Celebrity mental health is always a headline-grabbing topic. Often, celebrities seem like picture-perfect humans who can’t get anything wrong, so it’s shocking when they start to spiral out of control or discuss their struggles.
Ed Sheeran is one celebrity who hasn’t held back in making comments about his mental health, his addiction struggles and how he copes while being in the spotlight.
Ed Sheeran’s Rise to Fame
Edward Sheeran is an English singer and songwriter who has gained international success for his folk and pop music. He began singing in his local church at age 4 and learned to play guitar when he was 11 years old. Everyone around him saw his potential to be a great artist. In school, his classmates voted him “most likely to be famous.”
In 2004, when he was just 13, Sheeran was already recording music. By 2011, Sheeran had gained mainstream attention and was pushed into life in the public eye.
Celebrity Mental Health and Addiction: Ed Sheeran’s Experience
In June 2023, Sheeran shared how being a friend of Snoop Dogg influenced him to smoke weed. The musician recalled that he didn’t particularly want to smoke marijuana but felt pressured to do so because of who he was with. But, due to his addiction tendencies, Sheeran took the moment too far and overdid it.
Sheeran said, “I was in the dressing room, and they were smoking joint after joint, joint after joint. So I smoked a little bit and thought, ‘I don’t feel so bad. This is good.’ Then some more and more, and then more and then more … I just remember looking at it and saying, ‘I can’t see anything.'”
Peer pressure and influence have always seemed to be Sheeran’s downfall. He shared that his drug issues first started when he was 24 and spending time with friends who used drugs. Before that, he was drug-free.
Sheeran said, “I remember just being at a festival and being like, ‘Well, if all of my friends do it, it can’t be that bad.’ And then sort of dabbling. And then it just turns into a habit that you do once a week and then once a day and then, like, twice a day and then, like, without booze. It just became bad vibes.”
Sheeran isn’t alone in getting involved in substances due to those around him. Studies have shown that 21% of teenagers have admitted that peer pressure caused them to use an illicit drug at least once. Even fame and fortune can’t protect you from peer pressure.
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The Road to Recovery
Ultimately, it was Sheeran’s family that helped him get clean. In 2020, his wife was pregnant with his first child and he realized he needed to slow his drinking. Sheeran’s wife, Cheery, helped him see something needed to change. Sheeran recalled, “Two months before Lyra was born, Cherry said, ‘If my waters break, do you really want someone else to drive me to the hospital?'”
He also credited friend and fellow addict Robbie Williams for making him feel less isolated. Sheeran watched a documentary on Williams and thought, “I was watching this thing being like, ‘Oh man, he’s gone through exactly what I’ve just gone through.’ He had a problem with his weight, he had a problem with drugs, he had a problem with alcohol.”
The two connected over email and became a support system for one another.
Sadly, Sheeran’s life was turned upside-down again in early 2022. His best friend, Jamal Edwards, passed away from a cardiac arrhythmia related to cocaine use. Sheeran also discovered his then-pregnant wife had a tumor, and he lost another friend, Australian cricket star Shane Warne. This sequence of events sent him spiraling into a deep depression.
In one interview, the musician talked about how all-encompassing depression was for him. “I felt like I didn’t want to live anymore. You’re under the waves drowning. You’re just sort of in this thing. And you can’t get out of it.”
He also shared with Rolling Stone that along with his depression and addiction issues, he’s battled with bulimia.
How Ed Sheeran Uses Music as Therapy
Today, Sheeran isn’t 100% sober, but he no longer takes drugs and has stopped drinking hard liquor. He also began seeing a therapist for the first time in his life after experiencing so much pain and grief in such a short period. He has stated that the hurdle to going to therapy was enormous because “people think it’s weird getting a therapist in England.”
In addition to counseling, the artist finds his music to be a form of therapy. His song “Bad Habits” is “a confessional song about addiction.”
Earlier in his life, when he was drinking heavily and abusing drugs, his addictions took a toll on his career. He broke both arms in a biking accident and didn’t even realize he was hurt. That injury — and almost losing the ability to play guitar again — made him pause touring. He concentrated on getting clean.
“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, so the more I worked, the less [that happened].”
More recently, his music has become his new coping mechanism. While he used to cope with his problems in unhealthy ways, such as using substances, he can use music as an escape.
One friend noticed that “there wasn’t a single day in 2022 when he wasn’t working” in some way. Sheeran himself has commented that work allowed him to forget his grief temporarily.
However, he eventually had a breakdown on stage and realized he had to deal with his grief in a healthier way before continuing to work.
What We Can Learn From Ed Sheeran’s Approach to Coping
When it comes to public coping strategies, Sheeran has tried them all. The musician said he fell into the trap that far too many celebrities do — using drugs and alcohol to deal with the immense pressure of fame. He’s also tried to push through the problems and show up for fans, but that’s proven ineffective. What’s worked best is taking time away to focus on his family, friends and creativity. From that, he can process his feelings and create new music.
The lesson from Sheeran’s story is to understand when to take a break and focus on your health. Addiction recovery and mental health treatment can’t be pushed to the side. If these problems aren’t dealt with, they spiral until they take over your life.
If Ed Sheeran’s struggles resonate with you, know that you, too, can have a successful recovery story.
Support at Restore Mental Health
Restore Mental Health can help; we offer treatment programs for a variety of mental health conditions, including substance abuse.
A better tomorrow is possible if you seek help today. Contact us for more information.
