Eminem’s Battle To Overcome Drug Addiction

Eminem talked about how he beat his drug addiction and obsessive exercise regimen after leaving rehab, with a weight of more than 100 kg.

In a recent interview with Men’s Journal, Eminem shared that, at a time when he was overweight, weighing over 104 kg, and at risk of relapse following a drug overdose in 2007, he decided to find a “replacement addiction” — running.

In 2002, while working on the movie 8 Mile, Eminem developed insomnia and a friend gave him a sedative to help ease his anxiety. From then on, the rap star became dependent on drugs like Ambien, Valium, and Vicodin.

“Using Vicodin and Valium for so many years created a huge hole in my stomach, so to avoid recurring pain, I kept eating,” Eminem shared, explaining why he gained weight.

In 2007, due to a drug overdose, Eminem suffered a severe drug shock. At that time, the singer’s weight had ballooned to 104 kg.

Wanting to break free from his old ways and return to a normal life, Eminem chose a healthier “addiction” — running. “Working out gave me a high level of natural endorphins, which helped me sleep better,” Eminem said.

Each morning, before heading to the studio, the singer would run 14 kilometers in about an hour, and then run another 14 kilometers at night, averaging at least 27 kilometers a day on the treadmill. The music star became obsessed with burning 2,000 calories a day and forced himself to stick to a grueling workout schedule.

“I became a crazy treadmill bug,” Eminem described.

Although he lost 37 kg and reached a more average weight of 67 kg, the singer suffered a hip injury from overtraining. After recovering, the famous rapper switched from running to targeted exercises for different body parts.

Eminem recalled: “These exercises were intense. The first time I did a leg workout, I couldn’t walk normally for two days.”

Since then, the rap star has established a daily workout routine with exercises broken down for legs, arms, and chest. In addition to working out, Eminem always keeps himself busy with work due to his obsession with his past.

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“If I have a break after a busy week, I’m afraid I’ll fall back into my old ways. Once you start something and see results, you don’t want to quit and start over,” the singer confessed.

Eminem is a rap superstar who has won 9 Grammy Awards and an Oscar for his role in 8 Mile. Recently, the 42-year-old singer has revived his career with hits like Not Afraid, I Need A Doctor, Lighters… and won Artist of the Year at the 2013 YouTube Music Awards.

Eminem has a long history of using sedatives. At one point, he was taking up to 60 pills a day. The singer also released two albums detailing his journey through recovery: Relapse in 2009 and Recovery in 2010.