Addiction Takes Many Different Forms: Here's What 6 Celebrities Say About It

2021 has seen its fair share of celebrity drug news. From Dax Shepard and Kelly Osbourne’s admitted drug relapses to the deaths of revered rapper DMX and Emmy-nominated actor Michael K. Williams, we’ve witnessed the impact the pandemic has had on those with addiction and can see that it does not discriminate. To break the stigma and shame of addiction, it’s important for those who have struggled to share their personal stories and educate others that addiction is not a character flaw. It’s a brain disease.

Over the past year, American Addiction Centers has interviewed many celebrities on their online talk show, Addiction Talk, to share their personal journeys and how addiction has impacted their lives. What these celebrity stories prove is that addiction is a disease that knows no boundaries. Here are a few quotes from celebrities who have shared their story on Addiction Talk in 2021, and how seeking treatment has changed their lives for the better:

Lamar Odom, former NBA player, cocaine addiction. “If sharing my story can help people, the question would be, ‘Why not?’ That’s more of the question. I get a lot of compliments on the path that I’m taking right now, and those are more satisfactory than people coming up to me and telling me how good of a basketball player I am. So why not share my story if it can save or change lives? I know I am here for a reason. So maybe it’s to help change people because I couldn’t change myself.”

Ben Higgins, star of The Bachelor, painkiller addiction. “I took pills from my grandfather, and I remember the moment. I just remember this feeling of like, 'Who are you? Like, what is this about? Why are you still doing this? And you're taking something from somebody that needs it and someone that you love.' And that was I think the start of me starting to say, 'I need to start at least confronting it. Finally, it's a weird moment in my life where I was lying in bed for probably 24 hours straight and I went into the bathroom ... and I looked at myself in the eyes ... and just this like, calming but also this like, fire inside of me said, 'Ben, you're not the man you ever dreamed you could be.' And at that moment is when I officially decided I needed to get help.”

Braunwyn Windham-Burke, star of the Real Housewives of Orange County, alcohol addiction. “My sobriety and my coming out were intertwined. I had been hiding a huge part of my life, even from myself. I definitely had an identity crisis... If I went into lockdown drinking, I would have died. I would have drank myself to death... I thought being a real housewife was my dream job. Now that I’m sober, I realized my dreams weren’t big enough.”

Matthew Slater, New England Patriots football player, advocate for addiction support services. "Oftentimes when people are struggling with addiction, isolation is a huge factor in their struggles. There's a lie that you tell yourself that says, I'm the only one that's dealing with this. No one else is dealing with this, especially when you look at professional athletes... People are looking at you like you're perfect, like your life is all in order, like you're living the American dream so to speak. I think what we have to do, I firmly believe as a man of faith that we're meant to live life in community. Community is so important and plays a vital role in combating this."

Beasley Reece, CEO of NFL Alumni Network, former NFL player, advocate for addiction support services. “Every player and every person—non-players—listening to this ... [should] know that everyone is willing to help you if you just say so. And you can do it privately—you don’t have to announce it to the world. Talk to a clergy member, talk to a former teacher or a former coach, talk to a former teammate, talk to a neighbor— someone you respect in your community. Take your hat off and say, ‘Please help me.’ We’ve lost too many people to addiction and substance abuse because they just didn’t say anything.”

Symone Redwine, reality TV star of “Ready to Love” on OWN TV, Adderall addiction. “If I had been prescribed (Adderall) by a psychiatrist, they would have asked me questions, but my primary care physician figured you’re intelligent, you’re super smart, you’re an attorney, you got this—you’ll be fine. He just thought hey, I’m helping her be more productive. He never said these are the symptoms of abuse. If I had known, perhaps I would have gotten help earlier.”

These stories remind us that no matter who we are, how much money we have and regardless of fame and recognition, there’s still a common thread: addiction is a disease. Often the best path to recovery is through treatment, and it starts by asking for help. By sharing their stories with the world, celebrities who struggle with addiction demonstrate there is hope, recovery is possible, but it can only happen by taking that first step.