This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
Published on June 19, 2020, Tanzanian singer and songwriter Vanessa Mdee has opened up about her struggle with alcoholism in her podcast, One on One with Vanessa Mdee.
The podcast, which delves into topics such as family, love, music, and battling alcoholism, saw Mdee share her personal struggles with her fans.
According to Mdee, she drank herself to sleep every night for the better part of 2019, and would often lie to people around her to cover up her struggles.
"I drank myself to sleep every night. I am not proud of it but it is my truth and I know there are people who need to hear this," she narrated.
Mdee revealed that she had become a person of horrible choices, struggling with anxiety, depression, and feelings of being a robot, unable to recognize herself anymore.
"I had moments of anxiety and moments of depression, I had moments of I don’t know what to do next because this pressure is unnatural for a human being," she confessed.
She added that she had a perfect life on the outside, but inside, she was dying, and that she had no desire to live a "candy-coated life" anymore.
Mdee also announced that she has no desire to do anything related to the music industry, including attending award shows or events, as she feels she has become a "pseudo person".
