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Tag: celebs & recovery

  • Matt Damon Gives Update On Ben Affleck's Recovery Journey

    Matt Damon Gives Update On Ben Affleck's Recovery Journey

    The A–list pals are teaming up for their first collaboration since Good Will Hunting. 

    At a UNICEF masquerade Halloween ball in West Hollywood, Ben Affleck, who recently left rehab for alcoholism, appeared intoxicated leading many to wonder if he had fallen off the wagon. Affleck wasted no time in confirming that he had relapsed but that his sobriety remained of the utmost importance.

    “It happens, it’s a slip, but I’m not going to let it derail me,” Affleck told paparazzi the day after the party. Since the high-profile slip, Affleck has laid low but his long-time friend and collaborator gave an update on his Good Will Hunting co-star.

    Damon Speaks

    “He’s looking great, and he’s doing great,” Damon said, according to The Blast. “We’ve been working together on this screenplay, and … he’s just doing great.”

    The duo are working on their first project since Good Will Hunting, which earned the duo an Academy Award for  best screenplay and a place in Hollywood’s A-List. According to Deadline, the duo are co-writing The Last Duel based on the book 

    Affleck has been transparent with the public about his battle with alcoholism. In 2018, Affleck addressed his decision to open up about his journey to sobriety on Today while promoting his Netflix movie Triple Frontier. 

    “Being an alcoholic, it’s part of my life, it’s something that I deal with,” Affleck told host Hoda Kotb. “It doesn’t have to subsume my whole identity and be everything but it is something that you have to work at.”

    His Rehab Stints

    The Argo director first entered rehab in 2003 for alcohol addiction. (He was driven to the Malibu rehab by pal Charlie Sheen.) Ater completing a 30-day program, Affleck returned to movie-making and found love with actress Jennifer Garner. The Daredevil stars married in 2005 and began their family. After a decade of marriage, they parted ways but Garner remained an important person in Affleck’s life.

    A couple years after they parted ways, Affleck entered rehab for the second time in 2017, with the support of Garner.

    “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,” Affleck wrote in a 2017 statement. “This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery.”

    Navigating superstardom, family life and sobriety is particularly difficult but Affleck understands that the addiction struggle doesn’t end after 30 days in rehab.

    “Battling any addiction is a lifelong and difficult struggle,” the actor wrote on Instagram in 2018. “Because of that one is never really in or out of treatment. It is a full-time commitment. I;m fighting for myself and my family.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Artie Lange "Doing Well" In Recovery, Working On Court-Ordered Community Service

    Artie Lange "Doing Well" In Recovery, Working On Court-Ordered Community Service

    One of Lange’s close friends released a video of the comedian participating in his court-ordered community service.

    Artie Lange appears to be making positive progress in early recovery after being taken into custody in January, when he tested positive for both morphine and cocaine. 

    Lange, a 51-year-old actor and comedian known for his roles on the Howard Stern Show and Mad TV, has long struggled with substance use disorder. At the time of his arrest, he was ordered to take part in mandatory drug rehab, Consequence of Sound reports.  

    A few days ago, Russ Meneve, a friend of Lange’s, tweeted a video of the actor cleaning up garbage as part of his community service and treatment. 

    “Just spoke to one of my greatest friends, Artie Lange, who’s doin’ great in recovery and asked me to share this vid of him “on the job” !!” his tweet read. “He looks great and will be back soon. Stay tuned and keep rootin’ for a truly great human being…we love ya, Art.”

    In the shared video, Lange says to Meneve, “You’re going to keep this quiet, right, I’m sure.” 

    Meneve responds, “Absolutely. No one will ever know, ” to which Lange replies “I love you!” and “Take care.”

    The video was also shared on Lange’s Twitter account, which read “We heard from Artie this morning, HA!” then added this snipped from Lange: “It’s true i’m working to satisfy my drug court program. I work with great people. Nothing wrong with a little hard work. Love you all and can’t wait to be back on stage.”

    According to Page Six, Lange’s rep has verified that “this is work Artie is doing as part of his [New Jersey] drug court case. He is working with a refuse company daily as he continues treatment.”

    This was not the actor’s first run-in with drug-related trouble. Last June, Lange was given four years of probation, 50 hours of community service and was instructed to attend outpatient treatment. Despite the charges, he was not given any jail time.

    “The judge and Prosecutor were unbelievably compassionate,” Lange tweeted at the time. “I’m not high. So I see it clearly now. They wanna save my life. 10 days ago when I left rehab I had to touch the flame. I used Cocaine.”

    Lange has been fairly open about his struggles. In December last year, he posted a photo of his nose on Instagram and called it “hideously deformed.” The reason for that, Fox News reported at the time, was accidentally snorting broken glass that had been mixed with Oxycontin. 

    At the time, some of Lange’s friends reached out on Twitter. 

    “Artie, this is my 1000th request over decades to beg you to surrender to your addictions,” Richard Lewis tweeted. “We had the most laughs sober. I love you. You’re beloved and a magnificent comedian cursed with self loathing and fear. Give it up and live.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Charlie Sheen Graduates From Rehab, Recalls "Chaos" Of Addiction

    Charlie Sheen Graduates From Rehab, Recalls "Chaos" Of Addiction

    “You get tired of apologizing for things that you can’t remember doing. The amends can’t just be words, they have to be actions,” Sheen said.

    Charlie Sheen, speaking in an interview on Loose Women, announced he has graduated from rehab. On the show, he revealed his biggest motivator for getting sober: being unable to take care of his daughter. At times, he admitted, he felt like he was “possessed by a demon” when he craved alcohol.

    “To this day, I am not sure how I created such chaos and wound up in that headspace. It’s as though there was some alien or demonic possession going on,” he said.

    Sheen’s trouble with drugs and alcohol were highly public, including one infamous 2011 interview where he declared he was indeed on a drug—that he was all too familiar with.

    “I am on a drug. It’s called Charlie Sheen,” he told ABC News. “It is not available because if you try it once you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.”

    Now, after rehab and therapy, Sheen is 16 months sober. He spoke about how he feels about recovery in his recent interview with Loose Women.

    “You get tired of apologizing for things that you can’t remember doing. The amends can’t just be words, they have to be actions. It’s hard but not impossible,” Sheen said. “I said to the [therapist], ‘Is there an end point here?’… and there isn’t. It’s an ongoing thing. You make the amends when it is appropriate, it’s not about making them on your terms, it’s about approaching others on theirs.”

    Sheen’s decision to get sober came after one fateful day where he realized he was simply too drunk to help raise his own daughter.

    “I couldn’t get my daughter to an appointment that she had. I don’t drink and drive ever, I have never had a DUI,” he explained. “’I was like, ‘Wow, I am not even responsible enough to be available for my children’s needs.’ The next morning I woke up and was like, ‘Today is the day.’”

    Sheen believes he’s in a much better and safer state of mind now and doesn’t fear that he will relapse.

    “I have a game plan and I stick to it,” he said. “There is nothing left in that world, I exhausted it completely. The only thing left would be something catastrophic.” 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Wendy Williams: I'm "Living Proof" That There's Hope For Those With Addiction

    Wendy Williams: I'm "Living Proof" That There's Hope For Those With Addiction

    Williams touched on her own recovery while promoting her new addiction recovery helpline. 

    Talk show host Wendy Williams, whose journey through relapse and recovery made headlines this month, has put out a public service announcement urging those who are in need of addiction treatment services to reach out for help.

    Williams launched the announcement in conjunction with a new helpline through The Hunter Foundation, an organization that she and her husband, Kevin Hunter, began in 2014 to provide recovery resources. The foundation launched the helpline on March 11 to help people connect with treatment. 

    “Hi, I’m Wendy Williams Hunter. My organization, The Hunter Foundation, recently launched a nationwide hotline to offer treatment resources for you if you are a drug addict or substance abuser,” Williams said, according to People.

    When people call into the line, at 1-888-5HUNTER, they are connected with recovery coaches who can help them find treatment resources. 

    Williams explained, “The calls are being answered by specially-trained, certified recovery coaches. They’re very smart. They conduct screenings to determine your needs. The substance abuse will be taken care of. We will provide you with referrals for long- or short-term treatment at facilities all around the world: detox, rehab, sober living and outpatient centers everywhere, nationwide.”

    Williams struggled with cocaine use in the past and was recently hospitalized for drinking. However, she said that her story shows there is hope for everyone battling substance use disorder. 

    “If you’re an addict or a substance abuser, don’t be ashamed—help is here for you or a family member or a loved one. Call. Don’t be ashamed, there is hope. I’m living proof.”

    Since the hotline launched, it has received more than 10,000 calls and connected more than 400 people with treatment services, according to Today. 

    “10,000 calls in three weeks is remarkable! We’re doing our part by getting the word out,” Williams said. “All it takes is one call to get on the right path. We’re here to help.”

    Williams announced in March that she was living in a sober house and working with a sobriety coach. Her relapse reportedly had to do with her husband’s extramarital affair, although neither Williams nor Hunter has publicly commented on the matter. Hunter said last week that the couple is focusing on their relationship and Williams’ recovery, while also continuing to help others through their foundation. 

    “Wendy and the family are doing fine. We are focused on her health and sobriety, and that is it,” he said. “We are turning the tables on this thing called addiction and turning Wendy’s bout into a positive.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Wendy Williams Reveals She's Been Living In a Sober Home

    Wendy Williams Reveals She's Been Living In a Sober Home

    Williams detailed her sober living situation during a recent episode of her talk show.

    Wendy Williams took two months off from her show before returning to reveal that she has been living in a sober home.

    “For some time now, and even today and beyond, I have been living in a sober house,” Williams said on Tuesday’s episode of The Wendy Williams Show. “And you know, I’ve had a struggle with cocaine in my past and I never went to a place to get the treatment. I don’t know how, except God was sitting on my shoulder and I just stopped.”

    Williams’ revelation came after a two-month hiatus from taping her show. She explained she had been dealing with Graves’ disease during her time off.

    In 2017, Williams fainted during a taping of her show. She later explained that she had a heat stroke—and was going through “what middle-aged women go through.”

    The TV personality wanted to be transparent with her fans, who know her to be a “very truthful and open person.” She stated that the only other person who knew what was happening was her husband, Kevin Hunter, according to BuzzFeed News.

    “There are people in your family, it might be you, who have been struggling, and I want you to know more of the story,” she said. “So, this is my autobiographical story, and I’m living it. I’m telling you this.”

    Williams shared her routine with viewers: daily pilates and sober “meetings around town in the tristate area,” then her 24-hour sober coach brings her home, “with a bunch of smelly boys who have become my family.”

    “They hog the TV and watch soccer, we talk and read and talk and read, and then I get bored with them. Doors locked by 10 p.m. Lights out by 10 p.m.,” Williams said.

    “So I go to my room, and I stare at the ceiling and I fall asleep to wake up and come back here to see you. So that is my truth. I know, either you are calling me crazy or the bravest woman you know,” she said. “I don’t care.”

    Williams also promoted her family’s foundation, the Hunter Foundation, which offers a 24-hour hotline service that Williams said, “already successfully placed 56 people in recovery centers around the world.”

    CNN anchor Don Lemon tweeted his support of Williams, writing, “I say bravest woman I know. @WendyWilliams finally speaks her truth about recovery.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Demi Lovato Reflects On Recovery, "Mistakes" On Would-Be 7th Sober Anniversary

    Demi Lovato Reflects On Recovery, "Mistakes" On Would-Be 7th Sober Anniversary

    “I don’t regret going out because I needed to make those mistakes, but I must never forget that’s exactly what they were—mistakes,” Lovato said.

    Demi Lovato is making the most of her journey in recovery, and chose to celebrate rather than mourn what would have been her seven-year sober anniversary. 

    Us Weekly reports that Friday (March 15) marked what would have been that milestone for the singer and actress, if not for her frightening overdose last July that landed her in the hospital. 

    “Today I would’ve had 7 years sober,” Lovato shared on her Instagram story. “I don’t regret going out because I needed to make those mistakes but I must never forget that’s exactly what they were: mistakes.”

    “Grateful that AA/NA never shuts the door on you no matter how many times you have to start over,” she added. “I didn’t lose 6 years, I’ll always have that experience but now I just get to add to that time with a new journey and time count.”

    “If you’re alive today, you can make it back,” Lovato concluded. “You’re worth it.”

    Fans of Lovato appreciated the message and took the time to let Lovato know.

    “I‘m so proud of you,” one Twitter user wrote. “You have all my respect and I look up to you in every way possible.Thank you for giving us strength and showing us that it‘s ok to ask for help. You are the living proof that recovery is possible and that you can come back stronger than ever.”

    On January 25, Lovato shared that she was celebrating six months of sobriety after her hospitalization and treatment since the summer. 

    “Demi is doing great and is in a much healthier place,” someone close to Lovato told Us Weekly at the time of the celebration. “She is learning how to take care of herself better and put her needs first.”

    Since treatment, Us Weekly reports, Lovato has been putting effort into self-care. On March 7, after a breakup, she sent herself flowers and shared what the card read on her Instagram story.  

    “You’re beautiful, you’re loved, and you’re worthy of a happy and healthy life,” she wrote. 

    Lovato has been vocal about her recovery journey from substance use disorder and an eating disorder. Two years ago, on her five-year sober anniversary, Lovato shared another message on Instagram. 

    “So grateful. It’s been quite the journey. So many ups and downs,” she wrote at the time.

    “So many times I wanted to relapse but sat on my hands and begged God to relieve the obsession. I’m so proud of myself but I couldn’t have done it without my higher power (God), my family, friends, and everyone else who supported me. Feeling humbled and joyful today. Thank you guys for sticking by my side and believing in me.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Ben Affleck Opens Up About Alcoholism

    Ben Affleck Opens Up About Alcoholism

    “Some people are sort of uncomfortable, but it doesn’t really bother me to talk about alcoholism. Being an alcoholic is part of my life; it’s something I deal with,” Affleck said.

    Over the years, Ben Affleck has been increasingly transparent with the public about the place that drinking has had in his life, and in a recent interview with Today, he continued that honesty.

    “I had a problem and I really want to address it and I take some pride in that,” he told Hoda Kotb. “It’s about yourself, your life, your family… we encounter these kinds of hurdles and we have to deal with them.”

    Affleck continued, “I mean, some people are sort of uncomfortable, but it doesn’t really bother me to talk about alcoholism. Being an alcoholic is part of my life; it’s something I deal with.”

    While alcoholism is something that Affleck lives with, he’s determined not to let it define him.

    “It doesn’t have to subsume my whole identity and be everything but it is something that you have to work at,” he said.

    In 2012, Affleck interviewed with Barbara Walters and explained how alcoholism had defined his childhood.

    “[My father] was an alcoholic… I did know that as a child. He drank a lot. My father was a—what did they call him—a real alcoholic. He, you know, drank all day, drank every day, and to his credit, he got sober ultimately. He’s been sober for several decades, which I think is pretty impressive.”

    Affleck stopped drinking at age 24, after he and Matt Damon won the Oscar for their movie Good Will Hunting.

    Then in 2001, after a highly-publicized break-up with Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlie Sheen drove Affleck to Malibu Promises. “I went to rehab for being 29 and partying too much and not having a lot of boundaries and to clear my head and try to get some idea of who I wanted to be,” Affleck later told The Hollywood Reporter.

    From 2004 until 2018, Affleck was married to Jennifer Garner. Married life with three kids was quiet until Garner and Affleck split, and since then Affleck has had a series of semi-public incidents with alcohol, the last culminating in having alcohol delivered to his house.

    Shortly after, toward the end of 2018, the actor was photographed in the back of a car with Garner driving him to rehab.

    On Today, Affleck called Garner a “great mom” and said he was lucky to co-parent with her.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Demi Lovato Is Reportedly Out Of Rehab

    Demi Lovato Is Reportedly Out Of Rehab

    A source claims the pop star is spending time at a sober living facility in Los Angeles.

    Singer Demi Lovato is reportedly out of rehab, having achieved 90 days of sobriety following her near-fatal overdose in July. 

    “She just got back to LA a couple days ago,” a source told PEOPLE. “She seems to be doing well so far.”

    The singer was spotted over the weekend out and about in Los Angeles. On Saturday she was seen at Matsuhisa restaurant in Bev Hills with clothing designer Henry Levy.

    TMZ reports that the pair were smiling and happy, holding hands within the restaurant. 

    According to E! News, a source says that Lovato is “also spending time at a sober living facility, where she has a great support system.”

    The source adds that the singer is “taking it slowly and getting back to life one day at a time. She’s not rushing to figure out where she’s going to live permanently.”

    On July 24, Lovato was found unresponsive in her home, reportedly following a night with her dealer taking “aftermarket” pills. She spend two weeks in the hospital before heading to inpatient treatment at an undisclosed facility.

    Last week, the 26-year-old singer’s mother, Dianna De La Garza, said that Lovato had reached a recovery milestone.

    “She has 90 days,” De La Garza said. “I couldn’t be more thankful or more proud of her because addiction being a disease, it’s work. It’s very hard. It’s not easy, and there are no shortcuts.”

    During the same interview, De La Garza revealed that she knew her daughter’s sobriety was slipping even before she learned about the overdose. 

    “I knew that she wasn’t sober. I didn’t know what she was doing because she doesn’t live with me and she’s 26,” she said. On the day that Lovato was hospitalized, De La Garzo said she received an alarming text that said “I just saw on TMZ and I’m sorry.”

    “Before I could get to TMZ, I got the phone call from her assistant and she said, ‘We’re at the hospital.’ So then I knew, OK, she’s not gone. She’s here,” De La Garzo recalled. “And I said, ‘What’s going on?’ And the words that I heard are just a nightmare for any parent: ‘Demi overdosed.’” 

    Lovato has been open about her struggles with mental illness and substance abuse in the past. However, her social media accounts have been quiet since she posted in August, about her relapse. 

    “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 continued, “I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side. I will keep fighting.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Russell Brand On Rock Bottom, Importance Of 12-Step Fellowship

    Russell Brand On Rock Bottom, Importance Of 12-Step Fellowship

    “Sharing your story with another addict, as I did in my recovery, proved vital. Nothing I said to this person was too boring or terrible or trivial to him.”

    Russell Brand never shies from talking about his experience with addiction and recovery.

    Ahead of attending Wellspring, the three-day “wellness festival” happening in Palm Springs Oct. 26-28, where he’ll be the keynote speaker, Brand spoke with the Los Angeles Times about hitting rock bottom, living mindfully, and the importance of fellowship.

    “I hit rock bottom in 2003 with an addiction to heroin, which had cost me a job at MTV, a radio show, friends and girlfriends,” said Brand, who began using drugs at age 19.

    He used heroin for four years before his manager and friend Chip Sommers put things in perspective, telling him “I’d wind up either in a prison, lunatic asylum or graveyard.”

    He started going to a 12-step program, which he benefits from to this day. By accessing the support of others, he learned the importance of having a sense of community that the 12-step program provided.

    “Inevitably, when reason wanes, when the spiritual experience wanes, being part of a community lets you remind one another. Addicts yearn for some sense of connection that makes them feel more healed, more whole, more happy,” he said. “Sharing your story with another addict, as I did in my recovery, proved vital. Nothing I said to this person was too boring or terrible or trivial to him. He related to me—and the disconnectedness that I had always felt lifted. And so did the need to take drugs.”

    Brand also relies on a daily regimen of meditation—“a shower for the brain”—and exercise.

    “You have to design your own program, what’s right for your body and your mind,” he said. “For me meditation is not nearly enough. I need exercise too. And community.”

    In his 2017 book Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions, Brand chronicles his path to recovery and shares wisdom accumulated from over a decade sober.

    In the book, the comedian, actor, activist and advocate for addiction recovery and mental health adapts the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous in his own expletive-laced words.

    “[Now] I don’t struggle with [addictive] urges because the program I live by helps me remain serene and prevents those urges from arriving,” he said. “If I feel those urges—even though I don’t feel them so often because I’m working the program—I talk to other people and I do stuff for other people and I meditate and pray. There’s a whole sort of series put in place for when I feel those urges.”

    View the original article at thefix.com