“I didn’t want to live anymore” - Ed Sheeran opens up about struggling with depression, drugs, and eating disorder

Popular singer Ed Sheeran recently opened up about his battle with suicidal thoughts as he went through a rough phase following the deaths of his close friends, Jamal Edwards and Shane Warne. They were 32 and 52 years old respectively at the time of their deaths.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Sheeran said:

"I felt like I didn't want to live anymore. Those thoughts were bad enough, but shame arrived as their companion. They seemed selfish, especially as a father. I feel really embarrassed about it."

Edwards and Warne both reportedly died of heart attacks. The former also contributed to Sheeran's successful debut in the music industry. The Bad Habits singer said that after struggling with depression, he went to a therapist, which proved to be helpful for him.

He stated:

"The help isn't a button that is pressed, where you're automatically OK. It is something that will always be there and just has to be managed."

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"I have a real eating problem" - Ed Sheeran opens up about his struggles

Ed Sheeran spoke on his eating disorder (Image via Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)

Ed Sheeran spoke to the publication about how he used to be a "party boy" in his 20s. He called himself a "drinker" and mentioned that he did not take any drugs until he was 24. He went on to recall an incident from a festival and said:

"I remember just being at a festival and being like, ‘Well, if all of my friends do it, it can’t be that bad. And then sort of dabbling. And then it just turns into a habit that you do once a week and then once a day and then, like, twice a day and then, like, without booze. It just became bad vibes."

Ed Sheeran then went on to state that his life has now changed. He added that he no longer parties until the morning and wakes up in the evening but enjoys spending time with his family.

The singer also spoke about his body image problems and mentioned that he had also been suffering from bulimia.

the Shape of You star told Rolling Stone:

"I have a real eating problem. I'm a real binge eater. I'm a binge-everything. But I'm now more of a binge exerciser, and a binge dad. And work, obviously."

Ed felt the pressure of existing in the same space as One Direction and Shawn Mendes, who he believed had "fantastic figures." He said that he is self-conscious and when someone enters an industry, he or she is compared to other pop stars.

He added:

"I was in the One Direction wave, and I'm like, 'Well why don't I have a six-pack?' And I was like, 'Oh, because you love kebabs and drink beer.' Then you do songs with Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. All these people have fantastic figures. And I was always like, 'Well, why am I so… fat?'"

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Ed Sheeran's upcoming album

Ed Sheeran's fifth album, – (Subtract), is scheduled to be released through Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album will feature 14 singles and fans can't wait to hear his new tracks. He recently told Billboard that the upcoming album will contain his "deepest darkest thoughts," and fans are eager for its release on May 5, 2023.