Earlier this year, “Rocketman”, the biopic of Elton John premiered in movie theaters and it gave us all a closer look at what Elton’s life was like when he was a child and how grew up to be one of the biggest music legends.
Though he has music legend status, that doesn’t mean he was exempt from the disease of addiction.
Elton’s childhood seemed to be a little rough, with his mother being very critical and his father not really being there for him emotionally. Situations like child abuse, neglect, and other traumas can lead to addiction as it all impacts, negatively, the brain development in children.
Some signs of childhood trauma in adults include:
- Suicide attempts
- Substance abuse
- Relationship and social problems
- Cardiovascular disease
- Liver disease
- Changes in normal brain development
- Mental health disorders like PTSD, depression, and anxiety
Elton John’s Struggles and Recovery
In the movie, we see Elton struggle with his sexual identity and physical abuse, and he chooses to cope with it all by turning to alcohol and drug use, like cocaine. What eventually led to Elton John’s sobriety was the death of an AIDS patient named Ryan White that he had met. 6 months after the death of Ryan White, Elton became clean and sober.Elton John’s Possible Co-occurring Disorder
What Elton went through sounds like a co-occurring disorder. Dual diagnosis (or co-occurring disorder) is when someone suffers from both substance abuse issues as well as mental health issues. People who are dealing with a dual diagnosis need co-occurring disorder treatment if they’re going to get and stay sober.Here at Banyan Treatment Centers, we offer various programs and therapies to help people struggling with addiction and mental health issues as well as the negative effects addiction may have on a family.
Elton has been in long-term recovery for over 29 years. That is such an amazing milestone to achieve and we are so proud of Elton for being able to stay clean and sober and being able to shed a light on his addiction and be an inspiration to all
Take the first step to get help and call today: 888-966-9413
Alyssa, Director of Digital Marketing
Alyssa is the National Director of Digital Marketing and is responsible for a multitude of integrated campaigns and events in the behavioral health and addictions field. All articles have been written by Alyssa and medically reviewed by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Darrin Mangiacarne.
