Addiction
January 16, 2016
If you are like many people battling alcoholism or addiction of any sort, you feel alone. This is common, but almost 21 million Americans are addicted to one substance or another. From that number, only about one person out of 10 gets treatment. Of course, there are a variety of reasons as to why that might be, but the point is, you have a problem, want to get help and don’t. These reasons can include:
Many times, parents worry that their kids are going to use drugs or start drinking alcohol. When they go off to college, it is a different world. They have much more freedom than they did at home, which can be overwhelming.
Though it’s easy to think that you or your children are the only ones or one of the few who struggle with addiction, it is incorrect. Consider these five sober celebrities who battled addiction and won.
You’ve probably seen Robert Downey Jr. on the movie screen and thought to yourself, “He has everything together.†Celebrities are good at hiding their personal lives, but after a while, it can get harder to do. Robert Downey Jr. started out down this dangerous path at the tender age of six years old. His father, a filmmaker, did a lot of drugs – primarily cocaine and pot. He and his father did them together.
Robert always thought of his dad as the hero and wanted to impress him. The only way he could, in his mind, was to do drugs with him. With that came two decades of destruction. He went to jail multiple times and almost died once. After going to many rehab centers, he finally decided to become sober. In July of 2003, he made the decision to quit. Though this took courage, he made it. Still, it’s not a good idea to go it alone. Treatment is the best way to ensure things are done right, you are safe, and reduce your risk of relapse.
Now, Robert Downey Jr. is proud to call himself one of the sober celebrities.
A beautiful actress, Jada Pinkett Smith, also grew up with addiction. Her mother often used heroin when Pinkett Smith was younger. Of course, this is a two-fold story, as her mom has been sober for the last 27 years as well. Pinkett Smith also speaks openly about her issues through social media. Her addictions tended to jump and change. At one time, she was addicted to sex. Then, it turned to alcohol, and eventually, drugs. Thankfully, she has been sober from all addictions for the last 20 years.
You’ve probably seen Jada Pinkett Smith in films and television shows, such as "Girl’s Trip" or "Gotham." She credits most of her issues with growing up in poverty. It was also during the crack epidemic. Still, she has risen above and received appropriate treatment to overcome her addiction to alcohol.
From Odd Future, Tyler the Creator thinks of himself as a creative jack of all trades. He’s a songwriter, singer, and rapper, but he’s also is a graphic designer, fashion designer, and record producer. With all that time on his hands, you might think he didn’t have extra, but wearing all of these hats creates stress.
He learned early on that he didn’t like drugs or the way they made him feel. Still, it was hard for him to stay away. Therefore, he bans alcohol and marijuana in his studios so that he is no longer tempted.
This Londoner looks quite dashing (and hunky to boot) and has been in many Hollywood films. He’s been so successful that you may think he has everything and doesn’t have any problems.
However, things haven’t always been so easy and great for Hardy. He freely admits that he started experimenting with alcohol and drugs in his teens. Then, that progressed to him going to jail a few times and trying rehab. It took a while to find the right rehabilitation center, but in 2003, he did just that. Since then, he’s been sober. A shocking little tidbit here is that he’s now sober longer than he had been addicted.
Everyone knows the amazing boy wizard from Hogwarts. While Daniel Radcliffe was acting as the famous Harry Potter, there is a dark side that this golden boy hid away for many years.
Of course, Radcliffe was thrilled to be part of the franchise and credits most of his personal successes to being The Chosen One. However, most people didn’t realize that Radcliffe started struggling and became an alcoholic while filming those movies. At the time, no one really paid close attention to teen stars, which is why many of them fall into the same boat as Radcliffe. No one even really knew he was having a problem.
Daniel Radcliffe chose to make an attempt at sobriety when he realized he was losing parts and heading for a downward spiral. Still, he failed the first time, and it took him longer to try again. In 2013, he was finally able to say that he was sober and has been that way since.
In most cases, you or your child are going to need detox services. This is normal, and there are many suitable places where you can go for help. Once that is over, you’re not done, though. You’re still going to need treatment from a reliable program to help you realize why you were addicted, what triggers you, and how to cope with being sober.
These five sober celebrities are here to help you realize that you’re not alone in your struggle. They accomplished so much while being addicted, but they’re so much better off now that they are clean. You can do the same as these sober celebs as well as many other celebrities with the right help. At Ethos Recovery, we can help you or your loved one get the proper treatment for your addiction to help you recover and prevent future relapses.