Matthew Perry is prepared to tell his experience now that he feels more secure in his sobriety.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, his latest memoir, which will be released on November 1, details his life’s journey and his tragic fight with addiction.
According to Perry, 53, who appears exclusively on the cover of this week’s issue of PEOPLE, “I wanted to share when I was safe from plunging into the dark side of things again.”
“To write it all down, I had to wait until I was somewhat comfortably sober and free from the active disease of alcoholism and addiction. The key thing was that I had a good feeling that it will benefit others.”
Perry begins his book by describing a terrifying drug-related incident in which he spent five months in the hospital after his intestines burst.
“I anticipated it to be grabbing. Particularly to those with this issue and how dark it may go, “He clarifies. “The Therapist told my family that I only have a Survival Rate of 2%. That was the time when I was most in danger of losing my life.
I was placed on an ECMO machine, which manages your heart and lungs’ breathing for you. It’s a Hail Mary, according to every doctor. Nobody gets over that. So, the crucial query is: Why? Why did I manage to survive?
For two weeks, the actor was unconscious. He remembers realizing he had a colostomy bag when he awoke.
“They remarked, “It’s too disorganized down there.” Surgery is not something we can perform. But you can change that in about a year. Having one was pretty miserable because they break so frequently.”
Perry made one of his most essential resolutions as a result of the experience: to stop using prescription opiates.
The next time you consider using OxyContin, consider having a colostomy bag for the rest of your life, advises his therapist, he says. I slid through a small window that then opened, saying, “I no longer want OxyContin.”
After experiencing a spiritual encounter in his kitchen, where he feels he sensed God, Perry was also able to give up drinking.
This yellow object acquired an all-encompassing aspect. I was no longer able to see the kitchen “He remembers. There was just one light, but it gave me the impression that I was in God’s or whatever’s presence, and that I was loved and understood.
When everything began, I was praying, which was something I seldom ever did. My dad was standing right next to me, and the two of us held hands. Like God had opened my eyes to the possibilities. and replied, “Okay.” Go ahead and learn this now.”
He still keeps track of each day even if he prefers not to say how long he has been sober right now.
It’s important, but Perry contends that losing your abstinence doesn’t automatically mean you lose all of your time and knowledge. ” Nothing else changes; only your date is now sober. As long as you managed to battle your way back without dying, you retain all you previously knew.”
In terms of thankfulness, Perry has discovered “First and foremost is sobriety. My sobriety ranks right up there because, without it, you’ll lose all you’ve worked so hard to achieve “He claims.