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Ed Sheeran opened up about his struggle with substance abuse

Ed Sheeran opened up about his struggle with substance abuse
Ed Sheeran opened up about his struggle with substance abuse

Just before Ed Sheeran dropped his latest album ÷ (pronounced, Divide), he had been on a year-long hiatus from music and the public eye. In an upcoming appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, Sheeran revealed that he struggled with substance abuse and his hiatus was vital for his recovery.

According to People.com, Sheeran told host Jonathan Ross that his sudden leap into fame came with dark consequences.

“I think you need to, when you get into the industry, adjust to it,” Sheeran said, “and I didn’t adjust because I was constantly working on tour. And all the pitfalls that people read about, I just found myself slipping into all of them. Mostly, like, substance abuse.”

Photo by @jkoephoto

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on Oct 10, 2017 at 11:29pm PDT

“I didn’t really notice it was happening,” Sheeran added. “It just started gradually happening, and then some people took me to one side and were like, ‘Calm yourself down’… It’s all fun to begin with, it all starts off as a party and then you’re doing it on your own and it’s not.”

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on Jul 31, 2017 at 11:48am PDT

The singer candidly admitted that he needed to take a year to reevaluate what he wanted out of this new life. In that year, Sheeran found that focusing on his work and time spent with his girlfriend, Cherry Seaborn, pulled him out of his rut.

“I focused on work, and I can’t work under the influence, I can’t write songs under the influence, I can’t perform under the influence,” Sheeran said, “so the more I worked the less [that happened]. I’ve worked my whole life to get to where I am and you can’t lose that over something that you do in your spare time.”

Doing a big announcement on instagram live at 5:30pm EST, tune in. Photo by @marksurridge

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on Sep 22, 2017 at 9:41am PDT

Sheeran credits his becoming more grounded to living with Seaborn. He believes that she helps to balance out his hectic musician lifestyle.

Being open about this topic takes bravery, and we’re so glad that Sheeran seems to be doing better. He’s currently touring, although his Asia tour dates have been postponed due to a broken arm.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, don’t hesitate to call the National Substance Abuse and Mental Health Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).