Drew Barrymore Opens Up About Her Mental Health Journey

Who says our flaws make us weak? Sometimes, they push us to be better versions of ourselves so that we can explore the countless blessings in the world and be grateful for what we’ve achieved. Guess something similar happened with Drew Barrymore. 

© CBS | Recently, during a chat with CBS This Morning, Barrymore opened up about her journey to sobriety. She has reportedly not had alcohol in the past two years

Recently, during a chat with CBS This Morning, Barrymore opened up about her journey to sobriety. The Charlie’s Angels star who graced the sets to talk about her upcoming episode with Machine Gun Kelly for The Drew Barrymore Show candidly discussed her mental health struggles and how she overcame that phase.

A touching conversation…

On December 9, 2021, while talking with CBS This Morning, Barrymore revealed she had quit alcohol for good and has been sober for over two years. When asked why she took such a drastic step, the actress replied that alcohol didn’t serve her well and worsened her condition; therefore, she had to get rid of it.

Though she didn’t give many details, explaining that she likes to keep her struggles private, she did take a dig at the online craze about perfection. Barrymore said that if tomorrow there’s a revolt against how flawless things are portrayed on social media, she wouldn’t be surprised. Calling the current situation a deadlock, she said fixing oneself nowadays involves a journey and numerous solutions, whereas earlier, it used to be a private affair.

Steve Granitz/WireImage | Barrymore has previously admitted that when she divorced Will Kopelman, she became quite disturbed emotionally and resorted to alcohol

The 46-year-old even shared a glimpse of her upcoming episode with Kelly, where the rapper can be seen painting her nails while opening up about his issues. In the video, Kelly admits that lately, he’s become more emotionally honest and vulnerable outside of his music.

Kelly, who used to suppress his feelings and smile in front of the camera for the sake of good clicks, has started accepting “it’s OK not to be OK.” And Barrymore likes him even more for that. Hearing his story, the mother of two said that it hit her badly when she got divorced from Will Kopelman in 2016. She wasn’t doing well and needed to talk to someone, if not for herself, at least for her children. That’s when she started reaching out to people and built a whole new track for herself. 

A much-needed visit

This wasn’t the first time Barrymore spoke about her mental health struggles. In the past, she went on record to disclose that she had stayed at a psychiatric ward for 18 months when she was only 13! In September 2021, during an episode of her talk show, the Big Miracle star even visited the institution, saying it was a much-needed visit. She explained that returning to this place and seeing how far she had come in life felt empowering. During her stay at the institution, she never thought she’d be able to go out again. But here she was chasing her dreams and living a normal life again. 

drewbarrymore/Instagram | She has also disclosed that she stayed at a psychiatric ward for 18 months when she was only 13

While praising the place, Barrymore said that if it weren’t for the institution, her life wouldn’t be what it is now. She quipped that visiting and honoring the place was a must for her, and she’s grateful that she could finally do it.