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Why do so many musicians get hooked on drugs, etc.?
- Thread starter LotusCarsLtd52
- Start date
the problem being the general social connotation to "hard" drugs. LSD and esctacy are technically some of the hardest and most controlled drugs when in reality they really aren't that bad for you. America and the UK are both trying to lower the rankings of at least both of these drugs because their harm is really not in the drug itself but the nature of the illegal market. Kind of becoming a hot topic recently, so google it if you disagree.
The most dangerous drugs are really heroin, alcohol and nicotine and somehow 2 of those are legal. I can't really think of too many people addicted to LSD.....
- Oct 7, 2000
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if you got drunk a couple of times a week, every week, it would be questionable.
if that was in reference to people smoking pot, people smoking pot on a regular basis are getting stoned on a regular basis, and it becomes their way of dealing with things. I've seen it countless times. I agree that pot is one of the less harmful drugs (if not the least) but it absolutely interferes with people's growth and development. Messes up lots of relationships too because IMO it becomes impossible to truly and clearly communicate with someone who smokes reguarly. And pot smokers will argue and defend this to their death because of the power of their dependance upon it - which they claim is non existent.
I don't know tons about drug addiction.
But at their core, as I understand it, an addict is an "actor" or a "performer", and judges their self-worth and value as a person by how well they keep up the act.....the performance. You can see how a musician is set up to become an addict.
The price you pay is a poor ability to connect to others in a more personal and intimate way......hence the constant need to mood alter. Without the stage, the excitement, the high, you just sort of go empty.
You're a performer. But you've lost yourself.
But at their core, as I understand it, an addict is an "actor" or a "performer", and judges their self-worth and value as a person by how well they keep up the act.....the performance. You can see how a musician is set up to become an addict.
The price you pay is a poor ability to connect to others in a more personal and intimate way......hence the constant need to mood alter. Without the stage, the excitement, the high, you just sort of go empty.
You're a performer. But you've lost yourself.
Everybody has the capacity to become addicted to drugs. Everybody also has the capacity to become addicted to behaviors such as over-eating, gambling and sex.
Drugs vary in how physiologically addictive they are. Heroin, coke, crystal meth, alcohol and cigarettes are highly physiologically addictive. Marijuana and LSD are not very physiologically addictive.
Any drug or behaviour can be psychologically addictive. A minority of people with personality disorders related to negative childhood experiences are more prone to psychological addiction but everybody has the capacity to be psychologically addicted to a drug or behaviour.
Some drugs alter perception including hallucinagens such as marijuana, magic mushrooms and LSD. Perception involves the senses including the sense of hearing. Musicians and music lovers usually state that these drugs make them hear things differently and make them more creative.
Who profits from addiction? Starbucks and cigarette companies have made much more money than Pablo Escabar or the Taliban. The porn industry bank accounts are also exploding (pardon the pun).
What are the negative consequences? Any addiction can impair functioning eg job loss, family breakdown etc.
In terms of mortality rates (death rate), the picture is quite clear though and the general public in the US is not really aware of this due to policy decisions, the war on drugs and special interests influencing US politicians. Cigarettes kill more people than if you added up all the deaths related to all of the other drugs including legal and illegal drugs. This includes drunk driving deaths, overdoses on all other drugs and deaths related to the long-term effects of all other drugs.
Drugs vary in how physiologically addictive they are. Heroin, coke, crystal meth, alcohol and cigarettes are highly physiologically addictive. Marijuana and LSD are not very physiologically addictive.
Any drug or behaviour can be psychologically addictive. A minority of people with personality disorders related to negative childhood experiences are more prone to psychological addiction but everybody has the capacity to be psychologically addicted to a drug or behaviour.
Some drugs alter perception including hallucinagens such as marijuana, magic mushrooms and LSD. Perception involves the senses including the sense of hearing. Musicians and music lovers usually state that these drugs make them hear things differently and make them more creative.
Who profits from addiction? Starbucks and cigarette companies have made much more money than Pablo Escabar or the Taliban. The porn industry bank accounts are also exploding (pardon the pun).
What are the negative consequences? Any addiction can impair functioning eg job loss, family breakdown etc.
In terms of mortality rates (death rate), the picture is quite clear though and the general public in the US is not really aware of this due to policy decisions, the war on drugs and special interests influencing US politicians. Cigarettes kill more people than if you added up all the deaths related to all of the other drugs including legal and illegal drugs. This includes drunk driving deaths, overdoses on all other drugs and deaths related to the long-term effects of all other drugs.
I had to laugh at this because I'm sure about 50% of college students these days fall into this category.
if that was in reference to people smoking pot, people smoking pot on a regular basis are getting stoned on a regular basis, and it becomes their way of dealing with things. I've seen it countless times. I agree that pot is one of the less harmful drugs (if not the least) but it absolutely interferes with people's growth and development. Messes up lots of relationships too because IMO it becomes impossible to truly and clearly communicate with someone who smokes reguarly. And pot smokers will argue and defend this to their death because of the power of their dependance upon it - which they claim is non existent.
+1
Ever since I was about 9, I've known my parents did pot but never actually knew it was pot until I was about 17-18. I always thought it was cigarettes because they would hide it and never had it out in the open. Then one day I found their stash. Soon I realized after they smoked I would find coherent conversation with them to be nearly impossible. It would really piss me off sometimes. Never confronted them about it all, though: 14 years later.
This.
And I'd like to add 'unintelligent' to the mix. Witness a (musician) friend of mine who believes his bipolar and anxiety disorders have nothing to do with the copious amounts of pot he smokes - which presented themselves, oh I don't know, about a week after he began doing drugs. Try to join the dots for him, and suddenly I'm just another stuffed-shirt middle class white alpha male trying to enforce the status quo. Uh huh.
Maybe the question needs 'why are so many musicians insecure, weak minded and unintelligent?'
I may be young, but in my opinion, just because someone drinks beer or smokes pot, it doesn't make them a weak minded failure as a person. Yes they do alter your perceptions but that doesn't mean they necesarily change you. Saying you can't have a conversation with a person who is high is not due to the drug, it's due to the person taking the drug. I used to smoke a ton of pot but I don't anymore. That doesn't mean that all my friends don't. I would say that they're the exact same person stoned as they are sober, just a lot more mellowed out.
if someone has a problem, don't blame the drug, blame the person. You're just immediately writing off plenty of people who can do it and still be a functional human being.
if someone has a problem, don't blame the drug, blame the person. You're just immediately writing off plenty of people who can do it and still be a functional human being.
And pot smokers will argue and defend this to their death because of the power of their dependance upon it - which they claim is non existent.
I love this. If I try to defend my pot use, I'm admitting a dependence I don't have.
Nice way to win the argument every time Joe Nerve. 
So, is he doing drugs, or just pot?
THIS sounds like the stoners I know. I've never run into one of these horribly dysfunctional pothead stereotypes that others seem to have encountered. I hang out with and smoke, on a near daily basis, with a girl who is a lifeguard, substitute teacher, and going to college to teach physical education. Another friend, who smokes like a champ, has a steady job at Borders and is going to school to be an English teacher.
My mom has started smoking it to help with her back pain and arthritis after my very knowledgeable sub/lifeguard friend informed her that marijuana is a natural anti-inflammatory. She doesn't get around too well that much anymore and is in pain most of the time. She said it helps her as much as any vicodin or oxy pill does. At least pot she can't get physically addicted to. My dad who is trying to quit his lifelong addiction to alcohol (hello legal substance far more harmful than pot) smoked pot to help with the anxiety and restlessness of alcohol withdrawal. When he's stressed out, he'll take a couple hits instead of thinking about going and buying a bottle of vodka.
What does all this have to do with the topic at hand, musicians getting hooked on drugs? It's not just musicians using drugs, it's everyone in every part of our society. Teachers, lawyers, doctors, the kid running the car wash or the one serving your food. Musicians definitely tend to flaunt it though. For hells sake, I play in a genre of music labeled "stoner rock". It's almost guaranteed when my band or any band in this genre, plays a show that there will be weed at the show, from us, or the other bands or from someone in the crowd. It's a horribly cheesy thing, and as serious as I take the music and our live show, you can't help but laugh at it. Maybe laugh WITH it is more appropriate.
But in my experience, musicians tend to be more open about their beliefs and I think that's true of any type of artist really. So a musician that happens to do drugs isn't likely to hide that fact so much as most everyday folks. It doesn't help that whenever a musician dies of drug use, or abuse, the media devotes nearly a week to talking about it. But what most don't realize, is that while you're watching the three day long news report about that dead celeb, your neighbor could be smoking some weed, doing a line of coke off their kitchen table, or whatever their drug of choice, and chances are, you'd never know and probably never will. But it is everywhere. We don't see it BECAUSE of the laws in our country and most people in mainstream society obey the law without question. Free thinkers, which musicians stereotypically are, are a lot more likely to be the ones questioning authority...And the only reason I'm keeping the focus of this on pot, is because if your neighbor is really doing any drugs without your knowledge like in my hypothetical, it's likely to be pot, and I'm betting on it that everyone will be seeing it a lot more. I've only smoked for two years and in that two years, a lot of things have changed in terms of law enforcement cracking down on pot, because people are finally realizing now that it's not the demon drug Harry Anslinger made it out to be in the 1930's and that it's a huge waste of money trying to keep fighting the war on weed. Cops realize it's a waste of time and money. In Chicago, no one seems too afraid anymore to just hang out on the street and smoke a joint, because, unless someone else complains, the cops aren't likely to do anything about it as they have real problems to deal with, murder and hard drugs. I think the next ten years will be real interesting as far as prohibition goes.
Of course, the usual IMO, YMMV, IME, etc...
To the mods... sorry if I'm pushing it with this one in any way.
As a recreational drug user, I think James Cameron hit the nail on the head in the latest issue of Rolling Stone:
"I was a trippy guy already, so I had lots of fun on acid: wizzing around your brain at light speed, that's great. Ultimately, though, I don't think its very creative, because you can't really do anything while you're tripping."
Now, drugs can do wonderful things for listening to music, and if you're using them as a reference point while recording I think you can find a benefit. But as far as being stoned/tripping/wasted while recording or creating, well, IMHO, its a crapshoot.
"I was a trippy guy already, so I had lots of fun on acid: wizzing around your brain at light speed, that's great. Ultimately, though, I don't think its very creative, because you can't really do anything while you're tripping."
Now, drugs can do wonderful things for listening to music, and if you're using them as a reference point while recording I think you can find a benefit. But as far as being stoned/tripping/wasted while recording or creating, well, IMHO, its a crapshoot.
A lot of Mors songs were started as riffs I made while stoned, but honestly... I can rarely finish a damn thing musically while high. I have no trouble recalling riffs once I'm sober though, so I'll finish everything while not under the influence. It really is a crapshoot though.
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
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I'm a full-time musician and have been in the music/recording industry for almost 15 years. In that time, I've been touring and recording with national, international and some 'local' acts. Basically, the whole "have record deal, tour on buses and planes" type-thing.
I admit that I succumbed to alcohol abuse for a couple of years. While I'm not a 'classic' alcoholic and am lucky to have gotten my behavior patterns well under control, I have seen firsthand and experienced (to a lesser degree) how easy it is to fall into substance abuse in this world.
For me, 3 things combined to create a perfect breeding ground for substance abuse:
1) Availability. By & large, alcohol is free and in any quantity you want. Often drugs are as well (pot, x, etc are pretty much comped- with the "heavier" drugs easy to get). Alcohol is pretty much always at arms length - on the bus, in the hotel room, in the dressing room, etc... Plus, there's less negative 'stigma' towards a rock musician seen drinking at 2:30 pm. It's almost expected (a big part of the problem!).
2) Depression & Anxiety. Believe it or not, a career in the 'music business' has ups & downs just like any other business. This goes for multi-platinum artists as well! The recording industry, in particular, is a cycle of financial, creative and general fulfillment thick & thin! Not that other career paths aren't the same, but linking a creative passion to your general means of living is tricky! You end up compromising to some degree (sorry, kids, that's reality) and expecting things to live up to your expectations - which is a mixed bag. Add in the pressure of performance, stress of travel and complications with friends & family. It all adds up to wondering what the hell you are doing sometimes!
3) Free, unproductive time. With the "hurry-up-and-wait" nature of this career, you often find yourself with 2-3 hours of nothing to do & you just happen to be at a bar or hotel/airport lounge! This relates to point #1 above. For me- when I stopped actively pursuing productive distractions, I fell into typical pitfalls. Luckily there is a slew of portable and productive distractions available (books, internet, practicing lol!)- but when I got lazy, alcohol was fun, cheap and easy...
There's definitely no excuse for musicians falling into addiction and abuse patterns. But, given the unique nature of the career, it's easy to see how it happens. Unfortunately, colleagues haven't always proved to be the best 'friends',.. so make sure you watch your own back!
I thought I was playing "my best ever" when playing intoxicated. Fans & bandmates/employers even supported this delusion. I've now been playing sober for years & really playing better! I chose to be deluded for a time, but luckily emerged with a healthier respect of my craft and an ability (and desire) to know when social drinking becomes a habitual problem!
I admit that I succumbed to alcohol abuse for a couple of years. While I'm not a 'classic' alcoholic and am lucky to have gotten my behavior patterns well under control, I have seen firsthand and experienced (to a lesser degree) how easy it is to fall into substance abuse in this world.
For me, 3 things combined to create a perfect breeding ground for substance abuse:
1) Availability. By & large, alcohol is free and in any quantity you want. Often drugs are as well (pot, x, etc are pretty much comped- with the "heavier" drugs easy to get). Alcohol is pretty much always at arms length - on the bus, in the hotel room, in the dressing room, etc... Plus, there's less negative 'stigma' towards a rock musician seen drinking at 2:30 pm. It's almost expected (a big part of the problem!).
2) Depression & Anxiety. Believe it or not, a career in the 'music business' has ups & downs just like any other business. This goes for multi-platinum artists as well! The recording industry, in particular, is a cycle of financial, creative and general fulfillment thick & thin! Not that other career paths aren't the same, but linking a creative passion to your general means of living is tricky! You end up compromising to some degree (sorry, kids, that's reality) and expecting things to live up to your expectations - which is a mixed bag. Add in the pressure of performance, stress of travel and complications with friends & family. It all adds up to wondering what the hell you are doing sometimes!
3) Free, unproductive time. With the "hurry-up-and-wait" nature of this career, you often find yourself with 2-3 hours of nothing to do & you just happen to be at a bar or hotel/airport lounge! This relates to point #1 above. For me- when I stopped actively pursuing productive distractions, I fell into typical pitfalls. Luckily there is a slew of portable and productive distractions available (books, internet, practicing lol!)- but when I got lazy, alcohol was fun, cheap and easy...
There's definitely no excuse for musicians falling into addiction and abuse patterns. But, given the unique nature of the career, it's easy to see how it happens. Unfortunately, colleagues haven't always proved to be the best 'friends',.. so make sure you watch your own back!
I thought I was playing "my best ever" when playing intoxicated. Fans & bandmates/employers even supported this delusion. I've now been playing sober for years & really playing better! I chose to be deluded for a time, but luckily emerged with a healthier respect of my craft and an ability (and desire) to know when social drinking becomes a habitual problem!
Do your friends do their jobs while they are stoned? Or go to school whilst stoned?
Probably for the same reason most people won't drink before they go to work...it's not what a responsible person would do.
Some people automatically assume that anyone who smokes pot is an addict and unable to control their "addiction" and spends their entire day in a pot-induced fog, when the truth is that there are millions of responsible pot users who only indulge a couple times a week and never go to work stoned.
It's no different than someone who has a couple glasses of wine or a couple beers with dinner on occasion. Many people go through their entire lives doing just that without becoming alcoholics.
