DETROIT, April 21, 2026 Rapper Eminem marked 18 years of sobriety by sharing a photo of his Alcoholics Anonymous medal on Instagram, reflecting on his journey since a life-threatening overdose in 2007.
A Milestone in Recovery
Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, posted the commemorative medal on his Instagram account, which boasts nearly 45 million followers. The medal, awarded by Alcoholics Anonymous, featured the German phrase "Sei treu zu Dir selbst" ("Be true to yourself"). The post garnered over 230,000 likes within a day, underscoring the widespread support for his sobriety milestone.
The rapper has been open about his struggles with addiction, particularly during the mid-2000s when he nearly died from an overdose of Methadone, a heroin substitute. At the time, Eminem revealed he had consumed a large number of pills, not to get high but to "feel normal," as he told Rolling Stone in a past interview. His journey to sobriety began in 2008, and he has since become an advocate for addiction recovery.
The Overdose That Changed Everything
In 2007, Eminem's addiction reached a critical point when he overdosed on Methadone, a moment he has described as a turning point in his life. The incident left him hospitalized and facing the stark reality of his dependence on prescription drugs. "I was close to death," he later admitted, according to sources corroborated by multiple outlets.