I'm no psychiatrist and I've also seen a lot of deaths from alcohol and substance abuse. I'm sure it's not just as simple as being born with an addictive gene. There are outside factors and influences that make people susceptible and one of those is stress. In addition to an industry where there's always a party to go to and drugs and alcohol are everywhere with people encouraging all that to happen. How many country songs have we heard about heartbreak, loneliness, unhappiness and drugs and drinking (maybe stress related)?

I've heard many psychologists talk about vets with PTSD who became addicts and others who were self-medicating to cope with life and their issues. Many times it becomes their only escape and they become victims. This world is hard and some are not as strong as others, especially young people who's decision making facilities aren't fully developed in the brain until their late twenties.

Also, many American Indians ended up with alcohol problems after the white man arrived that they didn't have before. Many suspect they had the addiction gene, but it wasn't a problem before it was sooo available.

To my point of the relationship of stress, addictions and young famous musicians (not the only cause of course). Here's the post by a young famous musician on Instagram who's having a hard time with his life right now. It's all over the news, so go and read his post for yourself. He's telling it like it is for many young people. I'm just going to post some of the things he said.

It's hard to get out of bed in the morning with the right attitude when you are overwhelmed with your life, your past, job, responsibilities, emotions, family, finances, your relationships. When it feels like there's trouble after trouble. You start seeing the day through the lens of dread and anticipate another bad day. It's a cycle of disappointment. Sometimes it gets to the point when you don't want to live anymore. You can't see that it's ever going to change. I could not change my mindset.

"You see I have a lot of money, clothes, cars, accolaides, achievements, and awards and I am still unfulfilled.

Have u noticed the statistics of child stars and the outcome of their lives? There is an insane pressure and responsibility put on a young person who's brain, emotions, frontal lobes (decision making) aren't developed yet. They have no rationality, defiant, rebellious, things all of us have to go through. But when you add the pressure of stardom it does something to you that is quite unexplainable.

You see I didn't grow up in a stable home, my parents were separated. I had no money and was young and rebellious. My talent progressed and I became ultra successful, it happened within two years. My whole world was flipped on its head. I went from a 13 year old boy from a small town to being praised left and right by the world with millions saying how much they loved me and how great I was. You hear these things at a young age and you start to believe it.

I did't know that humility comes with age. Rationality and good decision making come with age (that's why it's illegal to drink until you're 21). Everyone did everything for me so I didn't learn the fundamentals of responsibility. By this time I was 19 with no skills in the world, with millions of dollars to spend and access to whatever I wanted. By age 20 I had made every bad decision possible and I went from being the most loved to being the most judged, ridiculed and hated person.

Being on stage is the biggest dopamine rush, so these massive ups and downs were hard to manage. You notice a lot of touring bands and people end up having a phase of drug abuse and I believe its due to not being able to manage the stress that comes with it.

I started doing pretty heavy drugs at 19 and abused all my relationships. I became resentful, disrespectful to women and angry. I became distant to everyone who loved me and hid behind the shell of a person I had become. It has taken me years to try to get back from all these bad decisions, fix broken relationships and change habits. Luckily God has blessed me with people who care and love me. I am now navigating the best season of my life, marriage. It's an amazing new responsibility of learning patience, trust, commitment, kindness, humility and all the things it takes to be a good man.

I just want to say when the odds are against you, keep fighting. Jesus loves you. Be kind today, be bold and love people not by your standards but by God's unfailing love.

I thought this was the greatest outpouring of someone who has been there and done it. However, he's lucky for the support he has. What about the many others who aren't that lucky? Does the industry in general care about these young people's lives or are they just a commodity to be used to make themselves rich? I'm sure some of them do as there are good people everywhere, but overall? Hmmmm!

Last edited by Belladonna; 09/03/19 06:48 AM.