Robert Urbanek
Platinum Member
Club 17 is the name sometimes given to the music stars who died at the age of 27. They include Janis Joplin, from heroin abuse; Jimi Hendrix, reportedly of alcohol and tranquilizers; Jim Morrison, allegedly of a heroin overdose; Kurt Cobain, suicide by shotgun; and Amy Winehouse, alcohol poisoning.
The brain’s frontal lobe, responsible for logical thinking, is not fully developed until about the age of 25, which means that younger people are more prone to risk-taking behavior. Thus, it would be counterintuitive to think that a mature brain would contribute to substance abuse or mental problems.
According to Mental Health Daily, “The brain’s reward system tends to reach a high level of activation during puberty, then gradually drifts back to normal activation when a person reaches roughly the age of 25.”
My theory is that absent that “high level of activation,” the person at brain maturity might feel a sense of stagnation and get less of a high from the emotional drives that propelled the youthful brain. Thus, a person who already has a substance abuse problem might double down on their use of alcohol or other drugs to recapture the excitement of the young risk-taking brain. And the emotional stagnation may have contributed to Kurt Cobain’s depression.
Of course, one should never discount personal responsibility. If you pursue a life of immediate gratification, there is a price to pay.
The brain’s frontal lobe, responsible for logical thinking, is not fully developed until about the age of 25, which means that younger people are more prone to risk-taking behavior. Thus, it would be counterintuitive to think that a mature brain would contribute to substance abuse or mental problems.
According to Mental Health Daily, “The brain’s reward system tends to reach a high level of activation during puberty, then gradually drifts back to normal activation when a person reaches roughly the age of 25.”
My theory is that absent that “high level of activation,” the person at brain maturity might feel a sense of stagnation and get less of a high from the emotional drives that propelled the youthful brain. Thus, a person who already has a substance abuse problem might double down on their use of alcohol or other drugs to recapture the excitement of the young risk-taking brain. And the emotional stagnation may have contributed to Kurt Cobain’s depression.
Of course, one should never discount personal responsibility. If you pursue a life of immediate gratification, there is a price to pay.
