In 2013, Jinx Monsoon won Season 5. RuPaul’s Drag Race When she took the crown at age 26, she was no longer, as she described herself earlier that season, “Seattle’s premier Jewish narcolepsy drag queen.” She was now, in show terms, America’s next drug superstar. , and eventually returned to the workroom to compete. RuPaulof drag race all stars 7join the “All-Stars All-Winners” cast of queens who won their respective seasons drag racing again drag race all stars.
This trajectory meant that Jinx was thrust into the public eye in ways she never expected, and in ways she was, she says, unprepared. I drank more as a way to cope with the pressures of stardom and help me self-treat my otherwise untreated anxiety, OCD, and depression. after (after actual Years before that, he got hit by a car drunk), Jinx decided to quit drinking altogether.
Today, Jinx has abstained from alcohol for about three years (although she still uses cannabis and says she remains a “strong weed advocate”). all stars 7 Win (This included a truly iconic Snap Game performance. Be sure to check it out here), feeling good, grounded, and excited for what’s next. She recently spoke to SELF about mental health practices that are robust as hell (and highly relevant), including therapy, video games, witchcraft, and Grindr.
These are Jinx’s own words.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
When your life changes rapidly overnight, from low pressure to high pressure, or from obscure to attention-grabbing, underlying issues you haven’t yet addressed quickly surface. When you are under extreme stress, what you thought you had for a long time comes to the surface.
I think I’ve settled into who I am now and I’m really confident, but it took a lot of work. was not ready to become a public figure. I would have loved Crash Course in it. Or, you know, like night school education on how to effectively get public attention.
As an actor who considers taking notes and being able to critique an important part of his job, going on Twitter, reading Instagram comments, and reading Reddit threads is part of being critiqued. I thought…but the only thing I could find that was affirming was my own insecurities. My therapist said it was almost a form of self-harm when I went looking for those comments.
