Celebrities Recover… So Can You!

Celebrity deaths due to drugs or alcohol, or a mixture of substances often make shocking headlines and happen all too frequently.  The list is long:  Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Heath Ledger, Lil Peep, Mac Miller, Tom Petty, Prince, and Chyna, to name just a few.  People who seemed to have it all have died, proving that they are fighting their own battles with addiction  – and sometimes losing the battle.

But celebrities also are finding recovery.  Many of them are open and honest about their battles with addiction, and their path to sobriety.

Eliza Patricia Dushku, an American actress who gained fame for her role as Faith on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and its spinoff series “Angel,” was addicted.  In November of 2018, however, she celebrated 10 years of sobriety.  Eliza revealed that she started using marijuana when she was only 14 and went on to abuse substances for years.  An ultimatum from her brother, telling her that she couldn’t see her niece while she was under the influence, motivated her to get clean.

Actor Bradley Cooper who stared as a rock star with drug and alcohol addiction in the movie “A Star is Born,” admits remembering his own battles with addiction and tapping into that past history while filming the movie.  He says that was a cathartic experience for him.  Cooper, now 44, got clean and sober when he was 29.

Gaining fame in the movie “St. Elmo’s Fire”, and later the television series “The West Wing”, “Parks and Recreation” and “The Grinder”, actor Rob Lowe had his own early battles with addiction.  In 2015, however, he received the Spirit of Sobriety award to celebrate 25 years clean.  He considers his chance to recover from alcoholism a gift that has given him a beautiful family and an amazing career.

Daniel Radcliffe gained instant fame at the age of 12 in the leading role in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”  and went on to star in seven more sequels over the next 10-years.  Under the pressure of being a young Hollywood star, he developed an addiction to alcohol while filming the Harry Potter movies and admits that he was even drunk during the filming of some of the “Harry Potter” scenes.  He recognized his addiction and stopped drinking, followed by a relapse and then recovered and has been sober now for three years.

Well know rapper, Eminem whose real name is Marshall Mathers nearly died from a methadone overdose in 2007.  He later entered a treatment program and in April 2019 he celebrated 11 years sobriety.

Robert Downey Jr. for the past 10 years has gained fame and recognition for his role as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie series, which is the most lucrative movie franchise in history.  Downey followed a difficult road, however, for much of his early career.  In the 1990’s he was arrested multiple times on drug-related charges and spent time in jail repeatedly.  Eventually Downey was sentenced to the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison where he served almost a year.  Even after that he had more relapses and brushes with the law before finally, in July 2003, he found and is now maintaining sobriety.

Other famous people who have struggled with addiction and overcame it include Keith Urban who has been sober for more than a decade, Gerard Butler who has been sober for over twenty years, Sia who is eight years sober and Tim McGraw who has been sober for more than a decade.  This is just a few of the many who have struggled with addiction and many relapses, but finally found and maintained recovery from their addiction.

If you or someone you love is fighting addiction or has relapsed one or many times, help is available. Recovery is possible. We offer a compassionate and holistic treatment program. Contact us at Gulf Breeze Recovery or call: 833.551.2356 to speak to an addiction expert to learn more about our program that has helped so many people overcome their addiction, rediscover their dreams and embrace life.

We help people not just to survive, but to THRIVE®