Drug Addiction Stories & Info

A jazz musician, Charlie Parker was famous for his saxaphone playing. He was a leader in the “bop” or bebop style of jazz that was all the rage in the 1940′s. Charlie Parker was born in 1920, died 1955 – at the age of 34.

Charlie, also known as Yardbird, sometimes known as Bird was one of the post-war jazz artistes who were addicted to heroin. He nevertheless transformed the face of jazz with bebop that was the beginning of modern jazz.

It would be too easy for a young person who has maybe some talent as a musician to think that he (or she) might improve their style by doing drugs such as heroin. The facts of the life of Charlie Parker show quite clearly that Charlie had a talent for jazz – for composition, improvisation, for playing that was totally spoiled by his addiction to heroin.

The original cause of Bird’s addiction to opiates is said to be that he was given morphine after injury in a car accident, that led to a lifelong addiction. Certainly, young people in the 1940.s, when seeing successful entertainers such as Charlie Parker were influenced in their decision making – that it was “hip” to do heroin.

For all his skill and innovation, the reality was that Charlie’s friends often had to wait around for hours – while Charlie took his heroin, went on the “nod” – eventually “coming good” to put on a brilliant, if not somewhat erratic performance.

This compares with Charlie in the 1930′s, being said to have practiced his music, for several years – for around 15 hours per day.

In 1945, Charlie went to California, and lacking his usual supply of heroin, got into heavy alcohol abuse instead. The story goes that Charlie was drunk, set fire to his hotel room, and went running naked down the street, after which he was placed for six months into the Camarillo State Mental Hospital. Although the treatment received is said to have got him “clean” of drugs – Charlie then returned to New York and got straight back into heroin use.

Although Charlie Parker was a legend in terms of his musical capabilities, as a result of his heroin use, he was often refused further work due to not turning up for performances, that might be a result of his heroin use, or him being out searching for heroin when a performance was due. At the height of his addiction, Charlie lived on the support and charity of friends.

When Charlie finally died, in 1955, the pathologist thought that he was examining the body of a 50 to 60 year old man - Charlie was in fact only thirty four years old when he died. Although pneumonia and a heart attack were relevant causes – Charlie also suffered from cirrhosis of the liver.

The life of Charlie Parker might be compared with that of Miles Davies. 

Miles, originally a bebop student with Charlie Parker, became, like so many jazz performers of the 1940′s, addicted to heroin. Miles eventually broke away from the bebop movement and was a leader in the development of jazz .

Miles used heroin for about four years before he decided to go cold turkey, and give it up, as he could see the damage that heroin use was doing to his life. Although Miles lived the “driven” life of a reformed, but not fully recovered drug user, he survived, and was able to make a great contribution to the development of jazz.

While Charlie undeniably had more talent, his work was plagued with and eventually sacrificed to the heroin addiction, that finally took his life.

People often wonder about the apparent connection as between creative genius, in any field, and substance abuse and addiction.

A most insightful article that is the text of a Playboy panel discussion about “Narcotics Addiction and the Jazz Musician” makes it very clear that drug addiction is not limited to jazz professionals, nor is it to be regarded as an “occupational hazard”. 

The Playboy article comes out firmly in support of a viewpoint that drug addiction is the result of problems with a person’s background, his upbringing, more than his occupation.

The article also makes it clear that people who are drug addicted lack the precision and the co-ordination to deliver excellence in the performance of music.

Although a person might deliver, under the influence of drugs, a performance that is inspired, it depends very much on the individual as to whether their inate talent gets them home, or whether they simply end up with a performance that lacks any merit.

see article: 

Substance abuse and addiction is ultimately a personal problem. Drug use is not a disease. Ask any drug user and you will find – they use drugs to resolve the emotional issues and difficulties that they have in life.

Complete addiction recovery is not about giving up drugs. it is about getting effective, comprehensive support to resolve our lifestyle problems – that will enable us to give up drug use – and lead an addiction free life.

see article:  

When you need to get off drugs - Narconon can help.

So often we read about  sporting and other “star” performers who have had to deal with the problem of drug addiction.

For boxing champion George Chuvalo drug use has been a major issue not because Chuvalo used drugs, but because of drug addiction in his family.

 We see in George Chuvalo a strength beyond what it takes to be unbeaten among champions in the boxing arena, the strength and courage that it takes to remain unbeaten by life, and the tragedy of drug addiction in the family.

Of five children born to George Chuvalo and his wife Lynne, only the eldest Mitch, and daughter Vanessa would survive, three sons lost to drug addiction, that indirectly also claimed his wife.

 George Chuvalo today is remarried to Joanne, stepfather to two, a proud grandparent.

Strong in the face of adversity, George is very much a supporter of strong family values. Both he and his wife are staunch anti-drug campaigners.

Three of George Chuvalo’s sons became addicted to heroin, and of the three, in 1985, son Jesse committed suicide followed in 1993 by the heroin death of his brother George Lee, and the death of Steven by drug overdose in 1996.

George’s wife Lynne, in 1993 committed suicide only two days after the death of George Lee, overcome with grief at the loss of two sons to drug addiction.

At the time of George Lee’s death, Steven was then in prison, serving time for another theft and armed robbery. Chuvalo visited him in prison – Steven’s 35th birthday, telling him that he still loved him and had not given up hope.

Steven was inspired as a result to do better, to make himself well for his father, for the family. Where drugs and addiction is involved, love is not enough. Not long after his release from prison, Steven died from drug overdose.

Living as they did, in the tough working class suburbs of Toronto, drugs were easy come by and used by many. It would be easy to dismiss the three drug using sons as just another example of how young people so easily fall prey to the temptation of drug use.

However, there is a story behind the story of drug use in George Chuvalo’s family, that has relevance today, as people continue to be concerned about young people who become addicted to prescription drugs, and issues of responsibility.

Jesse, Chuvalo’s youngest son had a motorcycle accident and for a painful knee injury was prescribed Demoral for a week, followed by a prescription for a narcotic painkiller, to which Jesse unwittingly became addicted. The painkiller was Tylenol3.

Jesse discovered and started to use street heroin for the pain. He rapidly became addicted to heroin, as being a more potent form of painkiller. It was only nine months after the motor cycle accident, due to his pain and unwanted heroin addiction, that Jesse shot himself, committed suicide – he was only 20 years old.

Lee and Steven, who did not become involved in sporting achievement, like their older brother Mitch, used drugs and had dropped out of school before Jesse’s motorbike accident. Both are said to have started to use heroin addictively, after Jesse died.

Both repeatedly overdosed, using all their money on heroin, their father out on the streets, trying to find them and bring them home.

From accounts of their determined use and abuse of  heroin it would seem that the main motivation of Jesse’s two brothers was to avoid the overwhelming grief that they were suffering as a result of Jesse’s untimely death.

Both got so heavily into heroin, that they committed a pharmacy robbery – and were both imprisoned for it.

Criminality comes easily to those who are desperately drug addicted. Crime becomes a necessity to meet the cost of drugs. Once a person has the stigma of being both a drug addict and a violent criminal it becomes increasingly harder to see that behind the facade of illicit drug use, is a person deep in pain and suffering.

The eldest son Mitch is a survivor, like his father. Mitch was able to avoid the lure and temptation of drug use by becoming involved through his school, in sport. He is today a school teacher and a coach, saying that working with young people is in some ways compensation for the loss of his brothers – that he feels joy every day in watching young people grow up and in seeing them achieve their goals.

see article :   

It took George Chuvalo much courage and personal strength to come back from the brink of his own despair at the loss of his sons and his wife.

People who see drug use and criminality as being a disease, or deliberate choice, a result of poor parental guidance need to understand that drug use is a response to feelings of pain and failure, issues of powerlessness over life events, lack of self esteem. People in families do not always see the extent of problems. The help that they offer when a person has become addicted to drugs is often rejected. Love is not always enough.

Young people who have got themselves into drug use, and who desperately want to get out need comprehensive support.

The support and effective help that they need can be found at Narconon drug addiction recovery centers.

 see article: 

Families and young people, addicted to narcotics, can achieve complete drug addiction recovery, get back control and regain happiness – at Narconon.

Funerals of family members are hard.  Funerals of young adults your children grew up with and considered close friends?  Just as hard.  As I sat there that day and watched my son and his friends carry the casket of a close friend he had cared about all through junior high and high school, I hurt for his loss and the parents of the young man.

Some kids consider themselves fortunate to have one or two close friends.  My David was part of a group of seven close male friends with plenty of female close friends and girlfriends along the way.  A lot of times, Super Bowl parties and sleepovers were at my house.  Sometimes they were at Jacob’s house.

Jacob lived right down the street from us.  He was the only one in the group of seven who still had mom and dad married to each other.  The rest of the boys were living with mom or dad in divorced homes.  I always felt guilty when I would pick up David from Jacob’s house.  He could see one of his best friends with a full family experience.  Many times I heard the boys all talk about how lucky Jacob was.

So why were we at Jacob’s funeral?  Because Jacob committed suicide. The one member of the seven who seemed to have it all left it all one night.  As the others went off to college and work, Jacob stayed in our small town.  I asked David once where Jacob was and he said that they had grown apart.  For while David and the others grew up, Jacob discovered heroin and stayed home stoned and feeling no pain.  Or so one would think.  But instead, Jacob was filled with pain and one night took a gun and ended it all.

It has been over a year and I know the boys still miss Jacob.  They are all still in college and make sure to get together on special occasions.  It still boggles my mind that the one of the seven who seemed to have it all was the one who felt the most alone.  Out of fear, I asked David one night if he had ever felt like Jacob.  Had I let him down in any way?

David told me that he knew times were tough for us when he was younger but he always felt rich because I always cooked enough for not just him but his friends as well.  He never felt like an only child because his friends even called me Mom sometimes.  There was no arguing in our house and he knew when he woke up, I would be there.

To this day I feel for Jacob’s parents.  I can not imagine losing David, especially to suicide.  I am thankful that I was able to be there for him the first time he suffered a major loss.  I am also thankful David and the others did not fall victim to heroin use like Jacob did.  The boys learned the most painful lesson there is about substance abuse.  It is a lesson I don’t believe they will ever forget.

If you have any personal stories on heroin addiction, submit it to www.heroinaddiction.me. They will publish your story on their website and maybe your heroin story will save a life…