Family Tragedy May Help Others

To be completely honest, I heard rumblings in the news about Mackenzie Phillips and her scandal, but I always changed the station or ignored it because I had no idea who she was or her father. But this week’s sorbate topic asked our views on the subject, so I figured, well I better read up so I can make an informed judgment on this family. 

At first, all you are bombarded with are the headlines that read: INCEST. This is disturbing in itself, but after more in depth reading and video watching, I realized she is stating that she had a decade long sexual affair with her father, who was a singer in group The Mama’s and Papa’s. She said it happened for the first time in a drugged stupor.

My initial reaction to this was disgust and disdain for someone to have done this to their daughter and then for that daughter to be making money off it (by selling her book).  Later I got off my high horse and looked at the situation; this poor woman has had major drug issues for years and wanted attention from her famous father when she was growing up. These are not excuses, but rather propellants that lead to a destructive life of drugs and incest. 

I am sad that I jumped to a judgmental view of this story, accusing her of wanting to make a quick buck. I later realized maybe this is something she has to do to get it out in the open and let herself heal. She has not lead a normal life, so of course she is not going to deal with this in a “normal” way. She bravely came out and spoke candidly about her drug abuse and sexual relationship with her father.

When she had her countless interviews, they mentioned that sexual abuse hotlines have had a higher volume of callers reporting incest and seeking help.  Perhaps she opened a door for many people who were scared to admit it beforehand.  The down side to her tell-all book is the shame her family may be experiencing, but I think if she is helping people confront their sexual abusers and move on with their lives with means other than drugs or alcohol, then I think it is worth it. She should be proud of moving on with her life and sobering up.

People take drugs for so many reasons, but a lot do it to fill a void or suppress certain feelings or memories. I think it is good that she shared her story and proved that people can overcome heinous situations and come out the other side, strong and sober.