In a recent article by the New York Times, Ben Affleck opened up about his struggles with addiction. It is a reminder that addiction known no bounds and can cause profound effects to anybody, including movie stars. In addition, Ben Affleck’s story can serve as a guide that addiction recovery involves much more than staying sober. It includes family, the importance of support, embracing what you’ve learned in treatment, and recognizing relapse as part of the process.
What You Can Learn from Ben Affleck’s Addiction Struggle: Addiction Impacts Families
One of the most devastating casualties of addiction is families. Addiction can cause divorce, damaged relationships, traumatized children, and learning negative coping skills to repeat the cycle. For Ben Affleck, it was divorce.
“I drank relatively normally for a long time. What happened was that I started drinking more and more when my marriage was falling apart. This was 2015, 2016,” he said. “My drinking, of course, created more marital problems.”
He continues to the New York Times, “The biggest regret of my life is this divorce. Shame is really toxic. There is no positive byproduct of shame. It’s just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling of low self-worth and self-loathing.”
The Importance of Support
Support is one of the most important elements of addiction recovery. Leaning on friends and family, and letting people help you, remains essential to successful addiction recovery.
“The support I have received from my family, colleagues, and fans means more to me than I can say,” Ben Affleck wrote in an Instagram post. “It’s given me the strength and support to speak about my illness with others.”
In a recent interview with Diane Sawyer for Good Morning America, Affleck said he has been able to find support in a few other familiar names, including Robert Downey, Jr. and Bradley Cooper. Affleck said, “You know, guys I found like Bradley and Robert have been really helpful to me and really supportive, and they’re wonderful men.”
In addition, his ex-wife Jennifer Garner has been a pillar of support for Ben Affleck throughout his addiction struggles. She famously staged an intervention in late 2018 and personally drove him to his third treatment stay.
Embracing What You’ve Learned
In addiction treatment, individuals learn many new skills and tools to help them navigate their new sober life. As a complete lifestyle change, it can be sometimes difficult to keep up with and, possibly, embarrassing at first. Luckily for Ben Affleck, he has no problem speaking out about his addiction and embracing what he has learned.
“It doesn’t really bother me to talk about alcoholism and being an alcoholic,” he told Today’s Hoda Kotb. “It’s part of my life. It’s something that I deal with. It doesn’t have to sort of subsume my whole identity and be everything, but it is something that you know you have to work at.”
He continued to Kotb, “I feel like I had a problem and I really want to address it, and I take some pride in that … it’s about yourself, your life, your family, and you know people — we encounter these kinds of hurdles and we have to deal with them.”
He also tells the New York Times, “One of the things about recovery that I think people sometimes overlook is the fact that it inculcates certain values. Be honest. Be accountable. Help other people. Apologize when you’re wrong.”
About Seasons in Malibu
If you find yourself relating to Ben Affleck’s story and in search of top rehab centers, Seasons can help you before everything comes crashing down. With Season’s Systemic Method, we approach treating the entire family system while a patient is in primary care at our California drug treatment center. We see your struggle as a completely treatable chronic disease.
Ben Affleck has famously struggled with addiction for years and, as a Hollywood star, has a lot of eyes looking at him. Luckily, he has been able to turn his addiction into a positive by speaking out and helping others going through a similar situation. If you find yourself unable to control your drinking or are looking for ways to support your loved one through recovery, let us know. Addiction recovery might be a struggle for some, including Ben Affleck, but we are here to help you through the process at every turn.
Treatment at Seasons in Malibu is systemic, integrative and client-centered. Our philosophy is grounded in the understanding that in order for the client to heal, the entire system needs the opportunity to heal along with them. The pressure to “fix” the client can become overwhelming and unrealistic if we do not examine the underlying issues, dynamics and environmental influences that might be contributing to substance abuse or ongoing mental health issues. Whenever practical, we try to include close loved ones in sessions and in the entire process of recovering from addiction and/or addressing mental health issues.
It is a priority for us that our life-changing drug and alcohol treatment be available to the people who need it. We are fully familiar with how much strength and courage it takes to pick up the phone and ask for help. Our counselors are invested in your well-being and are ready around-the-clock to guide you or a trusted friend or family member through the initial steps of overcoming drug or alcohol addiction.
With our superior team of clinicians and reputation as Malibu’s best rehabilitation center, we are able to succinctly pinpoint those areas of focus which will give the client the most advanced opportunity for success. Our approach towards healing is collaborative, comprehensive and committed.
For more information on our luxury drug rehab centers , visit seasonsmalibu.com