PewDiePie opens up on his whiskey addiction: "I had a problem"

YouTube star Felix ‘PewDiePie’ Kjellberg has opened up about his past addiction to whiskey, explaining that he used alcohol to cope with stress and anxiety during his controversies a few years ago.

PewDiePie is the most-followed independent content creator on YouTube, garnering a jaw-dropping 110 million subscribers throughout his eleven years on the platform.

Rivaling the likes of major corporate channels like T-Series and Coco Melon, the Swedish YouTube sensation has created quite a legacy for himself — but it hasn’t been all sunshine and roses for this internet star.

PewDiePie has experienced a number of controversies throughout his decade-long career, most notably firing off a racial slur during a live broadcast in 2017.

In October 2021, he opened up about this incident, claiming that he used alcohol as a coping mechanism to counter the stress of the situation after initially trying to quit to prioritize his physical health.

PewDiePie explains his past alcohol addiction

“I used to drink whiskey every single day, and I realized I was getting addicted when I was trying to cut down on it, and just how difficult that was,” he explained.

“In retrospect, I realize that I was dealing with a lot of anxiety at the time. Drinking to escape emotions is a recipe for disaster. This was during the time of all my controversies. I was dealing with a lot of stress, probably the most I’ve ever been through.”

“During all of it, I had trained my brain to think, ‘Something bad is coming,'” he continued. “It seemed inevitable. I’m at this space where, everything is fine right now, but everything can go to s**t really fast, and I had seen that happen.”

The influencer then explained that he’d finally quit drinking after growing tired of the constant anxiety and stress he experienced, but later shifted his addiction to nicotine patches. He eventually quit the patches, but it took two tries before he could leave them behind for good.

“I was drinking because I was stressed out, and it wasn’t until I dealt with those emotions that I was able to not rely on these things anymore,” he said.

PewDiePie concluded his discussion by saying he was hopeful that, by opening up about his own struggles, viewers might be able to examine their own addictions and receive help.

The influencer has received an outpouring of support in his comments, with fans congratulating him on his transparency and sharing their own life experiences with others.

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