Michael K Williams, the 54 year old actor, best known for his role as Omar little in “The Wire” series was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment on August 6, 2021. Police investigating his death is suspecting a drug overdose as a possible reason. The police found drug paraphernalia at the scene.
While his entire family is devastated at his sudden death, his co-stars and fans are also in a state of shock.
Williams had spoken numerous times about his battle with addiction and called it an ongoing struggle.
He said “people think if they refrain from taking drugs or alcohol, it will end the problem forever, but this perception is far from reality. Alcohol and drugs is not the actual problem, it is a mere symptoms of the actual underlying problem”.
In an interview with Men’s Health Magazine, Williams shared his experience of his first drug abuse while he was 17 year old.
Nearly seven months before his death, in February, Williams gave an exclusive interview to podcaster Marc Maron about his struggle with drug addiction and his present effort to stay sober and healthy. He said he is never shy to speak about his addiction and added that recovery is a process which can’t be achieved in a day. He considered relapse as part of his struggle but he has managed to do good so far. He also spoke about his 23 years of sobriety and his experience about the rehabilitation centers and corrupt counselors luring patients to build lucrative business.
Williams was a resident of Brooklyn who started his career as a dancer and later moved into acting. Some of his outstanding works for which he received recognition were popular series like The Wire and Boardwalk Empire. His other acclaimed works include numerous television series and films such as The Road, Gone Baby Gone, 12 Years a Slave, Inherent Vice, The Night Of, When They See Us, When We Rise, and Hap and Leonard.
In an interview with NJ.com in 2012 he spilled the beans over spending his entire hard earned money that he earned from the series “The Wire” on drugs. He said he was overdoing drugs during that phase with a wrong set of people. “It was like playing with fire” said Williams. He limited himself to cocaine and pot and nothing stronger like heroin.
He also spoke about how his entire business and money came to an end due to substance abuse and how it even landed him in jail. Finally, came a phase in Williams’ life when he was completely drained and exhausted by substance abuse. He approached his family and friends for help and support. He wanted to quit substance abuse at all cost.
He said “I finally said, ‘I can’t do drugs no more.’ I didn’t want to end up dead.”However, recovery process is not like bed of roses, it’s a life long struggle to refrain from bad habit and bad though process.”
Attaining sobriety is a long-drawn battle that requires grit and a steely resolve
Are you also struggling with substance abuse and alcohol addiction? It is important to understand that getting sober is possible with a little consistent effort and continuing with the treatment intervention. It is sad that Michael K Williams’ struggle ended with his life. He finally could not survive through a relapse and lost his life at the age of 54.
However, there are also tens and thousands of people who have come out of this deluge and are leading a sober life after years of substance abuse.
Get help immediately
Seeking treatment for substance abuse at the earliest is the way forward. Mission Recovery Treatment center is one of the best alcohol and drugs rehabilitation centers in California. We provide an array of intervention modalities that include inpatient and outpatient treatment programs, partial hospitalization programs, psychotherapies, medications, detox therapies, evidence-based therapies and customized treatment programs for our patients.
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