What killed Whitney Houston?  Was it drugs?  The world will find out soon from the Coroner.  I would contend, however, that Whitney Houston (Disclaimer:  I was never a fan) died from her money.  She was exploited by producers and media hounds for their own selfish reward and yet she made, and ultimately burned through, millions of dollars with a sordid, drug-addicted lifestyle that ultimately killed her.  There are millions of young people similarly addicted to drugs but they haven’t earned their own money, made successful careers, or accomplished much of anything on their own.  Rather, their lifestyles are underwritten by parents who continue to shell out thousands of dollars each year for their young adult child.  They harbor hope that each new scheme; to go to Community College, or get some certification, or get a low paying job, will be the beginning of change that ultimately never comes.  These parents harbor the fear as well that if they don’t support each new attempt, their child will fall further (maybe) and become worse or do even shadier things to support their addiction (maybe).   But shelling out dollars year after year, in fact, may really be depriving the young person of his right and responsibility to become a healthy, constructive and productive member of society (or not).  Sometimes, desperate parents force their children into expensive rehab stints thinking that somehow 28 days will make the change in their child that they could not.  And it rarely works, except as a business plan for the rehabs.   So parents use their money as a proxy for love in that they “just want their child to be happy and successful” and they are attempting to control the outcome of another adult’s life.  In fact, it sustains the dysfunction.  Parents’ money in these circumstances maintains the young person’s ability to live a lifestyle of drugs, school failure, job loss and on and on.  Parents can get off this treadmill but it requires letting go of the outcome, setting their own boundary and offering a long term plan not a short term fix.