Dean Ray stood out as one of the most promising contestants during the qualifying stage of the X Factor Australia; he looks sure to do well in the competition. This young Australian has all the traits needed to become a star, already proving his credentials as an accomplished musician; however, life has not always been good for him. In recent press interviews, he talked about being a recovering alcoholic and how not so long ago he was coughing up blood as a result of his addiction.
From Searching for Food in Wheelie Bins to the X Factor
Last year, Dean Ray was in such a bad way due to his addiction that his family and friends needed to stage an intervention. He was coughing up blood due to stomach ulcers, and his behaviour was out of control. Back then, he was not able to sleep at night unless he was drunk, and he would knock back several bottles of Jack Daniels a week. He describes hitting rock bottom when his drunken state while performing on stage meant the owner of the venue had to take him to hospital.
Dean Ray is already been described in the press as a bit of a ‘bad boy’, but he seems to enjoy this image. There has been some concern over the fact that he continues to post pictures of alcoholic drinks on his Facebook page, which has led some people to worry that he may have relapsed or that he is on the verge of relapse. There is even speculation that he may end up following in the footsteps of Altiyan Childs, the X Factor winner who later got a lot of bad press because of his addiction problems. Dean is keen to reassure people that he is committed to recovery and that he has learned from his past mistakes.
The Danger of Associating Coolness with Substance Abuse
It is unfortunate that modern Western culture seems to glamorise substance abuse. Getting drunk and high is associated with being a rebel and creative, but this is all based on a myth. There are many compelling reasons why this behaviour is not cool:
- it means the person becomes a slave to a chemical
- rather than making people creative, it steals their creativity
- the life of people trapped in addiction is usually one of desperation; it is a million miles from glamour
- alcohol and drugs damage people mentally and physically
- most people engage in this behaviour due to peer pressure, so it is hardly an act of rebellion
- the life of people caught up in addiction tends to be depressingly predictable; if they are unable to quit, they tend to be dead when they should have been enjoying the height of their fame
- people who are drunk or high are usually annoying and unpredictable rather than cool
- addiction is closely associated with certain personality traits like attention-seeking and negative thinking, and these traits are not usually associated with the cool and confident.
The huge difference between the public perception of substance abuse and the reality of it can be huge. There was a recent video posted online featuring Angelina Jolie from years ago where she is meant to be high on heroin, and she looks shockingly different from the glamorous person she has become today.
Dean Ray Can be a Positive Role Model on the X Factor
Dean Ray can be a great example of how somebody can be cool by not drinking alcohol or taking drugs. His rendition of Betty Davis Eyes during the qualifying stage was incredible, so there is going to be many people following his progress. Don’t be surprised if he wins.
