Tom Holland on sobriety. "I felt enslaved to alcohol"
Tom Holland, the British actor was a guest on "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" podcast. He spoke candidly about his problems with alcohol and his journey to sobriety.
A new episode of Jay Shetty’s podcast was released on his YouTube channel on Monday 10 July and featured an internationally renowned actor, Tom Holland. The British star is best known for his role as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies but this time he spoke more about his personal life than the films he stars in.
Related
- Volodymyr Zelenski wants to legalise marijuana. The reason? War traumas
- Anonymous questionnaires in schools about the danger of narcotics. "She was very thin, tired, stuttering"
- Taco Hemingway opens up about his struggle with depression: 'Don't ever be alone with it'
- Dry January challenge. Can you win with alcohol dependence?
- Study finds fitness influencers on Instagram may negatively impact their fans’ mood
Tom Holland and his journey to sobriety
Tom Holland admitted in an interview that his fight for sobriety began on Christmas Day in 2021. He admitted that he was constantly drinking during holiday season and resolved to stop and complete a dry January. Initially, he planned to stay sober for a month, but he soon realised that the only thing he could think about was when he would be able to start consuming alcohol again.
"All I could think about was having a drink… It really scared me," he admitted in the podcast.
TOM HOLLAND Gets Vulnerable About Mental Health & Overcoming Social Anxiety
The realisation prompted him to extend his no-drinking rule for another month. The actor admitted that this was also very difficult for him because of the English drinking culture. The British don't expect you to say "no" to a drink or a beer at a meeting.
"I felt like I couldn’t be social," said Holland. "I felt like I couldn’t go to the pub and have a lime soda. I couldn’t go out for dinner. I was really, really struggling."
"I just sort of said to myself, like, ‘Why? Why am I enslaved to this drink? Why am I so obsessed by the idea of having this drink?’" he recounted.
Shocked to discover that his whole life revolved around alcohol, he decided not to drink for the next six months and he succeeded in achieving this goal. It was only then that he decided he didn't want to go back to drinking again. Tom Holland has now been sober for over a year and a half.
The British actor admitted that since he stopped drinking alcohol, he feels very good about himself. He stressed that he doesn't have difficulties sleeping, he improved his ability to handle everyday obstacles and that he is in great shape both physically and mentally.
Holland also said that he could always count on the support of his girlfriend. Zendaya has helped her partner throughout his journey to sobriety.
"I’m happy to say it – I was definitely addicted to alcohol. I’m not shying away from that at all," he concluded.
