On the surface, celebrities seem to have it all: fortune, fame and success.
But behind closed doors, a number of Hollywood’s leading stars struggle with …
On the surface, celebrities seem to have it all: fortune, fame and success. But behind closed doors, a number of Hollywood’s leading stars struggle with alcohol, drugs and other substances. In a year of uncertainty and drastic change with a global pandemic, a wave of confessional gratitude has swept through Hollywood with more A-listers opening up about facing their demons and their sobriety journeys. “There does seem to be a bit of a cultural shift in our attitudes towards alcohol with an awareness that less alcohol is good for your health and that periods of sobriety may be something to aspire to,” addiction expert Dr. James C. Garbutt told Fox News. “Of course, if someone has a true alcohol use disorder then sobriety is a very positive thing and something to be celebrated, » he said. From decades-long milestone accomplishments (Elton John) to one-year anniversaries (Heather Locklear) and even brave admissions of a relapse (Dax Shepard), celebrities have embraced 2020 to speak candidly about getting clean. In some cases, stars speak out to help provide support to other addicts and show a pathway to sobriety. While others share their stories for a sense of freedom and to be open with their fans. “For good or for bad, we are very interested in the lives of celebrities and value their opinions about the world often more than we do those with expert knowledge,” said Garbutt, an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine. “Therefore, I think when well-known celebrities acknowledge that they have had problems with substance use but have changed their lives and have become sober, it gives folks a sense of hope and confidence that they can also do it. It is a signal that: ‘I’m not some bad person, even successful people have my problems.’” Miley Cyrus was forced into sobriety after undergoing major vocal cord surgery in November 2019, and the singer confirmed she was six months sober in June this year, saying part of her decision to change her lifestyle was because of her family history of mental illness. « I did a lot of family history, which has a lot of addiction and mental health challenges,” she told Variety at the time. “So just going through that and asking, ‘Why am I the way that I am?’ By understanding the past, we understand the present and the future much more clearly.” Her mom, Tish Cyrus,53, also paid tribute to her daughter and insisted the public’s perception of the “Can’t Be Tamed” hitmaker is misplaced. « Everybody thinks Miley is like this wild thing, » Tish said on an episode of “Chicks in the Office” in July. “She’s the cleanest person I know. She’s like, she’s just so solid. » However, her sobriety recently took a stumble amid the pressures of the pandemic. The former Disney Channel star admitted having a setback amid the pressures of the pandemic. Revealing she was two weeks sober, Miley told Zane Lowe in an Apple Music’s New Music Daily interview: “I fell off and I realized that I now am back on sobriety, two weeks sober, and I feel like I really accepted that time. “One of the things I’ve used is, ‘Don’t get furious, get curious.’ So don’t be mad at yourself, but ask yourself, ‘What happened?’ To me, it was a f–k up because I’m not a moderation person, and I don’t think that everyone has to be f–king sober.” Garbutt told Fox News how the « new normal » of isolation can be a trigger to some people in their sobriety mission. “The [COVID-19 pandemic] is putting stress on nearly everyone and leading to increased isolation,” he said. “We know that both stress and isolation lead to anxiety and depression and are triggers to use alcohol and drugs. It is clear that anxiety and depression are higher, so it is to be expected that alcohol use has gone up as well.” Elton John’s addiction to drugs and alcohol was heavily portrayed in the 2019 biopic “Rocketman” – and the singer admitted this year he’d be dead if he didn’t get help. Celebrating a monumental 30 years sober in July, the “I’m Still Standing” singer,73, posted to Instagram: “Reflecting on the most magical day having celebrated my 30th Sobriety Birthday.” The star continued: “I’m truly a blessed man.
