Actor Matthew Perry (the eternal Chandler, from “Friends”) nearly died after suffering a gastrointestinal perforation and his colon burst from an opioid overdose. In an interview with People magazine to promote his next autobiography, Perry said he had a “2% chance of living” at the time.
“The doctors told my family that I had a 2% chance of living,” she said. “I was put on something called the ECMO machine, which does all the breathing in your heart and lungs. And it’s called Ave Maria. Nobody survives this.”
He recounts this and other controversies of his life in his book, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing”, which will be released on November 1 in the United States.
Reflecting on the dark period, he says reaching that point was a life-changing moment. “There were five people who put an ECMO machine on that night and the other four died and I survived. So the big question is why? Why was I the only one? There must be some sort of reason.”
After the accident, he spent two weeks in a coma and another five months in the hospital. After that, a colostomy bag had to be worn for another nine months. All of this, she confirms, was a consequence of opioid and alcohol addiction.
At the height of his addiction, Perry was taking up to 55 Vicodin pills a day. Fans of “Friends” will remember that time, because it was when the actor lost a considerable weight, reaching only 58 kilos.
Perry also says her co-stars “have been understanding and patient” amidst her many relapses over the years.
“I didn’t know how to stop,” he said. “If the police came to my house and said, ‘If you drink tonight, we’ll take you to jail’, I’d start packing. I couldn’t stop because the disease and addiction are progressive. Older.”
Perry revealed that he started drinking more alcohol as soon as he was cast in the series, when he was only 24. “I could even handle it, sort of. But when I was 34, I was really rooted in a lot of problems,” he said.
The actor also acknowledges the positive changes in his personal and professional life after quitting drinking. “There were years that I was sober during this more serious period. Season 9 was the year I was sober all the time. And guess which season I was nominated for Best Actor? I was like, ‘This it must mean something. ‘”
In all, Matthew Perry has been hospitalized for rehab 15 times and has undergone 14 stomach surgeries. But he now says he is determined to help others struggling with addiction. “Your state of sobriety changes, but that’s only what changes. You know everything you knew before, as long as you can fight to return without dying, you learn a lot.”
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
