‘Recovery’ After ‘Relapse’: Eminem Celebrates 16 Years Of Sobriety
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Eminem is celebrating his 16th year of sobriety since overcoming an addiction to alcohol and drugs during the late ’00s.
On Sunday (April 21), the 51-year-old took to Instagram to acknowledge the latest milestone in his personal life, simply sharing a photo of himself holding a coin with the number “16” engraved on it. The coin, commonly known as a sobriety medallion or chip, is given to former addicts after each year of abstaining from drug and alcohol use.
While the rap legend didn’t add any context to the photo, supporters congratulated him on his achievement in the post’s comments, including Paul Rosenberg, John Mayer, and other notable figures.
Eminem has been open about his struggles with addiction throughout his career, with songs and complete albums revolving around the subject. In 2009, two years after suffering a drug overdose, the Detroit native released his sixth studio album, Relapse, which was followed by his seventh studio album, Recovery, in 2010.
The hitmaker went in-depth regarding his experiences with drug and alcohol abuse in 2022, recounting the period when his addiction began and when he realized it had spiraled out of control. “My addiction didn’t start in my early days when I was coming up. We used to drink 40s on the porch and just battle rap each other. My drug usage started at the beginning of that first album,” he explained to XXL.
“I didn’t take anything hard until I got famous. I was experimenting. I hadn’t found a drug of choice. Back then, you went on tour and people were just giving you free drugs. I managed it for a little while. And then, it just became, I like this sh*t is too much and I don’t know how to stop.”
Despite having reached the height of his success with his third studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP, Em points to that time as when his addiction grew worse.
“I was able to downplay my addiction and hide it for a while until it got really bad. […] So, I’m coming off The Marshall Mathers LP and going into Encore when my addiction started to get bad. I was taking Vicodin, Valium, and alcohol. I kinda fell off the map a little bit and didn’t explain why I went away,” he continued.
Eminem also points to the death of close friend and D12 founder Proof as a catalyst for his depression and continued drug use, which resulted in his overdose on methadone and subsequent admittance to a rehabilitation clinic.
“I remember just after Proof died, I was in my house by myself, and I was just laying in bed and I couldn’t move and I just kept staring at the ceiling fan,” he recalled.
“And I just kept taking more pills. I literally couldn’t walk for two days when that happened and eventually my drug use f**kin’ skyrocketed. I had f**in’ 10 drug dealers at one time that I’m getting my sh*t from. Seventy-five to 80 Valiums a night, which is a lot. I don’t know how the f**I’m still here. I was numbing myself.”
Congratulations to Eminem on his 16th year of sobriety.
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