Macy Gray Says She Does Cocaine and Shots to Chill Out

Macy Gray says she's got a simple, if not fully legal, formula for keeping her spirits up -- and she's copping to it ... on camera!

The singer casually revealed the boozy secret to her happiness during Wednesday's premiere of MTV's "The Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets."

The celebrity contestants were learning breathing techniques in the mountains of Colombia when Macy revealed her preferred method of healing ... "cocaine and a couple shots."

Macy says she needs the substances in her life, especially living in L.A. ... a city she refers to as the "hippie kingdom."

It's not just coke and booze that makes Macy feel good -- she says she's happy just sitting down with a pizza, and while she's at it ... some marijuana edibles, too.

Macy's revelation here is interesting for another reason ... one of her fellow contestants is Chet Hanks.

Tom Hanks' son has been open recently about his past struggles with cocaine, explaining he was using the drug so much before he quit that cokeheads were literally telling him to chill out.