On Wednesday, Rob Lowe marked his 33rd year of sobriety by sharing a selfie on Instagram. The photo shows the 59-year-old actor swimming in the ocean, with a picturesque sunset in the background.
In the caption, the Charlottesville, Virginia native expressed his gratitude, saying, “’33 years ago today I found recovery and a tribe that has sustained me on my incredible, grateful journey.”
‘My life is full of love, family, God, opportunity, friends, work, dogs and fun.’
Rob Lowe also offered words of encouragement to his followers, advising them,
‘If you or someone you know is struggling with any form of addiction: hope and joy are waiting if you want it, and are willing to work for it!’
After posting the selfie, the 9-1-1: Lone Star star received several responses, including one from his son John Owen, who expressed: ‘Proud of your recovery, opposite feeling about this selfie.’
One follower shared their own experience, saying that celebrating 30 years of sobriety was the best decision they had ever made and that they wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t gotten sober.
Another follower congratulated Lowe on his 33 years of sobriety, noting that they were at 2 and a half years and thought that was good, while another found Lowe’s story to be inspirational.
On The Drew Barrymore Show last month, Rob Lowe presented his son John Owen Lowe with a five-year sobriety chip in an emotional exchange. The discussion revolved around staying sober, a feat achieved by both father and son as well as host Drew Barrymore.
During a discussion on The Drew Barrymore Show, host Barrymore praised Lowe’s family for their mutual support during difficult times. She shared that she has also been candid with her own daughters about her struggles with alcohol abuse, emphasizing the importance of honesty and open communication.
Barrymore stated, “I’ve been really honest with my kids who are younger, but they know my story, they know I can’t drink, it’s not for me, it doesn’t work for me. They know my pitfalls and you guys are an incredible family unit that support each other through every high and low.”
Rob revealed that he and his son John Owen are both in recovery, with Rob having 33 years of sobriety and John Owen celebrating five years sober. During an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Rob presented his son with a five-year sobriety chip and expressed his love and pride for him.
John Owen was moved by the gesture and expressed his gratitude, saying that he was speechless and didn’t have a witty retort. Rob also shared that they are able to discuss their recovery journey with each other.
John Owen, who spoke with Men’s Health last month alongside his father, revealed that he had come close to death many times due to substance abuse.
He said, “I really liked to push the limits of my body and numb out as much as I could. There’s a certain level of self-doubt, or uncomfortability with one’s self.’
‘The more insecure I grew, the more aggressively I used – to medicate. I’ve been to many hospitals many times. I’ve been very lucky.’
John Owen also shared how his parents, Lowe and Sheryl Berkoff, dealt with him during his worst addiction episodes.
He said, ‘My parents were throwing their lifeline of recovery at me in a way that I was like, “Ahhh, get away!” It’s abrasive. It’s like I was drowning and they were slamming me on the head with the life raft. Because my feelings were that I didn’t matter, and a lot of that stemmed from having the dad that I had.’
He added that he was finally able to access his fear and vulnerability when his parents started to treat his opinions as valid, saying, “Finally the thing that worked was when they said, ‘We love you and we’re scared.'”
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