Drug addiction is a disease that doesn’t discriminate. It can affect anyone, from the poor and homeless to the rich and famous.
That said, if you suffer from drug addiction or a loved one is struggling, you should know there is nothing to be ashamed of. Denying this problem or trying to hide it will not solve it. To overcome this disease, it’s important to seek help at addiction treatment centers.
Here are 9 famous drug addicts who sought treatment and won their battle against addiction, and one who unfortunately passed from a drug overdose.
1. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is a successful woman who loves empowering other people. During a talk show that focused on women with drug addiction issues, she once admitted that she had struggled with addiction. People were shocked to learn she had smoked crack cocaine while involved with a man addicted to this drug.
Opening up about her fight against addiction during her early 20s inspired countless other drug addicts to seek treatment and overcome this dangerous disease.
View this post on Instagram
2. Drew Barrymore
The life of a child star is not easy. Drew Barrymore’s parents both struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, and she was only six years old when her acting career was launched.
She has admitted to starting drinking alcohol when she was 9, before becoming addicted to marijuana and cocaine. She was forced into rehab when she was 13 and eventually recovered.
She explained that this challenging period has taught and strengthened her a lot.
View this post on Instagram
3. Zac Efron
Zac Efron checked into rehab in 2013. He had been struggling with alcohol abuse, snorting cocaine, and experimenting with MDMA, among other things. His life had gone out of control, and he was partying for days without sleeping.
He has admitted that his battle against addiction felt like a never-ending struggle but that he was much happier and more comfortable in his skin after seeking treatment.
View this post on Instagram
4. Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato was 13 years old when she began using opiates and 17 when she started using cocaine. In 2010, she sought treatment for her addiction to drugs and alcohol and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and eating disorders.
Unfortunately, drug addiction and mental illnesses often co-exist. Both disorders can have the same underlying causes, and in many situations, people suffering from mental disorders will turn to drug and alcohol use to self-medicate.
This was the case for Demi Lovato.
Tingnan ang post na ito sa Instagram
5. Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. was first arrested in 1996 for possessing heroin and cocaine. He was arrested and spent time in prison more than once and has explained that he had been addicted to drugs since he was eight. His father was also an addict.
He went through drug treatment programs and eventually recovered. Like other famous drug addicts, he has mentioned that he doesn’t see his troubled past as a mistake but as an experience that taught him a lot.
View this post on Instagram
6. Stephen King
Writers can be famous drug addicts as well. For Stephen King, what started as an addiction to beer and cigarettes became a cocaine addiction.
Eventually, using drugs became such an important part of his creative process that he feared he wouldn’t be able to write again if he stopped.
But his family and friends encouraged him to get the help he needed, and now, he can write his novels while sober.
View this post on Instagram
7. Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid has admitted that he was pretty much-doing cocaine every day during the 80s. At some point in his life, he would sleep only one hour each night and could not have any fun unless he was using cocaine.
Eventually, he realized he had hit rock bottom and checked himself into rehab. He recovered and hasn’t looked back ever since.
View this post on Instagram
8. Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis became addicted to opioids after they had been prescribed to her to help her overcome pain after a medical procedure.
She has struggled with this addiction for more than 17 years and chose to fight and recover after realizing she was causing pain to her family.
Recovering from her addiction is the accomplishment she is most proud of, and she is now raising awareness about drug misuse.
View this post on Instagram
9. Judy Garland
The last famous drug addict on our list is Judy Garland. According to her, her addiction to amphetamines and barbiturates had started because Hollywood studio executives thought giving pills to their stars was a good way to keep them working many hours.
Unfortunately, she tragically lost her life-long struggle with addiction when she passed from an unintentional drug overdose in 1969.
View this post on Instagram
