Many celebrities down the years have gone off the rails and done both odd and destructive things, sometimes on purpose and other times due to the issues that they are experiencing. The stresses, issues and problems that the world’s most famous people face on a daily basis have been brought back into the limelight once again this week following the death of Peaches Geldof, the socialite and daughter of world famous musician Bob Geldof.

Despite always being comfortable enough money wise, Peaches never had the easiest of personal lives following the breakup of her parents’ marriage at age six as her mother, Paula Yates, left Geldof for INXS front man Michael Hutchence. That happened in 1995 and by 2000 both Hutchence and her mother had died from suicide and a drug overdose leaving the 11 year old Geldof a troubled child.

She was known to enjoy a party as a teenager living in the USA and pictures emerged of her drinking and smoking around Los Angeles as well as her topless and dishevelled. July 2008 saw Peaches stop breathing after a drug overdose, almost following in her mother’s footsteps, but by 2012 she had turned her life around by marrying Thomas Cohen and having two children. The question is did her rudderless life until recently and drug usage play a part in her death?

Drugs and addictions have always been a massive part of the celebrity lifestyle and many, many famous people down the years have gone off the rails due to the effects of drug addiction. The results of drug addictions can vary with people like Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin and, more recently, Lindsey Lohan having issues that have seen them drop off the radar and spent time in rehab, while there are more severe cases too. Songstress Amy Winehouse and actor Philip Seymour Hoffman are both recent casualties of drug overdoses and with drugs having such risks why do famous people get themselves involved with them?

The money, the lavish lifestyle, the sycophants and hangers on as well as free time available to the rich and famous see them get offered narcotics and in certain situations take these up. There are many other reasons, many the same as non-famous people such as curiosity, grief and depression, but with their money many celebrities see themselves above the laws that govern the general populace.

Couple this with the almost endless opportunities to live a party lifestyle and a complete disassociation with how the majority of people that make up society live, and need to live in order to survive, means that famous people can go off the rails with a drug addiction.

However, drugs are not the only issue or reason that people can go off the rails. Personal problems affected teen pop sensation Britney Spears as she shaved her head in 2010 while alcohol dependence has caused many issues for many celebrities too. Other than that, teenage rebellion and, as already mentioned, a belief that the rules do not apply to him have caused recent issues for Canadian musician Justin Beiber.

Gambling addiction is also a common problem with those with more money than sense and actor Ben Affleck, former NBA star Michael Jordan and golfer Phil Mickelson as well as a man who has completed the celebrity addiction full house on his bingo card, Charlie Sheen, all having gone to rehab for gambling issues. Speaking of bingo cards, check out this cool golf bingo card from Butlersbingo.com

What can be done about it? Ultimately, with the amount of money available to celebrities very little is likely to change regardless of good advice and education. As such, we foresee more tragic events such as the death of Peaches Geldof for years to come.