Eminem Is 11 Years Sober From Prescription Drugs – and So Grateful for It

Marshall Bruce Mathers, better known as Eminem, has been sober for 11 years – and proud of it. The prolific rapper posted a photo of his 11-year-old chip on his Instagram and Twitter accounts with the caption “11 years – still not afraid,” a short but apt description of the courage, hope, and optimism inherent in the journey of recovery.
Mathers’ previous drug use was nothing personal – songs like “Drug Ballad” and “This Drugs” punctuate a body of work so inspired by the substance that a Project Know survey of the Rap Genius archives found that Eminem made the most drug references in hip hop. He discussed his problems with pill addiction openly in a 2009 interview with Vibe magazine: “It’s no secret I have a drug problem. If I gave you a certain amount of Vicodin, would I take it in a day? Between 10 and 20. Valium, Ambien, the numbers got so high I didn’t even know what I was taking.”

The Ups and Downs of Eminem’s Recovery Journey

After tumultuous years of active use fueled by trauma and anger that included multiple stints in rehab and a methadone overdose, Eminem became serious about sobriety when he checked himself into a 12-Step residential program in April 2008.
The rapper is now singing a different song – his album Relapse and Recovery addresses the theme of addiction and his journey out of it. And he was as outspoken about his sobriety as he was about his drug use. In an interview with Zane Lowe of Britain’s Radio 1, Mathers acknowledged the harsh reality of addiction that many of his loved ones experience every day and expressed his gratitude for the life his sobriety has led him to: “I know there are so many addicts in the world. this world and people who have such problems are not successful. So I’m grateful for that.”

Prescription Drug Addiction: A Growing Concern

The Mathers’ battle with prescription drug addiction is certainly not a one-off – the problem is extensive and continues to grow. The opioid epidemic has captured global attention due to its rapid spread and tragic loss of life. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, prescription painkillers were responsible for 20,100 overdose deaths in the US in 2015 alone. Perhaps more frightening is the close link between prescription opioid addiction and street heroin use – an estimated 23 percent of heroin users develop an addiction to narcotic painkillers, and nearly 80 percent of heroin users report using prescription opioids first.
Opioids are known to be highly addictive, making their widespread use increasingly concerning. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Opioids have the potential to cause substance dependence which is characterized by a strong desire to consume opioids, impaired control over opioid use, persistent use of opioids despite harmful consequences, use of opioids taking priority over use of other opioids. activities and obligations, increased tolerance, and physical withdrawal reactions when the opioid is discontinued.”
Worldwide, approximately 34 million people use opioids (synthetic opiates such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl) and 19 million people use opiates (opium poppy derivatives such as heroin and morphine). That represents a lot of potential for addiction.

Who is Most Affected by Prescription Drug Addiction?

While drug epidemics have historically had the greatest impact on demographics typically impacted by social issues, perhaps the most unique thing about the opioid epidemic is who it impacts most. While investigating illegal drug addiction, researchers began to notice an increase in opioid addiction among the middle class. Said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a public health expert on drug addiction at the New York City health department in the early 2000s, “As we worked on the problem of illegal drugs, we realized that drug overdose deaths were increasing in middle-class communities in these countries. New York City area.” In the US, the majority of opioid users are non-Hispanic whites.
While opioid prescriptions before the Purdue-Pharma era were generally only given to people suffering from pain from major surgery or traumatic injuries, now they are handed out like candy. In fact, there are so many prescriptions for opioids that most people don’t use their entire prescription, leaving a large number of unused painkillers in the household medicine cabinet – where most teens first experiment with prescription drugs.
This increase in prescriptions, not surprisingly, led to more addiction: “Sometimes I used up my prescription drug supply too quickly and stopped taking the medication, until I received my next prescription,” said Dan Schoepf, a pain patient who received his first opioid prescription. for back injuries. “When I run out, I can’t talk to anyone [because] I’m very sick. I couldn’t live with drugs, I couldn’t live without drugs and I destroyed my family.”

Underlying Causes of Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drug abuse, like all addictions, usually stems from an underlying psychological problem. Many people – some don’t even realize it – use these numbing substances to treat their own problems such as anxiety and depression. Over time, the use of prescription drugs such as opioids significantly changes brain chemistry, making it very difficult to stop. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine of the US National Institutes of Health, “Opioid tolerance, dependence, and addiction are manifestations of brain changes resulting from chronic opioid abuse.”
Environmental factors such as lifestyle issues, stress, and genetic predisposition may also contribute to the tendency for prescription drug use to escalate into addiction.

Quitting Prescription Drugs Takes More Than Willpower – It Takes Care.

Because addiction changes the way your brain functions, you become physically and psychologically adapted to the presence of the drug over time. If you’ve been abusing prescription drugs for some time, or in high doses, you’ve likely developed an addiction – and stopping on your own is not only difficult, it’s also dangerous.
The Cabin offers safe, medically supervised detox in a comfortable setting, supervised by a team of professionals who specialize in addiction. We also offer targeted, comprehensive programs that include individual and group CBT counseling, mindfulness therapy, and 12-Step structural support to help you maintain lifelong recovery. And now we offer a special program just for men – Reach – that takes place in a therapeutic community of other men who have had similar experiences.
Talk to us today to learn more about how we can help you become sustainably conscious.