A country singer is opening up about homelessness and shoplifting addiction. Jewel may be an icon now, but there was a time when she was barely making it by.
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Speaking on the "No Magic Pill" podcast, Jewel opened up about being homeless as a teen and living in her car.
"My panic attacks were getting worse. My agoraphobia was getting worse," she said. "I didn't have food. I didn't have water - I didn't have.... anything - I didn't have gas for the car."
To survive, Jewel said that she started stealing food. That evolved to her stealing more than just food.
"I started stealing food and stealing, like, herbs and things like that to try and ... I had bad kidneys," she said. "And then, it just kind of evolved into stealing things that weren't food and things that I didn't need."
The country singer confessed that stealing and shoplifting soon turned into an addiction.
Country Singer Talks Homelessness
"I think, you know, stealing for me really became a real addiction," she said. "It was compulsive. I couldn't control it."
However, she decided to change after attempting to steal a pair of pants.
"I saw my reflection in the mirror and ... I was a statistic," she said. "I'm a homeless kid shoplifting, and I'm going to end up in jail or dead if this keeps going. Happiness doesn't depend on who you are or what you have. It depends on what you think."
Jewel soon focused on self-healing and overcoming her circumstances.
"I haven't had a panic attack in two weeks," she said "What I stumbled on was being radically present. Journaling about my hands all day ... I literally would watch my hands open a door. I'd watch my hands not shake a hand, or whatever it was.
She also added, "I'd watch my hand steal. I was so radically present that ... I forgot to worry about a future that hadn't happened yet. It was so liberating. I realized that fear is a thief, and it robs you of the only opportunity you have to change your life."
