An Inspirational Icon
- Mötley Crüe bassist and songwriter Nikki Sixx, 65, proudly announced on Tuesday that he is officially 23 years sober. The dad of five, who is married to Courtney Sixx, shared his celebratory post Tuesday with an inspiring message for others out there who may be wanting to turn their lives around.
- Still living a full life, the Heroin Diaries author continues to tour the world with his band, writes new music and has been getting involved in more TV and film projects, not to mention more charitable endeavors, like donating money to nonprofits like Covenant House to help make music programs accessible to all.
- Art therapy, like painting, dancing, and music – creating it, and listening to it has been shown to have a colossal impact on one’s emotional and mental health.
- If you feel that you need help, please reach out to a health expert or someone else that you trust. In the meantime, SurvivorNet’s mental health guide can provide some great information and resources, along with meditation guides, to help you on your journey. If Nikki can do it, so can you.
The dad of five, who is married to Courtney Sixx, 38, mom of his youngest, Ruby, 4, shared his celebratory post on Instagram with an inspiring message for others out there who may be wanting to kick the habit – or give it another go.
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“Nothing makes me happier than to see people who have lost hope to find themselves and change not only their life but their family’s too. #SobrietyRocks,” added the musician, who was born Franklin Carlton Feranna.
A Hard-Partying Heyday in Mötley Crüe’s Early Years
When Mötley Crüe formed back in 1981, kicking off the hair metal/glam rock era in the heyday of rock ‘n’ roll, they were notorious for taking it to the next level – and then quadrupling it.
The rockers famously told their debaucherous escapades of sex, drug and rock ‘n’ roll in the 2002 book The Dirt, which was turned into a film of the same name in 2019.
Nikki, in particular, had some of the closest calls in the band with alcohol and drug consumption. He estimates he has overdosed a “half a dozen” times – and actually did clinically die for a couple of minutes from a heroin overdose back in 1987 and had to be revived.
As for what he learned from that harrowing experience?
“That it hurts to come back. My heart stopped. My body stopped,” Nikki told Rolling Stone in a 2019 interview. “It’s like you turned the computer off and they restart the computer. It felt like I’d been fucking hit by a truck. Every single thing hurt. My hair hurt. That reboot is a bitch.”
One of the most legendary stories in the history of rock, it not only inspired the song “Kickstart My Heart,” as many fans know, but he thankfully lived to tell the tale(s) in his New York Times best-selling book, Heroin Diaries, and subsequently, became his ultimate “rock bottom” that he can now share as a clean and sober man.
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A man who has become an inspiring addiction and mental health advocate to millions of fans – and still rocks out (healthily) on the road, spending quality time with his bandmates and family.
Currently, just off a world tour from last year, the band has a handful of U.S. and Canada summer tour dates left and will be ramping it up again in 2025. Still releasing new music, they dropped a new song and video “Dogs of War” in April.
A Slower Pace in Jackson Hole
While the entrepreneurial icon is still touring the world, writing music and getting involved in more TV and film endeavors, he has made it a must to enjoy time with his family outside of a tour bus and outside of Los Angeles. During the pandemic, he and his wife of 10 years, Courtney, co-founder of Bouquet Box, moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and decided to stay put.
Nikki grew up roughly 200 miles away in Jerome, Idaho, and wanted to get back to his roots, so they decided to raise their little girl Ruby in more rural surroundings away from the hoopla in Los Angeles. Spending a lot of time in nature, the family enjoys boating, fishing and horseback riding, and all share a love for photography.
“It just really clears our head and allows us to reset,” Nikki shared of their picturesque surroundings in December with PEOPLE at the inaugural Jackson Hole International Film Festival.
“We spend a lot of time outside. I mean, the whole point of being here is to really be outside whether you’re into skiing or fishing or hiking or being on the lakes or snowmobiling.”
“I wake up and I’m like, ‘I can’t think of a place I’d rather be.’ And to be able to still be creative at 65 and have a wonderful family and be surrounded by good friends. I’m very grateful.”
Focused on Giving Back
Expanding on his current mindset, Nikki said he is just as focused on “ramp[ing] up the charitable side as much as the creative side,” noting that he’s “lucky to still be here.”
“And being sober probably helps with all that because you can have a clear vision and guide yourself a little bit better.”
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On a continued mission to help inspire the healing and creativity of others, the artist works closely with the nonprofit Covenant House, which helps young people experiencing homelessness, and said he has been “very fortunate” to have raised millions from his Heroin Diaries sales to “help bring a music program to them,” the sixx-time author said. “And that’s something that’s a bigger initiative in my life as we go along.”
The Healing Power of Music
Art therapy, like painting, dancing, and music – creating it, and listening to it has been shown to have a colossal impact on one’s emotional and mental health.
“Just listening to music activates more brain regions simultaneously than any other human activity,” Dr. Alexander Pantelyat, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins, previously told SurvivorNet.
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A 2022 study published in the journal Parkinson’s Disease researched the effects music had on the brain. It found music can help reduce anxiety for patients. Dr. Serap Bastepe-Gray, who co-founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine with Dr. Pantelyat, led the study.
“The guitar, which is portable, affordable, and one of the most popular instruments in the U.S., has potential as a motivational therapeutic tool both in the clinical and community settings,” Dr. Bastepe-Gray said.
Motivation to Stop or Cut Back on Drinking – Alcohol’s Link to Cancer
As for some added motivation to perhaps curb or halt an alcohol habit, studies have suggested an excessive intake of alcohol has been linked to being predisposed to certain cancers including pancreatic, liver, and colon.
While it’s unclear exactly the amount of alcohol one needs to consume in order to be predisposed, experts stress the importance of moderation when imbibing. Plus, gender plays a role in the amount of alcohol you consume as well.
Excessive Alcohol Consumption Can Increase Cancer Risk
According to Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon at Weill Cornell Medical Center, she said that women who drink over half a glass, or a full glass, a day of wine may experience an impact on their health, while men can drink two glasses of wine before they start seeing health effects. However, Dr. Yeo admits that data is mixed when it comes to dietary guidelines and links to cancer.
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Regardless of the disease risk, steering clear of alcohol (and drugs) can improve your overall life, mental health, relationships with your family, friends, and most likely, your career as well.
If you feel that you need help, please reach out to a health expert or someone else that you trust. In the meantime, SurvivorNet’s mental health guide can provide some great information and resources, along with meditation guides, to help you on your journey. If Nikki can do it, so can you.
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