Celebrities Who Have Overcome Alcoholism

If you spend any amount of time watching the news or browsing the internet, you're sure to come across a handful of celebrity stories regarding alcohol use.

Alcohol, drugs, and prescription medication abuse are all too common in Hollywood. And for that reason, there will never be a shortage of stories about celebrities who have taken things too far.

While it's never good to hear that someone is struggling with alcohol abuse, happy endings are not out of the question.

Here's a list of some of the many celebrities who have overcome alcoholism:

● Robert Downey Jr.

● Ben Affleck

● Elton John

● Bradley Cooper

● Demi Lovato

● Drew Barrymore

● Jamie Lee Curtis

● Keith Urban

● Amber Valletta

● Eric Clapton

● Daniel Radcliffe

● Carrie Fisher

● Rob Lowe

● Matthew Perry

As you can see, there is no shortage of celebrities who have overcome alcoholism.

What are the Signs of Alcoholism?

In many cases - celebrity or not - alcoholism is first spotted by friends, family, and co-workers.

For example, you may feel that you don't have a problem with alcohol, but it's easy for your loved ones to see that this is not the case.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of alcoholism include:

● You think about consuming alcohol throughout the day

● You have begun missing events, such as work, because you're drunk, hungover, or want to work

● Your physical appearance has taken a turn for the worst

● You are not as mentally sharp as you once were

● You have found it difficult to reduce the amount of alcohol that you consume, perhaps because of withdrawal symptoms

As you can imagine, as these issues come into play for a celebrity, it makes it difficult to keep up with such a demanding schedule.

The Impact of Alcoholism

Celebrities lead a fast paced life. And for that reason, they often fall into the trap of alcoholism when they least expect it.

While most celebrities are skilled at hiding their alcoholism from outsiders - at least to a certain degree - it eventually catches up with them. And when it does, it can bog down their career.

Here are just some of the many ways that alcoholism affects celebrities:

● Less work: It goes without saying that alcoholism makes a person, any person, less reliable. And that's not what people are looking for in Hollywood. Even for the biggest celebrities, alcoholism can result in less work.

● Broken relationships: This holds true on many fronts, including both personal and professional relationships.

● Financial struggles: Not only does it cost money to keep up with consuming alcohol, but it can result in less work (see above). And when these two things come together, the end result can be financial struggles. There's more than one story about a celebrity who has lost it all as the result of their alcohol and/or drug use.

● Poor physical appearance: Fair or not, looks are a big deal in Hollywood. Unfortunately, alcoholism can quickly take a toll on a celebrity's appearance. This can make it more difficult to find work. And when that happens, they're more likely to turn to alcohol to cope. That results in a trend that is difficult to break.

Where Celebrities Turn for Help

Some celebrities seek help as soon as they realize that they're struggling with alcoholism. Others put this off for as long as possible, hoping that they can overcome it on their own.

There are many places celebrities turn for help, including but not limited to:

● In patient rehab facilities

● Outpatient rehab facilities

● Support groups

With one or more of these options guiding them, a celebrity struggling with alcoholism has the ability to get their life back on track. And when that happens, they'll begin to look and feel their best, while also increasing the odds of gaining steady work again.

Final Thoughts

Just the same as celebrities, people from all other walks of life can struggle with alcohol abuse.

It doesn't matter where you live, how much money you have, or who you know, it's possible to fall prey to alcoholism.

Fortunately, many people who go down this path - including celebrities - are able to overcome this disease through rehab and other means.