Miley Cyrus has opened up about the emotional toll of fame, reflecting on the intense backlash and personal struggles that followed her bold post–Hannah Montana reinvention.
While conversing with Variety for its cover story, the Flower singer shared how years of living under constant spotlight led her into a cycle of highs fueled by drugs and alcohol.
Cyrus shared, “It’s no surprise that I had my experiences with drugs and alcohol. I was so used to living at a high, and I don’t think I ever learned how to come down from that. Now, through a sober lens, I can have compassion and understanding for myself.”
The now-33-year-old turned to therapy and psychotherapy treatment Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which alleviates stress and trauma through rapid eye movement.
“You didn’t see any nerves, right?” Cyrus asked regarding her taping of the upcoming Hannah Montana special.
She added, “In the past, that would have taken over my entire body. I would have been frozen.”
In the years since her Bangerz tour, Cyrus has avoided touring, valuing her family, daily routine, and a grounded lifestyle.
Notably, Miley Cyrus quit drinking in 2020, and three years before that, stopped smoking marijuana, which she discussed in a 2025 interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe.
