Drew Barrymore’s journey from child star to a successful talk show host has been anything but easy. From a tender age, she was thrust into the spotlight, making her first appearance in a puppy food commercial at just 11 months old. Little did the world know, her career would be marked by both stunning achievements and difficult battles with substance use and mental health.
Early Struggles in the Spotlight
Barrymore’s breakout role as Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial brought her widespread fame at age 7. While she felt a sense of stability on set, under the guidance of director Steven Spielberg, her personal life was far from perfect. By the time she was 8, she was already attending the infamous Studio 54 in New York, a nightclub known for its party culture and open substance use. By age 9, she had her first drink, and by 12, Barrymore was using drugs like cocaine and marijuana.
In her memoir Wildflower, Barrymore described these years as “a child lost in a world of adult vices, trying to find my way back to innocence.” Addiction became both an escape and a prison for her, trapping her in a cycle of self-destructive behavior. At 13, Barrymore was sent to rehab by her mother, and at 15, she emancipated herself, choosing to live independently in an apartment.
The Road to Recovery
Today, Drew Barrymore is a proud mother of two daughters and has been sober since at least 2019. She has been open about her past struggles, sharing her recovery journey with her audience on The Drew Barrymore Show, which is currently in its sixth season. The show has become a platform for Barrymore to discuss her past openly and candidly, encouraging others to seek help and break the stigma surrounding addiction and mental health.
“I learned that recovery is a lifelong journey, and it’s okay to ask for help,” Barrymore shared with her audience. She emphasizes the importance of talking about struggles, stating, “What the institution taught me was that if you sit around and discuss things and don’t sweep them under the carpet, it will get better.”
Breaking the Stigma
Barrymore’s openness about her struggles with substance use has become a key theme in her life and work. “Every time we share our story, we help break the stigma,” she says. She uses her platform to encourage others to acknowledge their own struggles and seek the support they need.
Through her vulnerability, Barrymore helps destigmatize issues related to addiction, making it clear that recovery is not just about abstaining from substances but also about addressing underlying mental health issues.
The Big Revelation
In her early forties, Barrymore had a pivotal revelation about her addiction. She realized that focusing solely on substances wasn’t enough to heal her. “I think I was focused on the substances, but what finally hit me was that I needed to focus on the behavior,” she explained. Barrymore recognized that her addiction was rooted in her attempt to numb emotional pain and escape from difficult feelings.
By quitting alcohol, she took a crucial step toward recovery. However, Barrymore soon realized that sobriety alone wasn’t enough to heal her completely. “When I cut out just simply alcohol, I still had so much work to do,” she says. This realization was key to her ongoing recovery journey.
Embracing Vulnerability and Growth
Drew Barrymore’s recovery journey continues to inspire many people who struggle with addiction and mental health issues. She has shown that healing isn’t just about stopping harmful behaviors; it’s also about confronting emotional pain, seeking support, and growing through vulnerability. “I am not defined by my struggles,” Barrymore writes in Wildflower. “But I carry the lessons with me.”
Her journey is a powerful reminder that recovery is a lifelong process, and that it’s okay to ask for help along the way.
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