Many of us go through personal battles in our daily lives and, due to the weight of such struggles, it can be hard to discuss them with others, even those closest to us. However, in time, some are able to speak openly about the demons they’ve wrestled with. This also extends to celebrities like Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato, who’ve openly discussed intimate details about their lives. Now, Harry Potter actor Jason Isaacs is opening up about his past struggles with drug abuse.
Jason Isaacs recently got candid about his lengthy battle with drug addiction. The actor explained that he began drinking at a young age, which would kickstart a “decades-long love affair with drugs.” Isaacs even recalled a sobering realization he had shortly before getting clean:
I thought I was broken. I remember there being a moment, not long before I got clean, when it suddenly occurred to me that if everybody I knew died, literally every single person, I probably wouldn’t mind that much. In fact, I might like it, because then it would be an excuse to sit in a room by myself and take drugs and everybody else would say, well you know, fair enough, you heard what happened didn’t you?
The 57-year-old actor didn’t hold back during his conversation with The Big Issue, as he detailed several ways in which addition negatively affected his life. During the interview, Isaacs spoke about his early struggles with alcohol, revealing that he first got drunk at the age of 12. He recalled that on that night, the barkeeper snuck alcohol to him and his friends and that they would proceed to finish it quickly before attending a party.
Issacs said that by the end of the night, he had vomited several times and smashed his head on pavement before passing out. He also recalled the morning that followed:
The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache, stinking of puke with a huge scab and the memory of having utterly shamed myself. All I could think was… I cannot fucking wait to do that again. Why? I’ve no idea. Genes? Nurture? Star sign? I just know I chased the sheer ecstatic joy I felt that night for another 20 years with increasingly dire consequences.
It goes without saying that addiction isn’t easy to deal with, as the urge to indulge in a specific vice can become overpowering. Still, it is possible to beat, as evidenced by Jason Isaacs and other actors who’ve dealt with it.
While the journey to get to where he is today was long and difficult, it’s great to see that Jason Isaacs was ultimately able to overcome the obstacles he faced. And it’s very possible that his willingness to open up could just serve as a well-needed bit of encouragement for those who may be hesitant to open up or seek assistance.
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