The director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Dr George Koob, denounces the misconception that addiction is a moral choice and all one has to do is stop. Contrary to this, the brain’s reward system changes with addiction and can no longer naturally function. This takes a great deal of work to recover from.
Nobody is immune to addiction – people from all demographics can fall victim to it, even the wealthy, high, and mighty.
This article will reveal the struggle of Robert Downey Jr drug recovery journey as the Downey boys ran substance abuse in the family just as well as they ran the show business.
Growing up surrounded by drugs
From his father, Robert Downey Sr.’s confession, Downey Jr. was first introduced to drugs when he was six. Downey Sr. confesses urging his young son to try marijuana after catching him sipping wine. This became a habit and a means of enhancing their father-son bonding sessions.
As Sr. said in an archived interview with Vanity Fair, “A lot of us did things and thought it would be hypocritical not to have our kids participate in marijuana and stuff like that. So we thought it was cute to let them smoke it and all that. It was an idiot move on our parts, a lot of us, to share that with our children.”
Having grown up in such an environment, substance abuse was inevitable for Downey Jr., an initiation which cost him about two decades to get his life together.
However, Downey Jr. does not blame his addiction on his father. In the same interview, he told his father, “I am not a victim, dad. I don’t blame anybody.” Additionally, he paid tribute to his dad and director in their new Netflix documentary series Sr.
Hollywood embraces Robert Downey Jr.
Despite his upbringing, Downey Jr. had quite a fair career path that catapulted him to one of the most popular on-set screen roles.
He moved to Hollywood in the 1980s to make a name for himself; among his first film roles were in the Saturday Night Live show, John Hughes’ Weird Science, and the Pick-Up Artist in 1987. Nonetheless, his alcoholism and addictions matched his rise to fame as a Hollywood star.
This same year, he starred in the film Less Than Zero after playing a somewhat controversial role as a junkie marking an exaggerated version of himself off the set.
The cycle of substance abuse had already taken a toll on him at 22. In some instances, his manager was forced to lie to his directors and producers about his sobriety after soliciting Downey to enrol in rehab. He eventually went to rehab and later fired his manager.
At 27, he played a role in Chaplin as Charlie Chaplin (1992), earning him an Oscar nomination.
In 1993, Downey Jr. vowed to quit alcohol and substance abuse after marrying his first wife, Deborah Falconer, an actress and singer. Together they birthed their first son, Indio Falconer Downey.
However, Downey relapsed into alcoholism, cocaine, and ecstasy in 1994 and in 1995, he added heroin to his drug-binging escapades. Downey Jr. got stuck in drug culture, bouncing in and out of rehab to the film set, scouting for dealers and back home.
Robert Downey Jr.’s downward spiral
Downey Jr.’s rollercoaster life of fame and substance abuse led him to rock bottom. He knew he was out of control but did not have the will to stop it. Besides his rehab stunts, his Hollywood scandals fed the gossip chatter due to several embarrassing incidents.
1996 marked his downward spiral with multiple arrests, breaking out of rehab, and skipping court-ordered drug tests and rehab treatments. He was once found unconscious in his neighbour’s house, lying on their 11-year-old son’s bed. Following the incident, he defiled a court-ordered 24-hour rehabilitation program and hitchhiked home. About four hours later, he was arrested again and did nine days in jail.
In the same year, Downey Jr. was arrested for overspeeding, possessing illicit drugs, driving under the influence, and carrying unlicensed firearms. During the summer, he was stopped over for speeding and found in possession of heroin, cocaine, and a .356 magnum in his car.
Downey Jr.’s lowest moment
In 1999, Downey Jr. did time in state prison after being sentenced to 36 months but only did 12 before being paroled. Eight months later, he was back on the binge and was arrested twice, after which he was sent to a court-mandated treatment centre, Wavelengths International.
Yet again, in 2001, he was arrested for being under the influence after he was found scouting barefoot in Culver City, California, during his parole.
It was then that the famous screen actor was fired from his stage roles, including the TV show Ally McBeal, his wife left him and took their son with them, and he was on the verge of bankruptcy. This was rock bottom for Robert Downey Jr.
His turning point
Having lost everything, Downey Jr. realized the gravity of his situation and intentionally decided to reform. But this was not something he could do without help.
Robert Downey Jr drug recovery journey began when he enrolled in a 12-step anonymity program, and with the support of his wife, Susan Levin, and his friend, Mel Gibson, and sheer dedication through meditation, therapy sessions and Wing Chun Kung Fu, Robert fought free of his addictions.
He reported having been sober since July 2003. However, his reputation and relationship with his Hollywood colleagues, directors, and producers didn’t quite pick up.
The rebirth of Downey Jr.’s acting career
It was not until Mell Gibson underwrote his insurance liability bonds that filmmakers began hiring him. This intervention accorded him a role in The Singing detective (2003), and steady acting gigs followed, where he starred in Gothika, Zodiac, Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, and A Scanner Darkly.
His starring roles peaked when he played the role of Tony Starks in the blockbuster film Iron Man in 2008 and another position in Tropic Thunder which both earned him a second nomination to the Oscars.
He was also given a leading role in The Avengers film of 2012 and continues to play in subsequent Iron Man movies. Today, Downey Jr. is a formidable force in the Marvel world, a role he identifies well with and aligns with his talents.
Amidst this tremendous success, when given a chance, Downey continues to acknowledge his past addictions and the struggle he went through to get clean. In one recent interview, he said,
“I am not my story. I’ve had all the stuff before; the big spread, the cars, the dough, and all that. It is nice to have. But it’s nicer to be free from the attachment to identifying with it.”
Robert did not only break free of addiction but also from material attachments that come along with the luxurious lifestyle.
Give away message
As demonstrated above, addiction doesn’t discriminate. Recovery from it is also not an overnight success. It is not a race; relapse and slip-ups are part of drug addiction recovery. Therefore, you shouldn’t feel guilty for taking longer than you thought you would.
Furthermore, it is vital to get professional assistance once you realize your struggle with substance abuse.
