Creed’s Scott Stapp Says Drug Use, Bipolar Disorder Sparked Meltdown
Scott Stapp has revealed the larger issues to blame for last year's very public meltdown, saying he's "lucky to be alive" after descending into illicit drug use.
“I had a psychotic break that was brought on by alcohol and drug abuse,” the Creed frontman tells People. “I was hallucinating. I drove around the United States for a month, following an angel that I saw on the hood of my car. In my delusional thinking, I thought my family was involved in ISIS, and that millions of dollars had been taken from me to support terrorism. All of it was nonsense. I was out of my mind.”
Back in November, Stapp posted a series of videos claiming he was now penniless. He also made a series of confusing calls to 911, even claiming that he was on a CIA mission to assassinate President Obama. He was eventually placed on a psych hold. The situation was only worsened, Stapp now says, by a previously undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Stapp says he learned of the condition only after entering rehab at an intensive dual diagnostic facility.
The news of his disorder came as a relief to loved ones like wife Jaclyn, who filed for divorce during last year's drama. “It made sense,” says Jaclyn, who apparently later reconciled with Stapp. "I definitely knew there was something going on for years, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.”
Stapp is now taking bipolar medication, even while working through a 12-step program. He says his wife has been one of his biggest supporters through recovery. “Jaclyn kept telling me, 'Embrace it. We love you,'" Stapp says. "It became a big sign of relief, because finally, we had an answer.”
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