With the terrible passing of former Mastodon guitarist and vocalist Brent Hinds on August 20th, many people have stepped forward to reflect on their time with him.
One such person is Gavin Rossdale, frontman of Bush. Hinds once helped Rossdale recognize the dangers of Xanax and prevented him from going down a destructive path.
Rossdale wrote in an Instagram post:
"We lost Brent . this is just terrible and useless . what a musician . And he was directly responsible for stopping me on a self sabotage back to the fatally dangerous world of Xanax when our paths crossed that i had already escaped . he spoke about its actual deadly effects.the slowing down of the body .the barely breathing . I will always be grateful for that advice . This life can be ended in a literal moment . I should have taken guitar lessons from Brent ."
Xanax is a prescription drug used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. However, its calming affects can easily lead to dependence and addiction. Misuse of Xanax can cause memory impairment, seizures, hallucinations, and other dangerous consequences.
Rossdale also spoke on his experience with Xanax addiction during and appearance on Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast in 2023:
"I was addicted to Xanax for, like, four years or something like that when I was working a lot internationally. . . . I was like, 'Oh, look, If I take this, I think I’m gonna sleep.' I’m going to go sleep for eight hours. . . . [It became] this habit, and suddenly, before I knew it, it was three or four years and I couldn’t even think of sleeping without Xanax. I then decided I should stop, so I just stopped and I did two weeks where every night, it was like I’d been in a shower [from sweating] and then I got into bed. . . . People told me after that it was super dangerous [to] . . . stop [Xanax] dead."
Find more information on the symptoms and signs of Xanax addiction and withdrawal, click here.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, call 988 for substance use support. You are not alone.