Michael J Fox Opens Up About Alcoholism

And other celebrities who have battled alcoholism and made it through.

The 50 year old star admits he’s had his struggles in the last few decades. He says when first discovered he had Parkinson’s disease in 1990, he didn’t know how to cope. His immediate response was to drink heavily - he had always been a drinker but things began to get worse. Fox began abusing alcohol as a substance that could numb the feelings of fear and confusion that came from knowing he had Parkinson’s disease.

The day came when Fox knew his drinking had gone out of control. With the support of his wife and family, Fox was able to quit drinking and has remained sober ever since. His career has continued on over the decades, with film roles and a new television series in 2013. Fox’s activism for Parkinson’s Disease awareness is another important aspect of his career.

Other celebrities have spoken publicly about their struggles with alcohol abuse in hopes that their stories will help inspire others to choose recovery. Here are a few celebs who have battled and ultimately won the struggle with alcoholism and addiction. Hopefully their tales can prove to be an inspiration to people who are currently struggling with addiction.

1. Elton John

The British singer began abusing drugs and alcohol early in his career to deal with emotional issues and feelings of insecurity. For a long time, he kept his struggle hidden from everyone except those who were closest to the singer. When the addiction began taking its toll, John went into treatment and has been sober ever since. He has drawn from his struggles to help other celebrities, like fellow British singer Robbie Williams and even rapper Eminem, overcome their alcoholism.

2. Anthony Hopkins

The celebrated British actor also had a drinking problem early in his career. His wake up call finally came after finding himself confused and alone in an unknown location after a night of particularly heavy drinking. Drinking had also caused Hopkins to isolate himself from the friends and family who cared about him. The actor admits that it was a 12 step program that helped him stop drinking and put his life and relationships back together.

3. Steven Tyler

The Aerosmith lead singer says that his battle with alcoholism lasted for decades and had its ups and downs. He admits that it was the rock star image that first made him want to take up a lifestyle of heavy drinking. Tyler thought that in order to be a proper rock star, one had to smoke and drink heavily. Today he’s sober and still able to do the rock star thing.

4. Eminem

The Detroit rapper’s alcoholism began with the use of prescription drugs. He would often combine the two to achieve a more intense high. Soon enough, he found himself addicted to both alcohol and pills and things began to spiral out of control. With the help of fellow entertainer Elton John, Eminem was able to kick his habit and stay drug and alcohol free.

John Lloyd is a recovery specialist and works helping people addicted to drugs and alcohol, learn more about the work he does for Seasons Malibu an addiction treatment center.

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Eminem Opens Up

Remember when we found out that Eminem was fully addicted to prescription pills? Despite his self-disclosure of drug and alcohol abuse in song after song (examples: Purple Pills and Drug Ballad), did we really understand that he was addicted?

He was reaching a point of success in the music industry, a rags to riches kind of story, and seemed to be working hard to keep that earned status.

The Documentary

In a new documentary, though, Eminem (Marshall Mathers) is letting it be known that his prescription drug addiction nearly killed him. How to Make Money Selling Drugs gives the audience an inside look at just how bad addiction got for Eminem. In his words, “Had I got to the hospital about two hours later, I would have died. My organs were shutting down. My liver, kidneys, everything. They were gonna have to put me on dialysis. They didn't think I was gonna make it. My bottom was gonna be death."

In the world of addiction treatment, the concept of “rock bottom” is prevalent. Not all addicts need to hit a bottom like Marshall did, but he is making the point that for him, death was the only thing that was going to stop him from popping those pills.

As his celebrity status grew, Marshall would get rid of anyone who tried telling him he had a drug problem. He was Eminem. He could send people away if he wanted to. He did not have to listen to that.  He recalls thinking that these people were ridiculous. That guy is saying I’m a drug addict? That I have a problem? I don’t. I’m not shooting heroin or smoking crack. Get that guy outta here!

During one episode of heavy use, Marshall was rushed to the hospital. After nearly dying, Eminem knew he needed rehab. A men’s addiction treatment program was the next step in his life.

Detox

Detoxing was difficult, as it is when anyone stops taking opiates like Vicodin, which was one of his drug’s of choice. He talks about being awake for basically three weeks straight as his body and brain adjusted to pre-drug functioning.

He was also taking Xanax and Valium, among other drugs. The combinations that Marshall’s body experienced makes it hard to find a good place of balance again. Feeling no pain during active use, and then getting clean all at once, makes any pain now feel unbearable. Emotions come rushing to the surface while your body is beyond uncomfortable.

The Process Of Healing

Once you make it past detox though, you can begin to heal.  Men’s addiction treatment was not easy for Eminem, but he did make it through. He is sober today, as far as we know, and he wants addicts and alcoholics who are going to rehab to know that it does get easier.

The documentary, in theaters, will show the truth about drug addiction through Eminem’s experiences. Will it show the full picture? From that first Vicodin, that numbed everything in all the right ways, to near-death with the reality of major internal damage, to men’s addiction treatment?

Hopefully the film can inspire others to seek treatment too.

Kate Green is passionate about covering the world of addiction reocver from her time spent working with Balboa Horizons Treatment Services http://www.balboahorizons.com/.

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Tupac Vs. Eminem, Who's The Best Rapper?

The talk of which rap artist is the best of all time always lingers with arguments. The battle of who is the best rapper of all time usually comes down to Tupac and Eminem. If you don't know who these two rappers are, then you need to continue living under that heavy rock elsewhere.

The reason why these two rap artists are usually considered to be the two best rappers is due to their music portfolio, music ability, and their power of popular music. You can't really deny these two the fact of not being in the top five rappers of all time at bare minimum.

Why Would Eminem be Better than Tupac?

Lets look into the minds of those that think Eminem is the best rapper of all time ahead of Tupac. Eminem has more music for one. That can't hold much weight though, due to the fact of Tupac being murdered. This would disable him of having more music then he does. A bit of a pity appeal to that topic.. Though it holds weight.

Eminem has a larger fan base with more mainstream sounds in his music. This is a genuine argument as well. I do believe it to be completely true, but with Tupac's limited time alive.. Maybe he would have the same thing with the same amount of time in which Eminem has had. Still a tough one to push weight to.

Tupac Is The Best Rapper, Ahead of Eminem

The crowd of individuals that feel Tupac is the best rapper of all time is very prevalent with confidence. I understand the power in which he took rap music over was deceiving but I'm not sure that's enough evidence for me. The most common weight people push around is the idea of how he shaped rap music as a whole.

He brought new things to mainstream rap and hip hop. He was the most popular thing since sliced bread. Yes we're aware of that but does that make him the best of all time? It's a strong argument to push but I want more.

I'm a believer in the fact that Tupac's murder also pulls a pity roll in people remembering him during his era of popular spotlight. I like to compare or to Princess Diana's death. Everyone remembers that and how beautiful of a person we all remember her of being.

Still No Conclusion.. What the Heck

Long story short, there isn't going to be a right answer. Due to the argument being very opinionated, there will never be a correct answer. Hopefully we can just all argue violence free. Sometimes we all get pretty caught up in some of our very strong opinions. Keep thinking of valid points and we actually moght get somewhere with this arguement.

Stop the battling and start the loving. Alright, that's pushing it a little bit too far. We still love to battle about who is the best. Author Chris Weber is obsessed with rap battles like this one.

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