Props to Brad Pitt for being so candid and open about his alcoholism. I cannot believe the intimacy and unrestrained thoughts that have come from this interview.
I had a "bout" or two in my day with drinking. I was a massive party animal between the ages of 20-23, had my fair share of drinking, which, mind you, never bled through during the week, just the weekends, but, still, with Vodka and red bull being the preferred drink of choice 3 days of the week, that's not what I'd call normalcy . I still feel the remnants of that phase to this day. It was an intense, freewheeling time, from Thursday to Sunday there was always something going on , or, at the very least, I made sure something was going on, but it always had to do with drinking. It was fun while it lasted and the stories I have will forever be etched, but irresponsible is took-kind of a word to use for those days. The other instance was more recently, as early as 2 years ago, if my timing is aptly correct. If Pitt's downfall were Vodka highballs, mine was beer, I was drinking around 3-4 bottles a night, not that much in the scheme of things. Would I qualify the latter as a problematic time in my life? In the grand scheme of things, looking back on it all, yes it was problematic, I've learned alcohol is detrimental and not really needed for consumption by any happily living human being. I've been more or less sober now for a year and never felt better.
Here's Pitt in his own words:
"Truthfully, I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good," Pitt said. "I was boozing too much ... It's just become a problem. And I'm really happy it's been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but I've got my feelings in my fingertips again."
"I was really on my back and chained to a system when Child Services was called. And you know, after that, we've been able to work together to sort this out ... and fortunately my partner in this agrees. It's just very, very jarring for the kids, to suddenly have their family ripped apart."
"For me this period has really been about looking at my weaknesses and failures and owning my side of the street," the actor said. "I'm an [asshole] when it comes to this need for justice. I don't know where it comes from, this hollow quest for justice for some perceived slight. I can drill on that for days and years. It's done me no good whatsoever. It's such a silly idea, the idea that the world is fair. And this is coming from a guy who hit the lottery, I'm well aware of that. I hit the lottery, and I still would waste my time on those hollow pursuits."
[GQ]