Some posters here have already brought up great points about whether or not Scott Hall had a "harder life" (for lack of a better term) than Jeff Hardy. I personally think this is irrelevant, both seemed to have had personal problems during their lifetimes that were hard to deal with. I'm not saying that self-medicating with drugs or alcohol is a good solution for dealing with these life-problems, but trying to self-medicate could have been the catalyst that got one (or both) of them headed down the wrong path...or it could have been that they both just love to "party" (but the party never ended).
A lot of celebrities/artists of EVERY medium (music, acting, WRESTLING, etc) are a little bit "out-there". I think that both Jeff & Scott have been "tortured souls" over their lifetimes, and the drugs and/or alcohol help some of that pain that made their characters so easy to relate to, so unpredictable, and so exciting to watch. Unfortunately, it's a common tale. There have been so many great performers and artists that have "self-destructed" with substance abuse for that exact reason; it goes far beyond sports entertainment.
We don't really need to focus on why either one of them do what they do (or did what they did), all that matters is that both of their lives seem out-of-control and unmanageable. Both of them were able to pull off being functional addicts for a while, but the lifestyle caught up to them. Even if one (or both) of them are using because of mental issues, getting clean will definitely help them straighten out those mental problems. It definitely will do more good than bad.
Unfortunately, the statistics for addicts are not good. I don't know the exact numbers, but I think I remember seeing a while back that about 80% of all addicts that get clean eventually use again. I don't know if that 80% meant just one or two relapses (then the user gets clean again, hopefully for good), or if they go back to being a full-blown addict. Either way, those aren't great odds.
Just look at all the main-stream celebrities that can't seem to stay clean: Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, Scott Weiland, & Courtney Love just to name a few off the top of my head. All of these examples are people who swore they were going to stay clean (forever) at one point or another, and all of them relapsed. There are success stories as well, but unfortunately there are a lot more failures.
Robert Downey Jr. is a good example of a success story, but it took him YEARS to overcome his problems and become successful again. Downey is a brilliant actor, who had a lot of success and absolutely ruined his reputation with drugs and alcohol. No one wanted to work with him for years, for the same reasons that Jeff & Scott are so hard to work with (unreliability and/or legal problems). I don't know if Downey is 100% sober these days, but at least he managed to turn a full 180 degrees for the better.
I don't even want to get into all the celebrities that have died because of overdoses/drunk driving/etc, just because of how depressing it is...but I'm sure you could come up with a few off the top of your head right now.
It's easy for someone who's never seen full-blown addiction to say "why can't they just stop using?"...it's really not that simple, and every addiction counselor will tell you that. It's not just a matter of willpower; addicts aren't able to stop using, no matter what the consequences may be.
I've heard stories about Parents who will literally lose their kids if they don't stop, and they literally shoot dope into their arm while saying "I don't want to do this! ...why am I doing this?". There are people that are warned that their liver will fail if they continue to drink, and they die with a bottle in their hand. It's depressing as hell, and addiction can be a very serious disease (fatal, in some cases).
For an addict, getting clean takes a lot of dedication and support. That's why there are so many AA & NA meetings all over the planet. Some people may scoff at these types of meetings, but they really help a lot of people get clean, and (more importantly) stay clean.
I really hope that Jeff's trial happens soon, because there's no way that he'll get off with just a slap on the wrist. Even if this is Jeff's first offense (which I think it is?), he'll most likely have to be on probation for at least six months (although a year would be better). At least one of his charges is a fucking FELONY, right? Intent to distribute, or something like that?...although I imagine it will be pleaded down to a misdemeanor, as long as this really is his first offense.
I don't think Jeff will go to jail, most courts know that substance-abuse counseling can help addicts/users more than jail will. Hopefully he'll at LEAST have to attend an out-patient substance abuse center - the kind of place where he goes for group therapy four or five days a week (for a couple of months), then goes for one-on-one therapy for another couple of months. I imagine he'll be court-ordered to be drug-screened once a week or so as well, as long as he's on probation.
If he tests positive for drugs or alcohol of any kind, he could be facing jail-time (for probation violation). Maybe jail could be the "rock-bottom" feeling that he actually needs to stay clean once and for all.
Obviously a 30 day stint (at least) at a in-patient facility would be better for someone in Jeff's position, I don't know why Jeff hasn't started treatment on his own yet. At the very least, it would show the judge that he's serious about his recovery. Doesn't the WWE even offer to pay for such treatment, for any ex-employee?
Maybe Jeff is staying clean, I hope he is. I just have a bad feeling that he's still using, since we haven't heard any news about whether or not he's started treatment. I understand he wouldn't want to leave his wife & child alone to go live at a recovery center for a month or more, but he's doing more harm to his family than good if he's using...even if he is there with them most of the time.
It's hard to stop using on your own, and his wife might use as well. It's not out of the realm of possibility that she and Jeff were using together, but I really have no idea if she's a user or not. If she is a user (again, I'm not saying she is), it would be next to impossible for him to quit while still living with her. If that is the case, it's an even better reason for both of them to go to separate in-patient facilities to clean up their acts. Better that they do this now, before their child gets too old and starts to realize what's really going on.
I hope that the main event at Victory Road, coupled with Jeff's legal situation will make him realize that it's time for him to cut the shit and stay clean. Unfortunately, you can't trust an addict. Actions speak louder than words, and addicts need to build that trust back over a long period of time - by staying true to their word.
I don't know if Jeff or Scott feel like they've hit rock-bottom or not, but both of them must know deep down that they have come DAMN close. I hope they both realize that there's not much further either of them can fall, but addicts love to keep testing their own limits. I really want Jeff to be one of those rare success stories, I don't want to see him fall as far as Scott has fallen. As long as neither of them are dead, there's still time for them to change for the better. Godspeed.
