Making it in the music industry is the ultimate prize to any professional musician. The music industry is a ruthless one to break into, full of fierce competition, dishonesty and superficiality. But for those who make it to the realm of music celebrity within the industry, it is the highest rank that can be obtained by a professional musician.It is ironic that the professional aptitude that musicians strive so hard for is the thing that so often damages their personal lives. Addiction and substance abuse are frequently not something a musician encounters until they make it in the music industry. Making a living as a musician comes with exposure to exotic illegal drugs, fine alcohols and foods, and an abundance of sexual encounters.
Access to all of these pleasurable things is often a brand new experience for musicians when they make it in the industry. If they have encountered them in the past, it is highly unlikely that they had been anywhere near as accessible. The culture of music celebrity usually comes with good looks, style and a taste for the wild side. Suddenly, musicians who may have come from small towns or traditional communities are surrounded by offers of sex and addictive substances. Some are prepared for this and control their urges, or at least indulge responsibly. Others are taken completely off guard by this lifestyle and are sucked up into it with great intensity.
Some people who are drawn into the addict’s lifestyle in the music industry escape unscathed. They may not act like themselves for a time, but once the novelty and newness wears off, they can perceive their behavior for the destruction that it causes and begin to eradicate it from their lives. Some people find letting go of their addiction more difficult, and either get addiction treatment through rehab or walk a more dangerous line in their prolonged addictive tendencies. Then there are the tragic cases who, for whatever reason, fall so deeply into their addiction that they cannot find their way out. This type of person is in the greatest danger of doing permanent damage to their body, or even jeopardizing their life.