Eminem Celebrates 16 Years of Hard-Fought Sobriety After Near-Fatal Overdose

Eminem is celebrating a major milestone – 16 years of sobriety after nearly losing his life to addiction. On April 20th, the 51-year-old rapper simply posted a photo on Instagram of a sobriety coin marking this “sweet 16” anniversary. But that unassuming image represents an incredibly difficult journey.

Back in 2007, Eminem’s drug abuse spiraled to a nearly fatal overdose. He had become addicted to prescription pills like Vicodin, Valium and Ambien, at one point taking up to 20 pills per day. In a 2009 interview, he revealed accidentally taking the equivalent of “four bags of heroin” after being given methadone by an acquaintance.

“According to my physician, the methadone dosage I consumed was comparable to injecting four bags of heroin intravenously,” he recounted. “Had I been aware of that equivalency, I likely would not have taken it. However, given the severity of my addiction at that time, I cannot definitively assert that I would have refrained.”

After rehab attempts and relapses, Eminem finally got sober on April 20, 2008. His struggles heavily inspired his 2009 album Relapse, with raw lyrics detailing his addiction like “I need these pills to be able to sleep, so I take three naps…That’s an Ambien each nap, how many Valium? Three?”

Now, 16 years clean, that dark chapter is commemorated by the simple sobriety coin he posted online. The comments flooded with support from famous friends like his manager Paul Rosenberg, singer John Mayer, TV personalities like Michelle Visage and Jo Frost, and of course, legions of fans inspired by his perseverance.

A fan expressed profound gratitude, stating, “Your music provided invaluable support during the arduous first year of my sobriety journey. Listening to your songs helped me immensely as I navigated that vulnerable period. I have now achieved 14 years of sobriety, and your artistic contributions played a role in that accomplishment.” The fan further extended congratulations, remarking, “Kudos on your remarkable 16-year milestone of maintaining sobriety!”

For Eminem, that coin represents an incredibly tough battle finally won – the renewal of life after addiction nearly took it all away. His crusade to reclaim his sobriety has now inspired millions.