Aaron Carter spoke out for the first time this week about overcoming his Xanax addition — only to watch sister Leslie Carter lose her battle with the same demons.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Aaron said he began taking Xanax in 2009 to cope with the stage fright he experienced on Dancing With the Stars.
“I just started getting heavier and heavier and heavier into the Xanax,” Aaron explained. “At the height, I was taking seven 2-milligram Xanax bars, so that means 14 milligrams a day.”
Despite taking more than three times the recommended daily amount of Xanax, Aaron said he didn’t realized he had a problem. It was only when his mother and brother encouraged him to go to rehab that he turned his life around.
“Leslie, my sister, was heavy into it as well. But, [I had] an opportunity happened where I could save my life,” said Aaron. “Leslie was never presented that opportunity. I had a second chance to live.”
With his family’s support, Aaron entered the Berry Ford Center in early 2011. At the time, his rep said Aaron was addressing “some emotional and spiritual issues.” The rep added to E! News that Aaron felt “he will get the guidance and cleansing he needs that will help him on the music journey he’s about to take.”
Sadly, almost exactly one year later, Leslie Carter overdosed on a combination of Alprazolam (the generic name of Xanax), Olanzapine and Cyclobensaprine.
These days, Aaron said he’s still committed to sobriety and doesn’t even drink. Unfortunately, he’s had to contend with other issues stemming from the mismanagement of his money early in his career. This ultimately led to him filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in November.
One thing that keeps Aaron going is his mission to win back ex-girlfriend Hilary Duff.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to fix those relationships in my life, just like I want to fix my relationship with the love of my life,” Aaron said, explaining he didn’t regret tweeting about his undying passion for the Lizzie McGuire star. “I’m not going to give up on Hilary. Ever.”
Watch Aaron talk about all of that plus his goals for his music career…
