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Lena Dunham has always been an open book when it comes to everything from nudity in her hit HBO show Girls to struggles with her weight, through to traumatic and deeply personal life events, such as realising she’ll never carry children and her addiction struggles.
Now, in a lengthy and emotional Instagram post, the writer and director revealed she is celebrating five years sober, sharing her rehabilitation story while noting she’s the “happiest” she’s been during her “time on earth so far”.
The 36-year-old began the gallery, which contains various pictures of herself over the years, by writing, “5 years ago today, I set foot- trembling like a little kid- into treatment for substance misuse. My parents hugged me goodbye, I changed into house slippers and there I was. The struggle with addiction hit me little by little, then all at once.”
“It’s a cliché for a reason- asking for help was the hardest part,” she continued. “(I mean, aside from the other hard parts, but each step from there got easier. And ease was always the goal- ease in my body, ease in my restless mind and the ease to exist in moments of pain, anxiety, and uncertainty without reaching for a solution that seemed to help in the moment but pulled me further away from the people I love and the life that I wanted.)”
Dunham, who married her partner, English-Peruvian musician Luis Felber, in September 2021, went on, “The last 5 years have been the happiest of my time on earth so far (at least this time around!) They’ve been full of work, love, complexity and- yes- pain. But facing all of that without medicating myself in unhealthy ways has given me a sturdy baseline and new tools. 5 years ago all of this was impossible to imagine. 5 days was impossible to imagine. 5 minutes sometimes felt hard.”
Dunham admitted her privilege by noting she wouldn’t be here without both the “medical” and “spiritual” support and resources available to her. “I was able to get and stay sober because I had the support and resources to ask for and get incredible help- medical, spiritual. For so many people, the difference between sober and using isn’t their willingness, or their strength- it’s their resources. We don’t have a system that makes this easy for those who are already struggling to make their lives work.”
The writer also announced she is matching donations to Friendly House LA, which provides treatment and counselling for women and “gender nonconforming people” seeking recovery from substance use disorder, in honour of her sober birthday.
She said: “So today, on my very lucky sober birthday- and through this week- I will be matching donations to @friendlyhousela, a rehab that doesn’t turn away women and gender nonconforming people for financial reasons. I hope we can band together and give others the gift of that support, so they can celebrate similar days, living in their true strength. Every cent you give will go to helping people deal with addiction and trauma. The link is in my bio.”
She wrapped the post: “There are a lot of people who deserve thanks here- I hope I’ve given them enough of that face-to-face, but today is a good reminder to give more. Every day is a lesson I am lucky to learn, and I don’t take it for granted. So especially today, I am grateful.”
