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Tom Holland has opened up about his decision to get sober, claiming he became “really worried” that he had a problem with alcohol. The 27-year-old Spider-Man superstar appeared on the podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty, where he spoke candidly about his “obsession” with alcohol.
During the podcast, which aired on July 10, Holland said his decision to get sober wasn’t one that was made consciously. Rather, the Uncharted actor shared that his sobriety came about after he tried Dry January following a booze-filled holiday season.
“I didn’t one day wake up and say, ‘I’m giving up drinking.’ I just, like many Brits, had had a very, very boozy December. [It was] Christmas time, I was on vacation, I was drinking a lot, and I’ve always been able to drink a lot,” said Holland, suggesting by this time he had built up a high tolerance to alcohol.
He went on to explain that he wanted to try Dry January, a challenge where people are encouraged to give up alcohol for the first month of the year, as a way to show himself he wasn’t an alcoholic. However, throughout the month Holland said he found it to be extremely challenging.
“All I could think about was having a drink. That’s all I could think about. I was waking up thinking about it. I was checking the clock, ‘When’s it 12pm?'”
“It just really scared me. I just was like, ‘Wow, maybe. Maybe I have a little bit of an alcohol thing’. So I sort of decided to punish myself and say, ‘I’ll do February as well. I’ll do two months off. If I can do two months off, then I can prove to myself that I don’t have a problem.”
Even still, after two months without alcohol, Holland says he was still “really struggling” and said he felt as though his social life was starting to suffer as well.
“I felt like I couldn’t go to the pub and have a lime soda. I couldn’t go out for dinner. I was really, really struggling, and I started to really worry that maybe I had an alcohol problem.”
Again, Holland moved the goalposts even further, saying that he would wait until his birthday in June to prove once and for all that he “didn’t have an alcohol problem.” It was in June, when the supposed “last deadline” came about, that the actor knew he was done for good and said he was “the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
Tom Holland’s decision to get sober isn’t a one-off for A-list celebrities. In recent years, more and more celebrities have chosen the sober lifestyle in favor of the nightlife and partying typically associated with Hollywood. Many people, not just celebrities, are becoming sober curious and realizing how much better their lives are without drugs or alcohol. For Holland, the benefits of quitting were astounding.
“I could sleep better. I could handle problems better. Things that would go wrong on set that would normally set me off, I could take in my stride. I had such better mental clarity. I felt healthier, I felt fitter,” he explained.
Holland isn’t alone in his newfound sobriety journey. Back in March, Cara Delevinge sat down with Vogue magazine to discuss her decision to get sober after years of drug and alcohol abuse. The model and actress opened up about how childhood trauma had driven her to a life of drinking and drugs. Following a very public “fall from grace moment,” Delevinge entered a 12-week-long rehabilitation program that she says saved her life.
In a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, rapper Jack Harlow spoke about his decision to quit drinking. “I’m sick of waking up with a dry throat, sick of feeling bloated, I’m sick of the decisions I make on it,” he said. He also spoke about abstaining from other substances, including Marijuana, telling the magazine, “I lose a lot of what I like about myself. I think it’s a control factor too. I lose a little control […] When I’m high, I feel like I’m a piece of shit, and everyone knows.”
Singer Miley Cyrus also sounded the sober alarms, this time following the COVID-19 pandemic. Cyrus, who had been sober before the pandemic started, said she relapsed during quarantine but has since recommitted to her sobriety. In a 2020 interview with New Music Daily, the “Wrecking Ball” singer shared why it was important for her to get sober again. “I don’t have a problem with drinking,” she said. “I have a problem with the decisions I make once I go past that level of… I’ve just been wanting to wake up 100%, 100% of the time.”
Another new face to the sober club is rapper Nicki Minaj, who in 2022 shared on Twitter that she had started a new sober lifestyle. “I used to be happy when I was high. Now I’m happy when I’m sober. No judgment to anyone. Be gentle with yourself.”
Other notable celebrities that have become sober in recent years include Lucy Hale, Kehlani, Demi Lovato, Drew Barrymore, Adele, and Matthew Perry.
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Holland’s decision to “try out” Dry January is a great example of why assessing your relationship with alcohol is so important. What started out for the Cherry actor as a simple month off from alcohol quickly turned into an eye-opening sobriety journey.
Taking time to assess your drinking habits, including how much you drink and how often, can be a great way to keep normal drinking from becoming an addiction. “Normal” drinking is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as 1 drink per day for women and 2 for men.
While Dry January can be a great way to reflect on your relationship with alcohol, the reality is many people aren’t afforded such an opportunity and sadly struggle with addiction every day. For those who may find themselves in these situations, finding help at an inpatient treatment facility is strongly recommended.
Tom Holland’s newfound sobriety reminds us all that addiction can and does happen to anyone. From A-list celebs to everyday people, addiction doesn’t discriminate.
If you or someone you know is struggling to control their drinking or drug use, don’t wait to get help. While reaching out is often regarded as the hardest step, you don’t have to do it alone. To learn more about treatment options for drug or alcohol addiction, contact a treatment provider today to get started on your sobriety journey.
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Zachary Pottle
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