Lastly, the rapper paid homage to those who lost their lives to substance abuse. “Mac Miller was a friend of mine,” he shared. The song, a collaboration with Australian singer-songwriter Tones and I, touches on pivotal experiences in his life, including his 2020 relapse. The star has been in recovery since 2008, when his father helped get him into treatment after years of drug and alcohol abuse.
One day at a time
- “For a lot of these youth, I thinking they feel like, how could you even know?” said the star.
- There’s this myth that “Oh, they know the harm that they are causing themselves and their loved ones. They should just stop.” It’s just that easy, it’s their choice.
- If I want to make music — the thing that I love the most — if I want to do that, then I have to be sober.
- At the height of the opioid epidemic in 2016, when opioid overdoses accounted for more than 42,000 deaths in the U.S., as reported by the “U.S.
- Macklemore’s first project with CLEAN Cause will be a video series titled “Drink to This.” While the series is yet to be released, a short trailer can be found on YouTube.
- I was drinking excessively and smoking a ton of weed.
- He believes that being open and honest about your experience allows others to feel safe to share theirs.
I think so much of the time as addicts, we think we can stop ourselves, to do it on our own. “On Monday, I’m going to stop drinking and using drugs.” I have had so many Mondays. It didn’t turn into the Monday that I promised myself during the weekend.
I’ve always been critical of my body. Then I saw what it was capable of
When his honest answer was “no”, his father offered to help by paying for treatment. Macklemore agreed and entered a facility in 2008. The rapper claims that surrendering and admitting that he needed help was the most powerful thing he has ever done. Throughout his longstanding career in the music industry, Macklemore has been open about his struggles with addiction and the obstacles he’s faced on his path to sobriety. Along the way, Macklemore (born Ben Haggarty) struggled with drug addiction, something he continues to be bravely transparent about.
Macklemore Details What Led to His “Very Painful” Relapse
We need to mobilize around recovery and restoration, and find ways to get addicts who want help the resources to do so. ” The answer was simple, yet the process to attain this estranged happiness seemed impossible in that moment. It took my dad’s question to make me realize how far gone I really was. That act of love and compassion saved my life. After years of trying to get sober on my own, I went to rehab. “I had been lucky enough that I had already been to rehab,” he said.
Almost every family in America has been touched by the disease in some way. Our society is at a crucial point and more people are coming forward and being honest about the disease and how it has impacted their lives. And as we rappers who are sober learn more about addiction, the stigma around it is decreasing and giving way to compassion. The “Thrift Shop” rapper, 38, first discussed this personal topic while speaking last April on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast. He said he was inspired to open up after hearing Shepard’s own story, and he hoped he would help even more people by sharing his recent experience. Sobriety is not a daily struggle, but it is a daily effort.
Music Heals: Macklemore Talks About the Struggles of Addiction and Starting Over
“There was a community that was there to support and love me unconditionally that had the same f—ing disease,” Macklemore explained. “There is a therapeutic value of one addict to another sharing their experience, strength and hope and that has saved my f—ing life and continues to save my life.” There is guilt and shame around the disease of addiction.
These aren’t grandiose thoughts, or for shock value. My dad was able to afford a treatment center. I know that a lot of Americans can’t, or they can’t afford to take the time off work. We need to get people into treatment and CLEAN Cause is doing that, and I’m excited to be a part of it.
- Am I making music that is feeding my soul?
- He revealed that he suffered a relapse in 2011 and then again in 2014.
- “When I have to be still and exist within my own head, that’s where my disease lives.”
- “This is what I see. This is what I observe. I want to help you.” You’d be surprised how much people sit back and watch but don’t want to get involved or don’t know how to get involved.
“You excavate that bulls—. You figure out your character defects. You say you’re sorry to some people. You have a spiritual awakening and you go out and you carry that message to someone else.” “For a lot of these youth, I thinking they feel like, how could you even know?” said the star. But Macklemore felt relieved when he discovered he was not alone in his battle with substance abuse. “I didn’t know there were a bunch of people, thousands in my city that were convening in the basements of churches and random old halls and talking about this disease that I had. I didn’t even know it was a disease at the beginning.” Macklemore first sought treatment for addiction in 2008.
Part of the 12-step literature states that we’re supposed to be anonymous. Because of that, there is an air of secrecy that comes with the program. But at this point, we’re in a very different time. Young people are dying without ever knowing that there was actually a place you could get help — in halls and basements in churches, in buildings all over the world, where you can go and get relief, for free.
Macklemore Describes Addiction as ‘Like an Allergy’ and Says Recovery Was a Choice Between ‘Life and Death’
When an addict feels attacked in any way or that their drug or drink is threatened, they’re going to recoil and not want to deal with it. They’re going to escape and not tell you the truth. But if you come from a place of love and have some ideas — you know, I think recommending a local 12-step-meeting is a great place to start. “Hey, let’s just go. I’ll go with you. Let’s just go check it out. It’s an hour-long, what’s the worst that’s going to happen?” Initiating that is a great thing. I think if you have the resources to help, whether that’s helping financially or helping set something up logistically around treatment, that’s a fantastic place to go.