For Tom Felton, alcohol was a symptom of deeper problems
Tom Felton, best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, has had a long and winding road to sobriety.
The actor has a new book out that touches on his acting career and his struggles with mental health and alcoholism.
Excerpts recounted by the LA Times show that, for Felton (and a lot of other people who’ve struggled with addiction such as myself), the issue was less with alcohol itself, but the mental health challenges that prompted his addiction.
“The alcohol, though, wasn’t the problem. It was the symptom. The problem was deeper,” he writes.
Felton’s girlfriend and family had staged an intervention and convinced him to try rehab — which he escaped within 24 hours.
Being OK with vulnerability
The Times quotes Felton further, and this is important.
“I fought the notion of rehab the first time round. But this wasn’t the same me. I’d grown to accept my genetic predisposition to these changes of mood, rather than refusing to acknowledge them. I relinquished all command and, with a little help from my friends, I found somewhere I could seek help.
“I can honestly say it was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. But the very fact that I was able to admit to myself that I needed some help — and I was going to do something about it — was an important moment. I am no longer shy of putting my hands up and saying: I’m not okay.”
“I am not alone in having these feelings. Just as we all experience physical ill-health at some stage in our lives, so we all experience mental ill-health too. There’s no shame in that. It’s not a sign of weakness.”
I love when anyone in the public eye comes out and described these kinds of challenges, because we all face them at some point.
My drinking problems first began when I had a mental health breakdown in my mid-20s (I touch on that in my video at the end of this post).
Most of us are too uncomfortable talking about things like this or asking for help because, as Felton notes, there’s still a significant stigma attached to mental health challenges and addiction.
The more people who do as Felton did — put their hand up and say “I’m not OK” when they’re actually not — the more likely people are to see it as an option and seek help BEFORE addiction sneaks in to fill a void.
I’m glad to hear Felton is doing better. His case shows that no matter how famous or successful someone is in life, alcohol can sneak up on them too.
He also shows that, no matter what your path is, there’s always a way out.
Thank you so much for reading this piece! I hope it inspires you on your own journey, whatever that looks like for you. If you enjoyed the post, please give it a clap or two so others can find it!
My latest stories:
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My most-read posts:
- The one priceless book that kicked off my quit alcohol journey
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