Trauma of Success
The Trauma of Success
On April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain, rock legend and lead-singer for famous band, Nirvana, committed suicide in his Seattle home. In the final years of Cobain’s life, he was greeted with tons of success. So many do not understand what drove him to end his own life so soon. It seemed like every time he reached a great achievement, he would actually end up suffering. Cobain’s band, Nirvana, finally signed a deal with a major label, Geffen Records, in 1991. Soon after this time, he began using heroin (Biography.com, 2015). In 1993, Nirvana released the highly celebrated album, In Utero, which jumped to the top of the music charts immediately. Less than a year later, Cobain put shotgun in his mouth and fired the weapon. Prior to his death, Cobain wrote a lengthy suicide note expressing his significant mental and emotional troubles. A prime excerpt from his suicide note was him saying, “sometimes I feel as if I should have a punch-in time clock before I walk out on stage. I’ve tried everything within my power to appreciate it (and I do, God, believe me I do), but it’s not enough” (Guise, 2015). Why did success have such an adverse effect on Cobain’s psychological state?
Success can be traumatizing. As stated in Module 1 of this class, “trauma is an inescapably stressful event that overwhelms people’s existing coping mechanisms” (Rousseau, 2018). Once people finally achieve success, everything that comes with it can be tremendously overwhelming for their psyche. The problem resides not in the actual success itself, but from the perception that comes with success. Continuing the module quote from above, “trauma represents exposure to a threat or perceived threat of some kind” (Rousseau, 2018). Once you finally make it to the top, the fear (threat) of losing it all and returning to the bottom becomes unfathomable.
This fact is evident in a number of real-life cases of child-stars. This is why a lot of them end up getting into drugs and spiraling out of control after they finally taste success. Not only do they face the incredible pressure of having all eyes on them all the time, but they are also constantly dealing with the possibility that all of the money and fame could be gone very soon. They develop this overwhelmingly stressful perception that everything they produce from now on needs to maintain that same level of magic. The best example of this situation is the famous former child-star, Macaulay Culkin. Throughout the 1990s, Culkin was on-top of the world! He was undoubtedly the most well-known child-star on the big screen. He cranked out box-office-bangers such as Home Alone, Home Alone 2, and Richie Rich. But as he transitioned into adulthood, he began regularly using heroin, and eventually became addicted. He fell out of the spotlight and has recently been jumping in and out of rehab for his drug addiction. This is essentially the same story for a number of other child-stars, as well, including Orlando Brown, Lindsey Lohan, Jaimee Foxworth, and more. The fame and the pressures that come along with success traumatizes individuals and corrupts their mental and emotional sanity.
Macaulay Culkin photo. Retrieved from https://net-worths.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Macaulay-Culkin-Actor-Wallpaper-Image.jpg
Now obviously, success is not an evil, unmanageable entity. It can be effectively dealt-with, even at an early age, such as described above. A lot of people of all ages have been able to accept everything that success comes with, and resist succumbing to its adverse effects. These individuals range from late stars such as Morgan Freeman, and Taraji P. Henson, to child-stars such as Zac Efron and Demi Lovato. But, as we learned in this class, what makes a huge difference in these situations is the foundation and support system that these individuals have at the time of the arrival of success. The level of the person’s resistance to trauma and having positive people around them to help them through the process plays a huge role on the impact of the trauma (Rousseau, 2018).
One of the readings for class, read that “trauma leaves traces on our minds and emotions, and on our capacity for joy and intimacy…” (Van der Kolk, 2015). Once success, fame, and fortune arrive, it is sometimes difficult to continue to feel the same joy for it, as initially. It comes with all of the pressure to maintain it, which can be devastating on an individual’s psyche, especially for that of a child. However, provided the person has a solid foundation and supporting cast surrounding them, as for any type of trauma, they can get through it.
References
Daily Mail Reporter. Macaulay Culkin looks back to his healthy best at NYC comic con after ‘battling drug addiction. Daily Mail. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2455568/Macaulay-Culkin-looks-healthy-battling-drug-addiction.html
Editors. (2015). Kurt Cobain Biography. Biorgaphy.com. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/kurt-cobain-9542179
Guise, Stephen. (2015). How to be an Imperfectionist. Selective Entertainment, LLC. Charlotte, NC.
Rousseau, Danielle. (2018). Trauma. Module 1. Retrieved from https://learn.bu.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_44854_1&content_id=_5544529_1&framesetWrapped=true
Van der Kolk, Bessel. (2015). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books. New York, NY.