'Seasons' Episode 5 Review: Justin Bieber used drugs to escape limelight, says he valued the wrong things
Justin Bieber's new YouTube docu-series 'Seasons' has not only been having fans ecstatic but has also shown the world a more genuine and focused Bieber who has dedicated himself to his craft and to chiseling away at the darker side of himself.
In Episode 5 of the debut season titled 'The Dark Season' , the Canadian pop singer revealed some shocking details about his health. He admitted to using a hyperbaric chamber and that he endures IV infusions to cleanse his body of toxins that accumulated over years of drug abuse.
In the opening scenes of the 14-minute video, the 25-year-old singer reveals that his first experience with marijuana was when he was just 13 after he rapidly rose to fame as a child when he was discovered on YouTube.
After becoming dependent on weed, Justin began to drink lean in addition to taking pills, doing Molly, and trying mushrooms. Lean is a narcotic substance, often called purple drank or sizzurp, made of a combination of prescription-strength cough medicine, soft drinks, and hard, fruit-flavored candy which is often regarded as dangerous because it often contains codeine, an opioid drug.
Bieber opens up about his addictions, saying, "It was just an escape for me. I was young". He adds, "My experience was in front of cameras and I had a different level of exposure". He explains, in reference to his run-ins with the law as a teenager, how he "valued the wrong things", saying, "there were things dangling in front of me".
He expresses, "The truth is, I never had the tools. My parents never gave me those tools to be a good team player".
Later in the clip, Bieber expressed that he's been "struggling with a lot of anxiety" as he climbed into the hyperbaric chamber. He says, "I've abused my body in the past and now I'm just in the recovery process trying to make sure I'm taking care of my body and taking care of the vessel that God's given me".
As if that wasn't surprising enough, he revealed that he needs help to "get outta bed in the morning" by taking anti-depressants.
While sitting inside the deflated plastic hyperbaric chamber at the studio, Bieber explained how it worked and expressed how he strongly believes in medicine and seeking help. "It fills up with oxygen", he said.
"I really have been struggling with a lot of anxiety. You get more oxygen to your brain so it decreases your stress levels. It's pretty cool".
Further in, Bieber's wife Hailey admitted that they have a chamber available for her husband to use at their house and in the studio. Bieber evidently relies on the hyperbaric chamber, a treatment that promotes healing through pure oxygen in various air pressure levels.
During the second half of the episode, Bieber is given NAD+ infusions through an IV drip to give him energy, a process generally used to treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. and he reveals that he has Lyme disease.
In a narrative after a scene with Dr Erica Lehman, Bieber's doctor, explaining the symptoms of Lyme disease, it is revealed that the pop singer has both Lyme disease and Epstein-Barr.
Hailey shares an encouraging sentiment for her husband after explaining how Bieber had health issues that they couldn't figure out initially. She expresses how they are glad to have figured things out through professional help and to have found a clear answer. "I think he's, honestly, not only healthier than he's ever been but on the road to maintaining a healthier life than he's ever had", she says, adding, "which is awesome".
Bieber summarizes the episode beautifully as he encourages others going through pains and struggles and for his fans. He concludes, "Life is worth living, and if you're not gonna give up, then the only thing to do is to push forward. That's it".