Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has opened up about the shocking way she obtained prescription drugs during the height of her addiction problems.
The radio queen, 49, made the surprising admission in her new memoir, The Whole Truth, which went on sale Tuesday.
“An addiction to prescription drugs requires effort, in the form of visiting the doctor, which was exhausting and embarrassing,” Jackie began.
‘I knew this because I had done it when I was on Endone. You have to find different medical centers every month. When a new patient shows up asking for strong painkillers, they are immediately suspicious.”
Jackie then revealed that rather than deal with the problems that came with visiting the GP, she decided it was easier to access her medication through the black market.
‘I was struck by a stroke of luck – or incredible bad luck – when I met someone who could get me prescription drugs. It was terribly dangerous, but I risked it anyway.
‘Not only was my problem solved, but even better, I was able to get a stronger codeine painkiller, Panadeine Forte.’
The presenter added that she was forced to go cold turkey after her dealer was arrested, ending her offer completely.
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson (pictured) talks about the shocking way she obtained prescription drugs during the height of her addiction problems
The radio queen, 49, made the surprising admission in her new memoir, The Whole Truth, which went on sale Tuesday.
‘My cell phone rang. It was my supplier who called me to let me know that they had been arrested. So I no longer had access to my pills.
“This was the moment I had been dreading, when I would finally have to tackle my addiction and somehow quit a habit I had been indulging in for years.”
The radio star made the stunning admission about her addiction issues during a tearful conversation with her co-host Kyle Sandilands on their KIIS FM radio show last Thursday morning.
Jackie revealed that at the height of her addiction she was taking up to twelve Stilnox sleeping pills and 24 Panadeine Forte tablets every day, often with alcohol.
The KIIS FM star admitted on The Kyle and Jackie O Show that she secretly checked into the Betty Ford Clinic for drug and alcohol addiction in November 2022.
Jackie admitted that she was advised not to reduce her pill intake before arriving at the clinic, meaning she was still taking the drugs on the day she flew to the US.
When Jackie took a break from the show in 2022, Kyle Sandilands told listeners she was taking a step back to “focus on her health” after contracting COVID-19.
Jackie then revealed that rather than deal with the problems that came with visiting the GP, she decided it was easier to get her medication on the black market.
Behind the scenes, however, the beloved radio presenter was struggling with an addiction that had gotten out of hand.
The veteran presenter said she wanted to speak publicly about her addiction struggles to reduce and “normalise” the “stigma” surrounding drug addiction.
The presenter bravely apologized to listeners for not disclosing her health issues sooner and revealed she will be celebrating two years of sobriety in just a few weeks.
