Lily Allen has opened up about the challenges she faced with her mental health after being prescribed strong medication by American doctors.
The singer, 39, revealed that the antidepressants she was given had a detrimental effect on her well-being, pushing her to a breaking point.
Returning to her Miss Me? podcast alongside co-host Miquita Oliver, Lily spoke candidly about the struggles she endured over the past year.
Her revelations come after she recently spent time in a £8,000-per-week trauma treatment center to recover from emotional turmoil following her split from husband David Harbour.
A Downward Spiral Caused by Medication
During the podcast, Lily explained that the medication she had been prescribed had severely impacted her mental state.
“The medication that I was on last year sent me f***ing crazy,” she admitted. “So I’ve had to change. I’ve had to come off of that medication and start a new one. And that was a big part of where things became really unmanageable for me.”
She also shared that a friend had warned her about the healthcare system in the United States before she moved there.
“Before I came to America, my friend Olivia said to me, ‘Just be really careful of the doctors over there and the prescriptions that they prescribe you for things.’ But I really think I was done a bit of a number on by one of the antidepressants I got put on, and it really did not work for me,” Lily said.
Although she acknowledged that other factors contributed to her struggles, she emphasized that the medication only made things worse.
Seeking Help for Herself and Her Children
Lily’s emotional state took such a toll that she made the difficult decision to check herself into a trauma treatment center. She explained that she needed professional help to regain stability, not only for herself but for the sake of her two daughters, Ethel, 13, and Marnie, 11, whom she shares with ex-husband Sam Cooper.
In her first podcast episode after leaving the center, she defended her decision to take time away from her children to focus on her recovery.
“People think I hate my children. I really don’t. I absolutely adore my children, and I’m in a situation now where I really have to be my strongest self for them,” she said.
She admitted that she had been struggling to be present for her daughters and felt that taking a step back for treatment was the best choice for all of them.
“I felt like it was getting harder and harder for me to be able to show up for them in the way that they need me to,” she explained. “It was a big decision to have to leave them for a few weeks to go and focus on myself, but ultimately it was for them so that I can get us through this bit. I needed some help to be able to do that.”
Lily also spoke about how she didn’t want her daughters to feel like they had to support her emotionally.
“I don’t want them to ever feel like they have to prop me up. None of this is their fault, and it’s my job to support them and make them feel safe and secure. And I just don’t think I was able to do that because of the emotional turmoil that I was in at the time,” she said.
Although she acknowledges that her healing process is ongoing, she believes she is now in a much stronger place.
“I’m not saying that I’m 100% there or getting it 100% right, or that I ever will, but I’m definitely in a stronger place,” she said.
A New Focus on Meditation and Creativity
As part of her healing journey, Lily has embraced meditation and mindfulness. She explained that she started meditating multiple times a day to help manage her thoughts and emotions.
“I’ve started meditating every day now, at least two or three times a day. That’s really helping me,” she shared.
Lily has been using an app called Plum Village, which is based on the teachings of Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh.
“I’m not a particularly spiritual person as we know, but it helps me to focus on my breath work and to try and be more in the moment rather than thinking about the past too much and worrying about the future too much,” she explained.
Alongside meditation, Lily has also been channeling her energy into a new creative project—writing a musical.
“I made my Instagram comeback. I’ve been commissioned to do a musical, so I’m here [in LA] starting on that,” she revealed. “It will be a long process, but this little stint is the beginning. And it’s been going really well.”
Looking Ahead
Despite the difficulties she has faced, Lily is determined to move forward and focus on her personal growth and career.
While her split from David Harbour and her struggles with medication have been challenging, she is now taking active steps to improve her mental health and be the best version of herself—for both her own sake and her children’s.
As she embarks on new creative endeavors and continues her healing journey, fans are eager to see what the next chapter holds for Lily Allen.
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