By Linda Shrieves Orlando Sentinel
Posted July 11, 2001
A.J. McLean is living a fantasy life -- singing in a boy
band that hopped an elevator ride to the top of the
charts, accompanied by throngs of adoring girls, wads
of cash and a limousine lifestyle.
So what could be wrong in the pantheon of pop
stardom?
That's the question many Americans are asking
themselves after the announcement that one of the
Backstreet Boys is going into rehabilitation for
depression, alcohol abuse and anxiety attacks.
"Naturally, most people think, 'What the hell does he
have to be depressed about?' " said Sheldon Miller,
chairman of the psychiatry department at Northwestern
University in Chicago. "That's the common reaction to
this kind of thing."
"The fact is depression is an illness, just like heart
disease or diabetes. And these illnesses happen to
successful people, they happen to failures and people
in between."
From Melanie Griffith to Matthew Perry, a growing
parade of celebrities are trouping off to rehab -- proving
that fame and happiness are not inextricably linked. As
they watch a parade of stars seek treatment for a host
of addictions, the public just shake their heads in
amazement.
"People don't understand why celebrities would have
any problems -- especially when they're rich and
famous and beautiful," said Beverly Hills psychiatrist
Carole Lieberman. "But the truth is celebrities often
bring their childhood baggage with them. And it is often
. . . the traumas of childhood -- not getting enough
attention, not feeling lovable -- that drive a person to
become a star. They want to feel that love from the
audience."
The pages of People magazine are filled with stories of
rehabbed stars' rocky pasts, from Frasier star Kelsey
Grammer -- whose father and sister were murdered in
separate incidents, and whose two half-brothers were
killed in a scuba accident -- to Drew Barrymore, whose
pre-teen drug and alcohol exploits are Hollywood
legend. Many overcome their problems to lead happy,
stable lives.
Only time will tell how McLean's story will play out.
8-year roller-coaster ride
At 23, Alex "A.J." McLean has spent much of his youth
in the limelight, starting when he joined the Backstreet
Boys at 15. The Orlando-based group, formed in 1993,
toured heavily in Europe before rocketing to the top of
U.S. charts in 1997.
While the other Backstreet Boys came from two-parent
families, McLean grew up in Kissimmee with a single
mom; his parents divorced when he was 4. But the
recent death of his grandmother may have triggered his
depression, his bandmates say.
"It seems as though she was a mother figure, not just a
grandmother," said Lieberman. "When you lose
somebody, when a parent dies, that loss translates
into depression. But someone in the group has
mentioned that he was actually depressed before her
death. And that leads to the question:
What did he have to be depressed about before his
grandmother died?"
McLean is reportedly undergoing a 30-day treatment for
"clinical depression, which has led to anxiety attacks
and excessive consumption of alcohol." The band has
postponed its concert dates until August.
"There's an old adage that money doesn't buy
happiness," said Dr. Sheila Blume, a psychiatrist at
the State University of New York at Stony
Brook. "In fact, some of the most famous and creative
people have been depressives and alcoholics and
sometimes both."
Life on the road may have contributed to an emotional
breakdown. The touring life is hellacious on even the
most well-grounded individuals and can take a greater
toll on someone who's emotionally fragile.
"Stresses can trigger [alcoholism and depression] --
they don't have to be bad stresses. If I ever heard of a
life that's stressful, these guys are living it," said Miller.
"They're not sleeping, probably not eating very well,
days and nights get mixed around. "The public sees all
the glamour. But what's behind that is a lot of stress --
to make the show look good."
Just ask Joey McIntyre, former member of New Kids on the Block, who
experienced the highs and lows of a boy-band career in the late '80s.
"Sometimes it's not about touring or records; it's about having a life -- and
sometimes you're burned out," McIntyre, who's now a solo artist, told the Orlando
Sentinel in a recent interview.
"When I look back at our craziness, getting there was a ball, then it just blew up,
and we had to get away. We all had to."
2-pronged problem
After a 30-day break from touring, the Backstreet Boys plan to go back on the
road. That will be a trial, Miller said, noting that McLean will need followup
treatment that addresses not just depression, but alcoholism. "Often, these two
diseases -- alcoholism and depression -- happen together," Miller said.
In fact, in about two-thirds of men suffering from both alcoholism and depression,
Blume said, it is alcohol abuse that triggers depression.
"The alcoholism comes first, and as the person who is suffering from this disease
finds his options closing in, they can't live without booze, they can't stand life
without it -- this brings on a depressive mood," Blume said.
In women -- and about one-third the male alcoholics -- depression sets in first,
"and the drinking is a kind of an effort to escape," Blume said. "Alcohol is not a
good antidepressant, however. It causes depression."
At 23, McLean is a classic candidate for alcoholism, experts say.
"Twenty-three is an absolutely peak year for alcoholism in men," Blume said.
"The average alcohol intake peaks in their early 20s. So his age is not unusual.
Many men continue to be alcoholics and don't come to treatment until they're 30.
But I guess when you're so visible, you cannot hide your problem as easily."
But for A.J. McLean, it's unlikely that his troubles will end quickly or quietly.
Although he can be treated for alcoholism and depression, he may also face
coming troubles.
Such as, what does the future hold for a troubled teenage heartthrob? Will he be
yet another David Cassidy? Another Bobby Sherman? "If he's been with this band
since he was 15, he really hasn't had a childhood or adolescence," says Beverly
Hills psychiatrist Lieberman. "The fantasy is that 'Once I get to be a star, I'm
going to feel loved and I'm going to be happy.' Well, how much more of a star
could he be? And he still doesn't feel whole."
Jim Abbott of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Linda Shrieves can be
reached at [email protected] or 407-420-5433.
A.J.'s problem often comes with the territory