Actor Russell Brand marked a huge sobriety milestone on Tuesday as he gave credit to those around him who have supported him in his effort to stay “clean and sober” from drugs and alcohol.
In a video posted to Instagram, Brand shared that he’s been sober for 20 years as of December 13, and said that it couldn’t have been done without the support of those close to him.
“I’m 20 years clean and sober today,” Brand shared. “It’s December the 13th. So, firstly I wanted to express my gratitude for all the people who have helped me to remain clean and sober. It is never done on your own.”
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“In fact, even though it’s often seen and celebrated as a personal achievement,” he added. “It is in essence, a community and spiritual achievement.”
“Because what I have been taught and shown is that it is impossible for a person like me to not drink and use drugs unless I have sufficient ongoing support from people that understand what it’s like to feel that drugs or alcohol, or, you know, certain behaviors are necessary in order to feel okay,” Brand continued.
The actor called sobriety a type of “awakening” from the “world of attachment,” admitting it’s an “ongoing process” to this day.
“Because I still, every day without crack and heroin, without alcohol, still feel strongly, a strong requirement, a strong requirement to seek approval or connection or validation … from the outside world,” Brand explained.
The “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” star then offered hope to those who might be currently struggling with their own addictions, saying even if you feel it’s hopeless, you’re wrong, and things can change.
He then listed what he called the pathways to making that happen, like living a “life of purpose,” “finding a spiritual path,” and “making amends.”
Brand has been very open in the past about his addiction and sobriety. In his 2017 book, “Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions,” he shares his “own wild story” along with the “advice and wisdom he has gained through his fourteen years of recovery [at the time],” per the book description.