A previous post mentioned an anecdote whose source was lost, but it has been found. It came from Chloe LaBranche, who told Ari Shaffir on his podcast that when she signed into rehab to kick a hard drug habit, a fellow patient advised her to start smoking, because addiction has a habit of its own, which is to stick around and attach itself to a different substance or behavior.

Another previous post suggested that professional comedians might be the world’s biggest experts on substance use and abuse — or at least the most knowledgeable about the social and societal aspects. That piece quoted Marc Maron, whose words follow naturally from what he said there, and also confirm LaBranche’s experience:

I get to a point where it just becomes clear as day what addiction looks like… If you have it, you have it. And if you don’t have it for one thing you have it for another. And if you quit one thing, it’ll find its way somewhere else…The dam breaks and everything that you’ve been keeping at bay emotionally, it comes right up. And then you’ve gotta decide what to do with it.

Yet another bygone post introduced Pope’s Addiction Clinic, the standup venue created by Liam “Pope” Lonergan, a former junkie who found a way to harness the energy generated by recovering addicts and delight audiences at the same time. Journalist Jay Richardson interviewed many of the participants including Lonergan himself, who described his own experience:

An inveterate on-off-on stand-up of three years, he recalls performing well at a big gig… yet “feeling numb because I had ****loads of opiates in my system… I was unreliable, cancelling gigs all the time. I hated it.”

The shows produced by Lonergan and other recovering addicts might cover some very unconventional topics, but the writer attests that the magic is in the communal vibe of spontaneity and honesty generated by this safe space. Even in describing recent real-life traumas, the performers can destigmatize and detoxify the events through sharing.

Richardson interviewed comedian Lou Sanders for her perspective, which was,

A lot of addiction has its roots in shame… a deep feeling of not belonging, and if you have a lot of shame that can come out in different ways. Abuse, addiction, violence. I enjoyed all three of these pastimes…

It’s crucial to hear from excellent comics who have had stranger lives and some astonishing stories. Even when it’s uncomfortable, it’s good to explore… And hopefully, it’s cathartic for others…

Nathan Cassidy (former banker and former addicted gambler) is another standup who believes that the art form demands talking about anything. The empty feeling, the “hole” inside him that used to be placated by making bets, is satisfactorily filled by the laughter of audiences. He adds these words of wisdom informed by experience:

People who are in love and happy don’t need to do stand-up, gamble or take drugs.

Written by Pat Hartman. First published November 7, 2024.

Sources:

“Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank,” Apple.com, October 18, 2021.

“WTF #1501,” WTFPod.com, January 8, 2024.

“Pope’s Addiction Clinic: where stand-up and Alcoholics Anonymous meet,” INews.co.uk, June 11, 2018.

Image Copyright: Unattributed internet meme.