“I chose to admit myself, after spending well over a year lying to everyone around me that I had stopped taking sedative tablets. Because that was my problem – pills”. This is how the new news podcast “Sophie og Fetisha” starts for Sophie Elise Isachsen and Fetisha Williams, where Sophie Elise for the first time opens up about having a drug problem. Will be honest With her 574,000 followers on Instagram, she is Norway’s best-known influencer. Everything she does and takes in leads to press coverage and involvement in social media. It also happened at the end of August when she told her followers that she was going to take a break from the limelight. No one other than those closest to her got to know what actually happened. But now the influencer has decided to share it with the rest of Norway. – It would have been much simpler, and more pleasant for me, not to be open about it. But since there are so few who are honest, I almost feel it is my duty to be so, she says to news. Fetisha and Sophie Elise talk about how Sophie Elise has been in the last year. Hoping not to relapse For the past five weeks, Sophie Elise has been admitted to rehabilitation for drug addiction treatment in Gjerdrum, a short distance outside Oslo. – I have learned a lot in treatment, I have changed, and it would have been strange to jump back as if nothing had happened, she tells news. Another reason why she has chosen to be open is because she will then be held responsible for what she has done. – And that means that it will be more difficult to fall back, she adds. From sleeping pills to Xanax In the podcast, it appears that the flu sufferer first started using sleeping pills because she couldn’t sleep. Having been a public figure since her teens, it became increasingly difficult to distinguish between the brand Sophie Elise and the person Sophie. It led to sleepless nights. In Norway, Xanax goes by the name Xanor. It is usually used as a sedative against severe anxiety and panic attacks. In the worst case, Xanax can be fatal if the intake is too large, or if it is mixed with the active substance fentanyl – something that is a real risk if you buy the drug on the street. Sophie Elise learned that it is dangerous. In rehabilitation, she almost had a cardiac arrest and was told clearly that the doses she operated on could even cost her life. The pills dominated her life In the podcast, the influencer tells about how the pills ruled her life. About the brutal withdrawals. About the lies that were needed to hide the addiction from family and friends. Finally, he decided to seek help. – Talking about placement is still taboo as I see it. In any case, it was far in the back of my mind to share, when I thought about it at the start, says the resident of Harstad about why she wants to come out with the truth. – It’s a cliché, but if this can help a person to seek help, then it’s worth it. Fetisha Williams and Sophie Elise are good friends and support each other, even in difficult times. Photo: Petter Nielsen / news The use of sleeping pills has doubled According to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the use of sleeping pills has almost doubled among those between the ages of 20 and 24 in the last ten years. The number of patients with an opioid diagnosis also increased by 65 percent from 2010 to 2020. Psychiatrist, author and professor Finn Skårderud believes that the increasing use of sedatives among young people can be blamed on the fact that we live in a society with few spaces to relax. – We live in an accelerating culture. Young people experience stress, and feel they have to perform in all arenas. – Adolescence is no longer a resting phase as was thought in the old days. It has become a working time where you have to develop, build an identity and be successful, says Skårderud. Want to remove discomfort According to Skårderud, we have created a society where we want to remove discomfort we feel, whether mentally or physically. Medicine can therefore seem like an easy solution. – As Per Fugelli said: “Medicine is greedy”. The idea that medicine removes discomfort seeps into our lives. – There are scary features in our society. Finn Skårderud believes it is important to talk about a subject that is difficult. Photo: Berit Roald / SCANPIX It’s positive to be open He thinks it’s positive that well-known profiles dare to talk about addiction. – We have to start opening up these topics. That our everyday life is medicated. Medicine as a subject does not give us answers on how to handle life. He understands those who need prescription medication, but also wants to emphasize that society as a whole must become more honest. – We have to be honest that there are bumps and setbacks in life. And that one has to tolerate knowing things that are difficult. Afraid of losing her job The influencer admits that she is worried about possible reactions: – Of course I’m afraid that people won’t want to work with me anymore, because I’ve been to rehab. Although I know it’s good that I addressed my problems, people prefer to work with someone who is commercial and not “controversial”. – What do you say to those who think this is a PR stunt? – One in four up-and-coming people understand that you cannot enter public treatment, at the state’s expense, because it is a “PR stunt”, answers Sophie Elise. Sophie Elise tells honestly about the last time in the podcast “Sophie og Fetisha”. Photo: Petter Nielsen / news Honest conversations When asked if she thinks influencers should take greater responsibility for focusing on difficult things on platforms that are often characterized by glossy facades, she says: – I don’t completely agree with that. many who attempt to address serious topics. – But the most important thing is how you talk to those around you, that you are open with friends and family, and actually have honest and orderly conversations. Listen to the podcast “Sophie and Fetisha” by clicking on the link below:
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Sophie Elise reveals pill abuse – entered rehab – news Culture and entertainment
