Paris Jackson, daughter of Michael Jackson, recently shared how her past battles with addiction caused her to lose sight of her own values.
Appearing on Jack Osbourne’s Trying Not to Die podcast, Jackson shared how her behavior was “really ugly.”
“It’s really ugly behavior in a moral way, because I was raised to be kind, not nice. I could give a s— about being nice — but kind,” said Jackson. “Being kind and looking people in the eye and asking the waiter their name so you can write it down on the receipt later. Just little things, just like, how do you treat people?”
Jackson also spoke about “years and years and years of self-hatred” before becoming sober six years ago.
“‘Oh, I may be a liar, a cheater, a piece of s—, a thief, whatever. But I do have a moral compass, like, I was raised right in that way,” she said. “What happens when I drink is that goes away. That goes right out the window, and I become a very vindictive person.”
First entering treatment for addiction at age 17, Jackson realized there were several “tell-tale signs” that made her different from her peers.
“I struggled with self-harm for a really long time before I ever had my first drink or drug,” Jackson said. “And I had weird relationships with overeating and food as a young kid.”
“There was this overall reachy, graspy energy that I only ever see in other addicts,” she continued. “Reaching for something outside of yourself.”
Back in October, Jackson opened up about her sobriety journey during her speech at the 35th annual Friendly House Awards Luncheon in Los Angeles.
“Most of the service work I do is one-on-one. I don’t typically make a spectacle of it because my life simply depends on it. Because it is also part of my spiritual foundation,” she shared during her speech. “I’m really grateful to be a part of a movement that aligns so much with my higher purpose and the essence of my daily reprieve. Getting someone to develop conscious contact has easily been the greatest action I’ve ever taken. And I pray that I can continue to help others.”