Grammy-winning rapper Eminem is opening up like never before about the darkest period of his life.

In the new documentary "Stans," the 52-year-old artist shares how a near-fatal drug overdose forced him to start over — even with the thing he's most known for: rapping.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, struggled with addiction to prescription pills for nearly a decade.

According to US Magazine, he says his use of drugs like Vicodin, Valium, Ambien, and Xanax spiraled out of control between 1999 and 2008.

"I got into this vicious cycle of, 'I'm depressed so I need more pills,' and then your tolerance gets so high that you end up overdosing," Eminem explained in the film.

In 2008, that overdose nearly cost him his life. He woke up in the hospital, confused and scared, with tubes in his body. He later learned he had missed his daughter Hailie Jade's birthday while he was unconscious.

"I cried because it was like, 'Oh my God, I missed that,'" he said. "I kept saying to myself, 'Do you want to f***ing miss this again?' If you can't do it for yourself, at least do it for them. I realized I'm never doing this again."

Relapse Album Marked Turning Point in Eminem's Recovery

That moment became the turning point. Eminem began the difficult journey toward recovery — a process that, he says, included relearning how to walk, talk, and even rap again, DailyNews said.

"My writing had gotten terrible," he admitted. "When I started to get it back, it was exciting... I was writing songs really quickly."

Eminem's path to recovery played a big role in shaping his 2009 album Relapse.

Though the album received mixed reviews, Eminem said it helped him realize something important: he no longer needed to hide his struggles.

Eminem shared that a turning point in his life came when he stopped feeling ashamed of his addiction struggles.

He began to see sobriety as something to be proud of—almost like a personal superpower—and found strength in his ability to overcome it.

Now nearly 17 years sober, Eminem says the journey wasn't easy, but it saved his life — and helped him become a better artist, father, and person.

The "Stans" documentary, which also features interviews with Dr. Dre, LL Cool J, and some of Eminem's most passionate fans, hit theaters August 7 for a limited run.

Originally published on Music Times

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