Naomi Campbell: 'Drugs are an allergy'

Naomi Campbell has revealed that drink and drugs are an "allergy" to her.

The supermodel confessed that she became addicted to drugs when she was in her 20s, without realising the negative impact it would have on her life.

Discussing her substance abuse, she told GQ: "It rips you world apart. I never thought I was an alcoholic but it goes hand-in-hand with the drugs.

"Emotionally I was just gone. I was emotionally unattached to myself. You just want to numb your pain. And I've got tons of stuff. Same as everybody else. I didn't like the way I was.

"Drink and drugs are an allergy for me, and they don't make me a better person."

Campbell explained that she first started experimenting with illegal substances to have fun but she soon lost control.

She recalled: "I was a party girl. I started quite late, 24. I was having fun. It wasn't that I couldn't get out of bed in the morning without it. It wasn't a coping mechanism. It was a party thing and I didn't realise how powerful it was, in a very wrong way. The fun comes with consequences, you are killing yourself... I was an active addict. But I could still function."

The 40-year-old said that there is no shame in admitting you are an addict and seeking help.

She added: "Recovery is a positive thing. There's nothing to be ashamed of. When you know you need help, and seek help, you need that time to deal with it. Get used to that new discipline. Tell when you are ready to tell. There's no shame.

"There are people who get out of that prison, like Eric Clapton. I wanted to know what it was - that peace, that serenity. A lot of my friends didn't want to hang out with me when I came back. That hurt."