Ashley Walters has likened conquering his addiction issues to breaking up with a partner
Musician-turned-actor Ashley Walters has likened conquering his addiction issues to breaking up with a partner - revealing he wrote a letter to the "disease" as they parted ways in rehab.
Ashley Walters has likened conquering his addiction issues to breaking up with a partner.
The former So Solid Crew star, 42, spent two decades battling alcohol addiction but he's been sober for five years since kicking the habit during a stint in rehab and he's revealed that during his treatment he wrote a letter to the "disease" as they parted ways.
He told Men's Health magazine: "Alcoholism is a disease. I didn’t realise until I got some professional help that it centres in the mind. It’s not the drug or drink of choice that’s the issue.
"The easy part is to stop consuming alcohol, or whatever. The hard part is dealing with the problem in your head. But if you don’t remedy that part, you’re always going to end up going back to drinking because that problem still exists."
He added: "I remember I was in rehab and I wrote a letter to my addiction like a relationship gone wrong. I was like: 'Unfortunately, we’ve got to part ways'."
Ashley explained he first turned to booze to help him deal with social situations that made him feel awkward and it spiralled out of control, saying: "I became the life of the party. I had some sort of control. I was fearless.
"People may not like me saying it, but for a minute alcohol was the cure to the biggest problem that I felt I had. But the thing is, alcohol or drugs’ main aim is to isolate you. Its main aim is to take everything away from you, so it has you by yourself and then at that point, it tries to kill you."
