Speaking to UK newspaper, the singer revealed that doctors told him that he’d been three or four weeks from death at one point.
He said: “The doctor told me if I’d been left to my own devices for another three or four weeks I might not be here now. I was so out of it – I was like a zombie.
Matt admitted to first taking valium due to his fear of flying, but he soon became dependent on them.
He added: “It was a lethal situation. Towards the end of it I was asking people around me how many pills they’d seen me eat. That is what kills people. It’s what killed Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith.”
The dependency on the pills became so much that Matt started to lie to people, telling them they were antibiotics. “Anytime I started to feel stressed I would lean on the drugs and drink.
“I was kidding myself thinking I had a handle on it. That little word in front of the drug – prescription – gave it an air of safety for me. But it’s the total opposite, they are so highly addictive both physically and mentally.”
After spending time recovering in the Priory clinic in Essex, Matt is now spending time preparing for his next UK tour.
He said: “I am completely sober for the first time in a long time – and I feel brilliant. I’ve had a long time caning it and partying. I feel sharper and healthier than I’ve ever felt in my life.
“For now booze is an absolute no-no as a part of my recovery.”