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Co-occurring disorders (COD), the intersection of mental health challenges and substance use issues, affect many individuals. The harris project, a nonprofit organization established in 2013, is dedicated to COD prevention and treatment. Us Weekly collaborated with the harris project on The Missing Issue, a special edition highlighting the personal accounts of celebrities who grappled with co-occurring disorders. This feature revisits past Us Weekly coverage of stars like Aaron Carter, who openly discussed their struggles with these complex conditions.
Aaron Carter’s Final Days: A Struggle with Co-Occurring Disorders
[Full original story available via link.]
Aaron Carter’s Final Days: Coping with Co-Occurring Disorders
Aaron Carter, younger sibling of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter, achieved prominence as a youthful pop vocalist. After launching his debut album in 1997, Carter gained widespread recognition with popular songs such as “Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It)” and “I Want Candy” in 2000.
Throughout his career, Carter was transparent about his battles with substance misuse. He faced multiple arrests for marijuana possession and admitted to the misuse of benzodiazepines and opiates. In 2017, he publicly shared his completion of a rehabilitation program. However, on November 5, 2022, Carter was discovered deceased at his California residence. The official cause of death was determined to be drowning, exacerbated by the effects of difluoroethane and alprazolam. He was 34 years old and a new father to Prince, his eleven-month-old son. His sixth and final album, Blacklisted, was released posthumously two days later.
Carter, like many others, acknowledged that his substance misuse was a form of self-medication to combat the debilitating effects of mental health disorders, including dissociative identity disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
“Life was quite challenging,” he confided to Us Weekly in 2017. “I experienced significant trauma, loss, and loneliness. … [But] my aim is to emerge as a phoenix from the ashes.”
Publicly Discussing Mental Health and Substance Use
In a candid September 2019 interview on the syndicated talk show The Doctors, Carter detailed his mental health diagnoses and the subsequent medications prescribed. “The formal diagnoses are that I live with multiple personality disorder [dissociative identity disorder], schizophrenia, acute anxiety, and bipolar disorder,” he stated. “I am prescribed Xanax, Seroquel, gabapentin, hydroxyzine, Trazodone, Omeprazole.”
Carter also disclosed his use of inhalants. Difluoroethane, found in his autopsy, is a common component in spray cleaners known to cause cardiac problems. “I was huffing because of my profound sadness and foolishness, though this is not an excuse,” he admitted on the show. “I was huffing because I am a drug addict.”
Efforts to Support Aaron Carter
Melanie Martin, Carter’s former fiancée, spoke with Us in January 2023 about the complexities of intervention, particularly when an individual struggles with co-occurring disorders.
“I attempted to secure help for him, and he did express a desire for assistance,” she revealed. “There were instances where he stated, ‘I want to improve, and this is not who I am,’ yet his resolve would waver quickly. He was a kind individual and devoted father, but he carried deep-seated sadness from his life. […] He had unmet needs that I was unable to fulfill.”
Finding Positivity Amidst Pain
Following Carter’s death, director Brian Farmer disclosed that a pilot for Group, a series focusing on group therapy and mental health awareness, had been produced, with Carter portraying a fictionalized version of himself. “Aaron was immensely enthusiastic about the show and promoting mental health awareness, a subject close to his heart,” Farmer stated in a November 2022 announcement to Deadline. “He mentioned that being involved in the show provided him with a constructive objective.”
Family’s Grief and Advocacy for Mental Health Awareness
Carter’s sister Angel, 37, who also experienced the loss of her sister Leslie to a reported overdose in 2012, has found a path to advance the dialogue around co-occurring disorders and transform tragedy “into something positive.” In an exclusive conversation with Us in October 2024, she discussed the launch of the Songs for Tomorrow benefit concert, a memorial for Aaron intended to raise funds for the Kids Mental Health Foundation.
“I understand Aaron intimately,” she stated, “and this aligns perfectly with what he, in his sound mind, would have wanted to do [with his platform]. Regrettably, due to mental health issues, substance addiction, and family dysfunction, he lost sight of his true self. I aspire to serve as a conduit for him to continue this crucial conversation and genuinely reshape my family’s narrative. This is our current focus, and we are committed to helping numerous individuals.”
To purchase The Missing Issue for $8.99, visit https://magazineshop.us/harrisproject.
If you or someone you know is grappling with mental health and/or substance use, know that support is available. Seek immediate help – dial 911 for urgent medical assistance; 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; or 1-800-662-HELP for the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline. Possessing naloxone (Narcan) can be crucial in reversing an opioid overdose.