Drug Addiction Stories & Info

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April, 12 /2013

For a person who is addicted to alcohol and trying to get sober, life can be ultra-challenging to say the least. Alcohol cravings are tough and the addiction is strong but there are enormous environmental factors that make staying sober seem like a constant fight for survival. Needless to say, many who try and stay abstinent from alcohol ultimately fail and return to drinking.

Let’s say that Bob has been drinking for many years, suffered many problems in life due to his use and abuse of alcohol, and has now decided that he must stop drinking for good and leave alcohol behind.

Maybe Bob begins recovery through a detox unit to safely withdraw from the alcohol, without suffering life threatening physical consequences, and attends self-help meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous which were designed to help a person overcome the urge to return to drinking. Regardless of how many meetings he attends or how hard he works to stay strong and resist the constant urge to drink, he may find himself constantly bombarded with enticements to relapse.

If Bob is a sports fan and he attends a sporting event he will undoubtedly face massive ads for alcohol around the stadium and at the concession stand. There may even be concession staff that travel through the aisles with a tray full of hot dogs and beer in case Bob doesn’t want to go to the actual stand.  Unfortunately for Bob, the sporting event that he had planned on attending for enjoyment can ultimately turn into one big painful reminder of how badly he wants to drink.

If Bob decides to go to a concert he will likely encounter the same sort of scenario. He finds alcohol promotion everywhere and often a good majority of the crowd is drinking alcohol around him. Of course this depends on what kind of concert he decides to attend…/

Full - Social Drinking and Alcoholism - article here

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.

An unlikely bond – between Eminem and Elton John – that started with them singing together at the 2001 Grammy Awards, and led to Eminem crediting Elton with getting him off drugs.

Elton now over 60, a rock singer in the popular genre, by his own admission, as a young person, used to overindulge in drugs, yet managed to overcome a drug habit of sixteen years to remain clean and sober today.

Elton is a survivor in a world where fantasy, fame and fortune is so often connected with drug abuse, failed rehab and overdose.

In the ups and downs of the show biz world, Elton is regarded by many as a “rock”, a friend and counselor ready to help when the going gets rough. Elton has his critics, who accuse him of interfering – but as Elton says it is never his intention to intervene, if a person does not want any help. You cannot help a person until they are ready.

Elton himself can remember his own denial about drug use, and the rejection of friends because they told him that he was being an “idiot”. Elton regrets the years lost to drugs, saying intially it was fun, but that it ended up being incredibly depressing.

 see article: 

Rapper Eminem, of Slim Shady fame was born in 1972, began performing at the age of 14, using mainly prescription drugs as he hit the big time, to cope with the stress, to maintain peak energy for exhausting, but exhilarating live on stage performance. His albums Relapse, and Recovery reflect his struggles to overcome drug addiction. In 2005, Eminem cancelled a concert tour, saying that he had gone into rehab for sleep medication dependency.

 In 2008, an autobiography revealed Eminem’s lifelong struggle with depression and drugs, poverty and fame. It was to Elton John that Eminem turned for help with his drug addiction problem around 2008/09, facing a downward spiral into increasing use of prescription drugs, painkillers and sleeping pills.

see article – 2009 -

 In 2010, Eminem announced to fans that there would be no Relapse 2 album, but released instead Recovery, as being more in tune with his feelings. Perhaps Recovery is what the world is in need of – the Recovery album is the best selling digital album ever, selling over 3 million copies in the USA.

 Elton John as a mentor to Eminem follows the age old tradition of peer counseling and support, in which more experienced folk who have been there and done it, can give the benefit of their experience to others, perhaps help them avoid the pitfalls, overcome the hurdles.

 For Elton John and Eminem there has been a successful outcome.

For many top rating musicians and performers outcomes have not been as happy. Recently there has been the tragic deaths of Amy Winehouse, and Michael Jackson, and many stories of celebrity rehab that has not been completely successful.

The therapeutic benefit of talking to someone who understands, who is non-judgmental has proved itself through the centuries to be invaluable support for people struggling to deal with personal problems and difficulties, who in many cases have turned to drug use as a solution.

 Entertainers find themselves in a demanding world of high achievement, scheduled performances, a life on the road, no time to stop, relax or slow down. Applause from the audience, the cheering of fans is said to be much like a drug, often leading performers to substance abuse so as to provide the energy to give consistent high performance, needing downers to get some sleep.

Today, people face more stress and tension than ever before, global connection has not necessarily improved interpersonal communication. Many people feel alone in the crowd, and in seeking purpose and identity fall into the trap of using drugs.

 Finding someone to trust, who has the answers to drug dependence and addiction need not be left to chance. An uncertain recovery, continued drug use, cravings and possible relapse can be completely avoided if you make the choice to use a comprehensive drug rehab program.

Narconon started in 1966, in a prison in Arizona, started by a long term heroin addict who developed the program from his own personal experience and insight that he gained gained from reading the humanitarian works of L Ron Hubbard., 

Over the years, the Narconon program has grown into a worldwide international presence that promotes drug free living, and complete drug addiction recovery, with residential rehab centers situated throughout the world, and drug prevention programs that are made available to communities and schools.

Mentoring is provided that is effective to bring about an improvement in life skills, and self esteem,  together with comprehensive drug free support, that includes complete sauna detox, based on scientific method.

Addicts who choose the Narconon program take the risk and uncertainty out of their addiction recovery.

It takes an average of 6-8 months – to become completely drug and addiction free using the Narconon program for alcohol and drug addiction recovery.  

People in North America,  with problems of drug abuse and addiction can contact:  Narconon.