Reuters/Danny Moloshok
KEY POINTS
- Matthew Perry detailed his addiction problems in his memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing”
- The “Friends” alum said he almost died when he was 49 and spent months in the hospital
- Perry decided to write a book to share his experience because he believed it would help people
Matthew Perry opened up about the challenges he experienced through the years before his sobriety.
Perry, 53, got candid about the troubles and struggles he went through over the years due to addiction and alcoholism in his memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”
In the book, he shared that he almost died when he was 49. He suffered from a gastrointestinal perforation and spent weeks fighting for his life. His colon burst due to opioid overuse. He was in a coma for two weeks and spent five months in the hospital. He also used a colostomy bag for nine months. He has been to rehab 15 times over the years.
When his family first admitted him to the hospital, they were told that he only had a 2% chance to live.
“I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all the breathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No one survives that,” he told People.
“There were five people put on an ECMO machine that night, and the other four died, and I survived,” he added. “So the big question is why? Why was I the one? There has to be some kind of reason.”
The “Friends” alum added that those who would read his book might be surprised at “how bad it got at certain times and how close to dying I came.” He reminded the people that addiction “doesn’t care” who it hits.
“If I did die, it would shock people, but it wouldn’t surprise anybody. And that’s a very scary thing to be living with,” he continued. “So my hope is that people will relate to it, and know that this disease attacks everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re successful or not successful, the disease doesn’t care.”
Perry said that “everything starts with sobriety.” He’s grateful that he got to live because “that gives me the possibility to do anything.”
He added that he waited until he was sober and safe before he shared his story. He also decided to share it, hoping it would help those going through the same challenges.
“I had to wait until I was pretty safely sober — and away from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction — to write it all down. And the main thing was, I was pretty certain that it would help people,” he explained.
He said his memoir is a story “that’s filled with hope” before adding, “Because here I am.”
“Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing” will hit shelves on Nov. 1.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
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