We are tempted to think that addiction and mental illness are on the rise in the comedy industry due to the abundance of stories describing yet another comedian’s death from drug overdose or suicide. It’s nothing new, really. Making a group of strangers laugh on stage is not natural, as the saying goes. The comedian “Pale Tourist” compared humour to addiction: “Standing up is an endorphin rush that presumably feels drug-like. Also, the mix of control is odd. Being ‘ON’ all of the time is incredibly difficult. We struggle with our onstage persona and our personal lives, the breast cancer survivor and patient advocate said. Add the availability of drugs in the late-night scene to these problems. There are many risk factors, including: “Isolation, extended periods of travel without a support network, and absurdly simple access to alcohol and narcotics. There are numerous risk factors: ” isolation, extended periods of travel without a support network, and absurdly simple access to alcohol and narcotics. He attributes his long-term recovery from alcohol use disorder to medicine and treatment. Sadly, comedians are also people. In addition to anxiety and drug use, they also deal with a variety of other health challenges, just like the rest of us. Her husband is impacted by his poor diet and lack of sleep. It is hard for a comedian who tours globally to get up at the same hour every day. She would stay up until three in the morning writing for television and then eat Indian food. The mother of five small children would then get calls from the school during the day regarding a child’s strep throat. This life is chaotic.
