Pete Wentz didn't just save rock and roll — he saved himself. In the May 23 issue of Rolling Stone, the 33-year-old bassist speaks candidly about how his life took a dark turn after Fall Out Boy went on hiatus and 2009. Making matters worse, Wentz's problems intensified when his marriage to Ashlee Simpson ended in 2011.
The rocker began abusing prescription pills Xanax and Klonopin, which are primarily used to treat anxiety. "I was probably physically and mentally addicted," Wentz reveals. "It started from insomnia and anxiety from flying, then it spiraled."
He continues, "I felt like a loser already. I'd basically gone from being the guy in Fall Out Boy to being the guy, who, like, hangs out all day. I didn't see how I'd ever come out on the other side."
Wentz began relying on the drugs more heavily after his split with Simpson, 28; he also became increasingly paranoid. "I was scared of everything. I thought there were always people listening to me," he says. "Like, I had my house searched for bugs. It was crazy."
The "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" musician is in a much better place these days, thanks to regular therapy sessions and his 4-year-old son, Bronx. "You're up in the morning, and you have to really be there," he tells Rolling Stone of fatherhood. "It's not like getting up for a radio interview. In some ways, that was super helpful for my soul." Wentz has another reason to smile: he's still going strong with 24-year-old model Meagan Camper, his girlfriend since the fall of 2011.
Wentz and his bandmates kick off their Save Rock and Roll tour May 14 at The Rave in Milwaukee, Wisc.
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