Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige uses her own experience in advising Whitney Houston to admit to her alleged drug problems, stating the admission of an addiction is the ?first step on the road to recovery.?

Blige tells Britain?s ?Attitude? magazine, "You have got to want to admit that you have got a problem, first of all. Then start to deal with why that is."

The ?Be Without You? singer also says that Houston?s issues may be rooted in her own unhappiness.

"It's probably more than just drugs,? she says. ?You get addicted to drugs and alcohol because you want to drown out all the problems in your life."

Describing herself as ?a work in progress,? Blige says her current insight is the result of a long, hard journey that began when she looked in the mirror and began holding that person responsible for her problems, not others. Many of her lessons were handed down by a good friend and confidant, Chaka Khan.

"Chaka Khan gave me a good few lessons about giving it all away,? she says. ?She told me to forgive myself, to let whatever will be just be. ?You deal with the stuff you can change and leave the other s**t to other people.?