Eminem is 11 Years in Recovery From Prescription Drugs – and Deeply Grateful for It

Marshall Bruce Mathers, better known as Eminem, recently celebrated 11 years in Recovery – and he's definitely proud of it. The prolific rapper posted a photo of his 11-year chip on his Instagram and Twitter accounts with the caption “11 years – still not afraid,” a brief but apt description of the bravery, hope and optimism inherent in the recovery journey. Mathers’ prior drug use was no private matter – songs like “Drug Ballad” and “These Drugs” punctuated a body of work so substance-inspired that a Project Know survey of Rap Genius archives found that Eminem made the most drug references of any artist in hip hop. He discussed his issues with pill addiction openly in a 2009 interview with Vibe magazine: “It’s no secret I had a drug problem. If I was to give you a number of Vicodin I would actually take in a day? Anywhere between 10 to 20. Valium, Ambien, the numbers got so high I don’t even know what I was taking.”

The Ups and Downs of Eminem’s Recovery Journey

After many tumultuous years of trauma- and anger-fueled active use that included multiple stints in rehab and a methadone overdose, Eminem took a positive step in his Recovery pathway when he checked himself into a residential 12-Step program in April of 2008. The rapper now sings a different tune – his albums Relapse and Recovery deal with themes of addiction and his journey away from it. And he’s just as outspoken about his sobriety as he was about his drug use. In an interview with Zane Lowe of the UK’s Radio 1, Mathers acknowledged the harsh realities of addiction that many loved ones live with each day and expressed his gratitude for the life his recovery has allowed him to live: “I know there’s so many addicts in this world and people who had problems like that that don’t make it. So I’m thankful for that.”

Prescription Drug Addiction: A Growing Concern

Mathers’ battle with prescription drug addiction is certainly not an isolated one – the issue is vast, and growing. The opioid epidemic has seized attention worldwide for the urgency of its rapid spread and the tragic number of lives it’s claimed. According to a 2017 study by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, an estimated 1.7 million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers, and 652,000 suffered from a heroin use disorder (not mutually exclusive). In 2017 more than 47,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose, including prescription opioids, heroin, and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. Perhaps even more frightening is the close relationship between addiction and street heroin use – it’s estimated that 23 percent of heroin users develop a narcotic painkiller addiction, and nearly 80 per cent of heroin users report using prescription opioids first. Opioids are known for being extremely addictive, which makes their widespread use extra concerning. According to the World Health Organisation, “Opioids have the potential to cause substance dependence that is characterized by a strong desire to take opioids, impaired control over opioid use, persistent opioid use despite harmful consequences, a higher priority given to opioid use than to other activities and obligations, increased tolerance, and a physical withdrawal reaction when opioids are discontinued.” Worldwide, about 34 million people use opioids (synthetic opiates such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl) and 19 million use opiates (opium poppy derivatives like heroin and morphine). That represents a lot of addiction potential.