Emma Chamberlain And Other Celebs Who Spoke On Addiction Recovery

Internet personality Emma Chamberlain has always been sort of a beacon of "realness" on social media since her nascent days. At the young age of 15, Chamberlain was credited for changing the landscape of YouTube vlogs, with her uninhibited, raw personality showcased on camera. "She's like a best friend who doesn't know I exist," her admirers often commented. True to this authenticity, the 22-year-old recently got candid on an episode in her podcast, Anything Goes With Emma Chamberlain, where she addressed her recent journey to freedom from nicotine addiction.

Right from the name of the podcast episode, Chamberlain served her raw, honest self. "Quitting Nicotine Update (It's Not Going Well)," she titled it, giving her fans a peek into her addiction-recovery journey that she had embarked on a few months ago. In July, Chamberlain admitted to having a nicotine addiction for the past five years."I have had a constant stream of nicotine in my system for the past five years. Not a day has gone by in the last five years where I haven’t consumed nicotine in some form," she revealed in another Anything Goes episode.

Getting Frank About Recovery

Emma Chamberlain's followers who have watched her since her early YouTube days often expressed concern over her changing appearance over the years, like weight loss and dark under eyes, suspecting serious health concerns. In the July podcast episode, Chamberlain revealed her struggle with peer pressure, depression and other psychological issues that pushed her to substance dependence. But she promised her fans to get clean, taking them along on her recovery journey.

Fast forward four months, Chamberlain gave an update on her ongoing recovery to her fans, stating, "I have a really disappointing update for you. It's going terrible... I'm not proud." She revealed the first few weeks without nicotine were days of "painful withdrawal filled with anxiety, depression, sleepless nights or too much sleeping, intense cravings." After switching from vapes to nicotine pouches, Chamberlain's journey had turned a little smooth until some devastating events made her relapse. She clarified that she is in no way leading by example. 

Why Emma Chamberlain Relapsed

Chamberlain stated in her podcast that she went through a breakup, which led her to relapse after months of sobriety. "Oh, that hurt! Even if it was the right thing to do, even if it was super civil, doesn't matter.... It rocked my foundation a bit," Chamberlain said about the breakup. For the next few minutes on the podcast, Chamberlain unreservedly expressed grief over the breakup and then talked about why she leaned on nicotine during these difficult times.

Chamberlain said that she tried to distract herself from the breakup by going out and attending parties. While she said that going out of her comfort zone and mingling was fun, it did not help with her recovery journey. "Everyone vapes. It's just the time that we live in," Chamberlain said about her peer group. "Just this combination of me going through the breakup and then being around all these people vaping, I was doomed. I was doomed," she emphasised. 

Public Revelations

Addictions are not something that most public figures admit to having. Several celebrities have died at a very young age due to hidden addictions and no timely intervention, while some other celebrities' addictions were ignored or fueled by their peer even though they were clearly in need of help.

Speaking up about their struggles can do a world of wonders for celebrities seeking help, as it not only helps in timely intervention but also raises much-needed awareness about substance abuse and addictions. Getting vulnerable about addictions also takes as much courage as getting clean.

Model-Actor Cara Delevingne kickstarted her recovery journey last year and disclosed details about her addiction in an interview with Vogue.

Photos of the British model in an intoxicated state had circulated on social media last year, raising concerns among her followers about her health. More photos of actress Margot Robbie leaving Delevingne's residence with tears in her eyes came out the same day, further fueling speculations about Delevingne's well-being. 

However, in March, Delevingne proudly shared that she was three months sober. "I just had my first sober Christmas, first sober New Years. It was honestly the best time I've ever had. So I'm happy and grateful that I have the opportunity to talk about it," the 31-year-old expressed. Delevingne has often used her public platform to advocate for mental health, sexuality, and "embracing weirdness," and she said she now finds it important to open up about addiction.

Other celebrities like Demi Lovato, Drew Barrymore, and Tom Holland, have opened up about their recovery journey, raising awareness of the myths behind addiction, and guiding the possibility of change to others struggling to recover. They not only talk about sobriety but also share moments of weakness that come with the recovery journey.

Matthew Perry, better known as Chandler Bing from F.R.I.E.N.D.S, passed on October 28 at the age of 54. The actor struggled with an addiction to over-the-counter drugs and alcohol since 1997. With various attempts at sobriety, Perry revealed the ups and downs of his recovery journey in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. A non-profit organisation, Matthew Perry Foundation, has been started in his memory to help other people struggling with addiction.

The Power Of Speaking Up

It can take years for people struggling with addictions to seek help, due to unawareness about resources, guilt, and indifference from peers. Substance abuse is not always a choice, and it takes a lot of courage for people with addictions to get better. Therefore, it is important for people in the public eye to speak up on their journeys, to let people know that addiction can grapple anyone but recovery is possible.

While sharing about sobriety is a cause for celebration, talking about the low moments of withdrawal, relapse, and peer pressure is equally important. Recovery can be a long, tedious process and public figures have the platform to share how much courage it takes to seek help and get clean-- that there can be moments of difficulty that would push them back to the bottom, but trying again is important and no matter how long it takes, even years, recovery is eventually possible.

Views expressed by the author are their own