Production for the album took place following lead singer Ronnie Radke's departure from Escape the Fate in 2008.

Recording took place in December 2010 and lasted until February 2011 at Paint it Black Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Michael Baskette, who worked with Radke on Escape the Fate's Dying Is Your Latest Fashion, returned as the executive producer for the album, alongside former bandmate Omar Espinosa and others as additional composers and production aids in the studio.

[7] Former Aiden, I Am Ghost, and The Bigger Lights drummer Ryan Seaman replaced Scott Gee[8] and former Cellador member Mika Horiuchi took over bass for Schoeffler.

They announced on December 20 that they would go to Orlando, Florida to record a full-length debut album over a period of two months with a tentative release date of the first quarter of 2011.

With the help of Executive Producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, mixing and tracking for the album concluded on April 2, 2011.

[15] Lyrically, according to Radke, some of the songs on the album had tones of being arrogant, comparing the attitude to that commonly found in rap music.

'"[19] Some things explored in the album were Radke's personal experiences, which include his mother, the corruption of Las Vegas, and his incarceration in prison due to multiple run-ins with the law involving narcotics and battery charges related to the death of Michael Cook.

[22] This meant that the band's first live performances would be at the Vans Warped Tour 2011 from August 10 to 14 for five shows on the Advent Clothing Stage throughout the western United States.

[21] However, the band played a few secret shows under the name "Goodbye Graceful" on August eighth and ninth in Anaheim and Los Angeles.

The tour will begin on September 18 and end on October 11, 2011, with support acts Eyes Set to Kill and For All Those Sleeping.

[24] The band's first supporting tour was to be a ten-show tour in November 2011 with headliners Black Veil Brides and supporting acts Aiden and Drive-A,[25] but was canceled after Black Veil Brides dropped out when their lead vocalist Andy Biersack broke his nose.

[41] On June 18, they released their fourth single, "Good Girls, Bad Guys" with an accompanying music video.

[43] A reimagined version of the song, "The Drug in Me Is You", was also released on February 13, 2020, in celebration of the album's gold certification and as a gift to fans of Falling in Reverse.

In celebration of the album's 10th anniversary, Falling in Reverse released new The Drug in Me Is You merch for sale on their official website starting July 26, 2021.

Musically, The Drug in Me Is You has been described as post-hardcore,[44][14] emo,[45] pop punk,[14] metalcore,[44] glam metal,[44] and hard rock.

[56] Alison Kopki of The Aquarian Weekly called the album, a "fun listen and decent starting-off point", and it "lets Radke get some things off his chest".

The writer noted the repeated attacks at Escape the Fate but disliked the album's lyrical quality.

[58] A Weekender correspondent noted that the album includes: "Aggressive rock... metal and electronica into this collective mix of mayhem and definitely keeps listeners wondering what will come next.

"[50] Different parts of songs were complimented, such as the "immense hooks... catchy choruses... [and] vicious breakdowns", as well as Radke's lyrics being called "witty and poetic".

[50] The correspondent's review further states, "Radke has managed to imprint his dramatic personality into every aspect of 'The Drug In Me Is You.

[59] Walter did comment on Radke's singing but felt the lyrical content was conceited, concluding the review saying, "Face it, Ronnie, you did not magically turn tragedy into melody.

The lewd, crude and tattooed punk has survived jail, rehab and being turfed from Escape the Fate.

Now he’s on the loose and up to no good with a new band — and a CD of post-hardcore anthems that render his foul-mouthed tales of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll with a mix of metalcore power and pop-punk melody.

"[60] The Drug in Me Is You was speculated by news source Perez Hilton to sell anywhere from 17,000 to 20,000 copies in the United States during its first week of sales, placing it close behind predicted debuting chart toppers Eric Church (Chief), Kelly Rowland (Here I Am), and Joss Stone (LP1).

[61] The album ended up selling 18,120 copies in its first week in the United States, charting at number 19 on the Billboard 200.