Sad Story of Whitney Houston Unfortunately Is Not New

I wasn't a huge Whitney Houston fan. But if you lived through the 1980s, like me, her music is a part of your history.

I was probably paying more attention to Kevin Costner in "The BodyGuard" than beautiful Whitney, but even today, her version of "I Will Always Love You" plays vividly in my head.

Like singer Amy Winehouse's death earlier this year, Houston's death wasn't a particular surprise to me, or probably you either.

Los Angeles coronor's officials are saying it could take weeks before the cause of death for the 48-year-old Houston is released. As with Winehouse, I doubt the eventual verdict will suprise anyone.

The emotion isn't shock as much as sadness and resigned anger. Anyone who has experienced addiction or cares about someone who struggles with it, has an opinion or two about this all-too-common story.

In the movies, and in our hopes, the drunks and addicts eventually get sober. They have an "ah-ha" moment, or hit bottom, and put down the bottle or the pills or whatever, and live soberly ever after. 

The fact of the matter is that long-term recovery rates are not nearly that optimistic, according to several government and expert studies. 

Of those who go to inpatient treatment centers, about a quarter drop out before finishing. Another quarter have to leave for other reasons, perhaps medical or financial. Of those who do emerge sober, general estimates are that half will relapse.

There's nothing new in those statistics. Nothing new in the story of a great talent destroyed by addiction. 

Just sadness.