Rob Lowe's Son John Owen Thought His Dad's Help Was 'Abrasive' During 'Lowest Points' of Addiction
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Mark Williams & Sara Hirakawa for Men’s Health John Owen Lowe and Rob Lowe
John Owen Lowe is reflecting on his sobriety journey and how his addiction almost caused a rift between him and his father Rob Lowe.
In their exclusive interview for Men's Health's April cover story, the father-son duo open up about the 28-year-old's alcohol abuse throughout his late teens and early college years.
"Many times I could have died. I really liked to push the limits of my body and numb out as much as I could," John Owen told the outlet. "It makes me sad to think about. There's a certain level of self-doubt, or uncomfortability with one's self. The more insecure I grew, the more aggressively I used — to medicate."
"I've been to many hospitals many times," he said, adding that one of his closest childhood friends died of a fentanyl overdose. "I've been very lucky."
Mark Williams & Sara Hirakawa for Men’s Health
Rob — who had gotten sober himself at 26 after struggling with drugs and alcohol — knew recovery took hard work. He and wife Sheryl Berkoff decided to do whatever they could to help their son, offering counselors, doctors, rehab and more to John Owen.
"When I was at my lowest points, my parents were throwing their lifeline of recovery at me in a way that I was like, Ahhh, get away! It's abrasive," John Owen explained. "It's like I was drowning and they were slamming me on the head with the life raft. Because my feelings were that I didn't matter, and a lot of that stemmed from having the dad that I had."
"Once I was treated as if my voice and opinion were valid, I was able to access a part of me that was scared and hiding," he continued. "Finally the thing that worked was when they said, 'We love you and we're scared.'"
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Mark Williams & Sara Hirakawa for Men’s Health Rob Lowe and John Owen Lowe
Rob, 58, admitted fearing for his son's life as he witnessed his addiction up close.
"I have a slightly different — not different, but additional view. Which is, he wasn't ready for us to turn the keys over to him," the 9-1-1: Lone Star actor explained. "His perspective is he woke up one morning and we did it. Why didn't we do it earlier? Well, there was a f—ing good reason we didn't. He wasn't ready."
Now, John Owen is five years sober and told Men's Health that he treats his body and mind like someone who feels lucky to still have both. He also credits his dad for teaching him how to stay on top of his health.
"Mostly, it's just a mindset," John Owen said. "I feel like he's been serious about his health since I can remember, and so he has helped me be serious about mine."
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
