Relationships rarely stay exactly as they were at the beginning. Excitement may eventually give way to familiarity, differences become more noticeable, conflicts emerge, and couples must decide how they will grow together. Although there is no scientifically established rule that every relationship passes through exactly five stages, a five-stage framework can be a helpful way … Read more
Nightmares can feel unusually vivid during active addiction and recovery. A person may dream about drinking or using drugs, being unable to find a substance, returning to an old environment, overdosing, being chased, losing control, or relapsing after months or years of recovery. These dreams can be frightening, but they do not automatically reveal a … Read more
Colin Farrell is known around the world for his acting career, but behind his early Hollywood success was a serious struggle with alcohol and drugs. Farrell has spoken openly about substance use beginning during adolescence and escalating as he became famous. He eventually reached a point where, as he described it, he could no longer … Read more
Mickey Mantle was one of baseball’s most celebrated players, but behind his extraordinary career was a decades-long struggle with alcohol. The New York Yankees star later acknowledged that heavy drinking damaged his health, affected his relationships, and likely shortened his playing career. Mantle eventually entered treatment at the Betty Ford Center in 1994 and became … Read more
Understanding the real difference between insecurity and narcissism can clear up a lot of confusion. I see people use these terms like they’re nearly the same thing, but they actually point to very different ways of thinking about yourself and relating to other people. If you’ve ever wondered if someone in your life (or maybe … Read more
We all seem to know someone who can eat pizza, desserts, fast food, and large meals yet remain thin. Meanwhile, another person may feel that even small changes in eating habits affect their weight. It can be frustrating, but body weight is far more complicated than simply having a “fast” or “slow” metabolism. Genetics, appetite, … Read more
Billie Holiday, known as “Lady Day,” became one of the most influential jazz singers in American history. Behind her extraordinary voice was a life marked by childhood hardship, racism, abusive relationships, substance use, and repeated encounters with the criminal justice system. Historical accounts document her struggles with heroin and alcohol, but her life should not … Read more
Charlize Theron is known worldwide as an Academy Award-winning actress, but behind her successful career is a childhood marked by alcoholism, domestic violence, fear, and loss. Theron has spoken publicly about growing up in South Africa with a father who struggled with alcohol and about how those experiences affected her long after childhood. Her story … Read more
Ray Charles was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, blending gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock, and country into a distinctive sound that helped shape soul music. Behind his extraordinary career, however, was a long struggle with heroin. His experience demonstrates how substance use disorder can exist alongside talent and professional success—and … Read more
Selma Blair has built a successful acting career while privately carrying struggles that began long before Hollywood. In her memoir Mean Baby and subsequent interviews, Blair opened up about alcoholism, childhood trauma, anxiety, physical pain, motherhood, and her eventual decision to live without alcohol. She has said she became sober in 2016. Her story demonstrates … Read more