Friend Discloses Matthew Perry’s Battle with Substance Abuse and Challenges of ‘Tough Love.’
A close companion from Matthew Perry’s time in rehab shared insights into the actor’s challenging journey while participating in “Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in New York.” A friend who saw Matthew Perry struggle with substance abuse shares insights into the actor’s difficulties, with “tough love.” Recognized for playing Chandler Bing on Friends, Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home at 54, and his death was determined to be accidental by the medical examiner.
Matthew Perry found difficult to cope with tough-love
Matthew Perry, 54, faced challenges in New York’s Alcoholics Anonymous groups as he struggled with the confrontational approach of fellow program members. According to a former rehab friend, Perry found it difficult to cope with the tough-love dynamics in the AA group, as “He couldn’t stand being challenged by others.” The rehab buddy in conversation with NY Post said “Mr. Perry wasn’t able to deal with the tough love which is characteristic of my AA group,” he continued “I feel for him, but in my 25 years of experience, sometimes ‘helping’ someone is really enabling.
In order to protect the privacy of the rehab group, the friend stated that he would have liked not to share any further information. But he went on to say that Perry seemed like a really normal or common person who was battling addiction. “I think he had a lot of enablers who meant well. He was in a golden cage.”
Perry, who publicly declared 19 months of sobriety before his passing on October 28th, was found unconscious in his California pool. The autopsy revealed a lethal combination of ketamine and other drugs, including some not typically prescribed by doctors.
Matthew Perry’s tough battle against addiction
In his autobiography, Matthew Perry shared the tough battle against addiction. He openly spoke about attending 6,000 AA meetings, going through 15+ rehabs, and 65 detoxes, and cycling through various treatment centers and sober homes. This determined effort spanned half his life and a considerable amount of his money was spent.
Disclaimer: Except the headline and synopsis, this story has been taken from the HT News Service.