How Ben Affleck Found the Motivation to Get Sober
The actor’s family has been a key part of his inspiration.
Ben Affleck is one of the most famous celebrities in the world, and he’s also one of the most famously sober. Unfortunately, much of the coverage of his sobriety has focused on his relapses.
As a fellow recovering addict, I’m far more interested in his successes than in his slips. Most addicts I know, including myself, have stumbled at some point. The important thing is to keep trying — not to let a relapse turn into a permanent defeat.
So, what is it that kept Affleck working towards his recovery? In an interview last year with Diane Sawyer, the actor opened up about his motivation for staying sober.
Breaking the Family Cycle of Addiction
Like many alcoholics, Ben Affleck came from a family of addicts. His grandmother, aunt, and father all struggled with alcoholism.
When he was growing up, his father’s addiction left a strong impression on him. He told Diane Sawyer that his father “was drunk every day and that was just life. And as that got worse, that was really, really painful.”
Affleck experienced first-hand how bad it can be to grow up with an alcoholic father, but he turned this…
