Mike Doughty reflects on drug addiction

Mike Doughty made a name for himself as front-man of the band Soul Coughing, but it's a period of his life that was marked by insecurity and heavy drug use. He describes these struggles in his new memoir, "The Book of Drugs."

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Mike Doughty

Image courtesy of the artist

Doughty spoke to Kerri Miller this morning about his addiction. He says he doesn't regret his drug use.

"I can't renounce drugs," he wrote in his memoir. "I love drugs."

And yet--he's well-acquainted with the chaos, destruction and despair that addiction causes. He confesses: "I loathe myself in a lot of these stories."

When asked if he ever thought about what the drugs might have done to his brain, his answer is blunt: "No."

"It was basically all I had - the only worthwhile thing in the world for me. There were instances where it was clear that I might have died - and that wasn't an enticement to stop because if you've only got one good thing in life - you've gotta live for it."

Doughty says the drugs shut off what he called a "core of self-loathing," but ultimately it stood between him and the music he wanted to make.

You can hear the entire interview by clicking on the link below:

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