The last few years have been a bit of a roller coaster for Amanda Bynes — mention her name to anyone with Internet access and you'll see that just from the response they give regarding her. She's become sort of a household name for troubled child stars who have straight up lost their marbles.

While a lot of people suspected her Twitter rampages and various antics were a result of an untreated mental illness, in a recent interview with PAPER, Bynes opened up about the fact that she wasn't dealing with bipolar disorder as some had claimed, but that instead, she was suffering from addiction.

Things certainly look different for Bynes now. She's been sober for four years and is currently enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. After being sentenced to three years on probation as a result of drunk driving, Bynes was required to attend an alcohol education course. It looks like that course combined with various treatment behind the scenes has really worked.

According to Bynes, "The mixture of marijuana and whatever other drugs and sometimes drinking really messed up my brain." While it might seem impossible to some that her online antics could simply be the result of drug abuse, repeatedly pouring poison on a young brain can really change a person and make them do and say things they never would.

"It really made me a completely different person. I actually am a nice person. I would never feel, say or do any of the things that I did and said to the people I hurt on Twitter," said Bynes.

For someone with as much notoriety as her, it's a bold thing to come out and restart the conversation about the embarrassing things she's said and done while under the influence.

Speaking out about the reality of drug abuse and addiction and the dangers associated with it is brave and can mean a lot in an era of rampant drug abuse, especially among younger people.

Bynes concludes the interview with a warning, saying, "Be really, really careful because you could lose it all and ruin your entire life as I did." I don't know about that, Amanda. I think maybe this is just the beginning.