Chris Brown has taken plenty of criticism for some of his past actions, but these days, the singer is also quick to admit his mistakes. And he looks back on his recent drug use as one of those speedbumps.

"I was turnin' up," the singer told Hot 97 on Friday (October 31). "I was off the syrup, the Xanax, turning up. That's the hood cocktail right there."

He's comfortable with reflecting on that time now because he's learned from it -- and thinks others can, too.

"I'm not ashamed about talking about it because a lot of our youth is doing that now, thinking it's the cool thing to do," he said. "And I don't knock anybody's hustle or however they gotta do they thing, but, I just feel, for me, it wasn't conducive to me."

And he means it really wasn't conducive -- the hitmaker couldn't even get his work done.

"I was falling asleep on video sets. I was cussing people out randomly. I was doing crazy stuff. I would wake up, ask my homies, 'Hey, man, so what time we gotta shoot this video?' And they'd be like, 'Dude, we shot it yesterday.'"

"Not to say it's the best, but marijuana never messed me up, it always kind of relaxed me, I'm a hyper guy -- but when I started doing the lean and all the other stuff, I'd be in the studio, and if I smoke, I go in there and write five, six songs, be done, boom. But if I go in there and do the lean, I'd be sitting in the booth asleep. And the music would just be playing."

Eventually, he realized it was time for a change.

"As time progressed, I was like, Let me chill out, and get up off this, this ain't for me," he added. "I don't wanna be a zombie when I go meet people or say the wrong thing or end up punching somebody or doing something crazy -- like I did -- because I'm under the influence of some bull. From there, it was just about me getting my act together."