NEED TO KNOW
When Lola Young’s hit song “Messy” was climbing the charts in 2024, she was checking into rehab.
In an interview published with The Guardian on Friday, Sept. 12, the London-born singer-songwriter opened up about her cocaine addiction, which she dealt with for “a long time.”
“It’s been a struggle — I’ve definitely had to work on some internal healing while grappling with touring and stuff,” Young, 24, told the outlet.
“I’ve had to be away for a bit while battling with things,” she continued. “But it teaches you a lot, being addicted to substances. It makes you more empathetic about other people that have gone through that. It’s just a constant journey.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Young said that she was “very grateful and appreciative” for the support and resources that were made available.
“A lot of people don’t have the privilege of being able to do that. A lot of people suffer from addiction, and a lot of people are in that personal journey [to recovery],” she said. “Anyone who knows that feeling will know it’s not linear, it’s always up and down, but it’s down to dysregulation of dopamine.”
In 2022, Young opened up about her mental health and living with schizoaffective disorder, which she was diagnosed with at 17, in a candid Instagram post.
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“I cant find the words to describe how much this diagnosis has affected my entire life, and my outlook on the world around me. I have struggled immensely learning to accept this part of myself, and I am still learning,” she wrote.
Young added: “I have to remind myself that I am a regular f—— person, I am human and I am, like everyone, capable of incredible things, my mental health condition does not define me. It is my superpower.”
In the post, she said that she goes through “crazy f—— highs and immense lows,” and she was on medication to help with the symptoms.
“It’s like breaking a leg, it’s physical and it hurts. Society just isn’t at a place to understand that yet. I pondered for days on end about when the right time would be to come out with this. It feels heavy, and on days I feel so ostracized, it’s unbearable,” she wrote. “Anyway you are never alone. You are never unworthy of love and support. Mental health is f—— real and it f—— matters more than anything.”
Speaking with ELLE UK earlier this month, the “One Thing” performer said she sometimes can’t go online because of the comments that target her “insecurities.”
“It’s tricky,” Young told the publication. “I used to watch others go through it and wonder what it felt like.”
“When you get a million comments, it’s hard not to let the bad ones in,” said Young. “Some days I can’t go online — the intensity and the remarks that target your insecurities can be too much.”
She added, “But I know what I stand for. There’s no façade or alter ego. I’m just promoting who I am. Some people don’t like that.”
Young’s new album I’m Only F**king Myself is out Sept. 19
