"I'd like to say to any of you that are suffering from addiction or know anyone suffering from addiction, there is a way out."
Russell Brand has revealed that he has been sober for almost two decades.
The comedian and actor said that Monday (December 13) marked 19 years since he last used drugs or drank alcohol, and said he wanted to tell anyone else suffering from addictions that "there is a way out."
Brand announced the news in a video on his Twitter, with the caption: "Today I am 19 years clean and sober. Thank you to all the people ahead of me that showed me the way, beside me that hold my hand and behind me that remind me why we all walk this path. Stay free!"
The 46-year-old highlighted the importance of support in people's battle against addiction, saying that "collectively, human beings motivated by spirit, willing to change and sacrifice can create wonderful things together."
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"It is possible to live differently if you are a drug addict," he said in a video celebrating his 19 years of sobriety.
"It is possible to live differently if you are suffering. It is possible to live differently if you live in a twisted and broken culture.
He finished the video by saying: "I'd like to say to any of you that are suffering from addiction or know anyone suffering from addiction, there is a way out. It is possible.
"If someone as crazy and hopeless and lost as I was can become a father and a husband and a member of various communities, committed to service and change, then there is hope for all of us.
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Brand has had a well-documented struggle with addiction throughout his life, having battled heroin addiction, and has always been open about his sobriety.
He's written about his struggles with drugs and alcohol in books, and has spoken about his experience in interviews, even
appearing before MPs in 2012 to encourage the government to adopt a pragmatic approach to tackling the problem of drugs in society.
