Drew Barrymore is getting candid about breaking the "awful cycle" with alcohol.
Writing a personal essay for her magazine "Drew," the 47-year-old actor and television host opened up about finding sobriety and how she is now prioritizing self-care.
"Maybe our definition of love changes throughout our lives, but I truly believe so much love goes outward," she wrote, according to Entertainment Tonight. "And it can feel selfish to turn that spotlight on ourselves. To make room for me? It just doesn't track sometimes."
Barrymore encouraged her readers and fans to keep this in mind and to put themselves first.
"One of the bravest things you can do," she wrote, "is slay those dragons and finally change an awful cycle in which you've found yourself stuck. For me, it was to stop drinking."
Barrymore added that giving up alcohol allowed her "to finally become free of the torture of guilt and dysfunction."
"During the holidays, when we spend so much energy trying to measure up to the picture-perfect standards set by the Norman Rockwells of the world, I'd like for you to try to remember to give yourself a pass — a hug, as it were — and I will try, too," she continued. "Take a moment, take a breath, and give yourself a squeeze. We're all just doing our best out here. And that in and of itself is something to celebrate."
In December 2021, Barrymore revealed during an appearance on "CBS This Morning" that she had been alcohol-free for 2 1/2 years.
"It was something I realized just did not serve me and my life," she said.
Barrymore did not elaborate much more on her decision to quit alcohol completely, but did admit that she has "been very private with a lot of my struggles."
"I wouldn't be surprised if there is a revolt against the perfection right now that we are all forced to see and feel through social media," Barrymore said at the time. "We're in an impasse and a crux of a moment where talking about how we figure ourselves out, how we fix ourselves takes a journey and solutions. Most people do it in private."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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