The Heroin Diaries Vol. 1
Although I knew rockstars did herd drugs, I never knew that Nikki Sixx had struggled with such a hard addiction until diving into this book. I also didn't think he was in such a psychotic state. I can tell when he says, "When everybody turns into tiny dolls and they have needles in their mouths and they hate you and you don't care because you have the knife!" I have caught myself reading ahead, and binge reading The Heroin Diaries. I think it's crazy that Nikki puts his whole life story on the line, and discusses every little detail - even the brutal ones. Just by reading the first section of the book, it's clear to see that he has grown tremendously from the person that he was.
I also think just from reading the first section that Nikki is someone to be idolized. Not for who he was back then, but for who he is now. He tells his story with such magnitude and detail not to help himself, but to help others. Maybe if other people hear his story and how he managed to stay alive (barley) and make it through his addiction, it can help other people get out as well. I don't have any past experience or personal knowledge on hard drugs, but I can find myself relating to some things he talks about within the words that he writes. He's been through many lonely nights, fought his personal demons, and has many memories that he's had to piece together for the dialog of the book. I find it amazing that he spent so much time reflecting on the worst times of his life to share it with his fans, and the people that care about him. It makes me value him so much more as a person, and I don't just see him as the awesome bass player and song writer of Motley Crew.
Out of all the book selections in this class, the Heroin Diaries was the book that I was most excited to read. I'm proud to say it hasn't come to disappoint. I grew up listening to Motley Crew and other rock bands that are mentioned in the book, so this hits home for me. The Heroin Diaries reminds me of Slash's autobiography, and the fact that Nikki talks about hanging out with Slash and even Steven Tyler is pretty cool. I'm excited to read more about Nikki's life, and the struggle with his personal demons and how he finally plans to kick his addiction out the door.
I thought your take on Nikki Sixx being someone to admire was really cool. Looking at it from that perspective, the way Nikki Sixx was able to conquer his addictions, insecurities, and upbringing (of which we only know half of still) was very admirable. While we may not all have hardcore drug addictions like Nikki Sixx, his story can still serve to inspire us to fight through our problems and insecurities in our own lives. For me, I didn't know exactly what to expect from The Heroin Diaries, but, so far, I have enjoyed it much more than I initially thought I was going to.
ReplyDeleteYour viewpoint on Nikki Sixx is one I never thought I would read after looking at some others' posts. This gritty rock and roll style is truly admired by few young people. I have been reading this book with a grin on my face for a solid chunk of the time. It seems to me that most people are freaked out about how Nikki was consumed by these nasty habits, but we have to remember that he overcame his demons and have kicked drugs to the side. The fact that he wrote this book is proof enough, like you said. Taking the positives from all of the negative in this book is admirable in and of itself.
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