STEVEN ADLER: 'I Have Relapsed Four Or Five Times In Two Years'

Amy Sciarretto of AOL's Noisecreep recently conducted an interview with original GUNS N' ROSES and current ADLER'S APPETITE drummer Steven Adler. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Noisecreep: When you were on Howard Stern, it really touched me when you said that you thought GN'R let you down when they kicked you out, but you admitted that you learned that it was you who let them down. That must be so tough to admit it!

Adler: There was four of them and one of me. The golden rule of drums is hands clapping and feet tapping, and when you are in and out of consciousness, you can't do that to best of your ability. For 20 years, I beat myself up and beat my body up. But I've been working with Dr. Drew. At first, I went to Drew's "Celebrity Rehab" and he asked me if I wanted to do the season before the season that I actually did. I wasn't finished beating myself up. A year went by, he asked me again and I felt differently about it. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I want to give this a shot. I don't think I can do this to the best of my ability if I don't talk with Slash. He hooked up a meeting with Slash and myself, with no cameras. We got in the room, and I had the opportunity to apologize for all my downfalls, my job in the band, all the drugs. I got to apologize to him for blaming him. I got to say, "It wasn't you, it was me." It was such a weight off my shoulders. I was able to start moving on with my life. After 35 years of beating myself up, it takes time for body and mind to heal itself. I did the show and I did "Sober House", and I was high on heroin when I showed up. I got arrested and when they got me out of jail and made me watch it, I saw how terrible I looked and it was devastating to me. When you do drugs, they make you feel like you are the best looking person and like you are on top of the world. Then, I saw the tape and I never want to look like that. If there is someone you love and care about having a problem with drugs, show them a video tape them high.

Noisecreep: Where are you at now with your sobriety?

Adler: I have relapsed four or five times in two years. I got almost six months sober now. Part of recovery is relapse. I dust myself off and move forward again. Six months ago, I relapsed on a drug I never did. It was Oxycontin and I never did it before. It was a bad decision and two weeks later, my wife took a picture of me and showed me. I was passed out in a hallway of my house. I took one look at it, called Slash and Dr. Drew and said, "Can you help me?" I wish I realized I had the best people behind me 20 years ago. I had a mild stroke, which affected my speech. It was like I had to go back to kindergarten, to learn how to talk again I have problem with my S's. I got arrested on the show, which was the best thing for me. You might think it's the worst thing, but after 35 years of beating myself up, it takes time to heal. It was either go to jail for one year — and I've been there before and I don't want to go back — or spend 90 days in rehab, so I went to detox. Every minute is like an hour in rehab ... until you realize you have a nice bed. It's warm and comfortable. They give you three meals a day, and you listen to encouraging words throughout the day. When I was doing drugs, I wouldn't be eating, sleeping.

Read the entire interview from Noisecreep.