Celebrity lives are not all ritz and glitz as they seem from afar. The burden of fame, competition, lack of privacy, criticism, easy access to addictive substances, etc. usually drive them down the dark road to addiction.
Some of them have had the most frightening drug encounters, yet they never stopped fighting and eventually came out on top.
Read on to learn about some of them who battled and defeated heroin addiction below.
7 Celebrities Who Overcame Their Heroin Addiction
1) Robert Downey Jr.
One of the most famous Hollywood actors, and son of the filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., said that he was introduced to drugs by his father as early as the age of 8 which soon became a way of bonding between them.
He went on with drug abuse for around 2 decades, got arrested a few times, lost relationships and ruined his career, before finally landing in rehab and getting appropriate treatment for years.
After that he gradually started rising again and finally came to grab his greatest role of all time: The Marvel’s Iron Man.
2) Angelina Jolie
The American actress was caught in drug controversy after a video of her obtaining heroin and cocaine was made viral by the drug dealer who claimed to sell her illicit drugs for years.
Depression, turmoiled relationships and emotional disturbances in life led her to abuse drugs in her 20s. The Oscar winner admitted that she even felt suicidal at times but eventually came out of it after having kids and understanding her responsibilities as a parent.
3) Tatum O’Neal
Having seen family issues and broken relationships all her life, the American actress Tatum O’Neal got addicted to heroin. She tried to treat her condition for years before she relapsed again and got arrested.
Tatum struggled with addiction from the tender age of 14. In an interview, she confessed that her biggest regret was experimenting with heroin, which worsened her addictive tendencies.
4) Courtney Love
The American singer was addicted to heroin along with her husband Kurt Cobain, and it was not a private affair! The first time she smoked drugs was when she was 16.
Even though Courtney took treatments for a long while, she relapsed multiple times. She even consumed nicotine and heroin during pregnancy but finally quit after her daughter was born.
It may seem that she had the privilege of receiving expensive therapies. But the truth is that resources are available for anyone who wants to get over heroin addiction. If you are also looking for rehab, contact the Muse Residential Addiction Treatment Center and check out their comprehensive treatment programs.
5) Russell Brand
Russell Brand is a British comedian who encountered drugs at the age of 19 and went on to exploit them for up to a decade. His heroin addiction was born out of the feelings of loneliness and isolation.
He took therapies and eventually recovered with the help of his manager. Later on, he tried to encourage abstinence-based treatments for substance addiction with the help of relief funds.
Brand even released a documentary on his journey: Russell Brand – From Addiction to Recovery.
6) Keith Richards
The Rolling Stone songwriter and English musician has been charged and arrested for trafficking and consuming drugs quite a few times. He disclosed that his experiences with drugs were a means to cope with the pressures that come with fame.
He spoke about his heroin dependency and how it affected him in a documentary. When Keith realized that his addiction and arrest were affecting their band, he finally decided to quit drugs and get his life rolling back.
7) Nicole Richie
Nicole is an American actress who starred in the reality series ‘The Simple Life’. She started with drugs out of boredom as a teenager when she was living a privileged life.
By her early 20’s she was dealing with life threatening heroin addiction. She tried rehab and eventually survived after a long battle with addiction and resulting physical illnesses.
Conclusion
All these stories restore the fact that drugs can impair you physically, mentally, and emotionally but it is not the end of life.
Rehabilitation from heroin or any other addiction is achievable if you ask for help. You can draw inspiration from your favorite stars’ journeys to recovery to quit heroin abuse and get on your own path to well-being!