Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia During the holidays many recovering addicts have stress and temptation at every turn. It is good to have some positive reinforcements and encouragement during tough days. This is a list of celebrities that also battled one form of addiction or another and came out of it on the other side, sober. They are sober today, and that is a positive message of encouragement that addiction can be fought, and you can overcome it. Here are a few celebrities you may recognize and their addictions they fought. This list may surprise you. If you live in South Carolina and you need to overcome your addiction like these celebrities did, see the South Carolina Therapy links at the end of this article.
Oprah Winfrey- Did you know back in the 80's Oprah admitted to using crack cocaine? Yep. While it is unclear from all accounts how long she was a user, the fact remains that in order for her to have the extremely successful life she has today, she had to conquer it. Who would have ever thought that one of the richest women in the world would succumb to any form of addiction, but alas the great Mrs. O did, and she dedicates a good deal of her life to this day helping those in need and sharing her wisdom and experiences. It just goes to show how much life improves when one conquers addiction.
Eminem- While it may or may not surprise you to learn that this bad boy rapper was addicted to something, it may surprise you to learn what he was primarily addicted to, and who of all people helped him overcome it. It turns out the rapper was using in excess of twenty pills a day of Vicodin, Ambien, and Valium. There are many celebrities that become addicted to prescription drugs. Eminem overcame his addiction to these powerful drugs through the Rocket man himself, Elton John. Why is this so surprising, well, Eminem wasn't always very friendly in his attitude and lyrics with regards to the gay community. He made a complete turnaround and owes a lot of it to Elton John.
Eric Clapton- Eric Clapton is a long time musician well known throughout the world, however, many may not associate his music and style with that of a $16,000 a week, yes you read right, a week Heroin addict. Clapton has even passed out on stage and had to be revived during a stage in his addiction, and guess who helped him finally clean up? Former addict Pete Townsend. So what can we gleam from this story? Its not the old friends that sat there and get high with you that will save your life, in fact they may be the witness to your demise. Its the sober friends that will help you get your life back. Think about who your real friends are.
Steven Tyler- Steven Tyler is always candid about his addiction, and thank goodness he is. His real life on display addictions and relapses have made headlines many times. However his openness about his addictions made him all the more real in the eyes of the adoring public and the fact that he kept fighting until he conquered his demons is commendable. He had a long sobriety before relapsing on prescription drugs and with the help of his band mates completed rehab and got clean again. The message to learn from Steven is, relapse can happen at any point in your life, if it does, you go after it and beat it again. Addicts are recovering for the rest of their lives. You can't let your guard down, but you can always follow Steven Tyler's example and fight it and win.
Robert Downey Jr.- Who doesn't remember the struggles Robert Downey Jr. has had? He may have been one of the worst addicts in the history of celebrity addiction. The talented and gifted actor has had more real life drama with his addictions that he probably ever had on the silver screen. There was many a time, society had this actor figured for dead, or well on his way. Years of struggling with addiction privately and right in the public eye must have been difficult for Downey. Drug arrests, and various stints in rehab have certainly plagued the actor in the past. However, he fought, and finally overcame, and the message to learn here is, don't give up. It doesn't matter how long you've been an addict, it's about how fast you can get help and get sober.
For more information and support, see: The Addicted Family
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