For every story we hear of celebrities hitting bottom and entering treatment for addiction, there are others whose drug histories look a little different. Recording artist and actor Kid Cudi says his publicized history of drug use was not addiction, but rather an attempt to medicate his depression. “I really came out of that drug shit,” Cudi recently told Billboard. “People don’t know how real it was. I used drugs to try to fix my depression.”
But that didn’t stop the media and public from drawing their own conclusions. In 2010, the musician was arrested for cocaine, leading to rumors that he was struggling with addiction. “People said I was an addict,” he said. “But I was never an addict; I was just on a ride for a little bit. Playing rock was my way of saying, ‘F*** everyone.’ It wasn’t well-received … The last thing I was catering to was the world.”
Of course, not everyone with an addiction is willing to admit it to themselves, or others. Especially those whose lives are documented by the news media and paparazzi. But at the same time, many people do misuse substances for a period of time without becoming addicted.
The 32-year-old says he was able to recover from depression by shifting his mindset. “I have everything I ever dreamed of in terms of stability,” he said. “But I hadn’t been living that reality, because depression was f***ing me up. So this year I chose to be happy. I just woke up.”
The rapper and singer hasn’t always shied away from using the word “addiction” to describe his substance use. Back in 2014, he said he had been sober for almost six months after spiraling out with alcohol and cocaine. “I had a problem, I think with any addiction you have to be ready to make the choice, whether it’s cigarettes or anything,” he said in an interview. “You have to just commit and you just have to stick with it.”
At the time, Cudi said he had recovered “cold turkey.” “I didn’t go to rehab,” he said. “I don’t believe in these things. Some people need the extra help, not me.” Well, to each his own.