This Page was last reviewed and changed on November 28th, 2023
Alcohol addiction is a serious problem that affects countless people all over the world. It not only affects home and work life, but it can also cause a number of health problems for those concerned. Alcoholism is a disease that is linked to health conditions such as heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, anaemia, dementia, pancreatitis, depression, and gout.
Alcohol addiction occurs gradually, with many people progressively increasing the amount they drink until they have become dependent on alcohol to function. It is quite normal for those with alcohol addiction to be unaware that they have a problem or to be in denial about how serious their problem is.
Alcoholism Does Not Discriminate
Alcoholism is a disease that affects people from all types of background. It does not discriminate based on age, gender, or race. Anyone can be affected by this disease, whether he or she is young or old, rich or poor.
Many individuals develop alcoholism because they have turned to drink as a coping mechanism. It may be that the effects of alcohol help them to deal with the pain of losing a loved one, or helps to give them more confidence when interacting with others. Many drink alcohol to cope with the pressures of everyday life or to blur certain painful memories. Large numbers of celebrities turn to alcohol to help ease the pressure of living their lives in the glare of the public spotlight.
Matthew Perry is one such celebrity. The star, who played the popular Chandler Bing in Friends for ten series, spent most of this time addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs.
Perry has now spoken out about how his addictions affected him and the fact that it was all happening in the public eye. He said, “I’m a pretty private person, but I was on a TV show that 30 million people were watching. So people knew. It was so public what was happening to me.”
However, after two stints in rehab, the actor is now in recovery and is helping to promote Phoenix House, the rehabilitation centre that helps those dealing with similar problems to his.
Dark Days
Perry has admitted that, during his darkest days, he was drinking two pints of vodka each day in conjunction with up to thirty pills. Nevertheless, he now uses his experiences to help others and says, “The best thing about me is that an alcoholic can come up to me and say ‘can you help me?’ and I can say, ‘yes I can’.”
He says that he seems to have a bit more sway with people because he is a TV personality and admits that he takes advantage of this to help others.
Fame and Addiction
Matthew Perry is not the first celebrity to have suffered from drug or alcohol addictions. Many people in the public eye struggle to deal with the pressures of fame and they find that certain substances help them cope with these demands.
Some celebrities had been using substances before becoming famous, with the celebrity lifestyle merely exacerbating the problem. For others, being thrust into the spotlight can be particularly challenging, and the drug or drinking culture associated with the celebrity lifestyle can be a way to block it out.
Another reason celebrities often become addicted to substances is that they quickly become used to getting away with more than the average person does, and the star treatment they do receive makes them feel as though they can get away with anything.
Thankfully, Matthew Perry is in recovery now and is using his time and experiences to help others. Drug and alcohol recovery is something that all addicts can achieve provided they find the right treatment centre and have an effective support network behind them.
Source:
1. Metro.co.uk