Stone Bitter guitarist Josh Rand has opened up in regards to the “downward spiral” he suffered after getting sober in a brand new put up on his social media. He additional supplied an replace about how his psychological and bodily well being have been since then.
Simply earlier than Stone Bitter set out on tour in early 2018, the band launched a press release that Rand would be absent from the group as he was checking right into a rehab middle. A number of months later, the guitarist shared in a social media put up that he’d been abusing alcohol and Xanax to deal with nervousness. He admitted he secretly used the drug for roughly eight years previous to checking into rehab.
Xanax is a benzodiazepine used to deal with nervousness and insomnia, however is very addictive and is barely meant for use short-term. Habit Heart notes that it may be extraordinarily harmful to attempt to stop the treatment abruptly, because the withdrawal signs will be deadly — and the withdrawal signs of alcohol will be as properly.
Rand introduced his return to Stone Bitter in June of 2018, and the band performed their final present later that 12 months in December. They’ve since gone on hiatus, however Rand has shared a brand new replace concerning his well being on his Instagram. It is his first put up on the platform since late April.
“It’s been some time since my final put up and I simply needed to replace you all with what I’ve been as much as and to say I’m alive and doing properly. There’s actually two elements to my journey in 2023, psychological well being and bodily well being,” the guitarist wrote.
Rand defined that his psychological well being took a “downward spiral” when he kicked the alcohol and the Xanax in 2018 as a result of the entire unfavourable ideas and emotions he’d used the substances to self-medicate with rose to the floor.
“Trying again now, by the top of 2019 I had misplaced the power to manage my feelings,” he continued. “The highs have been excessive, and the lows have been low besides there have been no highs. I had hit all-time low; I had turn into another person and never in a great way. To start with of 2020 after a number of occasions generally known as ‘explosive habits’ it grew to become very obvious to me I wanted assist.”
Consequently, Rand began going to remedy, which is one thing he says modified his life and is likely one of the best issues he is ever executed. Nonetheless, he’d additionally been affected by power again ache, and in March of this 12 months the ache had turn into so extreme that he was almost motionless. In August, he underwent a spinal surgical procedure, which fused a number of of the discs in his again collectively, and he is nonetheless in restoration.
READ MORE: 10 Rock Stars Who Obtained Sober… and Stayed Sober
“I’m hoping to start out PT quickly and get again to taking part in,” Rand wrote. “I need to stress this isn’t a sympathy or ‘poor me’ put up, however my 1st on the significance of psychological well being. Be protected, be properly.”
See the complete put up under. Loudwire needs Rand the perfect as he continues to recuperate from the process.
For those who or somebody you already know is fighting drug and/or alcohol dependence, assist is offered via the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Providers Administration web site. To talk to somebody on the telephone, dial 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357) or ship a textual content message to 1-800-487-4889.
