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HELPING AN ADDICTED MUSICIAN

If you hear of a musician who is addicted, it does not often end well. The reason for this is not far-fetched. Musicians are individuals who are very creative and talented.

They often aim perfection when it comes to writing and delivering great songs. They work with this drive that a good number of people do not exhibit when it comes to their peculiar career path.

However, this same drive they have is often what makes them addicted. The sad part is, when musicians get addicted, it becomes very difficult to them to break free.

People who are exceptionally talented and creatively-inclined are very susceptible to being addicted. Individuals like this would seek ways to fuel their creativity and they often end up addicted.

One of the reasons why musicians get addicted is because of poor stage management and fright. It is not an easy task facing the crowd to perform.

For those who try to avoid large crowds, they still end up being invited to perform at shows containing large gatherings of people. Hence, to help themselves combat this stage fright, the musicians help themselves by taking substances.

At first, these substances seem to work because they end up effectively fighting their fears. This is short-lived however, because they develop the desire to increase the intake of whatever substance they are taking.

With time, these substances begins to take a toll on their health and creativity as well. Before you know it, their impact on the music industry begins to wane and people begin to fall out of favor with them.

Musicians need to know how to combat stage fright so that they can prevent themselves from being addicted. In addition to this, if they feel there is a lack of creativity flow, it is best to take a break and re-fire later.

Addicted musicians need the best of help they can get. Fighting addiction can be tough for them because of the way they are wired. However, once they are in good hands, they will be able to fight it off.

HEALTH TIPS FOR MUSICIANS

At some points in our lives, we must have tried to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but it must have been difficult to ensure. We might be consistent for a week and the next week might reveal our inadequacies to continue.

For musicians, their health is an important aspect of their lives that they need to carefully monitor. If care is not taken, their fans might not see much from them because they would be busy treating themselves for various medical complications.

A musician needs to incorporate the act of exercising into his or her lifestyle. The fact is, to exercise is not an easy act, it requires consistency and ardor before you start reaping the benefits.

As a musician, if you can be consistent for a month, you will discover that it is effortless, and from that moment it becomes achievable.

Exercising helps you to combat diseases and medical conditions. It also improves your mood and helps you sleep better. As a musician, the last thing you need is fans seeing you in a poor mood. This can cause a dent on your image.

Another essential health tip is for you to practice consistently. During the process of practicing, you are honing your skills and this makes you become better.

As a musician, one of the proficient ways to edge out your counterparts in the music industry, is to practice consistently. It is a healthy move and it is beneficial as well.

Furthermore, it is important that you eat a good diet. When you eat healthily, you are making a wonderful lifestyle for yourself. This is also strenuous to achieve but you have to be consistent with this.

We might have preferences when it comes to the food we eat but the fact is, what we eat reflects in the state of our physical health.

Lastly, musicians are advised to sleep. When you sleep, you are helping yourself to function efficiently. You will discover that your productivity has increased and you will be glad you made this choice. On a daily basis, it is important that you sleep for an average of 7-8 hours.  

Addiction Treatment for Travelling Musicians

traveling musician addiction treatmentTraveling musicians are a unique group of people. Taking to the road night after night is invigorating for some and trying for others. Some people thrive on the adventure of a constantly touring profession, enjoying the newness of the people and places they encounter, but others grow weary of constantly moving, feeling more and more unstable with each passing day. It is this second type of person who becomes a likely victim of addiction. Traveling musicians are very prone to addiction, and those who fall into it often require professional addiction treatment to find their way back out. This type of person should know that there are addiction treatment programs designed specifically for people like them.

Because substance abuse is such a prevalent addiction among traveling musicians, the first thing they will encounter in addiction treatment is a detoxification. This cleanses the body of toxins and helps the individual feel healthy again. This is often imperative after time on the road, as frequently the body has not received proper rest, exercise or nutrition for a time. It is important to take this step under the care of medical and mental health professionals as withdrawing from substance abuse can cause dangerous symptoms.

After the detox is complete, the cognitive behavioral work will begin. This is the point in which an addiction treatment program geared toward addicted musicians is important. More and more rehabs are emerging with programs tailored to specific careers and vocations, with the idea of treating like minded people and individuals from similar walks of life with relevant addiction treatment methods. In programs that are created with musicians in mind, it is not uncommon for staff people to be former addicted musicians themselves who fought for their recovery, and can lend their personal experiences usefully to other recovering musicians. In treatment, the individual will receive group counseling and individual counseling, therapeutic and recreational activities, workbook exercise and relevant readings, access to support group meetings and number of other treatment methods. If you are a touring musician in need of quality addiction treatment that is relevant to your life, employ the services of a professional addiction treatment center today.

Traveling Artists and Addiction

addiction among traveling artistsThe life of a traveling artist is a unique one. Travel is an old tradition for artists, and a common way for them to build a name for themselves. Musicians and other performers in particular often tour as part of their profession. Many artists thoroughly enjoy the travel aspect of their craft. It is an opportunity to see places and meet people that would otherwise remain undiscovered. However, there is a dark side to the travel world for artists as well. A lifestyle of travel can promote instability, something a number of artists already have in abundance. The instability of the travel lifestyle can lead an artist down a path of addiction and mental disorder due to weakened coping abilities, which can have devastating ramifications on their lives and careers.
A lifestyle of travel alone can spur a person toward addiction. Flight crew staff and pilots are known for falling into addictive behaviors more than other professions for this reason. To live in a constant state of travel is to live amid instability, which proves to be too much for some people. Traveling separates a person from their traditional support systems and puts them in unfamiliar environments with unfamiliar people. Some people with a particular taste for adventure thrive in this type of environment, while others suffer. This lifestyle can cause loneliness, depression, anxiety and a number of other mentally unhealthy qualities that lead to substance abuse and addiction in an attempt to cope.
The second part of the path to addiction for this lifestyle is that of being an artist. This is not to say that those who are artists are also addicts. Many artists have never taken an interest in addictive substances or behaviors. There is a trend among artists, however, to have more of an addictive personality than other professionals. This is common of many creative professions, as the high of pursuing a creative endeavor is similar to the high of indulging in an addiction, the difference being that one is healthy and one is not. Receiving addiction counseling and rehabilitation can be the best thing for this type of person.

Musicians and Addiction

addiction and musicians

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.

Life on the Road

addiction and life on the roadThere are a number of people for whom life on the road is a reality. A number of professions and vocations call people to travel for a variety of reasons. Whether they are traveling salesman or performers, the road becomes a way of life and becomes a type of home. Traveling professionals do not have lifestyle in common with the average person. So much of the routine and ritual of life is forgone for a more spontaneous, adventurous existence. Life on the road has both positive and negative effects on a person.
There are a number of good experiences and positive life lessons that a person can take from an existence of travel. There is an obvious attraction to a travel lifestyle for a number of people who have wanderlust, and often these people flourish in this type of existence. Traveling professionals are given the opportunity to sight see and become exposed to regions, environments and cultures that they may have otherwise never experienced. Traveling also means forming relationships with a great many people, and getting to know some of the most unique personalities there are. This greatly enhances a person’s perspective on the world and tends to leave people far more open minded and educated than they were before they began traveling.
However, a life of travel is not always a positive thing. There a number of drawbacks to the rootlessness of extended traveling that can have negative consequences on certain types of people. Loneliness is a common side effect of wandering. Unlike people who are settled into a community, travelers tend to have far more sporadic and unreliable relationships on the road. Save for the other people they are traveling with, if any, friends and acquaintances are always temporary and many people incorporate it into their lifestyle not to let people in deeply. Rootlessness itself can wear heavily on people who travel. Routines, social and support systems, familiarity and a number of personal goals go by the wayside for long term travellers. In sensitive people, this can lead to mental disorders due to health needs not being met, or addiction in an attempt to cope with the unreliability of a travel lifestyle.