Category: Industry News

Posted on

25 Inspiring Quotes for Veteran’s Day

Veteran’s Day is a time to honor and celebrate the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of our military veterans. It’s a moment to pause and reflect on the freedoms we enjoy and the extraordinary individuals who have served to protect them.

Words have a unique power to connect, uplift, and inspire. On this day, we use them to express our deepest gratitude for the sacrifices made by veterans and their families. Through heartfelt quotes and messages, we aim to convey the appreciation they deserve for their selfless service and enduring commitment.

Join us in honoring these heroes by sharing words of gratitude that celebrate their unwavering bravery and dedication to our nation.

25 Inspiring Quotes for Veteran’s Day

Quotes about Honor and Sacrifice

#1: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” — Joseph Campbell

#2: “We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.” — Unknown

#3: “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” — Elmer Davis

#4: “On this Veteran’s Day, let us remember the service of our veterans and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families.” — Dan Lipinski

Quotes about Courage and Bravery

#5: “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” — G.K. Chesterton

#6: “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” — Franklin P. Jones

#7: “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.” — Winston Churchill

#8: “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” — Maya Angelou

Quotes of Gratitude for Veterans

#9: “To be free is the most wonderful thing in the world, but it comes at a great cost. Thank you, veterans, for paying that price.” — Unknown

#10: “In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.” — Barack Obama

#11: “The willingness of America’s veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude.” — Jeff Miller

#12: “Veterans are a symbol of what makes our nation great, and we must never forget all they have done to ensure our freedom.” — Rodney Frelinghuysen

Quotes from Veterans Themselves

#13: “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” — G.K. Chesterton

#14: “America’s veterans embody the ideals upon which America was founded more than 229 years ago.” — Steve Buyer

#15: “Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A veteran doesn’t have that problem.” — Ronald Reagan

#16: “I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism.” — Bob Riley

Famous Historical Quotes for Veterans

#17: “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.” — Abraham Lincoln

#18: “Freedom is never free.” — Unknown

#19: “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” — José Narosky

#20: “My heroes are those who risk their lives every day to protect our world and make it a better place—police, firefighters, and members of our armed forces.” — Sidney Sheldon

Modern Quotes for Veteran’s Day 2024

#21: “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause.” — Abraham Lincoln

#22: “A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America’ for an amount of ‘up to and including their life.'” — Unknown

#23: “To our men and women in uniform, past, present, and future, God bless you and thank you.” — Anonymous

#24: “For it is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion. It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.” — Unknown

#25: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” — John F. Kennedy

How to Use These Quotes on Veteran’s Day

Sharing on Social Media

Veteran’s Day is an opportunity for all of us to come together and show our appreciation for the incredible sacrifices made by veterans. Sharing a heartfelt message or a meaningful quote is a simple but powerful way to honor their service. Consider taking a moment to reflect on what veterans’ sacrifices mean to you personally, and share those thoughts with others. Whether it’s through a conversation, a handwritten note, or a post on social media, your words can make a difference.

You can encourage others to join in by tagging veterans you know, thanking them directly, or highlighting the importance of their contributions. Using hashtags like #VeteransDay2024 and #ThankYouVeterans can help connect your message to a larger community of gratitude. 

More than anything, let your voice be a part of the collective recognition and support for those who have served. Your words of appreciation, no matter how small, have the power to remind veterans that their sacrifices are seen, valued, and deeply respected.

Including in Speeches or Letters

Veteran’s Day quotes hold the power to deepen our expressions of gratitude and honor for those who have served. Whether used in speeches, public ceremonies, or personal letters, they help us articulate the profound respect we feel for veterans’ sacrifices and dedication. 

In a speech, a well-chosen quote can set the tone or leave a lasting impression, highlighting the significance of their service. At public ceremonies, including a quote during a moment of silence or tribute, such as a flag-raising, adds depth and solemnity to the occasion. Personalized letters gain even greater meaning with a thoughtful quote that frames your message of thanks. In group gatherings, sharing a quote during a toast, prayer, or discussion encourages reflection on veterans’ contributions and sacrifices. 

However they are used, these quotes serve as a powerful connection to the enduring legacy of our nation’s heroes, ensuring their service is remembered and honored.

Creating Veteran’s Day Cards

Creating Veteran’s Day cards with meaningful quotes is a powerful way to honor the sacrifices and service of our veterans. These cards serve as a personal gesture of gratitude, showing veterans that their efforts and dedication are recognized and deeply appreciated. Including a meaningful quote alongside a heartfelt message allows you to convey your respect and admiration in a thoughtful way. Reminding veterans that their service has made a lasting impact and that their sacrifices are valued, offering them a tangible reminder of the gratitude felt by those they have served.

Posted on

Why “Just Say No” Failed: Unpacking the Ineffectiveness of a Simplistic Anti-Drug Message

The “Just Say No” anti-drug movement, buoyed by good intentions and hopes to end the newly redeclared War on Drugs, sank to the depths of unimportance and, worse, ineffectiveness. Despite nationwide efforts and leadership from First Lady Nancy Reagan, teens remained just as likely to use drugs as before—in some cases, more likely.

Why? How could something so simple not succeed?

It was largely due to the placement of blame for drug use and a lack of education on addiction. We’ll explore why that had such a negative effect and what America and the world learned from this failure. 

Origins and Objectives of “Just Say No”

“Just Say No” came as a response to crack cocaine1’s birth in the 1980s. As a cheaper and more accessible version of cocaine, crack use soared, coupled with violent crimes and incarceration. President Reagan redeclared the War on Drugs; his wife and First Lady created the campaign to ‘just say no’ to drugs. Abstinence was seen as the only solution.

Police gave talks at schools across America to highlight the dangers of drug use and it being a criminal offense. They grouped all drug users together as criminals and the ultimate sign of failure, encouraging students to avoid this through abstinence. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) was borne from police efforts, and still well-known today.

Just Say No and D.A.R.E were meant to instill a desire to remain with the ‘good’ group, where you’d be seen as a lawful contributor to society. And, you’d be safe from overdose. The public quickly accepted the movement, largely because Nancy Reagan led it and, with her husband, made the War on Drugs a top issue among Americans.

Critiques of the “Just Say No” Approach

One primary critique of this proposed response to drugs is, “It’s not that simple1.” What made Just Say No so accessible became its demise. 

Just Say No failed to address the complexities and nuances of substance use, like genetic predisposition, peer acceptance and pressure, using substances as a coping tool for mental illness, and the experimental nature of adolescents. 

In 2001, America’s Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, labeled D.A.R.E and Just Say No1 as “ineffective primary prevention programs.” Data showed teens still used drugs2 at the same rate, if not a little more, despite the public’s remarkable awareness and understanding of the campaign. 

“Why Should I Say No?”

The Just Say No campaign seemed to picture a conversation about drug use going like this:

“Hey, do you want to take some of this cocaine?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

In reality, conversations and the general conception of drug use look something more like this:

“I’m struggling so bad to keep my A in this class. I just can’t pay attention.”

“Try these, they help me.”

Or, 

“I always smoke weed after school to relax. It helps me handle the stress.”

“Oh, really? Can I try some?”

Just saying no fails to teach the dangers and realities of drug use3 to a highly vulnerable population: kids. Without a proper understanding of how drugs work, the dangers of fentanyl, and how to prioritize their safety, many school-aged kids simply follow what their friends and peers do. If they can drink or smoke weed and be fine, so can they—they don’t need to say no.

Simply being told not to do something can work momentarily, but human nature tends to supersede this command across all age groups, races, and genders, making it ineffective. 

What Actually Works?

Simplicity didn’t cut it. The message didn’t need to become more complex either, it just needed to focus more on the truth: many teens will use drugs, from their own desire to or a lack of education on the risks. 

For example, many teens and college students don’t understand the risks of taking fentanyl and overdosing. Fentanyl accounts for the “vast majority” of overdose deaths in teens3. One way this happens is by taking a laced pill, which is a counterfeit pill designed to look like a safe prescription medication. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently found 7 out of 10 counterfeit prescription pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl4. 

Taking just one on a whim can end someone’s life. Had many overdose victims known the true dangers and risks, they might have used fentanyl test strips, avoided illicit drugs altogether, or relied solely on prescriptions from their doctor.

Education in Schools and Homes

Most teens don’t receive adequate education on drugs3, drug use, and the risks it poses. This makes them vulnerable to addiction and overdoses, plus legal and academic consequences as their use progresses. Effective education at school and the normalization of honest conversations at home can give teens the information they need to make safer choices. 

For example, schools could incorporate drug and addiction education into their health classes, which cover nutrition, reproductive health, and other crucial areas of personal health. Students would learn what drugs do to their brain and body, how to get help for addiction, and the deadly risks of illicit drug use and fentanyl. Importantly, schools can teach students how to use Narcan, which reverses an opioid overdose. Spreading awareness about fentanyl test strips and using clean needles promotes harm reduction. 

At home, parents can normalize discussions about drug use and its risks. One conversation can make kids aware of fentanyl, the dangers of addiction, and what to do if they start struggling with substance use or witness an overdose. Parents can reiterate how they’re there to help, listen, and connect their child to treatment when needed. 

Activities Over Lectures

While talking is essential to educate students on drugs and addictions, activities can seal their understanding. One in-school program shows how sugar and salt mixed into a glass pitcher of water look the same3—indiscernible to the eye, like fentanyl-laced pills. Students mixed each solution and saw firsthand how they couldn’t tell the 2 apart. This can have a greater impact than just hearing it.

Real-Life Stories

Stories from people who have gone through addiction can highlight both the dangers of substance use and the hope available in treatment. Schools can invite speakers with lived experiences to describe their realities with drug use, treatment, and preventive measures they found beneficial (or think would have helped them).

Seeing someone who recovered from an addiction offers inspiration and fights the stigma surrounding substance use and mental health conditions. Students see how untrue many stereotypes about addiction and those with a substance use disorder really are, which can boost their willingness to get help or start conversations with friends. 

Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Just Say No’s failure showed the complexity and multifaceted nature of addiction. Simply declining to take drugs wasn’t an effective strategy for most people. Learning why they shouldn’t take drugs, how to do it safely if they choose to, and knowing how to reverse an overdose promises tangible change.

It’s a bit too early to tell how much of an impact this will have as more and more schools and households adopt an education-first approach to drug use prevention. Many professionals agree meeting teens where they’re at should be the first effort3, whether they’re in active addiction, curious about drinking or using drugs, or ambivalent to drug use. 

With these changes, we can shift the way an entire generation views addiction and mental health, save lives, and reduce the negative impacts addiction has on teens and their families.

Posted on

Reshaping an Industry: Quality Care and Advocacy as Tools for Recovery

We were honored to have Marvin Ventrell, CEO of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) on our podcast this week. All three of our hosts gathered to lead an insightful, fun conversation on the treatment space and Marvin’s ideas for improvement. 

Listen to Marvin Ventrell’s episode to learn more about the improvements the NAATP has made in addiction treatment, how they plan to make a broader impact, and how Marvin’s career as an attorney and man in recovery led him to their leadership.

Beginnings of an Impactful Career

Marvin began his career in his early twenties as an attorney. Marvin has also worked as a teacher, director, and CEO of a previous organization. He spent 15 years working in the child and family welfare system, authoring influential books and building the practice of law for children, which became recognized as a specialization by the American Bar Association (ABA). 

Marvin recognized the need for the addiction treatment industry to have the same structure and ethical guidelines as children’s law. At the NAATP, Marvin immediately strived to expose the “bad stuff” in the industry as the first step to improvement, saying, 

“So we’re going to look in at our, we’re going to clean up our own house. And we’re going to create an ethics code. And if you can’t follow it and you don’t fit it, you’re out.”

This met immediate critique and pushback, but Marvin and the NAATP persisted. Much of Marvin’s passion for improving the treatment space and broadening people’s ability to access quality, ethical treatment comes from his own recovery story.

A Personal Passion for Ethical Treatment

“I’m working in this field largely because I am a person in long term-recovery.”

Marvin began using substances like alcohol and marijuana in highschool, where partying was seen as a sign of ‘coolness’ as it still often is. His substance use continued throughout college and into law school, where a professor even urged students to not turn to substances to manage stress. Marvin recalls,

“My attitude was like, well, you don’t know me. I can. I can do it. I can do both…. Yeah, normal person can’t drink and get straight A’s, but I can.”

Marvin became a successful attorney, married, and found continued success in his career with leadership roles. Then finally, in his late thirties/early forties, a switch flipped and casual use turned into an addiction. 

“And I then needed the substances. I couldn’t not have them. And I, and I was breaking.”

Marvin’s previous company, which he was the CEO of, lovingly directed him to get treatment. He did, and Marvin has been sober since. His treatment experience taught him more about the treatment industry, as did his wife’s recovery journey. It also pointed out a dire need for change.

Leading The Charge in The NAATP

The NAATP lists vetted, accredited, and licensed treatment providers that abide by their ethics code and quality assurance manual. In short, they’ve taken as many liberties as possible to ensure any provider that’s part of the NAATP will be ethical and focused on providing high-quality care. The NAATP also offers a guide for selecting treatment.

Our co-host, Cliff McDonald (Chief Growth Officer), notes this about the beginnings of Recovery.com and the notable impact the NAATP has had on each facet of the treatment space:

“They [Recovery.com founders] have modeled the ethical standards that we have for our business after NAATP. They credit NAATP and you as the ones that turned around the space and cleaned it up. So that is wonderful.”

When Marvin and the NAATP voiced concerns about the ethics of the treatment space and exposed shady practices, they promptly received pushback and criticism for “talking crap” about the treatment industry. They were even sued, but won the case. Marvin responds to such critics with,

“And, you know, that’s not what I was doing at all. I was saying, look, we’re wonderful, but we’ve got to recognize where the poison is and get it out so that we can be successful.” … “And, because we thought, you know what we need, if we need to get smaller to get better, we’ll get smaller to get better.” … “And within a year of our, removing, if you will, certain members and not having others renew or allowing others to renew, we grew. Significantly beyond where we started, right? And so we made our footprint in ethics.” 

The NAATP also launched a recent initiative to measure outcomes in addiction treatment using their strong ethical and quality standards. This allows treatment providers to improve their programs with applicable, actionable data.

Goals in The Recovery Space

Marvin and the NAATP recognize stigma as a tall barrier to treatment. They’ve made progress in reducing stigma through addiction education, which is an ongoing goal for the NAATP.

Marvin also discusses emerging trends in substance use, like increased deaths from alcohol and stronger marijuana. The effects of these trends are another reason why he and the NAATP want to ensure people seeking treatment have a trustworthy place to find it.

Treatment Decided by Doctors and Scientists, Not Accountants

Marvin explained how insurance coverage works for behavioral health treatment and how insurance companies often dictate who gets treatment, and what level of care they receive; not doctors or scientists with education on the matter. Marvin says,

“In any universe that I can imagine, managed care means that the scientist doesn’t decide what health care you get. The accountant decides what health care you get.”

Ideally, insurance companies would respond better to a documented clinical need for a service and cover treatment. Reshaping how and what insurance covers improves access to care and has the power to reduce stigma as more conditions and needs are recognized as clinical conditions deserving compassionate care.
This episode dives into these subjects and more with humor, compassion, and intrigue. Listen to Marvin Ventrell’s episode now to explore these topics further and learn more about the addiction treatment industry.

Posted on

Elevate Your Life: Jay Shetty’s 10 Ways to Think Like a Monk

Jay Shetty, now an author and purpose coach, lived as a monk for 3 years. He left a steady (but empty) corporate job to pursue a monk’s fulfilling, mindful life. He spent three years learning, serving, and unlocking new ways to live. After returning to his prior life, Shetty found many others desperately needed what he learned as a monk.

Shetty’s personal growth and newfound purpose fueled his desire to help others think like monks. He found that everyone—corporate CEOs, celebrities, and layfolk alike—could change the way they see the world, themselves, and their loved ones. This would lead to a new, intentional way of living that creates greater joy and purpose. 

We’ll explore 10 key takeaways from Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk (a #1 New York Times Bestseller) you can use to improve your life. 

Takeaway #1: Audit Your Time

Jay Shetty begins his book with an appeal to audit your time and see where you’re spending it. He points out how easy it is to spend fruitless hours on social media, watching television, or consuming other forms of media. Spending too much time steeped in others’ opinions and lives can make it hard to figure out your own.

Other pursuits can take up too much time, too. After considering where and how you spend your time, you may notice a disproportionate bulk of it is spent on work. Or, you may spend too much time “putzing”. It’s easy to misplace time, but when it’s optimized and audited, Shetty found it’s more than possible to spend it on things that actually make you well and fulfilled. 

Takeaway #2: Live Intentionally and Consciously

Jay Shetty found intentionality to be one of the core aspects of a monk’s mindset. Monks spoke intentionally, reflected and meditated intentionally, and made intentional decisions. To do that, they had to also be aware of themselves, their emotions, and the impacts those and their choices would have. 

If they did something or even ate something, a monk would know the driving force behind it and why they were driven to that point. These 2 aspects, intention and awareness, help monks and others feel more present and confident in life’s big and small parts. 

Takeaway #3: Stay Disciplined

Shetty learned discipline as a monk and how staying disciplined helped him achieve goals and find mental wellness. He and other monks would follow strict schedules and regimes, like meditation for hours straight and fasting. Shetty found he could mirror this discipline in all other areas of his life, which made goals more achievable.

For example, you could set daily schedules for yourself or time limits for certain activities. If you need to get a project done, block off time on your calendar and mute your phone. Stay focused for the time you set, including breaks in the schedule as needed. 

Takeaway #4: Prioritize Self-Control

To quote Shetty, “We are not our minds.” Prioritizing self-control allowed him and other monks to live unbound by emotions, desires, and impulses. Rather than being governed by thoughts, Shetty worked to control how he thought and the behaviors connected to them. 

Self-control also helps break the pattern of procrastination. Knowing you need to get something done can be all you need to get something done, rather than letting yourself procrastinate or come up with excuses. 

Takeaway #5: Focus on Long-Term Gains

Much of what Jay Shetty learned, including the life-changing benefits of monk life, didn’t appear right away. Part of what got him through hunger, cold, and exhaustion were the long-term gains waiting at the end. He found this future vision applicable in and out of monk life.

Setting goals or creating an ideal for yourself, your relationships, or your career is easy. But staying committed can feel much harder. That’s why Shetty focuses on long-term gains as a way to keep the end goal in sight, stay motivated, and keep working hard. 

Takeaway #6: Practice Single-Tasking

Single-tasking helps you stay present. Jay Shetty points out 98% of people can’t multitask, or at least not well. Single-tasking, as opposed to multi-tasking, allows you to deeply focus on one thing at a time, rather than hopping from task to task. 

Shetty makes this easier for himself by staying off his phone during work, having “no tech” zones in his house, and practicing mindfulness when he completes mundane tasks, like showering. Focusing only on the task at hand allows him to experience it deeply and focus his attention elsewhere only as needed.

Single-tasking may be an adjustment, but it can slowly develop into a habit and teach your brain to notice and appreciate the small things mindfully. 

Takeaway #7: Remain in Gratitude

Jay Shetty highlights the intersection of gratitude and kindness. He and other monks remained in a near-constant state of gratitude, finding small things to appreciate every moment. And since gratitude can make you happier1, Shetty and his peers could feel content and happy even in situations most of us may see as bleak. Gratitude can make you more appreciative of all your small gifts, like warm food, a place to sleep, and having people you love.

Expressing gratitude towards others inspires kindness and more gratitude, which keeps feeding the cycle. This cycle in your relationships can make them healthier and happier, whether with a loved one, peer, boss, or coworker.

Takeaway #8: Manage Your Ego

Shetty found ego, or thinking too highly of yourself, isolates and hinders growth. Judgment coincides with ego and can make us overly conscious of other people’s opinions and focus too much on how we might be better than another. Ego can prevent open-mindedness, hampering growth.

As a monk, Shetty took on mundane tasks and chores to keep his temple running, like peeling potatoes or cleaning up after animals. Wisdom helped him realize his own ego got in the way of enjoying these tasks and reaping their benefits. Humility, he found, worked as an elixir for ego and allowed him to gain the rewards of an open mind. 

Takeaway #9: Adjust Your Perspective

Little issues can feel huge, affecting your well-being more than the issue deserves. Jay Shetty found it helpful to keep a clear perspective and adjust your worries and stresses accordingly. He encourages making a scale from 1-10, with 1 being a non-issue and 10 being devastating (like losing a loved one). Think about this:

  • Where does rejection or getting stuck in traffic fall on the scale? Based on where they fall, how should it affect you?

Takeaway #10: Live to Serve

Jay Shetty says, “The highest purpose is to live in service.” Why? In short, Shetty learned that self-lessness heals the self. Shetty acknowledges it can be hard to think about others when it seems like we need so much healing ourselves. But his time as a monk proved he didn’t need to be perfect to start helping others. 

Serving can look like many things. You may give others your time, money, food, clothing, or share the roof over your head. Hosting a dinner, for example, allows you to give others many forms of happiness—food, time, and someplace safe to gather. You could also donate money to a charity of your choice, volunteer your time at non-profits, or act with confidentiality when someone confides in you about their joys and sorrows. This gives your friends a person they can deeply trust.

Some monks practice this by owning no material possessions, but as Shetty points out, that likely won’t work for everyone. How you use your possessions aligns with a life of service. 

How You Think Like a Monk Is Up to You

Whatever takeaways speak to you most, any and all can lead you down a path to greater joy. Insights from the book have inspired thousands worldwide, helping them break free from unhealthy thought patterns and baseless stress holding them back. 


You can learn more about Think Like a Monk and where to buy it by going to Jay Shetty’s website.

Posted on

Celebrity Recovery Stories

Celebrity recovery has long found itself in an unsavory spotlight. Magazines, paparazzi, and the general public place intense focus on the plight of suffering celebrities, often with an air of mockery. 

Celebrities coming forward with their addiction and recovery have started changing the lens of celebrity recovery stories. This is a far cry from old reports of a new celebrity in rehab suggesting culpability, shame, and judgment. 

Instead of making life unwaveringly easy, celebrity addiction stories suggest fame and fortune were not the cures to pain the general public may first assume. Despite the public scrutiny, many celebrities have recovered and inspired thousands on the way.

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor was one of the first celebrities who acknowledged their addiction and advocated for recovery. She became addicted to prescription painkillers after a spinal surgery. She also struggled with alcohol addiction. 

Elizabeth Taylor decided to publicly announce her admittance to Betty Ford Center in 1983, Betty Ford’s first treatment center. By doing so, Elizabeth helped normalize the need for addiction treatment when such news was scarcely discussed, even in private.  

Though her famous career and life have since come to an end, Elizabeth showed many what living in recovery looks like—and that it’s achievable, even as a celebrity. A quote from ElizabethTaylor.com1 reads,

“Her willingness to remain open and honest, while under intense scrutiny, brought millions of people out of the darkness of shame and into the brilliance of healing.”

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis nursed a secret addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. She was prescribed Vicodin after a minor plastic surgery2, which she then took for years.

A friend finally caught her taking the pills and encouraged getting help. Jamie also stole Vicodin from her sister, who supported her in getting into treatment. 

Jamie has been sober since 1999; she revealed this to the public two years after gaining sobriety. She’s attended recovery meetings since her sobriety, sometimes hosting them herself in her set trailer. 

She was at first nervous she’d lose sponsorships and acting roles, but that was far from the case. Even in the earlier days of outspoken addiction recovery, her story was still widely well-received. 

Her public journey and commitment to the sober community have made her an encouragement to celebrities and non-celebrities in recovery.

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper used alcohol, drugs, and “mean humor”3 to fit into the environment of Los Angeles actors. Despite his efforts, he realized he hadn’t made progress in becoming more popular—and was even doing the opposite.

In 2004, Bradley’s friend, Will Arnett, held an intervention to help him see the scope of his addiction and the harm it caused (forgetting to let his dog out all day after being on cocaine, for example). Cooper focused on his sobriety from that moment on and has been sober for almost 20 years.

Treatment also helped him grow his self-esteem and become confident without using substances to fit in. Now, he’s known to be generous, charming, and kind.  

Robert Downey Jr 

Robert Downey Jr’s experience with drugs began at age 64, when his father offered him marijuana. They used various substances together throughout his childhood. Downey Jr, like many others, was soon caught in the cycle of using to self-soothe and hide from the negative effects his addiction had on his life.

Robert Downey Jr has been arrested multiple times for drug use5 and spent a year in prison. After his third arrest, he checked himself into rehab and has stayed sober. A recent documentary featuring his late father details his recovery and history with addiction.

After becoming sober, Robert Downey Jr went on to have a wildly successful career. He speaks about his addiction and recovery to highlight the sobriety journey and offer his real-life success story.

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe, best known for his role as Harry Potter, used alcohol to cope with the scrutiny and pressure6 of such a monumental role. He’s said his way of dealing with it was “just to drink more or get more drunk, so I did a lot of that for a few years.”

He would drink to forget he was being watched, then drink more to forget they were watching the “boy wizard” get drunk. As the movies drew to a close, Daniel continued to use alcohol to distance himself from the end and from figuring out who he was outside the role. 

With support from friends, he started his sobriety in 2010. He’s been sober since and enjoying new roles outside the wizarding world. 

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan has a successful acting career freckled with jail time, arrests, and rehab. She described alcohol as a gateway drug for her, and she dabbled in cocaine to fit in with the party scene. 

She received her first DUI at age 207 and was in court for various drug/alcohol-related convictions 20 times from 2007-2012. A judge ordered her to go to court-ordered drug rehab in 2012. She credits that as what turned her life around. 

After regaining sobriety, Lindsay Lohan moved to the United Arab Emirates for a quieter, more anonymous life. She’s since gotten back into acting and helping others along their sobriety journeys.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore’s struggles with drugs and alcohol began as young as 9 years old. She attended rehab twice by age 128 and was hospitalized for 18 months following a suicide attempt and continued substance use. Her public struggles with addiction and mental health at first made it difficult to find roles. 

After her hospital stay, Drew emancipated from her parents. She eventually found success in acting again and married. She then divorced and married again later, having two children before a second divorce.

Her second divorce in 2016 drove her to alcohol use9. She says, “It was just trying to numb the pain and feel good—and alcohol totally did that for me.” An unnamed rehab facility and her daughters helped her recover.

Now, Drew Barrymore inspires other celebrities to talk about mental health and addiction on her talk show The Drew Barrymore Show and beyond.

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck rose to fame in the early 90s. He went to rehab for alcoholism10 and a reset in 2001, then again in 2017 and 2018. 

A divorce in 2016 exacerbated his drinking. He went to rehab again, regained sobriety, and has since had relapses—some of which were famously documented. But he didn’t let that derail his recovery. 

Ben has become strong in his 12-Step program and, more generally, as a celebrity in recovery. He’s been quoted to say11, 

“It doesn’t really bother me to talk about alcoholism and being an alcoholic. 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.”

Demi Lovato

Demi’s first experience with drugs came when she was 13 and prescribed opioids after a car accident. Bullying and an early rise to fame led her to start cocaine in 2009, at age 17.

A sexual assault, and the coping skills she used after, eventually led her to treatment for self-harm and an eating disorder in 2010. There, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder12. Demi checked into a sober home shortly after, in 2013.

Demi stayed sober for 6 years after years of heavy drinking and drug use (mainly cocaine). She highlighted her eating disorder recovery in 2017. But in July of 2018, she suffered a near-fatal heroin overdose13. After a 2-week hospital stay, Demi was released. 

She later relapsed on heroin, which served as another wake-up call. Demi got back into treatment and adopted a California sober approach to recovery, which meant she still used weed and alcohol in moderation. In the last couple years, she’s changed her approach to sober-sober14, or not drinking and using drugs in any amount.  

Now, Demi continues to take her journey day-by-day with an attitude of humility and hope.

John Mulaney

As one might expect, comedian John Mulaney describes his addiction with a unique level of hilarity. He first went to rehab in December 202015 after initially getting sober in his early twenties.

He became addicted to cocaine and prescription pain pills, which he kept on hand through shady (or clever) routes. One included buying and pawning a watch to purchase drugs with the cash. In other schemes, he went to low-rated doctors who he knew wouldn’t turn down the prescription requests of any new patient. 

At first, he feared the public’s response to his addiction and how it went against his public-facing demeanor. However, many received the news with little to no judgment, instead feeling glad he sought help. This highlights the upward swing in the public’s perception of addiction. 

He credits his friends and their intervention as what got him to get help. Reflecting on his 3-year sobriety, he says, “​​I used to care what everyone thought about me so much…And I don’t anymore. Because I can honestly say, ‘What is someone gonna do to me that’s worse than what I would do to myself?'”

Start Your Recovery Journey

Time has shown the deep humanity of celebrities, despite what the media might have us believe. Their stardom doesn’t save them from suffering; but it can make them excellent advocates for recovery. Money and fame didn’t make them recover. Their own personal choices and efforts did. 

Whether or not you’re a famous actor, comedian, or other celebrity, you have resources for your recovery. Celebrity addiction stories highlight that truth. A residential rehab could provide the safe, structured environment you need to begin, and maintain, your recovery.
You can browse our list of rehabs to see photos, reviews, insurance information, and more all in one place.

Posted on

2023 Oscar Nominated Movies That Include Addiction

Films and TV shows tend to shape how culture views a certain subject (or profession). Recently, the idea of therapists, mental health, and addiction in pop culture became more mainstream. However, some films and shows do more harm than good—overdramatizing addiction and mental health, or just poorly representing it.

Others capture the rawness, truth and importance of addiction and mental health. 

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed 

Winning an Oscar for best documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed recounts photographer Nan Goldin’s experience with addiction. She depicts her addiction to prescription painkiller OxyContin, and her frustration with the Sackler family.  

America’s Opioid Crisis

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed shows that Nan’s addiction began after an injury. Doctors prescribed a common medication at the time, OxyContin – which is highly addictive if taken incorrectly1. It contains oxycodone, which causes a high similar to heroin. 

Nan, like many others, became addicted to OxyContin after a perhaps thoughtless pain management plan. Nan formed P.A.I.N.2, Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, to “speak for the 250,000 bodies that no longer can.”

The Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, received backlash for pushing OxyContin prescriptions when they perhaps weren’t needed. Nan worked to get museums and other Sackler-supported institutions to publicly separate from the family. 

America’s opioid crisis may have begun with overprescription of pain meds3, but it’s since grown for new reasons, like cheap, accessible products. Fentanyl, too, plays a large role in the 1,500 opioid-related deaths per week.

Treatment Options for Opioid Addiction

Many rehabs treat opioid addiction. In a residential setting, you’ll likely go through a medically supervised detox first, then begin therapeutic treatment. 

Therapies for opioid addiction could range from talk therapies to contingency management plans, which offer rewards for each step you complete in treatment. Talk therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) will help you work through the thoughts and emotions causing your behaviors. Then, you’ll learn new ways to process and manage what you feel.

You’ll learn coping tools for the future, relapse prevention strategies, and typically engage in an aftercare program to keep you well supported. 

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed explored prescription medication addiction. Other nominated movies this year blazed new trails, like The Whale.

The Whale Explores Grief And Binge-Eating

The Oscars nominated Brendan Fraser for Best Lead Actor. The Whale depicts Charlie’s (Fraser) journey through binge eating, grief, and depression. His coping mechanism began after the death of his partner. 

The story highlights the power of grief and the hold of eating disorders, and how they can function as a coping tool. Different characters in the film try to help Charlie, but as it often is, his grief is persistent. 

What Is Binge Eating Disorder?

Binge eating is eating without control4—it might feel impossible to stop. Sometimes, after binging, a purge happens; this is the pattern of bulimia nervosa5. You might purge through throwing up, taking laxatives, excessive exercise, or starving yourself. It’s meant to “undo” the binge. Not every binge eater purges, though. 

Binge eating might be your coping tool, especially if you’re dealing with something as powerful as grief.

Grief And Depression

Depression is a stage of grief6, as proposed by Kübler-Ross. In The Whale, Charlie mourns the loss of his partner, who died by suicide. Depression became a strong stage in his mourning. 

If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, you can call or text the number 988.

The film suggests binge eating became Charlie’s own way of committing suicide.

Getting Help for Grief And Depression

There’s help for the millions of others like Charlie. Grief and depression can weigh heavily—sometimes unbearably so. But you do have options to heal. 

Complicated grief therapy (CGT)7, for example, can help with grief and all its stages. Using loss- and restoration-focused care, “the therapist works to facilitate the progress of grief to help the client come to terms with the death.” 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with depression and grief7. Using CBT, your therapist can help you modify your thoughts and change your behaviors. For grief, CBT could help you process your loss in a more productive way.

To Leslie And Blonde

Both To Leslie and Blonde highlight drug and alcohol addiction. They were also both nominated for Best Leading Actress in the 2023 Oscars. Ana de Armas played Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, and Andrea Riseborough played Leslie in To Leslie.

To Leslie depicts a mother’s struggle with addiction, spurred on by a seemingly-ideal lottery win. Leslie reaches new lows and eventually seeks help for her daughter’s sake and herself. 

Blonde retells the life story of Marilyn Monroe, who tragically and famously died after an overdose. 

Drug And Alcohol Addiction: Not Just for The Famous

Movies like Blonde make addiction seem almost ritzy—something only people with deep pockets can do. Then, To Leslie goes and proves that wrong. So which is true? 

It’s both. 

Addiction doesn’t discriminate. In each movie, despite the contrasts in leading women, their reasons for substance abuse were similar. The case remains true for many today. Stressors, mental illnesses, or trauma can start a habit you can’t stop on your own. 

Stories like Leslie’s and Monroe’s can help the larger public see this through a cleaner lens. Addiction wasn’t a moral failing of either woman. It was how they coped. 

But there’s more than one way to find that same sense of control. Treatment can help you see that.

Treatment Options for Drug And Alcohol Use

Many rehabs treat drug and alcohol addiction. Here, you’d have constant monitoring, individualized care, and a structured treatment schedule. Most residential rehabs also offer on-site detox. 

Depending on your situation, you might find an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or partial hospitalization program (PHP) more suitable. Each of these programs provides effective treatment, and you get to go home at night. IOP is less intensive, usually lasting 3-5 hours a day, while PHP could go for 5-8. 

In these treatment settings, you’ll learn relapse prevention skills and work on the thoughts behind your behaviors. Rehabs typically offer a variety of therapies to meet your needs. 

You can browse our list of rehabs to see reviews, pricing, and insurance information, and more.