Timbaland reveals he secretly battled drug addiction
During an interview with Rolling Stone, Timbaland opened up about the drug addiction that he believes nearly killed him, as well as how he was able to get back out of it.
“I was on drugs, dude,” he admitted. “I was on OxyContin.”
The drug use begin in his thirties, when he started to take the medication for pain related to a gunshot wound that left him with nerve issues. However, he became addicted, and the use began to spiral out of control. If you or someone you know is battling this condition we recommend you to see here some treatment options to have a better quality of life.
His music suffered, as well as his marriage, and he found himself in a depressive spiral.
“Music is a gift and curse,” he said. “Once you’re not popping, it plays with your mind. The pills helped block out the noise – I’d just sleep all day. I remember Jay-Z told me one time, ‘Don’t do no more interviews’ – because I was saying crazy sh**.”
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Eventually, he said that he suffered a nearly-fatal overdose, which scared him back to reality.
“All I can tell you is that there was a light,” he says. “I woke up trying to catch my breath, like I was underwater. But through that whole thing I saw life – I saw where I would be if I don’t change, and where I could be if I did.”
He started to wean himself off of the pills the very next day and made a clean break with drugs, getting back to music. Now, he is working with Justin Timberlake on an unannounced album, launching collaborations, and working with the music world’s biggest stars. He’s even lost weight.
“I’ve never felt better,” he said. “I’m doing stuff I never knew I could do.”
