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Why do so many musicians get hooked on drugs, etc.?

#101
IbanezATK said:
I think a lot of us musicians "feel" more than other people.

The upside to that is the ability to express ourselves through music, writing and playing songs.

The downside to that is that we maybe feel pain more profoundly than other people, and self medicate.

I see this with artistic and expressive people, musicians, writers, artists.
Our gift is our curse.
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I couldn't agree with this statement more. However, space
limitations prevent me for sigging it. Plus, I don't sig users with
handles like IbanezATK. If it was IbanezRoadster that would
be a different ball of earwax.

ERIC31 said:
Two words....STRAIGHT EDGE. That's my lifestyle. No smoking, no drugs, no alcohol.

I've seen way too many bands go down in flames (famous and obscure) due to drugs and/or alcohol. I don't tolerate it in any bands that I've been in or will be in. Having a couple beers AFTER the show is no big deal. Having to be drunk to go on stage every night is a big deal. Drugs, on the other hand, always take over and become the focus of the persons life. Music and everything else goes out the window and all their money goes to the Dopeman.

Everyone has their own choice to get into or not get into that stuff. I don't and never will.

My .02 cents.
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Yeah, but you ARE addicted to the 'Chicks at Shows' thread,
aren't you, Tiger? :smug:
 
#103
I think it's because of touring - touring is pretty boring, just lots of waiting around, and then a show. When your in a venue waiting to play with no distractions and a load of beer signs everywhere, you drink beer. And then I think the drugs thing comes when you come back from tour, and it seems like nothing is happening, and you think 'how can i spice things up?' - that's when more exotic drugs seem appealing.

I do think, though, that it's not just musicians that do a lot of drugs. Plenty of people have drug addictions - the difference is that musicians have a reputation for it because their private lives are more interesting to most people. Who tells the story about the leisure centre attendant with a cocaine addiction? Nobody, because it's boring. The thing I find funny is that a lot of the time if your a musician, people will ASSUME you do loads of drugs.
 
#105
duff beer said:
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.
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This guy for the win.
 
#109
Haysoochreesto said:
I think this hits the nail on the head.

It has nothing to do with this nonsense about "weak minds". That's a childish oversimplification of what is a complex phenomenon.
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YES!!!!!!!! "Christians" tend to oversimplify drug use with the "weak minds" excuse, using their holier-than-thou mentality so that they can feel better about themselves. There are several reasons why musicians get into doing drugs, whether it is recreational use, or if they become addicted. Each person has their own way of dealing with things, so if they choose to do that, that is THEIR life, and unless you are married to someone on drugs, or directly involved in their life, YOU HAVE NO SAY about what they choose to do (or not do).
 
#110
JoZac21 said:
There's definitely a correlation between creative people and substance use. Not sure what it is... I actually did a paper in psych class once on the subject. My conclusion was that although there is very obviously a correlation, and that the correlation is well documented in the psych community, there hasn't been a single study (that I can find) that successfully explains why or how the correlation exists.

It's kind of a non-answer... but I got an A on the paper. :D
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I have a theory on that. My guess is that that the genetic predisposition towards artistic creativity and substance abuse are closely related. Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on observation. I've done no study in the matter.

I do agree with the OP though that musicians and other artistic types seem more prone to it.
 
#112
butchblack said:
I have a theory on that. My guess is that that the genetic predisposition towards artistic creativity and substance abuse are closely related. Disclaimer: This is just my opinion based on observation. I've done no study in the matter.

I do agree with the OP though that musicians and other artistic types seem more prone to it.
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I heard A very good explaination by comedian Andy Dick on loveline once on the subject of why entertainers are so prone to drug use. He basically said that if your a comedian for a long time, you tend to use some of the same jokes for 10/20/30+ years if ur lucky enough to be around that long. Sometimes it takes that extra "something" for one to be into a joke 20 years old and to still tell it with enough feeling to get people to laugh. One could now argue that the same goes for music and playing the same songs over and over and over and still performing them like its the first time you've ever played them. Just a theory but one I think fits.
 
#113
I agree what people choose to do with their lives is their own choice. If it's something hard then yes maybe outside help is needed but that is not the outside public's choice. Soft drugs (weed) they get a bad rep they are just as bad as alcohol and should be ok.

I feel like most of the time musicians use drugs to get a creative distance after all when you are most free to consider things that matter to people is when you are inebrated in some form. After all isn't this how the acient Greek philosophers developed their ideas?


kenlacam said:
YES!!!!!!!! "Christians" tend to oversimplify drug use with the "weak minds" excuse, using their holier-than-thou mentality so that they can feel better about themselves. There are several reasons why musicians get into doing drugs, whether it is recreational use, or if they become addicted. Each person has their own way of dealing with things, so if they choose to do that, that is THEIR life, and unless you are married to someone on drugs, or directly involved in their life, YOU HAVE NO SAY about what they choose to do (or not do).
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#117
I can't buy the whole idea about how being involved in music makes you more prone to do drugs or get addicted to anything. The musical world is FAR to vast to make that kind of sweeping generalization.

It would be nice if someone here could chime in on the classical/musical theater/pit orchestra side of things, because that's an big part of this argument that seems to be missing in this discussion. You can't make an argument of this nature unless you include ALL performers from all backgrounds, unless you want to focus on a specific set of musicians.

Also, as much as some would want alcohol to be banned or treated the same as a serious drug, I'm pretty sure most know why this might be a bad idea (I'm sure some people here remember Prohibition and what that did to our culture).
 

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