5 Celebrities In Recovery from Addiction

A Short Sampling of Celebrities in Recovery

Addiction has made great strides in removing the stigma that it has carried for so long. A lot has changed over the past few decades regarding addiction, people used to view it as something that only affected the homeless and the weak, but as many of you know that is not the case. Addiction doesn’t care who you are, where you’re from, what religion you practice, how wealthy you are, it does not discriminate. That stigma made it a lot harder for those who were active in their addictions to admit that there was an issue.

Without admitting there was an issue the chances of that addict getting clean were almost non-existent. With more and more celebrity addicts coming out and telling their stories that stigma is slowly being lifted. Celebrities in recovery can give motivation to those who are in ‘active addiction,’ it lets them know that they are not alone and that there is hope to start a new sober life.

Celebrities in recovery have a voice that is heard by thousands if not millions, when these celebrity addicts speak out and speak publicly about their addiction they can make an impact and change the lives of those who are still struggling. Celebrity addicts who have helped shed some light onto addiction are not shy about talking about their struggles. These celebrity addicts are helping change the way people look at addiction.

Celebrity addicts are giving thousands of people the courage they need to admit that they have an issue. By admitting there is an issue addicts are taking the first step on the road to recovery. Some celebrity addicts have been more public about their struggle with addiction and by doing so have helped change the way others view addiction. These are some of the most influential celebrities in recovery.

Our Top 5 Celebrities in Recovery

Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo’s life has changed dramatically over the years, he used to have a very different life. Born in 1944 he spent much of his youth in different juvenile centers. He was arrested multiple times for crimes that he committed to fuel his cocaine addiction. For most of the 1960’s he was in and out of prison in California, a big turning point for Trejo was during a prison riot in 1968, Trejo was in solitary confinement and made the decision that upon his release he would keep his nose clean. Trejo has been sober for over 45 years now, and not ‘California sober,’ either.

Russell Brand

Best known for his role in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, Russell Brand has become one of the most vocal celebrities in recovery. Russell Brand is amongst some of the most well know celebrity addicts and he shares his message and story with millions of people throughout the world. He has helped bring recovery to the limelight with his two extremely popular specials on Netflix, “End the Drugs War” and “Russell Brand from Addiction to Recovery”. He has a very upfront and in-your-face approach. He doesn’t try and sugarcoat addiction, he tells it how it is.

Robert Downey Jr

A movie star amongst movie stars, Robert Downey Jr’s addiction was a tabloid feeding frenzy in the 1980s and 1990s. After being arrested multiple times for various offenses his struggle with addiction was in the public eye for years. Downey was in and out of rehab multiple times, in 2001 he went into his last treatment center. With over 14 years clean and sober he is now the highest-paid actor in Hollywood and has become a role model for thousands of individuals.

When asked about his recovery he said “Job one is getting out of that cave,” Downey Jr. said. “A lot of people do get out but don’t change. So the thing is to get out and recognize the significance of that aggressive denial of your fate, come through the crucible forged into a stronger metal. Or whatever.” Robert Downey Jr gives his wife a lot of credit for helping him through his recovery.

Eminem aka Marshall Mathers

One of the most successful rappers of all time, Eminem struggled for years with addiction. He was never bashful about his addiction and verbalized his pain in many of his songs. One of the more controversial celebrity addicts, with album titles like Recovery and Relapse, he has told his story in various ways.

Like most addicts, he started as a casual user, but what he occasionally did for fun eventually took over his life. His drugs of choice were Xanax and Vicodin, his battle lasted multiple years. He continues to voice his opinion about the nation’s war on drugs and the government’s outrageous costly drug programs. He is currently clean and sober.

Eric Clapton

Throughout a large part of his career, Eric Clapton struggled with addiction. His cover of the hit song “Cocaine” was fueled by a strong addiction to the white powder. He was also abusing heroin and alcohol for multiple decades. Clapton struggled with his addiction. “The thing about that kind of addiction that’s pretty funny, on reflection, is that I always thought, ‘I’m handling this. I can handle it. I can stop anytime. I just don’t want to stop right now.” He has been sober for 20 years and has opened multiple rehab centers and halfway houses to help those who are struggling.

Are You or a Loved One Struggling?

Has a loved one recently approached you asking for help with their addiction? If you or someone you love is suffering from alcohol or drug addiction and would like to learn about the nationwide treatment options we offer at Find Addiction Rehabs, call our dedicated recovery representatives now.

Help can be found right here, and we even have certified interventionists on staff, that can help make all the difference in giving you or your loved one the motivation and incentive to start a journey into recovery. 

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