Summary

Drew Barrymore discusses her struggle with alcohol as a coping mechanism during her divorce, emphasizing the ongoing vigilance required to maintain sobriety and the importance of finding healthier alternatives to manage life's challenges.

Abstract

Actress Drew Barrymore candidly shared her experience with alcohol as a response to the pain of her 2016 divorce, despite having overcome addiction in the past. Her story illustrates the enduring threat of relapse, as alcohol can present itself as a quick fix during times of stress or emotional turmoil. Barrymore's account underscores the deceptive nature of alcohol, comparing it to quicksand that can easily pull one back into its grasp. She highlights the importance of seeking real solutions, such as therapy and meaningful projects, to replace the destructive habit of drinking. The narrative serves as a reminder that even those who have previously conquered addiction must remain cautious and that alcohol does not solve problems but rather exacerbates them.

Opinions

Alcoholism is a persistent challenge, with the potential for relapse always present, even after prolonged periods of sobriety.
The reasons for turning to alcohol can vary widely, from acute stressors like a bad day to chronic issues like job dissatisfaction or personal loss.
Alcohol provides a false sense of problem-solving, acting as a temporary numbing agent that ultimately leads to greater difficulties.
Engaging in therapy and constructive activities, such as developing a television show or writing, can be effective alternatives to drinking.
Personal experiences with addiction and recovery, as shared by Barrymore and the author, can offer valuable insights and support to others facing similar struggles.

Drew Barrymore failed to ‘numb the pain’ of divorce with alcohol

Actress Drew Barrymore provided the perfect example this week of why we former problem drinkers always need to stay on our toes.

She has defeated addiction before, yet alcohol still managed to again trick her into thinking it was the solution to her pain.

Even when we do quit alcohol for a lengthy period of time, it isn’t really gone … it’s just dormant until something in our everyday lives throws us for a loop.

That something can be acute, like a bad day at work, or chronic, like a bad situation at work.

It can be a tragic, life-shaking occurance, or something as banal as allowing yourself to become too bored.

It can stem from overall dissatisfaction or specific interpersonal challenges.

Whatever the reason, alcohol acts like quicksand in our lives. It’s always waiting to trick us back into its clutches again.

Drew Barrymore (Credit: Glyn Lowe PhotoWorks from lisbon, Portugal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Drew Barrymore’s trigger

For Drew Barrymore, it was her 2016 divorce from former actor Will Kopelman.

In a new interview this week with People Magazine, Barrymore said that, because she came from a broken family, all she wanted for her kids was stability.

That they still had to experience a family coming apart was crushing to her.

She told People: “There was no scandal. Nothing went wrong, which is cleaner, but makes it harder and more confusing because there isn’t The Thing to point to. We tried so hard to make it work. (A friend) said to me, ‘Divorce is the death of a dream.’ That’s exactly what it feels like, something so final you can’t get it back.”

I’ve never been divorced, thankfully, but I did experience it from the child’s perspective. It was jarring for me then, and I’m sure all the more difficult for my parents.

If I were getting divorced, I imagine drinking alcohol would have been an unhealthy part of my coping strategy.

It was for Drew Barrymore.

She told the magazine: “It was just trying to numb the pain and feel good — and alcohol totally did that for me.”

Yet she knew intrinsically that she was headed down a very dark path indeed.

“The drinking thing for me was a constant, like, ‘You cannot change. You are weak and incapable of doing what’s best for you. You keep thinking you will master this thing, and it’s getting the better of you.’

“After the life I planned for my kids didn’t work out — I almost think that was harder than the stuff (I went through) as a kid. It felt a lot more real because it wasn’t just me. It was about these kids that I cared so much about.

“And then I probably cared so much that I was only giving to them and not taking care of myself. It was a messy, painful, excruciating walk through the fire and come back to life kind of trajectory.”

A fake solution

As she was eventually reminded of, alcohol is a fake solution to your problems. Finally, she sought out real ones (including time in therapy).

This also meant replacing alcohol with something else, something more inspiring and encouraging.

In Barrymore’s case, she poured herself into developing her own show.

For me, not drinking has always meant making sure there was something better to do as well.

I replaced wasting nights drinking poison on the couch with going to the gym.

I also found this site and writing articles like this, which I hope helps others and provides some cheap therapy for myself!

Whatever your reasons for starting or continuing to drink alcohol too much, take it from me and Drew Barrymore: it’s not going to solve your problems. It’s going to make them worse.

We all face challenges in life. The sooner you start the process of figuring out healthier ways to deal with them, the better off you’ll be.

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