Rybak talks about the drug problems:
- I was looking forward to the drug every night
Alexander Rybak talks openly about the abuse of sleeping pills and antidepressants.
Author: Knut Torgersruud Jr. | Published on tv2.no | 6.9.2020 | Translated by Mónika Menyhért
This summer, Alexander Rybak surprised whole Norway with a very personal post on Instagram and Facebook.
He said he has been living with a secret: He has been addicted to pills, in the form of sleeping pills and antidepressants, for eleven years.
Rybak has no doubt that it was right to be open about his problems.- It was very important. It was like a weight had lifted off my shoulders. It is said that the larger the facade you hold, the harder it is to let go of it. But for me, everything became much easier after sharing the story, Rybak tells Good Morgen Norge.
- It also became easier to be myself, easier to walk on the street. Before, everyone said I should smile all the time. But now I can be myself, people see the true me in a way, he continues.
It started with the Eurovision Song Contest
Rybak started to take sleeping pills in connection with winning the Eurovision Song Contest with his self-composed song "Fairytale" in 2009.
- Even though I was pretty sure of myself, I wanted to sleep out before I would perform in front of 150 million people.
It started pretty innocently to get enough sleep before the big competition. But eventually it was not only the sleep, but also the intoxication he looked forward to before bedtime.
- The last half hour before I fell asleep, all worries were gone and it was great because I am perhaps the most nervous person I know of, he continues.
In a short time, Rybak just walked around and looked forward to the next dose of sleeping pills. As the intake of pills became higher, he became more indifferent to everyday life.
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| HERE THE ADDICTION BEGINS: Alexander Rybak started to take sleeping pills in connection with winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. Photo: NTB Scanpix |
The addiction also had a dark side. On social media, Rybak has made no secret of the fact that the pills eventually also gave him physical ailments. And while both his muscles and his stomach hurt, he pushed people further and further away from himself.
- I have been quite hard on people, he admits.
Even though he has afterwards realized that he has at times been quite difficult towards those around him, he still does not want to blame the pill abuse alone. He believes this would be escaping responsibility.
- I have always been headstrong, a kind of artist soul which is highly sensitive. But when I was between my sleeping pill doses, you can say that I was really sharp towards people, Rybak continues.
- There's a lot I do not remember
There are two stories in particular that we in Good Morgen Norge remember well. He himself has forgotten the famous "shower story".
All artists who will sing in Good Morgen Norge come to the studio at five in the morning. After the band has set up the equipment, which usually takes 30 minutes, they will have sound and video check. This means that the producer, make-up and camera people are waiting for the artist. That was also the case when Rybak visited the show.
But suddenly he is gone. Everyone in the crew was set out in search of the disappeared fiddler. In the end, he came to his senses, in TV 2's gym. There he stood in the shower singing. He had suddenly decided to take a shower and absolutely did not have a bad time.
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| DON'T REMEMBER ALL PERFORMANCES: Alexander Rybak has visited Good Morgen Norge several times. It has not always gone well. Photo: Thomas Andersen / TV 2 |
Even though Rybak himself does not remember the story, there is another Good Morning Norway story that has not been forgotten.
- I do not remember what happened that morning. But I remember being dissatisfied. When I did not get the answer I wanted, I insisted on talking to the boss, says an embarrassed Rybak.
- Being interrupted in the sleep medicine intoxication to hold a concert in the middle of the night was perhaps not the smartest thing I did, he admits.
- This article is actually a resume of the talk
in the morning show on TV2 (2.9.2020) -
Watch the video here (Norwegian)
in the morning show on TV2 (2.9.2020) -
Watch the video here (Norwegian)
A settlement with himself
In January this year, he started detoxification, with good help from his doctors. To Good Morgen Norge, Rybak says that on his way to a life without pills, two people in particular came to the rescue. The first was Rolf Torodd from Lillehammer. Rybak had read about his story out of the pill addiction and contacted him to request for help.
- He became a kind of mentor for me. The road out was tough with a lot of cold sweats and crawling on the walls, says an open Rybak.
Before the summer of this year, Rybak was having a relapse, but then it was Martine Røsten Aune who through her blog stopped Rybak from starting taking pills again.
- For a lady!, Rybak exclaims when Martine's name comes up during an interview.
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| ENTERED INTO A SETTLEMENT WITH HIMSELF: With good help from his doctors, Alexander Rybak starts the year 2019 with detoxification. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB scanpix |
Martine's story inspired Rybak to once again enjoy life without pills, and there was no relapse.
Moving to Chicago
Rybak reveals the plans for the future to Good Morgen Norge.
- Film music composition in Chicago, he says proudly.
Over 400 well-qualified students from around the world applied for the master's program in Chicago, but only 15 got in.
- It will be an absolutely fantastic chapter in my life. Everything is completely new to me, but I do not like to be too comfortable. Unfortunately, good art is not created out of comfort, says Rybak.
- It will be an absolutely fantastic chapter in my life. Everything is completely new to me, but I do not like to be too comfortable. Unfortunately, good art is not created out of comfort, says Rybak.
(The translator of this article is not native either in the Norwegian or the English language, so any correction is welcomed and appreciated.)
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