Liam Payne Opens Up About About His Mental Health And Drug And Alcohol Addictions
In 2010, One Direction formed on "The X Factor," becoming the biggest boy band out there. Despite the success, the group, made up of Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne, announced in 2015 that they'd be going on hiatus, a break that has lasted since then (via All Music).
Payne recently shared some secrets from those days and from his current life when talking with Steven Barlett on the podcast "Diary of a CEO" (via the Daily Mail). The 27-year-old singer spoke of days filled with "pills and booze" and how he had a "party-for-one that seemed to carry on for years."
With the stay-at-home orders that came about during the COVID-19 pandemic, Payne stated that he, once again, turned to alcohol. "I did worry up until the last few months," he admitted. "I think a lot of people had this same sort of thing, alcohol. It was getting earlier and earlier and easier and easier to go to."
Liam Payne says he needs to work on himself before starting up a new romance
Liam Payne and Steven Barlett also discussed mental health on "Diary of a CEO," with the singer saying, "There is definitely some stuff I have never spoken about to do with it. It was really, really severe" (via the Daily Mail).
Payne has been romantically linked to Sophia Smith, Cairo Dwek, Naomi Campbell, Cheryl, and Maya Henry. He shares a 3-year-old son, Bear, with Cheryl, and he and Henry recently called off their engagement.
"I feel like, more than anything at this point, I'm more disappointed in myself that I keep on hurting people," he said on the podcast about his relationships. "That annoys me. I've just not been very good at relationships. And I know what my pattern of things is with relationships at this point ... I'm just not very good at them, so I just need to work on myself before I put myself on to somebody else."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).