Paris Jackson Makes Startling New Addiction Admission After Revealing She Has a Perforated Septum Caused by Taking Drugs

Paris Jackson has revealed music became the lifeline that carried her through addiction and into sobriety, saying the creative outlet helped her survive some of the darkest periods of her life after years of substance abuse left her with permanent physical damage, including a perforated septum she has attributed to drug use.

As OK! has reported, Jackson, 28, the daughter of the late Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, recently marked six years of sobriety, and has now reflected on the role music has played in her recovery.

Speaking in a beauty vlog, the singer and songwriter explained how penning tunes helped give her purpose long before she stopped drinking and taking drugs.

Her latest comments come after she disclosed years of substance abuse have left her with a hole in the cartilage separating her nostrils, which she has chosen not to repair because of concerns about the powerful painkillers required during recovery.

Speaking about the importance of music in her life, Paris said in her new vlog: "That was kind of the only thing that got me through the hard times before I got sober, was music. When I got sober, it helped me be like, 'Oh wow, music really is everything. It really is like the air I breathe.'"

Paris admitted she resisted pursuing a music career despite believing it was what she was meant to do. She said: "I was pretty scared to start doing music because I've kind of been playing guitar since I was 13 or 14. And I just suppressed it as a hobby."

Paris added: "In my like early 20s, I was like, 'I can't do this anymore. It's what makes me happy, and I just have to do that.' Especially because this was before I figured out all the other things that made me happy.'"

The musician said other passions, including rock climbing, photography and spending time with close friends, also became important sources of stability during recovery.

Together with music, they helped her navigate what she described as "some rough patches" while building a life away from addiction.

Paris has also spoken candidly about how alcohol altered her personality before she became sober. Appearing on a podcast, she reflected on the person she became while drinking.

She said: "'Oh, I may be a liar, a cheater, a piece of s---, a thief, whatever, but I do have a moral compass, like, I was raised right in that way. What happens when I drink is that goes away. That goes right out the window and I become a very vindictive person."

Explaining how addiction conflicted with the values she was raised with, Paris went on: "It's really ugly behavior in a moral way, because I was raised to be kind – not nice, I could give a s--- about being nice – but kind. Being kind and looking people in the eye and asking the waiter their name so you can write it down on the receipt later, just little things of, just like, how do you treat people?"

Paris has previously revealed she noticed signs of addictive behavior long before she ever drank alcohol or used drugs.

Looking back on her childhood, she said: "I struggled with self-harm for a really long time before I ever had my first drink or drug. I had weird relationships with overeating and food as a young kid... there was this overall reachy, graspy energy that I only ever see in other addicts. Reaching for something outside of yourself."

Earlier this year, Paris disclosed years of severe substance abuse had left her with a perforated septum measuring about one centimeter across, joking she could fit a strand of spaghetti through the opening.

She said the injury causes an audible whistle when she breathes and has chosen not to undergo reconstructive surgery because she does not want to jeopardize her sobriety by taking the strong pain medication that would likely be required after the procedure.