opening up
MCFLY star Dougie Poynter has candidly opened up on his two rehab stints and their "life changing" impact.
The Star Girl singer, 35, spoke frankly to Busted band member and pal Matt Willis, 40, for the opening episode of his new podcast, On The Mend with Matt Willis.
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His brave chat, in which he admitted he was "fearful" of talking of his rehab recovery, came after Dougie was left devastated following the death of a beloved friend.
He has previously told how his valium addiction left him unable to remember two years of his life.
McFly's Dougie had been hooked on the anti-anxiety drug from 2016 until he finally went to rehab in 2018.
Dougie, who also had a stint in rehab in 2011, bravely opened up to Year 3000 hitmaker Matt - who has faced well-documented cocaine addiction issues of his own - in the new podcast.
Talking of rehab, he said: "I’ve done it twice for two separate addictions.
"Both times I felt like they were huge life-changing things, they were like the worst times in my life and the best, for some reason.
"I still reference my last stint in rehab now whenever I’m like not feeling quite right or something."
He told how telling his loved ones was tough and added: "It’s horrible, that was like one of the worst parts about it.
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"I think that also plays into why I’m fearful of talking about it, is more what others or friends and family will think, like how it will hurt them knowing."
Back in 2019, the band's reunion tour was scrapped to allow for Dougie to recover in rehab.
After addressing his therapy techniques, the McFly favourite told of his biggest benefit.
He added: "I think the most important thing for me is being honest with myself, and knowing myself.
"And I think it’s that combination so, knowing what my – really honestly knowing what my triggers are and being aware of those. I see those triggers as like little f**ked up abstract demons that live inside my head and in my gut that can manifest from any kind of situation which will start eating at me.
"And that can be for me the beginning of a spiral that eventually I will end up going back to drugs because there’s no other way to get rid of them because it’s so consuming.
"I don’t want to live in fear for the rest of my life."
On The Mend with Matt Willis launches today.
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