Pooja Bhatt proudly announces enjoying a “deeply gratifying” five-year relationship with sobriety.
Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt is one of those few celebrities who have openly talked about their addiction problems. In one of her recent Instagram posts, the graceful actress, who battled alcoholism for many years, called sobriety the love of her life.
Now sober for the last five years, Pooja Bhatt recalls the time when she was struggling with alcohol addiction and was on a never-ending journey to chase down “the very idea of love”. She describes how she searched for love wherever she went.
“(She) chased it down unfamiliar avenues in the dead of the night and even across countries, borders, (and) continents,” her Instagram post read.
#SobrietyRocks
Hashtagged as #sobrietyrocks, Pooja’s post remembers all those who loved her back and those who did not. However, she refrains from blaming anyone who did not meet her expectations while holding herself responsible for her failures.
“I can’t blame anyone for failing me because the truth is I more often than not, failed myself,” she wrote.
And, then she thanks her heavens for bringing sobriety in her life, which she referred to as her “demanding yet fulfilling lover”.
In her words, “Sobriety breaks down your defenses, bares and reveals your soul, calls out any and all bullshit, yet clasps your hand tight and ensures you make it through many uncertain nights, filling your dawn with such unimaginable light when you do the most revolutionary thing – say NO to yourself.”
Five years of sobriety and counting…
Bhatt proudly admits that though her journey to recovery was filled with potholes, she now enjoys a “deeply gratifying” five-year relationship with it.
Further, she writes how being sober helped her deal with the ups and downs of life and why she was very particular about her emotional health.
“And because recovery, like love, is selfish no matter what people say, my choice is clear – it is SINGLE BLESSEDNESS all the way,” she concludes her post.
Relationship with alcohol
Bhatt had started drinking alcohol at the age of 16. Soon, she was dependent on it. By the time, she reached the age of 45, she realized that she needed to leave alcohol if she wanted to survive. She gave up alcohol on December 24, 2016 and has not touched it since then.
Through her journey, Bhatt’s father, famous director, Mahesh Bhatt, continued to be the pillar of strength that Bhatt drew from. Her father’s words, “If you love me, love yourself too, because I live within myself,” inspired Bhatt to seek recovery from her addiction.
Bhatt had seen first-hand how alcoholism affected her family. “Being a daughter of an alcoholic father, makes you four times more susceptible to being one yourself,” she said in an interview to India Today. She also revealed that she had lost a friend to alcoholism when he was just 40. Though she started drinking more to drown out the grief she felt at that time, soon she realized her mistake.
Leading a public life, Bhatt said that she always drank openly and therefore wanted to recover openly too. She has been penning posts on important milestones of her journey, hoping that it gives courage to other women, who may be struggling with the similar problems, to accept the problem and work towards their recovery. Bhatt believes that no one is alone in their journey.
We can help
A strong character in the Hindi film industry, Bhatt emphasizes on the need of prioritizing your mental and emotional health while trying to achieve and sustain sobriety. She also stresses seeking timely treatment for overcoming alcohol addiction and other mental health problems. This is where Athena can be your companion.
Athena Behavioral Health is one of the leading addiction treatment providers in India. We use our own indigenously developed software tools to assess the root cause of the problem and curate treatment plans accordingly. We have a skilled and experienced team hand-picked from all over India to ensure that our patients receive the best in addiction treatment care. To start your journey of recovery, all you need to do is call our 24/7 helpline number 9289086193. Our representatives will take care of your queries and other requirements. Alternatively, you can chat online with our representatives available 24/7 for further assistance.
