Deryck Whibley's Alcoholism Puts Sum 41 Singer In Hospital: 'If I Have One Drink The Docs Say I Will Die' | HuffPost

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Sum 41's Deryck Whibley: 'If I Have One Drink The Docs Say I Will Die'

Joshua Ostroff— The Huffington Post Canada

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Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41 rose to international fame in the early 2000s, selling 30 million albums, winning multiple Junos and getting a Grammy nomination. Lead singer Deryck Whibley even became a staple in the gossip columns after briefly marrying Avril Lavigne.

But in more recent years, as the band's popularity plummeted, Whibley became better known for being unrecognizable after photos of his bloated face began circulating online last summer.

Now we know what happened.

On Friday night, May 16, Whibley posted a message to his website titled "Rock Bottom." Alongside photos of him in a hospital bed hooked up to IVs, he reveals that his years of "hard boozing...finally caught up to me."

As you can read below in his powerful post, Whibley collapsed unconscious and was rushed to hospital where it was discovered that his drinking had caused his liver and kidneys to "collapse."

His message ends on a positive note, but let this be a warning to all of us.

hey everyone, it’s deryck here. sorry i’ve been so m.i.a. lately, but i’ve been very sick in the hospital for a month and was pretty sick for a few weeks leading up to my trip to the hospital. the reason i got so sick is from all the hard boozing i’ve been doing over the years. it finally caught up to me. i was drinking hard every day. until one night. i was sitting at home, poured myself another drink around mid night and was about to watch a movie when all of a sudden i didn’t feel so good. i then collapsed to the ground unconscious. my fiancé got me rushed to the hospital where they put me into the intensive care unit. i was stuck with needles and i.v.’s all over. i was completely sedated the FIRST WEEK. when i finally woke up the next day i had no idea where i was. my mum and step dad were standing over me. i was so freaked out. my liver and kidney’s collapsed on me. needless to say it scared me straight. i finally realized i can’t drink anymore. if i have one drink the doc’s say i will die. i’m not preaching or anything but just always drink responsibly. i didn’t, and look where that got me. (i never thought i would ever say that! haha) anyway i have my passion and inspiration back for writing music. i already have a few song ideas for new songs. soon it will be time to start making an album and getting back to touring again. see you all sometime! there will be more posts again so say up to date friends.
DERYCK WHIBLEY

Signs Of Alcoholism

Abuse: Not Meeting Responsibilities(01 of20)

Abuse, the regular use of a substance that leads to serious psychological and/or physical disability, is shown by one or more of these symptoms during the same year:Repeated substance use to the point of not being able to meet responsibilities -- not performing well at work, being suspended from school, being repeatedly late or absent from required duties, or neglecting household tasks. (credit:Shutterstock)

Abuse: Involving Risk(02 of20)

Abuse, the regular use of a substance that leads to serious psychological and/or physical disability, is shown by one or more of these symptoms during the same year:Repeated substance use when there is risk involved, like operating equipment or driving a car while under the influence. (credit:Shutterstock)

Abuse: Difficulties With The Law(03 of20)

Abuse, the regular use of a substance that leads to serious psychological and/or physical disability, is shown by one or more of these symptoms during the same year:Repeated difficulties with the law related to substance use -- being arrested for physical aggression or drunk driving, for instance. (credit:Shutterstock)

Abuse: Personal Or Social Difficulties(04 of20)

Abuse, the regular use of a substance that leads to serious psychological and/or physical disability, is shown by one or more of these symptoms during the same year:Insisting on using the substance regardless of continued or repeated personal or social difficulties because of it, verbal or physical aggression with a loved one, or frequent arguments about the substance use. (credit:Shutterstock)

Dependence: Needing Great Amounts(05 of20)

Symptoms of alcohol dependence, a physical need to drink, are identified as three or more of the following within the same year:Needing greater amounts of alcohol to satisfy cravings. (credit:Shutterstock)

Dependence: An Inability To Reduce Use(06 of20)

Symptoms of alcohol dependence, a physical need to drink, are identified as three or more of the following within the same year:Using the substance longer than planned or more frequently and in greater amounts.An inability to reduce use, despite a sincere wish to do so. (credit:Shutterstock)

Dependence: Going Through Withdrawal(07 of20)

Symptoms of alcohol dependence, a physical need to drink, are identified as three or more of the following within the same year:Going through withdrawal when not using alcohol, with symptoms such as tremors, restlessness, and agitation. (credit:Shutterstock)

Dependence: Avoiding Withdrawal(08 of20)

Symptoms of alcohol dependence, a physical need to drink, are identified as three or more of the following within the same year:Taking a substance or a similar one to avoid the effects of withdrawal. (credit:Shutterstock)

Dependence: Spending Time On Alcohol(09 of20)

Symptoms of alcohol dependence, a physical need to drink, are identified as three or more of the following within the same year:Spending a significant amount of time trying to acquire the substance.Spending less time at work or on other activities because of substance use; a person may completely abandon previously enjoyable activities. (credit:Shutterstock)

Dependence: Drinking In The Face Of Difficulty(10 of20)

Symptoms of alcohol dependence, a physical need to drink, are identified as three or more of the following within the same year:Continuing to drink despite being aware that alcohol is causing psychological or physical difficulties. (credit:Shutterstock)

Addiction: Saying Inappropriate Things(11 of20)

Stephen Gilman, MD, an addiction specialist in New York City, helps determine the severity of alcohol addiction by asking the following questions:Does he/she frequently say inappropriate things? (credit:Shutterstock)

Addiction: Slurred Speech(12 of20)

Stephen Gilman, MD, an addiction specialist in New York City, helps determine the severity of alcohol addiction by asking the following questions:Does his/her speech slurred? (credit:Shutterstock)

Addiction: Missing Work(13 of20)

Stephen Gilman, MD, an addiction specialist in New York City, helps determine the severity of alcohol addiction by asking the following questions:Does he/she miss work? (credit:Shutterstock)

Addiction: Off Balance(14 of20)

Stephen Gilman, MD, an addiction specialist in New York City, helps determine the severity of alcohol addiction by asking the following questions:Is his/her balance off when they walk? (credit:Shutterstock)

Addiction: Trouble With The Law(15 of20)

Stephen Gilman, MD, an addiction specialist in New York City, helps determine the severity of alcohol addiction by asking the following questions:Has he/she gotten in trouble with the law, for example, with drinking and driving? (credit:Shutterstock)

Addiction: Health Problems(16 of20)

Stephen Gilman, MD, an addiction specialist in New York City, helps determine the severity of alcohol addiction by asking the following questions:Is he having health issues related to alcohol addiction, such as heartburn, liver problems, high blood pressure, or insomnia? (credit:Shutterstock)

Question To Ask: Should I Cut Down?(17 of20)

Take the CAGE questionnaire -- if the answer to two or more of the four CAGE questions is yes, it is likely you have a problem.C stands for cut-down: Do you ever feel that you should cut down on your drinking? (credit:Shutterstock)

Question To Ask: People Getting Annoyed?(18 of20)

Take the CAGE questionnaire -- if the answer to two or more of the four CAGE questions is yes, it is likely you have a problem.A stands for annoyed: Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? (credit:Shutterstock)

Question To Ask: Ever Felt Guilty?(19 of20)

Take the CAGE questionnaire -- if the answer to two or more of the four CAGE questions is yes, it is likely you have a problem.G stands for guilty: Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking? (credit:Shutterstock)

Question To Ask: Drinking To 'Recover'?(20 of20)

Take the CAGE questionnaire -- if the answer to two or more of the four CAGE questions is yes, it is likely you have a problem.E stands for eye-opener: Have you ever had to drink as soon as you wake up to steady your nerves or get over a hangover? (credit:Shutterstock)

Celebrities Who Don't Drink

Also on HuffPost

Celebrities Who Don't Drink

Bradley Cooper(01 of15)

Cooper became sober at 29 after purposefully bashing his head into a concrete floor at a party. "I don't drink or do drugs anymore," he told People. "Being sober helps a great deal … I remember looking at my life, my apartment, my dogs [when I was still using], and I thought, 'What's happening?'" (credit:Getty Images)

Christina Ricci(02 of15)

“You know, I went through a normal kind of late teens, early 20s drinking, but it was a choice I made, because I didn’t think it was very good for my life," she told BlackBook. (credit:Getty Images)

Kim Kardashian(03 of15)

"I do not drink alcohol at all. My sisters drink, so when they get a little crazy, I am there to pull them down," she told People. That didn't stop her from shilling for Midori. (credit:Getty Images)

Eminem(04 of15)

After battling addiction to drugs and alcohol, Eminem got sober several years ago."You gotta remember I hadn't recorded a song sober in seven years. So it took me awhile to even feel like I could record a song sober ... I don't know the last time I shot a video sober, without drinking or taking anything. It's been years," he told Vibe. (credit:AP)

Jennifer Lopez(05 of15)

"I think that ruins your skin. Of course, during celebratory toasts, everybody's like, 'You can't toast with water!' So I'll toast with alcohol and just take a sip," she told InStyle. (credit:Getty Images)

Ewan McGregor(06 of15)

"I got away with it more or less unnoticed. I was a maniac on the booze but I only remember it fondly," he told the Daily Mail. (credit:Getty Images)

Kristin Davis(07 of15)

Davis went sober at age 22 when she found her drinking was interfering with her acting aspirations. “Sure, sometimes I miss it,” she told The Week. “Every once in a while, I’ll be with friends and they’ll be drinking red wine and I’ll think, in a really innocent way, Oh wow, that’s such a wonderful glass of red wine. Wouldn’t it be fun to drink it? Maybe it would be fine, but it’s really not worth the risk.” (credit:AP)

Kim Cattrall(08 of15)

Davis isn't the only sober SATC lady. “I'm not a big drinker and when I do, I get a headache. I don't drink or take drugs so clothes are my only mood enhancer," she said (via Yahoo!). (credit:Getty Images)

Colin Farrell(09 of15)

"Seven years sober. I'm really grateful. It’s really lovely to be present in my life," he told Ellen DeGeneres earlier this year. "I was terrified [of being sober] because, I'm not saying I was a great actor before or a great actor since, but I was terrified that whatever my capacity was as an actor beforehand, however little or large — it would completely dispappear." (credit:AP)

Blake Lively(10 of15)

“I don’t drink. I’ve never tried a drug," she told Allure. "It's just something that I genuinely don't have a desire for." (credit:AP)

Kelly Osbourne(11 of15)

"I had been to rehab several times and reached a point where I was taking more of what I was doing in hopes that I wouldn't wake up. And when I got to that point, the next morning I woke up and I was like, 'I just prayed for death. What the hell is wrong with me?'" she told Anderson Cooper, on how she hit rock bottom and finally got sober. (credit:Getty Images)

Jada Pinkett Smith(12 of15)

"I found myself drinking two bottles of wine on the couch and I said, 'Jada, I think we've got a problem here,'" she said (via Contact Music). "I had problems with alcohol and I really had to get in contact with the pain, whatever that is, and then I had to get some other tools in how to deal with the pain. From that day on I went cold turkey; I haven't had a drink in eight years." (credit:Getty Images)

Gerard Butler(13 of15)

Butler quit drinking 15 years ago and recently went to rehab for a prescription painkiller addiction. (credit:Getty Images)

Tyra Banks(14 of15)

"I've never had any drugs and I had a little taste of alcohol when I was 12 years old, but that's about it," she wrote on her website. (credit:Getty Images)

Tobey Maguire(15 of15)

"I don't think it's a secret that I've been sober since I was 19. It's in half of the articles done about me," he told People. (credit:Getty Images)

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