A lot of celebrities have passed away due to suicide or drug abuse like singer-songwriter David Berman and rapper Juice WRLD. While on tour recently, guitarist Ryley Walker tried to kill himself in his New Mexico hotel room. By understanding what was going in Walker’s head, we can feel the pain that musicians go through when they are on tour and what more can be done about it.
Ryley Walker’s Suicide Attempt on Tour
When Walker was on tour in New Mexico, he felt like he was having a bad day. As someone who is diagnosed bipolar and manic-depressive, he was struggling with getting the dark thoughts in his head to stop. He would tell his loved ones that he felt like hurting himself and could tell they were all growing concerned of him. In his hotel room, Walker took a lot of drugs and drank a lot only to wake up the next morning with just a hangover. He played his next show like nothing happened, but was crying a lot that night.
Ryley Walker’s Decision to Get Help
Even though being on tour was Walker’s dream, he felt lonely driving nine hours a day to shows. He would walk up to people on the streets to pick up drugs and realized he liked doing drugs more than music. Walker would spent all of the money he made on tour closing out bars or abusing cocaine all morning. He would wake up vomiting and shaking from alcohol and drug withdrawals. Walker was about to go on tour in Europe, but was convinced by his friends at his last label to go to rehab and avoid putting it off.
Ryley Walker’s New Sober Life
Walker has a new routine after going to rehab. He plans on leaving immediately after every show to avoid being triggered by his environment to relapse. Walker goes to meetings every day and continues to keep in touch with his sponsor. He is currently eight months sober and still continues to make music. He encourages musicians to seek help for their issues and to speak with other musicians who understand what they are going through. He has a network of people who are willing to help and listen to him instead of a network of drug dealers. Walker has felt like stopping drugs has made himself a better musician and he cannot wait to continue living.
At Alta Loma Transformational Living, you will meet knowledgeable, compassionate professionals that understand addiction in all its forms. Alta Loma uses an integrative and holistic approach to treat addiction and mental health issues. No treatment is one-size-fits-all, where you will have a team of experts prepared to create your customized treatment plan. We offer care for your mind, body, and spirit, so that you can heal from the inside out and look forward to a lifetime of sobriety and wellness. If you are ready to take the first step in your recovery, please call us at 866-457-3843.
