What could've been done for Scott?

[Toxic34]

It's only been 2 days since the news broke out, and my anger and grief have not cooled a bit. I had a rough night sleeping last night, no matter how much I tried to remind myself that there are more important stories (like San Bernardino) out there to worry over, my thoughts kept returning to Scott and the way he died. I especially couldn't help but keep thinking how this should never have happened.

I know that in the end the only one who could save Scott was himself, but surely everyone else, from his family, to the Wildabouts, to STP and VR, could've done something to make him realize that he needed to conquer his demons once and for all.

More and more, I keep thinking that the late Dr. Steven Chatoff would've worked miracles for him, especially in light of his role in Aerosmith waking up to the triangulations and manipulations of Tim Collins, and the treatment he would've given Kurt Cobain if someone hadn't blown the whistle and led up to the intervention by a less skilled doctor that led to his trip to Exodus, where he jumped the wall. Chatoff was very much the opposite of Dr. Drew, someone who valued privacy, as well as truly getting to the roots of the psychological problems in a way that didn't bring those old impulses back. If Scott had been under his care back during the Tiny Music era, we would've gotten an absolutely phenomenal resurgence. Scott would never have fallen even more, there wouldn't even have been the need for the time in jail, and he'd have been kicking ass with STP on all fronts, still as nimble and powerful as he was 20 years ago, aging gracefully like Mick Jagger.

But this are my thoughts. Do you think that would've happened. And if, like in reality, Chatoff and Scott never crossed paths, what do you think could've been done by everyone (family, bandmates past and present) to ensure that Scott woke up and gotten his shit together?

[StoneTempleBrett]

I've learned from personal experiences that it was a battle within Scott and Scott alone.  Everybody tried to help him including tough love as well, Mary dumped him, his two main bands fired him for his abuse, his guitarist overdosed earlier this year, Scott had every 'wake up call' imaginable.  He just didn't have it in him to get sober.

[EsemJayes]

I've learned from personal experiences that it was a battle within Scott and Scott alone.  Everybody tried to help him including tough love as well, Mary dumped him, his two main bands fired him for his abuse, his guitarist overdosed earlier this year, Scott had every 'wake up call' imaginable.  He just didn't have it in him to get sober.

I agree. I've had a lot of friends and some family who are addicts. You can try to reason with them all you want, if they like getting messed up more than being sober there's nothing you can really do. But, I've made the decision to not help or enable their addiction in any way, which I certainly feel some guys in that band probably did.


So, although, yes Scott is in charge of his own destiny, those guys didn't help the situation.

[Fear 2 Stop]

One of the hardest aspects of trying to help an addict is that sometimes tough love can backfire. You can cut them off from money, bad associates/friends, ect...but sometimes that causes them to hit rock bottom even harder. Eventually, you come to a point where there's nothing left to be done...it is up to the individual.

I think in Scott's case, the issue was everybody trying to treat the symptoms (the drugs, the alcohol, ect) but not the underlying cause . I think he needed therapy more than rehab.

IMHO.

[Sklashboombash]

I've learned from personal experiences that it was a battle within Scott and Scott alone.  Everybody tried to help him including tough love as well, Mary dumped him, his two main bands fired him for his abuse, his guitarist overdosed earlier this year, Scott had every 'wake up call' imaginable.  He just didn't have it in him to get sober.

This is probably the best summation of it. Every wake up call imaginable.

And I too feel an emptiness inside. I've never been affected by a celebrity death like this.
I'm upset.  I'm in shock. And frankly, I'm angry at the environment he was touring in. Nobody in that band should have been contributing to his substance abuse problem.

[Blue]

I've learned from personal experiences that it was a battle within Scott and Scott alone.  Everybody tried to help him including tough love as well, Mary dumped him, his two main bands fired him for his abuse, his guitarist overdosed earlier this year, Scott had every 'wake up call' imaginable.  He just didn't have it in him to get sober.

This is probably the best summation of it. Every wake up call imaginable.

And I too feel an emptiness inside. I've never been affected by a celebrity death like this.
I'm upset.  I'm in shock. And frankly, I'm angry at the environment he was touring in. Nobody in that band should have been contributing to his substance abuse problem.

But you have to remember that the environment he was touring was his choice, too. Scott didn't just this year accidentally hire a drug addict, he's been touring with Jeremy and Tommy since '08. Doug, who I seem to recall once upon a time being Scott's sponsor, was kicked out of the band.

Scott could have fired Tommy and Jeremy and kept a zero tolerance drug policy back stage, he could have hired a sobriety coach and gone to rehab. He could have taken time off from touring for his health. Maybe he would have had to file bankruptcy to deal with the financial issues, but in the long run he could be happy and healthy.

But from the outside, there was nothing that could be done. The people he chose to be close to him addicts, everyone who wanted him clean he pushed away. It's sad, but he made his own decisions.

[StoneTempleBrett]

I've learned from personal experiences that it was a battle within Scott and Scott alone.  Everybody tried to help him including tough love as well, Mary dumped him, his two main bands fired him for his abuse, his guitarist overdosed earlier this year, Scott had every 'wake up call' imaginable.  He just didn't have it in him to get sober.

This is probably the best summation of it. Every wake up call imaginable.

And I too feel an emptiness inside. I've never been affected by a celebrity death like this.
I'm upset.  I'm in shock. And frankly, I'm angry at the environment he was touring in. Nobody in that band should have been contributing to his substance abuse problem.

But you have to remember that the environment he was touring was his choice, too. Scott didn't just this year accidentally hire a drug addict, he's been touring with Jeremy and Tommy since '08. Doug, who I seem to recall once upon a time being Scott's sponsor, was kicked out of the band.

Scott could have fired Tommy and Jeremy and kept a zero tolerance drug policy back stage, he could have hired a sobriety coach and gone to rehab. He could have taken time off from touring for his health. Maybe he would have had to file bankruptcy to deal with the financial issues, but in the long run he could be happy and healthy.

But from the outside, there was nothing that could be done. The people he chose to be close to him addicts, everyone who wanted him clean he pushed away. It's sad, but he made his own decisions.

If Scott had been sober, people would have been banging on his door to play music with him, including his Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver bandmates.

[Slither]

I've learned from personal experiences that it was a battle within Scott and Scott alone.  Everybody tried to help him including tough love as well, Mary dumped him, his two main bands fired him for his abuse, his guitarist overdosed earlier this year, Scott had every 'wake up call' imaginable.  He just didn't have it in him to get sober.

Brett nails it here.

The only thing I'd add is that while Tommy's name has been dragged through the mud a fair amount here over the past couple days, it's likely that even if he had tried limiting Scott's usage and been less of an enabler, Scott would've just parted ways with him just like he did everyone else who wasn't willing to turn a blind eye.

[EyesOfDisarray]

As a former addict, I can confirm everything that's been said in this thread already. An addict can have the best support system in the world, but it will not work unless they are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get and stay clean themselves.

I don't think Scott ever fully came to terms with the idea of lifelong sobriety and what that entails. He had some periods of sobriety, but he couldn't commit 100%. In his defense, it was even harder for him than most addicts, because he had rock stereotypes letting him think he could keep going and people willing to look the other way so they could keep playing [and using] with him.

But in the end, he lost his battle, and there was probably nothing else that could have been done for him.

[Fear 2 Stop]

I think part of it was, he never adjusted to not being a A-List rock star at a certain point. Despite playing for several hundred instead of several thousand, he still had all the trappings of a rock star. So when it came to drugs, I have a strong feeling the lure became too much for him over the last stretch of his life, because it reminded him of the 'good' old days.

[StoneTempleBrett]

I've learned from personal experiences that it was a battle within Scott and Scott alone.  Everybody tried to help him including tough love as well, Mary dumped him, his two main bands fired him for his abuse, his guitarist overdosed earlier this year, Scott had every 'wake up call' imaginable.  He just didn't have it in him to get sober.

Brett nails it here.

The only thing I'd add is that while Tommy's name has been dragged through the mud a fair amount here over the past couple days, it's likely that even if he had tried limiting Scott's usage and been less of an enabler, Scott would've just parted ways with him just like he did everyone else who wasn't willing to turn a blind eye.

Yeah, I've got no good feelings towards Tommy at all right now, but if Tommy wasn't Scott's running buddy, it would have been somebody else.

[Westenn]

I think Scott lost the will to live.  He was a big Rockstar and He went from playing mega concerts to playing bars in the middle of nowhere.  STP let him go, VR let him go, Mary let him go so what's left.  It is unfortunate that the day I decided to say something, he passed away.  I just never felt He was truly happy cuz I believe He never got over Mary.  When I listen to "Til the Dust is Gone", Mary pops in my head.  Layne Staley was the same way in that he lost the will to live.  If I remember just before Layne died, He was either holed up in his house or at some hole in the wall bar.  Once a person decides, it's only a matter of time.

When I think about Scott sometimes, I think "Leaving Las Vegas" movie.  I always hoped He would get past whatever was in his head.  I visited this site a million times a day just to make sure he was ok.  I always knew that if I needed to know about him, I could come here and make sure he was safe.

I agree w/ the Tough Love can backfire.  You can also just get exhausted from trying, but I always felt that maybe one more time it will work.  Sometimes yes, but Scott was born an addict. The lifestyle he chose certainly didn't help any, but his talent was songwriter/singer.  He was basically born w/ a death certificate (Dead & Bloated anyone)

It's really hard to deal w/ this and I suppose it's cuz I have listened to this band since Jan 1993 and they are a part of Me.  I feel pain, emptiness, numbness, anger.  I slept maybe a total of six hours since Scott left us.  Today, was the first meal I had and can only stomach a blueberry muffin and while it was delicious it was also the worst muffin in my life.  I can listen to any STP song and get inspired instantly but right now it really hurts to listen to it.  I had this thing that if Mary went back to him then that was when he was going to stop.

 

[Fear 2 Stop]

I've learned from personal experiences that it was a battle within Scott and Scott alone.  Everybody tried to help him including tough love as well, Mary dumped him, his two main bands fired him for his abuse, his guitarist overdosed earlier this year, Scott had every 'wake up call' imaginable.  He just didn't have it in him to get sober.

Brett nails it here.

The only thing I'd add is that while Tommy's name has been dragged through the mud a fair amount here over the past couple days, it's likely that even if he had tried limiting Scott's usage and been less of an enabler, Scott would've just parted ways with him just like he did everyone else who wasn't willing to turn a blind eye.

Yeah, I've got no good feelings towards Tommy at all right now, but if Tommy wasn't Scott's running buddy, it would have been somebody else.

Good point.

[Sklashboombash]

Just to bring up the recent TMZ article about "friends worried that he relapsed recently". If we are to take that as fact... Let's just say that all he was doing was booze and his medicine...can anyone think of anything that happened recently that would have driven him to do so?

[kravdog]

Just to bring up the recent TMZ article about "friends worried that he relapsed recently". If we are to take that as fact... Let's just say that all he was doing was booze and his medicine...can anyone think of anything that happened recently that would have driven him to do so?

Pure guesses?

#1 - Having to tour for 6 weeks straight around the holidays, just to make ends meat
#2 - see number one, and the realize that you are playing to 200 people a night, and a few shows have been canceled lately due to poor ticket sales
#3) - $ troubles
#4) - no optimism that STP or VR would come to the $ rescue
#5) see #1, #2, #3, #4, have your wife join you for  few days for thanksgiving and then leave you to the road again.