Eminem Celebrates 18 Years of Sobriety

The Grammy-winning rapper got clean in April 2008, previously telling Rolling Stone that he “knew I had to change my life”

Eminem has reached 18 years of sobriety, celebrating the achievement by posting a photo of a coin commemorating the milestone.

The 53-year-old shared the news on Instagram on Monday, receiving congratulations from some of his industry friends, including Questlove, Big Sean, and scores of his fans. “Congrats my man! BTW, Nice t-shirt,” commented rapper and DJ D-Nice, as Eminem happened to be wearing the producer’s “To Tha Rescue” shirt.

Eminem, born Marshall Mathers, has long been open about his sobriety, which followed an accidental methadone overdose in December 2007. It was a culmination of years struggling with his addiction, which “started to become a problem” in the early 2000s while he was filming 8 Mile.

“I was taking so many pills that I wasn’t even taking them to get high anymore,” he told Rolling Stone in 2011. “I was taking them to feel normal. Not that I didn’t get high. I just had to take a ridiculous amount. I want to say in a day I could consume anywhere from 40 to 60 Valium. And Vicodin… maybe 20, 30? I don’t know. I was taking a lot of shit.”

His addiction further spiraled following the death of his close friend Proof in 2006, leading to a wake-up call in 2008 and getting clean. Eminem sought out a rehab counselor for weekly meetings and began running several miles a day. “I knew I had to change my life,” the Grammy-winner explained to Rolling Stone. “I either get help, or I am going to die.”

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