Psy (Park Jae-sang) became one of the most famous people on the planet last year after his song Gangnam Style became a huge hit. The video for this song has had well over a billion views on YouTube, making it the most successful video ever on that platform. Among his fans are high-ranking members in the UN. They want to use him as a world ambassador as his music has managed to connect with people in almost every country. Psy has even played for President Obama. In the space of a year, he has managed to become the most successful singer in the world – while at the same time battling with alcoholism.
Alcohol Problems of Psy
The Sunday Times interviewed Psy last weekend, and it was during this conversation that he revealed his alcohol problems. He says that he drinks to help him deal with life. As he says in the interview, “If I’m happy, I’m drinking, if I’m sad, I’m drinking. If it’s raining, I’m drinking, if it’s sunny, I’m drinking.” He also talked about his unhappy childhood where his father regularly beat him, and it seems likely that this will have contributed to his problems with alcohol.
It becomes obvious from reading this interview that Psy is struggling with life despite the fact that he is having so much success. In fact, it sounds as if his sudden international stardom is making his problems worse. This is very common. Many stars have struggled to deal with sudden fame and fortune, turning to alcohol and drugs to help them cope. For most who would love to be rich and famous, it can be hard to understand why these celebrities cannot just be happy. This is because we can fail to understand that becoming successful like this can bring along a completely new set of problems.
Will Fame Destroy Psy?
There have been many examples in recent years of celebrities who have ruined their life due to alcohol or drugs. Just last week, the Glee star Cory Monteith was found dead in a hotel room due to a heroin overdose. This guy seemed to have everything going for him in life, yet he threw it all away due to substance abuse. Could Psy be on a similar path? Hopefully not. The fact that he is talking about his alcohol problems is a good sign because accepting that there is a problem is the first step of recovery.
As well as the celebrities who were destroyed by substance abuse after becoming famous, there are also plenty of examples of people who managed to escape this trap. If Psy is unable to control his substance abuse, this is a sign that he may need some help. There are plenty of options out there including rehab and recovery groups. If Psy were to get the help he needed to overcome his alcohol problems, he would be setting a great example for the rest of the world. It would mean that he could use his current popularity to inspire people right around the globe.
One of the reasons why many artists are hesitant about giving up alcohol and drugs is that they can fall into the trap in which they believe these substances make them more creative. This myth can be very dangerous, and it has been proven wrong countless times by the creative people who have entered recovery and then gone onto doing their very best work. There can be period of adjustment, but it is very doubtful that giving up alcohol will rob Psy of his creativity.
