Eminem Celebrates 12 Years Of Sobriety
Published on April 22, 2020.On Monday, April 20, Eminem hit another milestone in his sobriety journey! The rapper shared a photo to social media of his Alcoholic Anonymous coin, marking 12 years of sobriety.
“Clean dozen, in the books!” the 47-year-old wrote, sharing a photo of the medallion, stamped with the traditional AA triangle and the words “Recovery,” “Unity” and “Service.”
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“I’m not afraid,” Eminem added.
Sobriety chips are often used by AA members to mark sober anniversaries. The mementos help addicts self-resolve in continuing their absence from the subject of their addiction, while also representing the organization’s commitment to its members.
This is the third year in a row that the rapper marked his sober anniversary with a photo of his token.
Last year around this time, Eminem also wrote that he was “not afraid” while pointing out that he was 11 years sober.
In 2018, he acknowledged the anniversary of his sobriety. “Celebrated my 10 years yesterday,” he wrote, sharing an image in which he held his medallion up to the camera.
The rapper had a near-death experience from an accidental overdose back in 2007. His addiction to substances escalated to the point where he was taking 20 pills a day.
“I used to get pills wherever I could,” Eminem told The New York Times in 2010. “I was just taking anything that anybody was giving to me.”
He did try rehab, but admitted that the trip was more overwhelming than helpful. “I felt like Bugs Bunny in rehab,” he recollected. “When Bugs Bunny walks into rehab, people are going to turn and look. People at rehab were stealing my hats and pens and notebooks and asking for autographs. I couldn’t concentrate on my problem.”
Instead, he found help with a rehab counselor, who he still sees once a week.
In 2015, Eminem told Men’s Journal that he replaced “addiction with exercise.”
“When I got out of rehab, I needed to lose weight, but I also needed to figure out a way to function sober,” he said. “Unless I was blitzed out of my mind, I had trouble sleeping. So I started running. It gave me a natural endorphin high, but it also helped me sleep, so it was perfect.”
He added, “It’s easy to understand how people replace addiction with exercise. One addiction for another but one that’s good for them.”
Ultimately, Eminem credits his children for his recovery, including his biological daughter Hailie Jade, his two adopted daughters, Alania Marie and Whitney.
“I love them so much and they’ve helped me through so many things,” he told the Times in his 2010 interview.
“I think I’ve calmed down a bit,” the rapper said. “My overall look on things is a lot more mature than it used to be.”
11 years – still not afraid. pic.twitter.com/A8TV0LsLfn
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) April 20, 2019
