Alcohol and marijuana gave me temporary relief, the marijuana took me out of depression at times and alcohol took me out of my mania. After a long period of time of using those things to get balanced, that’s when addiction manifested. It took a number of years before it went from a self-medicating tool to full-blown alcoholism.

Scott Stapp

Categorized in : Health

I hear a thunder in the distance; see a vision of the cross. I feel the pain that was given on a sad day of loss. Only He holds the key: a light to free me from my burden and grant me life eternally.

Scott Stapp

distance pain loss

I wouldn't doubt it if the CIA is behind Alcoholics Anonymous.

Scott Stapp

alcoholics-anonymous cia doubt

Sure I hear what people say. But the only opinions I care about are from the fans.

Scott Stapp

care fans people

The story of my life is profoundly unclear. It is a rock-and-roll story and, at the same time, a story of my walk with Christ. The two are melded together in ways both unpredictable and unsure.

Scott Stapp

rock-and-roll rocks two

When something like that happens, people want to try to find some dirt and make it more of a soap opera. But I think we both walked away with the door still open, if we want to do something together again. So yeah, I would call it a friendly break-up.

Scott Stapp

break-up doors thinking

I was emotionally and spiritually dried up, so I was just searching for God.

Scott Stapp

The Christian community latched onto a lot of my music, because there were a lot of things about my struggle they related to. But I didn't really want to come out and be identified as a Christian, because I didn't want to be a hypocrite, because my life wasn't right.

Scott Stapp

hypocrite struggle christian

I always believed in God and Christ, but I was in rebellion - trying to make my relationship with God fit into my life instead of making my life fit in with him. I was stubborn.

Scott Stapp

uprising trying relationship

I had a psychotic break that was brought on by alcohol and drug abuse.

Scott Stapp

abuse drug alcohol

No charges have been filed by the L.A. district attorney's office, and for that I am appreciative. I have said it before, but we all make mistakes, and the day will come soon enough where you no longer read of mine in the tabloids.

Scott Stapp

soon-enough office mistake

Creed's sound is my sound.

Scott Stapp

creeds sound

Strip clubs are the only place the band can go if we want to have a drink. You're left alone because the last thing the people there care about is us.

Scott Stapp

band care people

My problems were not what ended Creed.

Scott Stapp

creeds problem

I was raised in a climate where I believed in God because I was afraid of going to hell - and I didn't think that was the right way to fall in love with somebody.

Scott Stapp

climate falling-in-love thinking

I remember desperately trying to convince my wife that what I was believing was real - that I was being followed, that I was involved in some type of mind-control experiment. I couldn't understand why she couldn't believe me.

Scott Stapp

wife real believe

I'd fired anyone who was involved with Creed. I didn't want anything to do with the music business. The entire press and industry hated me, so what was the point?

Scott Stapp

hated creeds want

Creed was ended by egos and people wanting to do their own thing and poor decision-making.

Scott Stapp

ego poor-decisions people

And it took me, since I was 17 and left home, running from God, to now, as a 30-year-old man, when I honestly feel like I've come full circle and my heart's finally in the right place.

Scott Stapp

home heart running

You can sell millions of records, be showered with all this love and admiration and still feel despised and unwanted. That's what I felt. I've made a lot of mistakes I'm not proud of.

Scott Stapp

records proud mistake

I started making some proper decisions, getting things in order. It's kind of like cleaning up your house. I was looking for direction for what God wanted me to do - and that's when I got a call about The Passion.

Scott Stapp

passion house order