiction or showing behavior related to problematic substance use, you can take some steps to decrease the likelihood of overdose, some of them include:

• Increasing your awareness of signs and risks of overdose
• Getting aware of the drug and dose of the drug taken
• Avoiding use of multiple substances (e.g., avoiding to drink alcohol if using any drug)
• Commencing with a low quantity if you haven’t used it in a while
• Using, if you must use, in the presence of another person. The individual can seek help if doing overdose.
• Getting substance abuse treatment if addiction is involved

Treatment for addiction issues and substance abuse can help avoid an overdose, as well as assist you in starting on the path to sober and clean living. Some of the possible treatment options include:

Detox. You can get enrolled in any of inpatient or outpatient detox program for support and help in reducing cravings and managing withdrawal at an early stage of recovery. After the end of the detox period, you’ll require to go into a formal recovery program to have the best chances of sobriety.

Inpatient or Residential Treatment. You can pick from many inpatient programs that can last anywhere from probably a few weeks to some months. Inpatient treatment programs give you a highly structured environment with 24/7 support and care. You can participate in a variety of treatments, which consist of individual counseling, group therapy, drug testing, relapse prevention education classes, and psychoeducational groups.

Luxury Treatment. For those requiring the support and structure of an inpatient program but would actively want luxurious amenities and perks (like spa treatments, gourmet meals, and private rooms) which can make your stay feel like that of a resort, you might want to go for luxury treatment.

Executive Treatment. Professionals who are in highly demanding careers may go for administrative treatment facilities, which provide care similar to luxury treatment centers but allow you to work and, in some cases, even travel (especially for work purposes) if necessary.

Partial Hospitalization. The transition of many people from inpatient treatment to partial hospitalization, a kind of therapeutically-intensive and highly structured outpatient program. You stay at home while attending therapy most days of the week for some hours every day. Some facilities offer evening or weekend treatment as well.

Intensive Outpatient. This kind of outpatient treatment mainly provides individual and group counseling services. You also live at home while attending therapy between 10-12 hours in a week. Those services are usually available throughout the day or nightfall, and even on weekends, in most cases.

Standard Outpatient. You will attend regularly scheduled individual counseling sessions and group therapy one or two days or evenings in a week. This kind of treatment may be essential for the long-term maintenance of sobriety following the completion of some other intensive treatment programs, and may even continue for as long as years if desired.

Gender-Specific Treatment. This can be a beneficial recovery option especially for those seeking to focus on treatment without the opposite sex distraction.

Veteran Treatment. Aside from addressing the unique psychosocial demands of those that have served in the armed forces, this form of treatment provides a variety of services, which include vocational rehabilitation, addiction treatment, and treatment for any co-occurring physical or mental health concerns.

12-Step Groups. Based on these steps of recovery Alcoholics Anonymous developed and used, they provide a structured path to recovery based while acknowledging a higher power and working through particular steps with the help of a sponsor. Some persons may attend 12-step groups as a form of the supplement to other kinds of treatment or to persist their recovery having successfully undergone a treatment program.

The specific variety of therapy you may receive can differ depending on the substance you use. Generally, the kind of treatment you might receive can include:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This has to do with identifying and changing thoughts and behaviors that are dysfunctional and may have led to or perpetuated your problem of abuse of the substance.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). In some cases, you may get specific medications to assist you in weaning off the drug. Extra pharmaceutical intervention could be helpful in seeing to any co-occurring physical or mental ailments.

Individual Counseling. You can work one-on-one with a counselor in addressing social and psychological issues which have the potential of underlying your addiction.

Group Counseling. This is a situation where a counselor leads a group of others in a recovery process. You support and learn or gain from others in the same or who have been in the same shoes as you.