Nelson Mandela's granddaughter celebrates 7 years of recovering from alcohol & drug addiction after she turned to it to deal with sexual abuse as a child

Nelson Mandela's granddaughter, Zoleka Mandela is celebrating 7 years of recovering from alcohol and drug addiction after she turned to both substances following the sexual and physical abuse she suffered as a child.

She revealed that she had her first drink at age 9 then started smoking marijuana at age 13. Over the years, she experimented with other drugs including cocaine. At age 30, she checked herself into a rehab and was finally able to break free of her addiction.

Now 37 years old, Zoleka is celebrating her recovery while encouraging other addicts that "addiction doesn't always have to end in death."

See what she wrote below.