Ben Affleckis reflecting on his family’s history in hopes of bettering his future.
“There’s a lot of alcoholism and mental illness in my family,” the actor, 47, toldThe New York Timesin an interview published Tuesday. “The legacy of that is quite powerful and sometimes hard to shake.”
Affleck, who has been open about his ownstruggles with addiction,is starring in anupcoming sports dramaThe Way Back, which echoes his own experience with alcoholism and divorce.
He says his father, Timothy, was also an alcoholic. “My dad didn’t really get sober until I was 19,” notes the actor.
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Now a father to three children he shares withex-wife Jennifer Garner, as well as arecovering alcoholic, the star says, “The older I’ve gotten, the more I recognize that my dad did the best he could.”
RELATED VIDEO:Ben AffleckReveals He Completed Rehab for Alcohol Addiction: ‘I’m Lucky to Have the Love of My Family’
Affleck says it took years to admit his own struggles. “It took me a long time to fundamentally, deeply, without a hint of doubt, admit to myself that I am an alcoholic,” he continued to theTimes. “The next drink will not be different.”
Still, as Affleck continues to work onhis recovery,he acknowledges, “It’s not particularly healthy for me to obsess over the failures — the relapses — and beat myself up.”
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“I have certainly made mistakes. I have certainly done things that I regret,” he added. “But you’ve got to pick yourself up, learn from it, learn some more, try to move forward.”
The Way Backopens March 6.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
