by R. Asmerom
Success. It’s what we all strive for in one fashion or another; fame, wealth, popularity, and well being are all drivers of our aspirations. The more popular embodiments of those aspirations are celebrities – those who chose an artistic path and succeeded in not only conquering their passions, but also garnering public acclaim and widespread attention for doing simply what they wanted to do. So it is with that image that we can examine the other side of this success: drug abuse. All too often, the ones who appear to have nothing to complain about are the ones with the problem.
When it was revealed that T.I. was caught in Los Angeles with ecstasy in his pocket, as well as marijuana and codeine in the car, his carelessness was somewhat surprising given that the rapper was on probation and had just finished up a sentence in jail and a halfway house in March of this year. T.I. doesn’t seem to be the dumbest rapper around; in fact, he seems to be one of the smartest. So why such a dumb and trivial move for the man who has family, fortune and fame?
“People may be consciously content but unconsciously, numerous fears and vulnerabilities can drive people to use drugs,” said Dr. Srini Pillay, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Life Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons To Overcome Fear. “Drugs are used in a number of situations where self-control is compromised and impulse behaviors take over.”
Although celebrities are often in the spotlight for drug abuse, making it seem that it’s more accessible to the rich, experts say that income is not a deciding factor. “Money does not cause drug addiction,” said Pillay. “ Drug addiction knows no socio-economic boundaries; however, money can enable this habit.” Nonetheless, fame is a factor. The
association between “the artist” and drug use is not totally bogus according to Pillay. “The human brain, when it taps into its creative side, places people at greater risk of being impulsive,” he said, adding that “fear of success often leads people down a self-destructive path because fame has its price as well.”
Fame is a complex and complicated matter. It is alluring and luminous but at the same time, as evinced time and time again, can be toxic. As a result of T.I.’s new prison sentence, not only has he compromised his freedom, but he will also suffer on the business end as both AXE and Remy Martin have cut their endorsement deals with him. When
asked how someone like T.I., who is at the top of his rap career, could so easily jeopardize his success, Dr. David Sack, CEO of Promises Treatment Centers, drew from his own experiences working with celebrities to explain the kind of stress that drives reckless decision making.
“They know that they have to make every day count and even then they know that they will [be] passed up for the next big thing in ten years, and often less than five years,” he said. “At a point where successful professionals are starting to peak, performers are likely to be marginalized. While the public may envy a celebrity’s beauty or wealth, the actor or musician struggles with a faltering sense of success and self worth.”
In a life when performers and musicians experience highs and derive thrills from concert performances, award shows, and screaming fans, the downtime can seem menacing to some. “They are driven by the excitement and stimulation, and when the projects wrap they have trouble adapting the relatively idle periods that may follow,” said Sack. “Drugs start to play a bigger role as artists try keep their energy and creative edge in the face of sleep deprivation, fatigue,
and the loneliness of being on the road.”
During T.I.’s recent court hearing in October, when he was sentenced to 11 months in prison for the arrest in Los Angeles, T.I. told the judge the he needed to get help for drug addiction. His plea was widely recognized as a fabricated excuse to stay out of jail. In fact, Sack asserts that “only a small proportion of people who try a drug go on to become addicted to it,” but that the high is particularly attractive.
“All drugs that are used recreationally stimulate the reward center in the brain to release dopamine,” explained Sack. “Depending on the specific drug, they can also chemically signal feelings of euphoria, happiness, emotional closeness, heightened perception, reduced anxiety and increased energy.” The lure is no mystery but for artists like the 3o year old T.I., it’s clear that the consequences don’t outweigh the benefits for him. After the rapper completes his ordained 11 month sentence, it would be interesting to observe if he stays straight, or at least give off that appearance to the public.
He recently managed to post on his website the following message to his fans:”To all of you who say ‘He should practice what he preaches’ and ‘How could he do something so stupid…AGAIN?’ You’re absolutely right and I couldn’t agree with you more. But you know what? As history has shown us before, I find my greatest inspiration during my darkest hours.” According to the experts, the inspiration for T.I. should be a need to manage his relationship with the stresses of fame, rather than simply addressing the need to get high.
