Drew Barrymore Recalls the 'Awful Cycle' with Alcohol Before Getting Sober
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Drew Barrymore is getting candid about the "liberating" feeling she's experienced since becoming sober.
In a personal essay in her magazine Drew, the actress and television host, 47, opened up about her relationship with alcohol and how she's been prioritizing self-care.
"Maybe our definition of love changes throughout our lives, but I truly believe so much love goes outward," Barrymore wrote, per Entertainment Tonight. "And it can feel selfish to turn that spotlight on ourselves. To make room for me? It just doesn't track sometimes."
"One of the bravest things you can do is slay those dragons and finally change an awful cycle in which you've found yourself stuck," she continued. "For me, it was to stop drinking."
Barrymore said giving up alcohol has been "one of the most liberating things in my journey of life" that has allowed her "to finally become free of the torture of guilt and dysfunction." She also encouraged others to focus on themselves and what they need.
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"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 wrote. "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."
The 50 First Dates actress revealed back in December 2021 that she had been alcohol-free for two and a half years, detailing her "quiet, confident" journey to sobriety during a chat with CBS This Morning.
"It was something I realized just did not serve me and my life," she said of the decision to quit drinking.
While she didn't share much more detail about becoming sober at the time, she 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."
