With over a decade of sobriety under his belt, you might say that Russell Brand has it made. The actor has a home, a job, quality friends, a cat…. But temptation is still a daily struggle.
The British comedian and former addict has built a career off stories of reckless times with women and drugs, taking on a rock star persona in his comedy routine and high profile hosting gigs while privately recovering from his 20’s spent in excess.
Very Rocky Up-Bringing And Personal Struggles
Courtesy of: www.spyhollywood.com
Abandoned by his father, Russell Brand never had it easy. In addition to his mother’s three cancer battles, the actor struggled with binge eating, depression, bulimia, death obsession, leaving home at age 16, self-harm and two bipolar diagnoses.
“The last time I though about taking heroin was yesterday.” The actor recently told the Guardian. “I had received ‘an inconvenient truth’ from a beautiful woman. It wasn’t about climate change – I’m not that ecologically switched on – she told me she was pregnant and it wasn’t mine.”
AA Meetings To Stay Sober
The actor attends AA meetings 3X per week while adhering to a strict program, which he insists will invite a “slow creeping death, first as a haze and then wearily draining into lifelessness, back into his world.”
“To me, the gravity is heroin, and then death. You know, to sleep,” Russell says, “that incremental suicide of turning your life into a dream, to made being awake as similar to sleep as possible. Drowsily, lazily, dry-mouth your way through the day’s ceremonies, fumble your way back into the dew-bather you never really left, draped in brown, brown now all around, the haze!”
How Positivity And Sobriety Changed His Life
Brand says he now very much prefers living in the real world, engaging in routine transcendental meditation and a healthy dose of positivity.
“It is 10 years since I used drugs or drank alcohol and my life has improved immeasurably.” Says Brand, “I have a job, a house a cat, good friendships and generally a bright outlook.”
When recently asked about coping with his addiction, Brand responded, “The only way to cope is with a program. If you stop doing the recovery, even eating too much chocolate, something will flare up, and I know where that leads, because I’ve been there before.”
If you are searching for a 12 step addiction recovery program, Mountain Village Recovery Center is the place to turn. Pick up the phone today and let our team of addiction and recovery specialists help you back on track towards the healthy, happy and sober lifestyle you’ve been missing.
2 Comments
I loved reading this! I do believe that Russell Brand is a good man and has been through a lot!
He has always been a favorite of mine! And this is just another reason why!