He recounted being high on drugs during the recording of his album Encore, a record met with criticism from fans and the media. Mental health struggles and the death of his former D12 bandmate Proof worsened Mathers’ drug use habits even more. However, Eminem was able to get sober by the end of the 2000s with the help of addiction treatment resources. It took a near-death experience for Eminem to finally realize that he needed help with his drug addiction that, at one point, had him taking 75 to 80 Valium a night. NA is a global support group for individuals recovering from drug addiction. The program follows a 12-step model that emphasizes the importance of admitting one’s inability to control substance use, seeking support from others, and making positive changes in one’s life.
Through consistency, hard work, and the desire not to relapse, Eminem got down to 149 pounds without destroying his body. His creative outputs contain brazen admissions and expletives that several people find as too much. But this bluntness has helped raise awareness of the real dangers of prescription drugs. Eminem opened up about the way his struggle with drug addiction was a constant, if unseen, presence throughout much of his early career in a new as-told-to in XXL. But he was also at the height of his drug addiction, as that’s when he overdosed — and according to Billboard, he tipped the scales at 230 lbs when he was in the throes of his addiction.
After the sudden death of Mac Miller, the rapper—born Shad Moss—took to Twitter to let his fans know that he’d once struggled with a cough syrup addiction. “To the youth- Stop with these dumb ass drugs,” he began his series of tweets. “We cant lose no more of you. Not one! I love all yall. The young artist all the kids around the world.. dont follow a trend. Break the cycle. PEACE.” Eminem asked, “Didn’t you ask the doctors when I started recording new shit, when I first started rapping again, and sent it to you, didn’t you what was eminem addicted to say, ‘I just wanted to make sure he didn’t have brain damage? ‘” The podcast host confirmed that he was in fact concerned during the recovery process that there might be some “permanent problems” with his health.
His albums “Relapse” and “Recovery” deal with his addiction and his comeback. His honesty has resonated with many also struggling with dependency’s formidable grasp. Through confronting his demons transparently, Eminem inspires others to persevere down long, winding roads of recovery. “I was fully functioning — I wrote more songs then than I do now. That was the scary part.” “At a point, I knew how amazing she was and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her,” he explained during a March 2023 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, “and I didn’t feel like I was that person. I felt a little bit too crazy.” In September 2023, the Cruel Intentions alum shared on Instagram that this was “the longest I’ve gone since I was a teen without some kind of nicotine or marijuana in my system (among other things).”
He now opens up about the difficulties addicts face battling dependencies even with treatment. However, despite his challenges, Eminem has been able to overcome his addiction and find recovery, celebrating 14 years clean now. “I got to the point where I knew it was something I couldn’t do on my own,” Gilbert said.
- “And you wake up the next day and you have a terrible headache.”
- “That was the first time I ever realized I had a problem with drugs and alcohol,” Cooper recalled during a 2022 appearance on the Smartless podcast.
- By the time he left rehab, Eminem weight had ballooned to 230 pounds.
- “I got to the point where I knew it was something I couldn’t do on my own,” Gilbert said.
- “I don’t know how many times we did it, but it was so easy to go back and forth to do it,” he said.
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- The now-51-year-old admitted he was able to downplay his addiction until it had gotten out of control, like when he was unable to answer questions during interviews.
- In an interview with Vibe (via The Hindu), Eminem revealed that, at one point, he overdosed on methadone.
- In 2018, she recalled battling her addictions to sex and alcohol.
- Through perseverance in rehab, clarity emerged after hits obscured by haze.
“I walk around and I see aspects of it that I’ve never seen before. I’ll look at a building and I’ll go, ‘My God, I never noticed that about that building, those doors.’ I have lunches and coffee and my friends.” And after quitting the drug, he soon turned to alcohol—only to also quit that dependency. “And then you would just reach that moment where you’re like ‘Wow, I shouldn’t have had that last beer,'” the actor continued. “And you wake up the next day and you have a terrible headache.” The two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champ has been open about her misuse of Adderall while battling injuries during her college soccer career.
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“And unable to keep my head up or keep my eyes open, because I was so far gone.” “I feel like there’s a defining moments in our lives that shape who we are and the direction we go and early in my career, I was spiraling down a path of real self-destruction and no matter what successes I had, I just never felt good enough,” the star recalled. “I had absolutely no value for myself and this self-destructive path, it very quickly brought me to a real crisis point and it wasn’t clear at the time the reason. Maybe it was divine intervention.” “I am coming out that I’m an addict,” Jax shared during the March 4 episode of Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast. “I have substance issues, primarily with cocaine. It’s hard to say out loud.” In the piece penned for XXL, Em discusses the way that “everything changed” after he signed with Interscope and released his second studio album, 1999’s ‘The Slim Shady LP’.
Crediting Arnett as “the reason” he went sober, Cooper added, “He took that risk of having a hard conversation with me that put me on a path of deciding to change my life.” The A Star Is Born actor struggled with a cocaine addiction during the early aughts before friend Will Arnett stepped in and confronted him out about his behavior. She eventually sought help and noted that “it took some time to get on my own two feet.”
Eminem Reflects on the Most Harrowing Moments of His Battle With Drug Addiction
For years, he confronted demons threatening his renewed passion for music. In late 2011, he was hospitalized with pancreatitis and was told that if he didn’t stop drinking, he wouldn’t see his next birthday. “I still put it off and was trying to slow down on my own, like, ‘All right I’m only gonna let myself take two pills today. I’m only gonna drink this much of my bottle and make a mark on the bottle,'” he recalled. “And it would work a couple days—and then somebody throws a party.” “It was easier for me to say that I’m doing it for her because, at that time, I didn’t feel like I was sort of worth much,” he recalled of the early days of their relationship. “I didn’t care as much about hurting myself as I did about hurting her. So, initially it was easier for me to say, ‘I’m doing this for her.’ And now, I’m doing it for myself.”
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But in 2007, he spiraled out of control again and was hospitalized for a methadone overdose. He started with Shaun T’s Insanity videos, switched to P90x and then moved to Body Beast videos. When he first started the at-home routines, Eminem said he couldn’t move for two days.
To learn how our program could work for you or a loved one, please contact us today. The addiction persisted for some time and even led to a scary incident in 2007, as those who listened carefully to his album Revival would know. ‘I was so scatterbrained that the people around me thought that I might have given myself brain damage.
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“I remember just being, like, really happy and everything was f–king new to me again.” Eminem has opened up about his struggles with addiction and fame in a new essay. After the overdose, The Real Slim Shady artist went back to using again, but he was scared by the near-death experience and entered rehab, and finally got sober in April 2008. It was his kids that inspired him and gave him the strength to triumph over his situation and successfully go through addiction recovery.
Eminem turned to running to deal with his addiction
“And when I say we had the motherlode. Our pants were frickin’ stuffed with pills. I don’t know how many we had.” Eminem, also known as Marshall Mathers, is a well-known rapper known for his lyrical prowess and ability to express his struggles through his music. He has been open with one of his most prominent struggles, drug addiction, which he has battled throughout his career. In a candid new interview, rap superstar Eminem reveals he suffered from a devastating drug addiction that led to him downing as many as 20 Vicodin, Ambien and Valium in a day.
“I don’t know how the fuck I’m still here. I was numbing myself.” He has been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and has credited the program with helping him overcome his substance abuse issues. He has also been involved in various philanthropic endeavors that support addiction recovery, including the Marshall Mathers Foundation, which provides resources and support to at-risk youth.