Answer Addiction

Tag: celebs in recovery

  • Brad Pitt Talks Sobriety With Anthony Hopkins

    Brad Pitt Talks Sobriety With Anthony Hopkins

    “I just saw it as a disservice to myself, as an escape,” Pitt said about his addiction.

    Ad Astra star Brad Pitt discussed sobriety with the legendary actor Anthony Hopkins for Interview magazine.

    Lessons Learned

    “I’m realizing, as a real act of forgiveness for myself for all the choices that I’ve made that I’m not proud of, that I value those missteps, because they led to some wisdom, which led to something else,” Pitt explained. “You can’t have one without the other. I see it as something I’m just now getting my arms around at this time in my life. But I certainly don’t feel like I can take credit for any of it.”

    Hopkins, who has been sober for decades, asked Pitt about his reported struggle with alcohol. 

    “Well, I just saw it as a disservice to myself, as an escape,” Pitt said.

    “It was necessary,” Hopkins added. “It’s a gift. I myself needed to hide it, years ago.”

    Hopkins and Pitt have worked together on 1994’s Legend of the Fall and 1998’s Meet Joe Black. Duing their time working on Black, Hopkins talked about leaving alcohol behind in favor of sobriety.

    44 Years Sober

    Hopkins is nearly 45 years sober nowadays, something he keeps in mind but tries not to get “evangelical” about it. He explained his outlook on living with addiction to Pitt.

    “I look at it, and I think, ‘What a great blessing that was, because it was painful.’ I did some bad things. But it was all for a reason, in a way. And it’s strange to look back and think, ‘God, I did all those things?’ But it’s like there’s an inner voice that says, ‘It’s over. Done. Move on,’” Hopkin said.

    “So you’re embracing all your mistakes. You’re saying, “Let’s be our foibles, our embarrassment. There’s beauty in that,” Pitt noted. ” I’m seeing that these days. I think we’re living in a time where we’re extremely judgmental and quick to treat people as disposable. We’ve always placed great importance on the mistake. But the next move, what you do after the mistake, is what really defines a person. We’re all going to make mistakes. But what is that next step? We don’t, as a culture, seem to stick around to see what that person’s next step is. And that’s the part I find so much more invigorating and interesting.”

    Pitt spoke about his sobriety in an interview with GQ Style in 2017. The Fight Club actor said that at the peak of his heavy drinking, he could “drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good.” 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck Addresses Recent Relapse, Says It Won't "Derail Him"

    Ben Affleck Addresses Recent Relapse, Says It Won't "Derail Him"

    Affleck was spotted imbibing at a Halloween party this past weekend. 

    Actor Ben Affleck, who has struggled with alcohol addiction since the mid-1990s, looked to be inebriated after a Hollywood Halloween party on Saturday, according to video obtained by TMZ.

    The video shows him stumbling a bit after posing for a photo, then nearly falling backward and grabbing an idle SUV for support. He then carefully gets into his own vehicle as the cameraman asks him how he’s been.

    Talking To The Paps

    The next day, Affleck was seen looking no worse for wear and admitted on camera that he had “slipped” but that he’s not going to let that stop him.

    “It happens. It was a slip but I’m not going to let it derail me,” Affleck told paparazzi. “Thank you very much, guys.”

    According to a “friend” who spoke to People, the actor has acknowledged that his recovery is not going to be a perfect journey.

    “Sobriety is difficult and elusive for everyone struggling with addiction,” the source said. “Ben has acknowledged he’s going to slip up from time to time. It was never as if this was simply behind him.”

    The Midnight Mission

    Earlier Saturday, Affleck posted on his Instagram promoting The Midnight Mission, a non-profit organization that helps people experiencing homelessness with services like job training, housing, and addiction treatment.

    In his post, the actor mentioned being sober for over a year and announced that he would be donating to the non-profit while encouraging his followers to do the same.

    “I have been in recovery for over a year and part of that is helping out others,” he wrote. “@themidnightmission is an incredible organization that helps those in need with housing, training, development and recovery. I’m making a donation today because there are people battling addiction every day that don’t have the resources and need help.”

    His Third Rehab Stay

    Affleck was most recently in rehab for his issues with alcohol from late August to early October 2018, which was his third time staying in a facility for addiction treatment. After his 40-day program last year, he posted a statement to his fans explaining that treating an addiction disorder is a lifetime journey.

    “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle,” he said. “Because of that, one is never really in or out of treatment. It is full-time commitment. I am fighting for myself and my family.”

    This July, Affleck credited the treatment center Refuge Recovery for his progress and health in a defense of founder Noah Levine, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple individuals.

    “Working with Noah and his Refuge Recovery program has, quite literally, turned my life around,” said Affleck. “Today I am sober, happy, healthy and have custody of my three children. All of those things are a result of having Noah in my life.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Heather Locklear Completes Court-Ordered Treatment

    Heather Locklear Completes Court-Ordered Treatment

    Locklear’s lawyer says the actress is“committed to therapy, compliant and participatory, as well as actively engaged.”

    Heather Locklear has completed a 30-day inpatient rehab stay that allowed her to avoid jail time, but one source says that the actress is more focused on meeting her legal obligations than on getting serious about sobriety. 

    Misdemeanor Charges

    In August, Locklear pled no contest to eight misdemeanor charges. They stemmed from a domestic argument in which Locklear assaulted her partner, and later police officers as well. A judge could have sentenced her to 120 days in jail, but instead opted to sentence her to 30 days of treatment. 

    According to PEOPLE, the Melrose Place actress finished her rehab stint on Sept. 20. She’s now engaged with an outpatient treatment plan. On Oct. 8 Locklear’s lawyer, William Haney, updated the court with a letter from her treatment provider. It said that Locklear was “committed to therapy,” “compliant and participatory, as well as actively engaged.”

    However, other people close to the situation were not convinced that Locklear is committed to sobriety. 

    “She’s got such great legal representation… so the result is, she isn’t being held accountable,” an anonymous source said. “It [could be] back to the same square she was on before. Who knows but her daughter and her are getting along great.”

    In May, a source said that Locklear had a history of being flaky with treatment in the past. 

    “She went back to rehab two weeks ago. She went back to the place she left before Christmas. She had left for three days right before Christmas and never gone back… Heather’s problem is she doesn’t get serious about anything. She was continuing to drink.”

    The source said that Locklear has issues with mental health, which she tries to quell by abusing alcohol and pills. 

    The source explained, “Her issue is alcohol, pills, and her mental health. She doesn’t want anybody to hold her accountable. She has no job, nothing to keep her accountable.”

    Locklear’s family, including her 22-year-old daughter Ava, have had to live with her being unstable, the source said. 

    “This has been tearing up her family. It’s been an ongoing issue for many many years. It has been horrible for Ava,” they told PEOPLE. 

    Drunken Arrest

    During Locklear’s June arrest, EMTs and police came to her house following a disturbance call. Although it’s not clear what in particular led to the call, the first responders noted that Locklear was “arguing with friends and family” and “extremely intoxicated.” She was arrested and released at that time, but hours later was hospitalized for a possible overdose. 

    Locklear’s treatment provider will continue to provide updates on her treatment, as the court requires. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Amanda Bynes Checks Into Sober Living Following Alleged Relapse

    Amanda Bynes Checks Into Sober Living Following Alleged Relapse

    The former child star checked into a mental health facility earlier this year for a stress-related relapse. 

    Amanda Bynes is reportedly living in a sober group facility after an alleged relapse. 

    According to The Blast, the actress was advised to check into the group home by both her family and doctors, claiming they felt it was “the best place” for her to be.

    Sources tell The Blast that there have been several signs pointing to a shift in Bynes’ mental space, such as increased Instagram activity and dying her hair bright pink.

    Conservatorship Hearing

    The actress recently made an appearance in Ventura County Court in relation to her conservatorship case. The conservatorship has been in place since 2014, when Bynes nearly lit her dog on fire. 

    Entering treatment for her mental health is not new for Bynes, who has been in and out of such facilities since 2012. She has also been sober for varying amounts of time—at one point for four years. 

    In April 2019, Bynes’ attorney Tamar Arminak announced that Bynes had chosen to return to treatment on her own. 

    “I will tell you she’s doing remarkably well, under the circumstances,” he said at the time. “This time around, she realized herself, after the PAPER magazine interview spread, that she really wasn’t feeling like herself all of [a] sudden. She wanted to address it right away before going back into show business and exploring show business again. And it was her decision and her choice to address the situation, seek treatment, which I think is an incredibly mature way of handling this type of thing.”

    Graduating From FIDM

    A few months later, Bynes was allowed to leave treatment in order to walk at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s graduation ceremony, where she received her bachelor’s degree. She then returned to the treatment facility.  

    Bynes has been open about her struggles in the past. In November 2018, Bynes spoke to PAPER magazine about her history with substance use disorder. She said she first tried marijuana when she was 16, then delved into harder drugs. 

    “Later on it progressed to doing molly and ecstasy,” she said at the time. “[I tried] cocaine three times but I never got high from cocaine. I never liked it. It was never my drug of choice.”

    Bynes said she also abused Adderall, noting she “got really into my drug usage and it became a really dark, sad world for me.” 

    She added that she’s grateful her drug use never went further and warned others against going down a similar path. 

    “There are gateway drugs and thankfully I never did heroin or meth or anything like that but certain things that you think are harmless, they may actually affect you in a more harmful way,” Bynes told the magazine. “Be really, really careful because you could lose it all and ruin your entire life like I did.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Colton Haynes Shares Hospital Photos To Celebrate Recovery 

    Colton Haynes Shares Hospital Photos To Celebrate Recovery 

    “If ur in the middle of the dark times…I promise you it doesn’t have to last forever,” Haynes wrote on Instagram.

    Actor Colton Haynes shared photos of his hospitalization for substance use disorder to celebrate the progress he has made on his mental health and well-being. 

    His Instagram post included photos from when Haynes was hospitalized a year ago following a bender. 

    “Throwback,” wrote the actor, best known for his role in Teen Wolf. “I don’t want worrying about if I look hot or not on Instagram to be my legacy. I don’t want to skirt around the truth to please other people or to gain economic success. I have far more important things to say than what magazine I just shot for or what tv show I’m a part of (Although I’m very thankful I still get to do what I love).”

    Priorities

    Haynes said that his experience with addiction, depression and anxiety helped him define his priorities. 

    “I no longer want to project a curated life,” he wrote. “I get immense joy when someone comes up to me & says that my willingness to open up about depression, anxiety, alcoholism, & addiction has helped them in some way.”

    After being hospitalized last year following his divorce and the death of his mother, Haynes began opening up about his demons. He said in his post that the past year has been about learning to acknowledge his struggles and still live a healthy life. 

    “I’ve struggled the past year with trying to find my voice and where I fit in & that has been the most beautiful struggle I’ve ever had to go through,” Haynes wrote. 

    He realized, through that struggle, that he had a larger purpose than projecting a perfect image. 

    “Worrying about what time to post on social media so I can maximize my likes or being mad at myself that I don’t look the same way I did when I was addicted to pills is a complete waste of why I was put on this earth,” he wrote. “I’m posting these photos to let y’all in on my truth. I’m so grateful to be where I am now ( a year after these photos were taken) but man these times were dark. I’m a human being with flaws just like you.”

    Haynes ended with a positive message for anyone who is still struggling with addiction or mental illness. 

    “If ur in the middle of the dark times…I promise you it doesn’t have to last forever,” he wrote. “Love ya’ll.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • David Crosby's Surprised He’s Still Alive After Addiction Battle

    David Crosby's Surprised He’s Still Alive After Addiction Battle

    Given the singer’s substance-soaked history, prison time, and medical problems, Crosby is unsure of how he’s still here.

    Singer-songwriter David Crosby, 77, says he’s about as surprised as anyone that he’s lived to such a ripe old age. Crosby has been addicted to drugs, did hard time in prison, and survived heart attacks and a liver transplant foisted upon him by hepatitis C.

    “Nobody has any clue why,” said Crosby. “A whole lot of my friends are dead. I think my new motto is gonna be ‘Only the good die young.’”

    He will be celebrating his 78th birthday on August 14.

    An upcoming documentary, entitled Remember my Name, will cover the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s “checkered history.”

    “I’ve done some great things, some terrible things. Of course I remember that s—,” Crosby revealed. “All I had to do is be willing to tell the truth… But considering how old I am, I should be fading off into the distance politely and sort of getting ready to sit down and shut up.”

    Crosby has entrusted the telling of his life’s story to producer Cameron Crowe, who he’s known for a good while.

    “I’ve known him since he was 15,” Crosby said. “He was a very, very bright young man, and everybody liked him. I thought he was terrific, and we became friends. He’s been my friend ever since. And he knows, he really knows [about me].”

    One of the tales from Crosby’s life featured in the film is the story of how Joni Mitchell dumped him via song. Despite Mitchell going on to date Crosby’s bandmate, the two have stayed friends.

    “I do see her and talk to her,” Crosby said. “I had dinner with her at her place a couple months back. And I do still love her. Our relationship has always been thorny but good.”

    Prison Was The Turning Point

    Crosby’s life took a dark turn when he became addicted to heroin and cocaine, which culminated in drugs and weapons charges in 1983. After at first fleeing, Crosby turned himself in and served five months in prison in 1986. Here, he says, was where he was able to get off drugs for good.

    “It’s the only thing that really worked,” he recalled. “I had tried going into treatment and it didn’t work. I went into prison, and it worked. It was a s —y way to do it.”

    These days, life is pretty good for Crosby—with the exception of one thing: the 45th President of the United States.

    “I’m pretty happy almost all the time—unless I think about the president,” he says.

    He’s so passionate, he might even reunite with his old band, Crosby, Stills & Nash, if it could help beat President Donald Trump.

    “I would like to do some get-out-the-vote stuff in this coming year,” he said. “I really want this guy out of the White House. So if they wanted to do that, I’d probably do it with them.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Demi Lovato’s Life After Rehab

    Demi Lovato’s Life After Rehab

    From sober homes to 12-step meetings, the pop star reportedly has a strong post-rehab support system.

    After spending 90 days in an in-patient facility, singer Demi Lovato is adjusting to life after her overdose, utilizing a sober living facility and relying heavily on her ex-boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama for support. 

    TMZ reported that Valderrama regularly visited Lovato throughout her stay in rehab and has been talking with her and visiting since she returned to Los Angeles last week. The pair dated for six years before splitting up in 2016. 

    In 2015 when Lovato was celebrating three years of sobriety, she said that Valderrama had been instrumental to her recovery. 

    “I really wouldn’t be alive today without him,” she said, according to the Los Angeles Times. 

    “He’s loved me the way I never thought I deserved to be loved and with this day marking my 3rd year sober… After sharing my ups, putting up with my downs and supporting my recovery… he still never takes credit and I want the world to know how incredible his soul is,” Lovato wrote at the time. 

    The pair hasn’t been spotted in public, but sources told TMZ that they’ve been talking regularly since Lovato has been home. However, it’s not clear whether their interactions are romantic, especially since Lovato was spotted last week with clothing designer Henry Levy, laughing and holding hands.  

    TMZ also reports that Lovato is splitting her time between a private house and a sober home, where she has access to on-going sobriety support including counselors. She spends three days a week at that house, and spends the remainder of the week at home, easing in to everyday activities like going to the gym. Sources also reported that Lovato is regularly attending 12-step meetings. 

    In addition to the support that Lovato gets at the sober home and from attending meetings, she has a sober coach who is constantly by her side to help her get through the days, TMZ reported. 

    Lovato, who overdosed on pills laced with fentanyl in July, posted on social media after the incident. 

    “I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction,” she wrote. “What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”  

    She had been silent on social media since then. However, on Tuesday she posted a picture of herself at the ballot box, saying “I am so grateful to be home in time to vote! One vote can make a difference, so make sure your voice is heard! Now go out and vote.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Demi Moore Honored By Women’s Recovery House

    Demi Moore Honored By Women’s Recovery House

    “Early in my career, I was spiraling down a path of real self-destruction, and no matter what successes I had, I just never felt good enough.”

    On Saturday (Oct. 27), actress Demi Moore was presented with the Woman of the Year Award by Friendly House, a women’s recovery program in Los Angeles.

    Moore was honored at the 29th Annual Awards Luncheon hosted by Friendly House, the first residential program for women recovering from substance and alcohol use disorder, according to its official website.

    “Addiction is in the history of my family and I know truly how destructive it can be, and to be able to give women who don’t have the finances or resources this opportunity is remarkable, where they are human beings and not a number on an insurance form,” Moore said to Extra at the event.

    While accepting the award, the Ghost actress shared her story of crisis and redemption. “Early in my career, I was spiraling down a path of real self-destruction, and no matter what successes I had, I just never felt good enough. I had absolutely no value for myself,” she said.

    “And this self-destructive path, it very quickly brought me to a real crisis point.” It was at this point that she was hit with a divine intervention. “Two people, who I barely knew, stepped up… and they presented me with an opportunity—that was more like an ultimatum—unless I was dead, that I better show up.”

    Moore accepted the help and was forever changed by the chance she was given. “It gave me a chance to redirect the course of my life, before I destroyed everything. Clearly they saw more in me than I saw in myself, and I’m so grateful, because without that opportunity… I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

    Sobriety is a point of pride for all three of Moore’s daughters as well.

    In a 2017 social media post, Rumer Willis, announced that she was six months sober. “It’s not something I planned on but after the long journey of getting here I can honestly say I have never been more proud of myself in my entire life,” the eldest wrote.

    This was followed by a similar announcement from Scout Willis, who a week later celebrated one year of sobriety. “I am meeting the best version of myself every day,” the middle sister wrote.

    And finally, Tallulah Willis shared that she overcame both a drinking problem and eating disorder. “I did not value myself, my life or my body and as such I was constantly punishing for not being enough,” the youngest wrote.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck To Portray Former Basketball Star In Recovery

    Ben Affleck To Portray Former Basketball Star In Recovery

    Affleck reportedly began preparing for the role while in rehab with daily training and meetings with a basketball coach.

    As Ben Affleck adjusts to life post-rehab, he’s taking on a new role that he can very much relate to.

    This month, the 46-year-old actor completed a 40-day treatment program for alcohol, which he began in late August. In a statement posted on social media, Affleck shared that he will “remain in outpatient care.”

    He’s now back at work, filming his new movie Torrance, about a former basketball star struggling with substance use disorder who tries to make a comeback by coaching a high school basketball team, according to IMDb.

    Affleck’s problem with alcohol—which he’s been contending with for more than a decade—mirrors his character’s issues.

    People reports that Affleck began preparing for the role while in rehab with daily training and meetings with a basketball coach.

    Affleck previously sought treatment in 2001 and then in 2017. After his most recent stay, he expressed gratitude for the support he’s received throughout his highly publicized ordeal.

    “The support I have received from my family, colleagues and fans means more to me than I can say. It’s given me the strength and support to speak about my illness with others,” Affleck wrote on social media.

    “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle… So many people have reached out on social media and spoken about their own journeys with addiction. To those people, I want to say thank you.”

    His brother, actor Casey Affleck, says he was lucky to have “the kind of resources and time” to be able to go to a good facility and get help.

    “It can’t be easier to have everybody looking at you and taking your picture as you’re walking out of an intervention,” said Casey. “I don’t envy that. I saw my father struggle with it for many years and nobody was following him around with cameras and stuff.”

    Casey added that he and his brother “come from a long line of alcoholics.”

    “Alcoholism has a huge impact on not just the person, but also their family,” Casey told ET in September. “So, I think for his kids’ sake and for their mom, he’s trying to do the work and get it together.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck Speaks Out After Completing Rehab Program

    Ben Affleck Speaks Out After Completing Rehab Program

    The Justice League star told fans on social media he just finished a 40-day rehab stint.

    Actor Ben Affleck took to Instagram on Thursday to tell fans that he’s just finished a 40-day stay in rehab for alcohol addiction treatment.

    “This week I completed a forty day stay at a treatment center for alcohol addiction and remain in outpatient care,” he wrote on Instagram.

    He credited family, friends and fans for providing the support he needed to complete his treatment program and being able to speak about it publicly.

    “The support I have received from my family, colleagues and fans means more to me than I can say,” he admitted in his post. “It’s given me the strength and support to speak about my illness with others.”

    Affleck said that while his family is a major source of strength for his ongoing recovery, fan support also helps to push him through.

    “So many people have reached out on social media and spoken about their own journeys with addiction. To those people, I want to say thank you,” he posted. “Your strength is inspiring and is supporting me in ways I didn’t think was possible. It helps to know I am not alone.”

    He hopes that his being open about recovery as a high-profile celebrity can help others find the courage to seek help.

    “As I’ve had to remind myself, if you have a problem, getting help is a sign of courage, not weakness or failure,” he wrote. “I continue to avail myself with the help of so many people and I am grateful to all those who are there for me. I hope down the road I can offer an example to others who are struggling.”

    Affleck sought help with the support of his estranged wife, actress Jennifer Garner. The two have three children that they are committed to co-parenting despite the soon-to-be-official divorce. She’s been pushing him to get help since last year, and continues to help him today. In fact, Garner was the one who drove him to rehab for this most recent stint, according to People.

    “I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be,” Affleck wrote in a March 2017 Facebook post. “I’m lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I’ve done the work I set out to do. This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery.”

    View the original article at thefix.com