Michael Jackson: Fame, pressure and what we can learn

by Sandwiched Boomers for Success Television

Coming from a family of entertainers with a demanding stage-dad, Michael Jackson had been in the

limelight since he was a young boy. Super stardom was all he knew. Although talented, famous and adored, his was a lonely life - one full of contradictions. He tried to create his own private reality around castles, theme parks and pet chimpanzees. In his own mind he was a modern-day Peter Pan. In the mind of others he was "Wacko Jacko" and his bizarre behavior often overshadowed his musical brilliance.

Jackson was living proof of the emotional cost of a life spent in the public eye, often experiencing the psychological turmoil that can accompany global fame. He was fragile and, because of his sensitive nature, delicate personality or pre-existing emotional problems, it was hard for him to handle the pressure.

You may have been entertained by Michael Jackson, as so many were. But, more important, you may understand how he could be affected by the strain of it all. Pressure -- about finances, work, family or health -- can really get to you. Follow some of these tips and learn what to do when you feel your life is spinning out of control: 

1. Give yourself an emotional break. You may be building up feelings of frustration  anger or disappointment, even despair. Take a deep breath and free yourself from negative thoughts. Although you can't necessarily change what happens to you, you can change how you handle it. Reframe pessimistic ideas into neutral or optimistic ones. By learning about constructive responses to difficult situations, you'll have access to more choices about how to react.

2. Get the help you need now. Work with an individual therapist or a life coach who will guide your healing as you decide how to move forward. It's important to develop positive self-regard, confidence and the life skills for this. The therapy should focus on areas like anger management and stress reduction. Stay in treatment as long as you need in order to figure out why you're having these feelings and what to do about them.

3. For a problem with drug addiction, get help through a treatment center. Abusing prescription drugs can be medically dangerous, so be sure to find a center that specializes in prescription drug withdrawal and rehabilitation. A treatment program that confronts addiction directly will also address other problems you face and help you find solutions that will prevent a relapse. Three other ways to strengthen yourself when life gets out of control

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