Steven Tyler, lead singer for Aerosmith for decades and now solo artist, is currently in recovery from numerous drugs and alcohol. Oprah set Tyler apart by calling him “the rock star who had abused more substances than anyone else.” In reponse Tyler confessed, “It used to be cool to hear, and now it kinda hurts.” He had an interview with Dr. Oz explaining that he had been clean for 12 years and then had a relapse on prescription pain killers after a foot surgery for which he was 3 years clean. Dr. Oz asked how many times he had been in rehab since his first admit. And Tyler answered, “Enough times to wind up being as sober as I am right now. I’m not sure it’s about a number, but it’s more about what it did.” I can only hope that as mental health professionals we can look at recovery this way by being in the moment with the individuals we serve. Tyler considers doctors the new drug dealers as a result of his experience with pain killers. May we be mindful of our recommendations and the numerous options we have here at KCMH for those who trust us to do no harm. I have had the pleasure of working with so many staff who specialize in numerous treatment options.
Dr. Harry Haroutunian, who worked with Tyler stated, “He was a challenging patient. Very giving, very warm, very affectionate, very loud, sometimes had difficulty staying inside the lines and we had to pull him back in. (But) he really dedicated himself to his recovery.” Sound familiar?
Click on the URL below to watch the video of Tyler performing at Recovery Unplugged. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRcrv8uG7Y8The
Recovery Village blog
The Fix 1/3/14