Musicians have a long history with addiction that has frequently ended in tragedy. Musicians are unique people full of talent, creativity, curiosity, intelligence and sensitivity. Musicians naturally want to test the limits of their abilities by writing and perfecting complex pieces of music, and by pursuing musical visions. However, these same qualities that make them hunger for musical perfection can be the same qualities that lead them down a dark path of addiction. Addiction gives people a high in the same way the pursuit of their passion does, making addiction an attractive alternative to the grueling work of being recognized for artistic talent.
Most musicians do not intend to stray from their musical abilities because of addiction. Arguably, some never do. The Rolling Stones wrote a number of highly acclaimed songs while certain band members were grappling with addiction. However, most musician’s careers are negatively impacted by addiction, destroyed in some cases. As the addiction begins to affect the individual’s relationships, pursuits and health, the quality of their musical composition often takes a turn for the worse. They are heavily distracted by craving the object of their addiction and are not focusing their energy on their craft. Many musician’s artistic contributions have progressively gone down hill due to this problem.
Some musicians recover from their addictive behavior while others continue to spiral downward, wreaking havoc through their personal and professional lives while the media captures every moment of it and makes it public. Some musicians find themselves in rehab while others find themselves in the grave. A number of musicians have overdosed or poisoned themselves during a binge and were found dead. This tragic loss to the music world does not have to repeat itself time and time again. A number of musicians who struggled with addiction have been able to receive addiction treatment and turn their lives around, returning to their passion for music as their life’s priority. If you are a musician who is struggling with addiction, or someone you are close to it, reach out for help from a professional addiction treatment facility today.