15 Celebrities Who Have Struggled With Addiction and Mental Illness

Living In The Spotlight With Addiction & Mental Health Disorders

Sadly, being a celebrity and struggling with addiction and mental illness have become synonymous, even if in reality a very small percentage of actors and other performers actually have drug and alcohol addictions. Throughout the U.S. population, there is a correlation between addiction and mental illness, and about one-third of people, struggling with substance abuse also have an underlying mental health disorder. Many celebrities have entered rehab, including inpatient treatment programs and outpatient rehab. Due to the internet, social media, and the various news outlets in general, many celebrities who have sought treatment for alcohol use disorder or other problems with drugs or behavioral issues like a gambling addiction have had their stories played out for the public to see. 

At Resurgence, we offer inpatient treatment, outpatient rehab, dual diagnosis treatment plans, drug and alcohol detox, and sober living services. We have plans that help people deal with co-occurring disorders, or when a client is dealing with both substance use disorders and mental health issues. It’s important to ensure that a patient’s overall health is taken into account so that they can improve their mind, body, and spirit as part of their addiction recovery. No one should ever have to work through their drug and alcohol addictions or mental health issues on their own. Call us today to find out more about the services we offer at Resurgence Behavioral Health.

There are a lot of reasons people turn to drugs and alcohol. People from every walk of life can struggle with drug or alcohol abuse due to stress at work, in their private lives, or due to many other factors.  Celebrities who live in the spotlight are under that much more stress and turning to a drug or alcohol to deal with pressure can happen. Celebrities often practice polypharmacy, a substance abuse tactic of using various legal means of getting drugs, like going to various doctors for the same alleged reason or using aliases to get more of a substance they are abusing. If you or a loved one are in need of help, consider seeking drug detox treatment Los Angeles to start the journey to recovery.

Celebrities often suffer from mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, a gambling disorder, and others. As part of a dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorders, mental health issues can occur that lead to addiction, or drug or alcohol abuse can lead to some types of mental health issues. That’s why at Resurgence we have a variety of drug detox facility Riverside options available for you or one of your loved ones who is struggling with addiction and mental health issues.

Celebrities Who Battled Addiction And Mental Illness 

Addictions and mental health issues affect so many people in the United States and all over the world. Although we don’t hear most of their stories, we can use the celebrities who battle substance use disorders and mental disorders as cautionary tales as well as reasons to seek treatment as soon as possible if you have a problem with drugs or alcohol. Here are some of the celebrities who have battled addiction and mental illness over the years: 

Amber Valletta

Actress and former model Amber Valetta found stardom at an early age. She started modeling at 15 and by 18 she was on the cover of Vogue. Early on in her career, she started struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. She got sober by age 20 through the help of addiction treatment and a facility to keep her on track to sobriety. From there, she’s been sober for over 25 years and continues to work on staying in recovery. 

Edie Falco

Edie Falco finally quit alcohol when one night she left her front door open all night. At 29, she began her time in rehab and getting treatment for her alcohol use disorder. After getting help, in a bit of an ironic turn, Edie Falco played the lead role in Nurse Jackie, where she played a high-functioning drug addict.

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton was known for his time in a band as a guitarist and he happened to struggle with heroin addiction and alcohol addiction. He had a very public occurrence showing how far gone he was with his addiction at one of George Harrison’s Concert. He passed out onstage and was too drunk to stand up and play. Eric Clapton admitted that everything he did sounded rough and raw once he gave up drug and alcohol abuse for good. Eventually, his music acted as a type of therapy and helped him through life the rest of the way. For those facing similar challenges and seeking recovery, the drug detox facility Palo Alto offers support and treatment options to help individuals navigate their paths to healing.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore went through a lot at a young age due to being a child star. The child star underwent mental health treatment and rehab for alcohol and drug addiction at the age of 13. She went through a lot of pressure starting young in her acting career. She also went through a period where she wasn’t working as an actor and had to make money by cleaning toilets. Luckily. Barrymore had enough support and resources she could use to get clean and stay in recovery years later. 

Jada Pinkett Smith

When talking about her alcohol abuse disorder, Smith described drinking wine as like Kool-Aid to her. Jada Pinkett Smith has talked about a time in her life when she tried a lot of different substances and was addicted to sex. This behavioral addiction led to her consuming pornography up to five times a day, which she knew wasn’t healthy, either. 

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe has always kept his alcohol addiction private.  He also was known to be more of a functional alcoholic in the public eye. Daniel Radcliffe has been sober since 2010 and is very open about how the Harry Potter series coming to an end contributed to his alcohol abuse. This is one more example of a celebrity feeling the pressure and having to deal with addiction and mental health issues.

Rob Lowe

Since the start of his career, Rob Lowe has always struggled with alcohol abuse. He was always provided with beers on the set of The Outsiders. When he realized his drinking was becoming a big problem, he finally sought out professional help. Rob Lowe has now been sober for over 30 years and continues to star on the stage and screen. 

Nicole Richie

Since Nicole Richie has been in the spotlight since she was little due to being adopted by Lionel Richie, she had a lot of pressure to look good in the public eye. Her experimenting with drugs happened early on in her teens and then caused her to get into drinking as well. During her years of drug abuse, Nicole Richie had several run-ins with the law, a very common outcome of substance abuse, no matter your station in life. She sought out addiction treatment after her most recent arrest and then started to clean up her act and become a fashion designer. 

Russell Brand

Russell Brand had struggled with addiction before he started using drugs. It began as just consuming chocolate obsessively. His drug of choice ended up being heroin. The only way he began to get better was by realizing and acknowledging that he had a problem with addiction. The popular comedian and actor has been sober for nearly 20 years.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis started abusing opiates after surgery. She kept using them even after the pain was nonexistent and was chasing the buzz of the high she felt from them. She has now been clean and sober for over two decades. She continues to stay in recovery and her motivation originally for getting help was having a child who was 10 at the time. 

Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry was very open about discussing his long history of struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. He was severely addicted to alcohol and opioids due to treating pain after a jet skiing accident. At one point, he would take up to 55 pills of Vicodin a day. He had many health complications due to abusing prescription drugs like when his colon burst because of misusing OxyContin. 

Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher became most well-known for her role in Star Wars films as Princess Leia. She was very open about her addiction struggles. She also was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This made her addicted to drugs and alcohol, which made her have co-occurring substance use. She was sober during periods of her life but battled addiction until her death at the age of 60.

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper had been battling alcohol and drug addiction, specifically cocaine, for many years. It wasn’t until he got an intervention from one of his friends, Will Arnett. He noticed how Cooper never met his everyday responsibilities. Cooper actually struggled with addiction during his career, but sought treatment and got sober before some of his biggest roles, which began in his 30s.

Robert Downey, Jr.

Downey’s addiction started with marijuana and cocaine and then turned to heroin and prescription drugs shortly after. The Ironman star is a perfect example of being able to come back after successfully going through drug or alcohol treatment. Robert Downey, Jr. had run-ins with the law, and was very reckless in the early parts of his career, but has now become one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood thanks to the Marvel Comic Universe, in which he plays one of the main roles. 

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck’s father had been an alcoholic and later on got treatment and became sober. Affleck had been struggling with alcohol addiction in his early adulthood and decided to stop drinking when his career started to flourish. He had entered alcohol rehab at least three times, the latest in 2018. Ben Affleck has come out to speak about a cycle of trying to deal with life’s problems by drinking, which led to more drinking, which he realized wasn’t the solution. Supportive relationships with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner and others have helped him stay sober.  

Dual Diagnosis Treatment: What is it?

Dual diagnosis treatment is a care plan that addresses co-occurring disorders a person is working through and is used when a person has an addiction and also a mental health disorder. Some addiction and mental health disorders often go together, like alcohol abuse and depression, but any combination needs to be treated properly. In the past, disorders of this nature were treated separately, which often led to one or the other becoming worse, as the patient’s overall health needs were not being met. Now drug and alcohol treatment programs know that a dual diagnosis means a patient needs more than one issue addressed simultaneously. 

Treatment for Substance Abuse and Mental Illness at Resurgence Behavioral Health

It’s not uncommon to have a substance use disorder and mental health issues. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness and substance abuse, it’s important to call Resurgence Behavioral Health today at 855-458-0050  to make an appointment and get the treatment necessary. We have programs for substance abuse and dual diagnosis that can help you improve your life and get back on track. Although it can seem you’re alone and no one else can relate to what you’ve been going through, Resurgence Behavioral Health only hires the best addiction specialists, some of which have also struggled with addiction before and have successfully achieved sobriety through treatment. 

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— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) July 15, 2022

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David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

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