{"id":119641,"date":"2023-12-13T16:48:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T20:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=119641"},"modified":"2023-12-19T16:49:09","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T20:49:09","slug":"jordan-belfort-drugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/jordan-belfort-drugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Jordan Belfort: Drugs, Addiction, and Hitting Rock Bottom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When did Jordan Belfort&#8217;s drug use start? What were Belfort&#8217;s primary addictions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite Belfort&#8217;s belief that money could solve any problem, his riches did nothing but fuel his drug use and enabled him to endanger himself in ways that only the super-wealthy can. In <em>The Wolf of Wall Street<\/em>, Jordan Belfort recounts his worsening drug addiction and the self-destructive behavior it inspired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a look at the damage Jordan Belfort&#8217;s drug use caused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-downward-spiral\"><strong>The Downward Spiral<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Jordan Belfort&#8217;s drug use ranged among many drugs, but <strong>his primary addictions were to sex and to methaqualone, commonly known as \u201cQuaalude,\u201d<\/strong> which was prescribed to him after a back injury. He eventually became hooked on the pills and used them for their high instead of pain relief. Belfort was on a particularly strong Quaalude high when he learned that the FBI was after him for money laundering. He rushed home, delirious on drugs, crashed into seven cars, and injured one person. For once, the police arrested Belfort, though as always before, he suffered no consequences\u2014this time thanks to a friend who knew a judge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Quaaludes were developed in 1951 as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.northpointrecovery.com\/blog\/history-quaaludes-methaqualone-abuse-addiction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a sedative, not a painkiller<\/a> as Belfort suggests. The drug was heavily prescribed in the 1970s, but by the early \u201980s, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.renaissancerecovery.com\/quaaludes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">its dangerously addictive nature and side effects caused it to be banned in the US<\/a>. How Belfort could be prescribed Quaaludes for back pain years after their production was outlawed is unclear. Quaaludes\u2019 side effects include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.retreatbehavioralhealth.com\/blog\/quaaludes-and-long-term-side-effects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">depression, memory loss, neurological problems, and respiratory issues<\/a>. As dangerous as Quaaludes are, the withdrawal symptoms for those who suddenly stop taking them can include <a href=\"https:\/\/projectknow.com\/prescription-drugs\/methaqualone\/quaalude\/quaalude-detox-and-withdrawal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seizures, vomiting, weakness, and confusion<\/a>.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1996, Belfort\u2019s doctors found a way to treat his pain without the use of Quaaludes, but that didn\u2019t stop Belfort from using them. He, his wife, and their friends went to Rome, where he and his friends were so high on drugs that <strong>Belfort insisted his yacht be put to sea in the face of an oncoming storm.<\/strong> The storm turned into a massive gale with 50-foot waves, endangering the lives of everyone onboard, though Belfort recalls that he and his friends prioritized saving their drugs over themselves. The Italian navy rescued Belfort and his crew shortly before his yacht sank in the storm, and even though Belfort would not be held accountable, he promised himself and his wife he\u2019d quit the Quaaludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: The storm that Belfort sailed his yacht into was caused by a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yachting.com\/en-gb\/news\/mistral-turbocharger-for-experienced-sailors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>mistral<\/em>\u2014a powerful northwesterly wind<\/a> that blows into the Mediterranean from France. While mistral storms are often navigable, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bosshunting.com.au\/motors\/boats\/wolf-of-wall-street-yacht\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the one that sank Belfort\u2019s ship was particularly powerful<\/a>. Though mistrals have been known to reach hurricane force, ashore in France the mistral brings <a href=\"https:\/\/ventomaritime.dk\/blog\/mistral-wind-how-when-and-where\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sunny weather and cool waters<\/a> along the coast.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Accountability and the Rich<\/strong><br><br>When wealthy people such as Belfort aren\u2019t held accountable for their actions, such as crashing cars or sinking yachts, it creates more than a simple double standard. While vices and criminal recklessness are brushed off as eccentricities for the rich, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2018\/oct\/19\/billionaires-wealth-richest-income-inequality\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the impoverished are stigmatized and denied vital resources for the same behavior<\/a>. This can become a life-or-death issue, as restrictions on aid programs based on these behaviors can shorten the lives of less wealthy people while the rich go unpunished.<br><br>Some argue that this double standard has created the public perception that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/rich-people-dont-face-same-consequences-us-system-falls-apart-2020-10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">our entire social structure is rigged to benefit the wealthy<\/a> at everyone else\u2019s expense, potentially endangering the fabric of society. Perhaps the most well-known example of class-based justice inequality is <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/4206296\/affluenza-leopold-loeb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the \u201caffluenza\u201d defense<\/a>, a legal argument that people who live in the sheltered world of the wealthy aren\u2019t mentally equipped to understand the consequences of their actions\u2014and therefore can\u2019t be held liable for them. However, most arguments addressing justice inequality focus on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highlandernews.org\/78155\/america-needs-to-stop-fearing-the-rich-and-instead-make-them-work-for-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wealth redistribution<\/a>, not an <a href=\"https:\/\/upriseri.com\/the-inequality-of-fines-how-monetary-penalties-exacerbate-wealth-disparity-and-undermine-the-rule-of-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overhaul of the criminal justice system<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fear-and-loathing-in-long-island\">Fear and Loathing in Long Island<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In a way, Belfort kept his promise. By 1997, <strong>he\u2019d reduced his use of Quaaludes by replacing them with cocaine.<\/strong> He writes that his cocaine use, however, led to insomnia, paranoia, and instances of violence at home\u2014such as when he destroyed his furniture with a knife while looking for a missing stash of drugs. He even threatened his wife Nadine, and when she told him that she was leaving, he burned her clothes in retaliation. Afraid that she would return to take their children, he planned to take so many drugs that he wouldn\u2019t have to sleep\u2014he\u2019d always be on alert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: The escalation in Belfort\u2019s drug abuse isn\u2019t uncommon for the deeply addicted. Drugs engage the brain\u2019s reward cycle, but over time, <a href=\"https:\/\/nida.nih.gov\/publications\/drugfacts\/understanding-drug-use-addiction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the body adjusts to the drug\u2019s ongoing effect on the nervous system<\/a>, requiring larger doses to achieve the same result\u2014or else, switching drugs entirely to recreate a similar high. Because the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/326090\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dopamine and serotonin<\/a> that form the brain\u2019s reward system are produced by our own bodies, the same cycle of <a href=\"https:\/\/americanaddictioncenters.org\/the-addiction-cycle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stimulus, adaptation, escalation, and dependency<\/a> occurs in forms of addiction not related to drugs at all, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpguide.org\/articles\/addictions\/gambling-addiction-and-problem-gambling.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gambling addiction<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/how-pornography-addiction-is-treated-5442934\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">porn addiction<\/a>, or even addiction to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/addiction\/work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">work<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.addictionhelp.com\/exercise-addiction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">exercise<\/a>.)&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nadine did indeed come back for their children. A fight ensued in which Belfort says he kicked his wife down a flight of stairs before bundling their daughter into his car and driving it straight through their garage door. Belfort was arrested again, and after his arraignment, his lawyer suggested he lie low in Florida and let things cool down. Just as before, <strong>Belfort decided to cope with his situation by staying high on drugs every moment of the day.<\/strong> If he came down for even a moment, he\u2019d have to confront the mess he\u2019d made of his life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: The interplay between drug abuse and domestic violence is complex\u2014one doesn\u2019t necessarily lead to the other, though in cases such as the one Belfort describes, the two can exacerbate each other. Drug addiction leads to a loss of control, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.addictioncenter.com\/addiction\/domestic-violence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">domestic violence springs from a desire to control others<\/a>. Drug use brings a loss of inhibitions and an altered mental state that can increase an addict\u2019s urge to control <em>something <\/em>while removing any moral compunctions they may have against using violence to do so. However, research shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.ohio.gov\/docs\/JCS\/domesticViolence\/topics\/DVCourts\/DVSubstanceAbuse.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">drug addiction doesn\u2019t <em>cause <\/em>domestic violence<\/a>. Many domestic abusers aren\u2019t addicts at all, and those who are remain domestic abusers even when they\u2019re sober.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rock-bottom-and-recovery\"><strong>Rock Bottom and Recovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Belfort had hit the lowest point of his life. Since drugs had become his only refuge, he couldn\u2019t see any way out of his situation that didn\u2019t involve drugs as part of the solution. Belfort describes his head-on collision with depression and attempted suicide before giving in to professional help, as well as the peace and self-awareness that came after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a fit of anger and depression, <strong>Belfort attempted suicide by taking morphine pills,<\/strong> though he argues that it wasn\u2019t a real suicide attempt because he knew a friend of his was near and would be able to save him. After having the morphine pumped out of his system, Belfort was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold, during which Nadine arranged for an intervention\u2014she let Belfort know that unless he went to rehab, he\u2019d never see her again. Belfort\u2019s interventionist explained that he and Nadine were deeply codependent in that she\u2019d been enabling his rampant drug use while he took advantage of his power in their marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/codependent-no-more\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Codependent No More<\/em><\/a>, Melody Beattie defines <em>codependency <\/em>as a prolonged stress reaction in which someone such as Belfort\u2019s wife Nadine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/codependent-no-more\/part-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">becomes so obsessed with another person<\/a> that they lose sight of themselves and their boundaries. To break out of codependency, you must first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/codependent-no-more\/part-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detach from your unhealthy dependency<\/a> on the other person and focus on your own emotional needs. While Nadine arguably took this first step by leaving Belfort and refusing to see him, she was still tending to his needs by pressuring for his admission into rehab.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once in rehab, Belfort asserts that his urge to do drugs simply turned itself off, though he felt his sex addiction would remain more of a problem. He slowly opened up to his fellow rehab patients, while admitting to himself that he ought to be dead from the sheer amount of drugs he\u2019d been taking. He returned to New York where he was able to stay sober, though his recovery sponsor pointed out to him that <strong>even though he\u2019d stopped using drugs, he was still in danger of repeating the behaviors that he\u2019d used the drugs to justify.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Involuntary Holds and Rehab<\/strong><br><br>Though Belfort went to rehab of his own volition, the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.opencounseling.com\/involuntary-commitment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">involuntary psychiatric hold<\/a> he started under was, by definition, against his will. Someone can be placed on a psychiatric hold if the police or a mental health provider determines that they pose a danger to themselves or others. The rules on being released from a psychiatric hold vary from state to state. In Florida, where Belfort was hospitalized, <a href=\"https:\/\/marchmanactflorida.com\/marchman-act\/what-happens-during-a-72-hour-psych-hold\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an involuntary hold may only last for 72 hours unless extended by a judge<\/a>. However, during that time, the hospital conducts a psychiatric exam, which is used as a basis for the court to decide whether a person should remain under care.<br><br>While Belfort describes his experience in rehab as generally positive, if annoying at times, that hasn\u2019t been the case for everyone. In her memoir <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-woman-in-me\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Woman in Me<\/em><\/a>, pop star Britney Spears recounts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-woman-in-me#the-fight-of-her-life-2016-2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an extremely traumatic rehab experience<\/a> during which she had no privacy or autonomy, doctors physically examined her daily, and she was medicated without her consent. Though Spears was certainly more famous than Belfort, <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/wolf-of-wall-street-jordan-belfort-net-worth-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">his financial worth<\/a> was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/maddieberg\/2021\/02\/17\/britney-spears-net-worth-revealed--and-its-shockingly-low-compared-to-her-pop-peers\/?sh=46bdcbe518ac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">higher than hers<\/a>, and he still had control of his fortune whereas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-woman-in-me#stolen-years-2008-2015\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spears did not<\/a>, which may account for the stark difference in their treatment.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, Belfort recalls that <strong>those first sober months were the clearest, happiest, and healthiest he\u2019d had in over 10 years.<\/strong> He worked on trying to repair his marriage, spend time with his children, and explore his new reality. Many of his old friends drifted away, and his relationships with the ones who stayed changed. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-wolf-of-wall-street-in-real-life\/\">Stratton Oakmont<\/a> had long since closed down, and Belfort\u2019s other financial streams folded. He didn\u2019t care\u2014he was sober, rich, and happy\u2014until September 1998, when the FBI arrested him for money laundering and fraud, shortly after which, Nadine filed for divorce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Belfort ends his memoir on a cliffhanger\u2014his arrest by the FBI\u2014without delving into their case against him or the path that led to his eventual conviction. Those details are in his follow-up memoir, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/10872\/catching-the-wolf-of-wall-street-by-jordan-belfort\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Catching the Wolf of Wall Street<\/em><\/a>, published in 2011. In prison, Belfort served time with famed comedian <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvguide.com\/celebrities\/tommy-chong\/bio\/3030278369\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tommy Chong<\/a>, who\u2019d been convicted of selling drug paraphernalia. According to Belfort, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/jordan-belforts-prison-bunkmate-was-tommy-chong-2014-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">it was Chong who inspired him to write his memoir<\/a>, which was bought by Random House before it was finished, with a deal for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0993846\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Martin Scorsese\u2019s film adaptation<\/a> also in the works. Upon his release in 2006, Belfort once again landed on his feet.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When did Jordan Belfort&#8217;s drug use start? What were Belfort&#8217;s primary addictions? Despite Belfort&#8217;s belief that money could solve any problem, his riches did nothing but fuel his drug use and enabled him to endanger himself in ways that only the super-wealthy can. In The Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort recounts his worsening drug addiction and the self-destructive behavior it inspired. Here&#8217;s a look at the damage Jordan Belfort&#8217;s drug use caused.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":119764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,33],"tags":[1351],"class_list":["post-119641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-people","tag-the-wolf-of-wall-street","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Jordan Belfort: Drugs, Addiction, and Hitting Rock Bottom - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Throughout his life, Jordan Belfort struggled with addiction. Discover how Jordan Belfort&#039;s drug experience led him to rock bottom.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/jordan-belfort-drugs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jordan Belfort: Drugs, Addiction, and Hitting Rock Bottom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Throughout his life, Jordan Belfort struggled with addiction. 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