Jhené Aiko has battled addiction and has since found ways to cope with her mental health issues without the use of drugs. The artist has now chosen to shed light on the night she thought her addiction would claim her life. Aiko uploaded a series of photos that tell her story through their captions.
"I thought I was going to die," she began. "I had just spent the day at the Maui Healing Center 2 days prior and left feeling so renewed, enlightened and like i was on the right path to proper healing. The next day, which was the day b4 i took this picture...i took a hike [...] and visited my favorite statue of Buddha..."
Despite her seemingly healthy appearance in the photo, the previous night had ushered in a terrifying experience: "My head started pounding like never before. so much pain BUT i promised myself... no more pills!! EVER! [...] i found myself on the bathroom floor... throwing up until i saw blood."
The blood was alarming but Jhené's worry was placed on the comfort of others. She reached out to a few loved ones, an action she perceived as a nuisance since she "didn't want to worry or bother [anyone]." She went to bed despite her condition and "was happy to be alive" the next morning.
She took a hike that same day, a moment captured in a photo she says could "possibly be [her] next album cover."
Later on, she went into the Pacific for another healing experience: "It felt like a baptism of some sort. never too late to start again. never too late to get better."