Eminem’s Struggles with Drug Addiction

Eminem, Marshall Mathers, has been described as the biggest rapper in history. He has sold over 30 million albums and won an Oscar and numerous Grammys. But like many others in the music industry, the stress of traveling and performing, and the night life led him to drugs. Painkillers were Eminem’s drug of choice, sometimes taking 20 pills a day. He entered into rehab, relapsed on methadone pills, and nearly killed himself. That wasn’t enough, however, and he relapsed again. Like so many of the rest of us, his struggle with substance abuse was filled with ups and downs as he tried to free his life from drugs. And also like many people, Eminem says he turned to drugs when he was stressed by work. Coupled with a busy lifestyle, plenty of money, and pressures from others doing drugs, it is easy to see how someone in can fall into addiction.

Eminem knew he had a problem, and wisely sought out help. Someone that was instrumental in helping him out of his addiction was an unlikely friend. Elton John and Eminem had become friends ever the years as they talked about the music business and performed together at the Grammys. Elton John, a former cocaine addict, was more than willing to give his advice and support to the young rapper, and Eminem credits Elton John as being a good friend and helping him stay sober. There can be a few lessons taken from the Eminem drug story. First of all, it shows that the powerful nature of drugs can capture the lives of all kinds of people—regardless of race, gender, popularity, or social class. People turn to drugs for many different reasons, and regardless of how someone gets hooked onto drugs, the most important part is the recovery. Another lesson that can be learned from the Eminem story is the importance of willpower and support to replace the addiction with positive activities. Recovering addicts are encouraged to find a hobby, or new friends, or something to do to replace that addiction. For Eminem, it’s rap—for some it might be exercise or painting. Whatever the replacement might be for a given addict, as long as it’s healthy than it’s ok.

Having a strong support system is crucial in overcoming drug addiction. When making a decision to have a loved one admitted into an addiction rehab treatment facility, make sure that the program is properly licensed and accredited. Seabrook believes its patients deserve a treatment rehab center with integrity, backed by accreditation organizations worthy of the utmost respect. Seabrook is an internationally recognized private and exclusive inpatient drug rehab and alcoholism detoxification treatment center who has achieved an elite CARF accreditation status, ensuring that our rehab patients receive the highest quality treatment. Individually structured programs are offered at Seabrook to ensure that all patients receive a unique treatment that results in the most successful recovery.