Back in July 1969, Buzz Aldrin was one of the most famous men on the planet. He, along with Neil Armstrong, became the first humans to ever walk on the moon – it was an event that was watched around the world and for a few days, it was all people talked about. Buzz must have felt extremely proud of his achievement, and he must have also known that it would be almost impossible for him to top this amazing adventure. He had achieved what so many people had only ever been able to dream about, and this made him an instant hero. Despite this great achievement though, Buzz Aldrin has not always had it easy. In his new book “Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon,” he talks about his other journey – the one that led him into alcoholism and depression.
Hitting Earth with a Bang
It was after Buzz returned to Earth that he started to experience problems with alcohol. It was probably inevitable that there would be a sense of anti-climax after such a great achievement. He turned to alcohol for solace and few people seem to notice his slip into alcoholism and depression. In the beginning of this period of heavy drinking Buzz did not feel too concerned – he knew that he could handle it, and no doubt felt that he deserved to party hard after making so many sacrifices to achieve his goal of reaching the moon. This line of thinking demonstrates that while he may have been an exceptional man in many ways, that when he came to drinking he was just as vulnerable as other people were. This feeling of being exempt from the normal rules of substance abuse is sometimes referred to as terminal uniqueness – the reason for why all alcoholics end up in such a weakened state is that they all believe that they can handle it.
Buzz fell deeper and deeper into alcoholism, but he refused to acknowledge the problem. As his depression worsened, he increased his intake even further. He didn’t have the insight needed to recognise alcohol was actually making his depression worse. He was caught in a vicious cycle of drinking to cure his symptoms of depression, while increasing his symptoms of depression by drinking. His drinking also increased his negativity and he began to see himself as a failure. He no longer had a mission in life, and his days lacked any type of structure. There just did not seem to be anything worth aiming for now that he was back from the moon. His marriage fell apart and news about his drinking problems was starting to become more widely known – his friends felt great concern over what was happening to this national hero.
Buzz Aldrin reacted to concerns about his drinking by removing what he thought was the real problem – other people. He became a recluse and the closest thing that he had for a friend was a bottle of Jack Daniels. As his mental health worsened, his life became a cycle of depression and drinking to ease the depression. Eventually he was able to accept that he needed help for his depression, but he refused to consider the possibility that alcohol might be a problem too. He went from doctor to doctor, but they couldn’t really help because he wasn’t honest about his addiction. He was convinced into attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, but he did not feel any kinship with the other members. His drinking worsened and he started to lose more and more. The threat of losing another relationship convinced him to enter rehab, and from there he was able to rebuild his life.
Lessons from the Man Who Went to the Moon
The story of how Buzz Aldrin went from standing on the moon to dealing with the despair of alcohol is important. It demonstrates how even the most successful people in the world can fall into addiction. His story also provides a fine example of the dangers of self-medicating mental health problems like depression. Buzz has managed to escape his addiction problems, and by doing so, he has once again become a hero and role model to people around the world. There is sure to be a great deal of interest in this new memoir, “Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon.”
