David Harbour on the Loneliness of Alcoholism
The Stranger Things actor struggled with addiction at a young age.
David Harbour quit drinking at a young age. The actor, who is best known for playing Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, got sober at just 24 years old.
As an alcoholic myself, I know how unusual it is to stop drinking at such an early age. When I first tried to quit, I was in my early twenties, only one year out of college.
I went to AA meetings daily, and was often the youngest person in the room. Even at “young people’s” meetings, intended for my age group, I was still about ten years younger than the majority of participants.
Like many young people who try to quit drinking, I didn’t last. I talked myself out of recovery and ended up going back to drinking for another seven years. I finally quit again and found long-term success with sobriety, but it wasn’t until just before my thirtieth birthday.
David Harbour, in contrast, has stayed sober ever since he was 24. He now has over two decades of sobriety.
The Loneliness of Addiction
So, what was it that convinced Harbour to quit drinking for good at such a young age? In an interview with Sam Jones on the Off Camera Show, he explained that…
