Slash fell "really hard into music" to cope with getting sober.
The Guns N’ Roses guitarist decided to get sober 12 years ago and he feels grateful he had his music to keep him going through the tough time.
He told USA TODAY: "It’s a tough one. I was really fortunate to have been able to get through it the way that I did, in that when I finally came to terms with it, I really came to a point where I just didn’t want to do it anymore. I haven’t felt the inclination since then. It was a very definitive moment where I was just like, ‘I’m done. It’s not fun anymore.’ Any time that I’ve thought about it since then, it always brings back negative feelings and emotions. I fell really hard into music when that time came, and for a lot of people, that’s hard to do. Getting sober makes some people feel out of touch with their creativity; they feel like they needed the chemicals to make that happen.
"When I first came out of it, I just dived into music and that really saved me. That, and having kids. The only advice I can give to anybody is really being honest with yourself in coming to terms with it, because nobody can help anyone get their act together and get clean, except for themselves. It really is something that if you want to do it, you have to be committed and feel strongly about doing it. It’s really not easy at all."
Meanwhile, Slash recently revealed "everybody" wants to work on a new Guns N’ Roses album and has teased the possibility of the group working on their first batch of original material since reuniting with their ‘classic’ lineup.
Opening up on the chances of a new record, the star said: "It’s been talked about. I think everybody wants to do it, and we’ll just see what happens. We’ve been busy doing this running around the planet."