Eminem's capacity to become engrossed in his addictive habits sparked a pivotal transformation. In his latest documentary, "Stans," the rapper behind the hit "Mockingbird" delved into his past indulgence in prescription medications—encompassing Vicodin, Valium, Ambien, and Xanax—spanning from the late 1990s to approximately 2008, which culminated in a harrowing health crisis. "I found myself ensnared in a relentless cycle: 'I'm depressed, hence I require more pills,'" Eminem recounted in the documentary, according to Us Weekly. "Soon, my tolerance soared to the point of overdosing. I awoke in a hospital, clueless about what transpired. I lay there, tethered to tubes, unable to stir, longing to move."
At 52 (born Marshall Mathers), he emphasized that upon returning home, he was beset by an insistent yearning for something and a profound fear of impending doom if he refrained from altering his course. Beyond the health peril, it was the absence from his daughter Hailie Jade's birthday party, now a 29-year-old shared with his ex-partner Kim Scott, that propelled him to confront his addiction head-on. "I wept, realizing, 'Oh my god, I missed that,'" Eminem continued. "I repeatedly asked myself, 'Do you wish to miss this again? Do you want to forgo everything? If you can't do it for yourself, you're pathetic, but at least do it for them.'"
Consequently, he reminisced, "I vowed never to revisit that path again." Though the "Lose Yourself" rapper has maintained sobriety for 17 years, he recounted that his journey's inception necessitated relearning fundamental skills—walking, talking, and even, to a large extent, rapping anew. "My songwriting had deteriorated drastically," he disclosed in the documentary. "When I gradually reclaimed it, it was exhilarating. It felt authentic. It stemmed from conversations, whether with people or the television."
Eminem, who is also the father of Alaina, 32, and Stevie, 32, with Kim, further noted, "Inspiration struck swiftly, and I composed songs at breakneck speed." During the creation of his 2009 album "Relapse," which chronicled his sobriety journey, he derived strength from his liberation from addiction. "It served a purpose. It ignited a spark," Eminem elaborated. "I recognized that I was no longer ashamed of my sobriety. I began to embrace it as a superpower and took pride in overcoming my addiction."
