David Carr wrote a beautiful article on Medium about Philip Seymour Hoffman. It’s the best post I’ve read about PSH since his death a week ago.

In the middle of Carr’s praise for the talent and demeanor PSH displayed throughout his career, one passage stuck out for me — this very emotional and candid description of addiction:

“Chemical dependency does not change — have one and you might die — and recovery does not change — have none and you might live. Addicts live between those two poles, but the hole that they once tried to fill with chemicals always remains, pushed back on a daily basis. Addiction, whether you believe it is a disease or not, is a pirate, constantly on patrol and looking for a weakness so it can climb aboard.”

When celebrities get into trouble for drugs or alcohol, it’s sometimes easy to dismiss their troubles as being fake or falsely generated from their substantial wealth and constant attention. But it’s just as easy to forget that they, like way too many in this world, struggle with demons that get the better of them.

h/t to Jeff Jarvis