Matthew Perry is sharing his insights on recovery and addiction in an effort to assist others who are battling. In a new preview clip of his forthcoming ABC News interview with Diane Sawyer, the 53-year-old actor stresses the significance of having a support system while attempting to overcome addiction and drug misuse.
“Your disease is just outside, just doing one-arm push-ups, just waiting for you,” Perry revealed in the World News Tonight with David Muir preview that aired Tuesday evening. It is awaiting your isolation. Because alone, you will succumb to the illness.”
In the interview with Sawyer, which is scheduled to run on ABC on October 28 at 8 p.m. ET, Perry reveals that, despite decades of major challenges and a near-death experience only a few years ago, he is finally doing well and returning to a sense of normalcy.
“Now, I finally feel OK, and feel like I’ve got some strength,” Perry says. “I’ve developed some safety nets around this, and I’m doing really well now.”
After confronting the very real risk of death on his path to recovery, Perry is now well and has the ability to utilize his platform and celebrity to assist others.
“For some reason — it’s obviously because I was on Friends — more people will listen to me. So I’ve got to take advantage of that,” he shares in the preview. “I’ve got to help as many people as I can.”
Perry said in a preview of the honest interview that his Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston was the one who reached out to him the most when his drinking spiraled out of hand.
Aniston informed Perry, “We know you’re drinking,” according to Perry’s admission that he takes Methadone, Xanax, and a “whole quart of vodka” every day in addition to 55 Vicodin per day. Perry also stated that he takes Xanax.
Perry verified the statement with a “Yes.” Imagine how terrifying that moment was. She was the one who extended herself the most. I am quite grateful to her for that.”
Prior to the November 1 publication of his book, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, the actor is more candid than ever. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Perry said, “I’ve probably spent something like $9 million trying to be clean.”
The actor described his extensive history of drug misuse, which he claims started at age 14 with drinking and progressed to include an addiction to pills that resulted in several hospitalizations and medical issues.
“The doctors told my family that I had a two percent chance to live,” he told People. “I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that.”
