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One Direction’s Liam Payne Opens Up About Past Addiction and Mental Health Struggles

One Direction’s Liam Payne opened up about past addiction and mental health struggles on a recent podcast. The 27-year-old got real about his drug and alcohol problems during his rise in fame from 1D. Speaking on a podcast, Liam says that most of his days were filled with “pills and booze” and even had “moments of suicidal ideation”.

In 2010, at just 16-years-old, Liam joined what was going to be one of the biggest boy bands in the world for the next 5 years. Money and fame were great, but they came at a price. Liam says, “In the band, the best way to secure us, because of how big we’d got, was just to lock us in our rooms. What’s in the room? A minibar. So, at a certain point I thought, I’m just going to have a party for one and that seemed to carry on for many years of my life. It was wild but it was the only way you could get the frustration out.”

Liam saw pictures of himself circulating online of him on a boat in 2014 and says his face was “all bloated out and I call it my pills and booze face.” Fame, alcohol, and drugs lead to his rock bottom while in the band. He knew he needed to change. Liam Payne’s alcoholism stopped once the band went on hiatus. He says, “I needed to stop, or it would kill me.”

Like many others, Payne said that while isolating at home during the Covid-19 quarantine, he went back to drinking alcohol. “I did worry up until the last few months. I think a lot of people had this same sort of thing, alcohol. It was getting earlier and earlier and easier and easier to go.” After seeing himself on TV, he wanted to change his lifestyle. Thankfully, Liam Payne’s sobriety is one month and counting!

Many people have been dealing with coronavirus addiction relapse triggers. It is not uncommon to experience alcohol cravings when boredom sets in. Here are some tips to stay sober during Covid-19:

  • Find virtual support
  • Don’t get complacent
  • Practice health coping skills
  • Don’t panic
  • Stay busy
  • professional help

Just because you’re in a successful boyband at a young age and have all this fame and money, doesn’t mean you’re exempt from falling into the grips of addiction. We’re so happy that Liam’s alcoholism and drug abuse is in the past and that he’s wanting to change his life for the better!

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Alyssa, Director of Digital Marketing
Alyssa, Director of Digital Marketing
Alyssa is the National Director of Digital Marketing and is responsible for a multitude of integrated campaigns and events in the behavioral health and addictions field. All articles have been written by Alyssa and medically reviewed by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Darrin Mangiacarne.