Eminem tells the world that he almost died from a drug overdose. The documentary, How To Make Money Selling Drugs, chronicles the rapper’s horrific experience with addiction.
Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, says that at one point he was addicted to Vicodin, Xanax, and Valium to the point where he thought he was going to die. His organs were starting to shut down, but for a while he was convinced that he did not have a problem since he was not smoking crack or shooting heroin.
His prescription drug abuse was so bad that doctors told Marshall that had he decided to get to the hospital just two hours later, they are not sure he would have lived. His kidneys and liver were struggling to the point of a medical need for dialysis.
In true addict form, Eminem recalls pushing everyone away who tried to help him. If someone mentioned concern, that person was ordered to go away, enforced by personal security body guards. With money and fame, Eminem was untouchable and got what he wanted. Without believing that he had a problem, the road to recovery was nearly impossible for Marshall Mathers to find.
Eminem is now 40 years old and he is sober. He has already had a tough time staying clean, admitting to a relapse, and knowing that he has a long road to sustained recovery.
When he first got sober, Eminem says that he did not sleep at all for three weeks. As he learned more about how substance abuse progresses into addiction, Marshall came to understand that, for him, the “rock bottom” that addicts need to experience, either on their own or through intervention and consequences, was going to be death. Nothing else was getting through to Marshall, and none of the problems that had come up thus far had impacted his drug use.
In his own words, Marshall says, “I’m growing. I just couldn’t believe that anybody could be naturally happy or naturally function or be just enjoying life in general without being on something.” He is now working on changing that mentality, one day at a time.
His daughter Hailie, the inspiration for many of his songs that did not directly discuss substance abuse, is now 17 years old. Marshall also legally adopted his ex-wife Kim’s daughters, Whitney and Alaina. The lives he is supposed to be protecting and setting a good example for now serve as motivation to stay clean.
Marshall now understands just how long the road to recovery can be, and that he must recommit to not using any substances each day for the rest of his life. As any recovering addict will tell you, learning that you are powerless over drugs and alcohol means that you will not just have one night of partying and then walk away; you will progress back to at least the point of abuse you were at before getting clean, if not worse. If you use even just one more time, your body may not be able to handle the substances you put in, and you may use to the point of death.
Marshall encourages young addicts to seek the help he got and to come to terms with the disease that will take your life. His message: it does get better. Although Eminem has a long road to recovery, he is now there and Marshall has a chance at life, love, and happiness again.
If you can relate to Eminem’s long road to recovery, or you can see the same denial in someone you care about, contact Shadow Mountain Recovery now to find out what path is right for your specific situation. It really does get better.
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