Tonto Dikeh: I Was Lost Because I Was Hurting, Not Because I Loved Darkness
Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has opened up about her former battle with addiction, revealing that emotional pain was at the heart of her struggle and urging society to approach drug abuse with greater understanding.
Dikeh made the disclosure in a lengthy social media message dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of substance abuse.
The actress, who urged people to “say no to drugs,” said her personal experience had shown her that substances cannot eliminate emotional pain.
She explained that while drugs may temporarily provide an escape, the underlying hurt remains and addiction can gradually take control of a person’s life.
Dikeh said she was once judged for the chaos and destructive decisions associated with her behaviour.
However, she maintained that people did not always understand what was happening beneath the surface.
“I was once the chaos people judged. The noise. The mess. The broken decisions,” she wrote.
According to her, the anger and addiction that people saw were symptoms of a deeper emotional struggle.
She said she was not deliberately embracing darkness but was searching for relief from pain she could not adequately explain.
“I wasn’t lost because I loved the darkness. I was lost because I was hurting,” Dikeh said.
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The actress argued that addiction should not become a permanent label attached to a person.
She explained that drugs were a symptom of the problem while addiction became an escape from emotional pain that she did not know how to name.
“Drugs weren’t the problem, they were the symptom. Addiction wasn’t my identity,” she stated.
Dikeh credited God with helping her overcome the difficult period, saying her experience had taught her that even people written off by society could experience restoration.
She also appealed to Nigerians to stop stigmatising people who are battling substance abuse.
Rather than focusing exclusively on the addiction, she urged people to remember the individual behind the struggle and offer support.
“Hate the drugs. Hate the addiction. But never stop praying for the person trapped inside it,” she said.
Dikeh described herself as evidence that recovery is possible, saying her life after addiction demonstrates that a person can heal and regain purpose.
She concluded with a message of hope, encouraging people not to abandon individuals struggling with addiction because continued support could make a difference in saving a life.
