“Stranger Things” star Jamie Campbell Bower celebrated seven and a half years of sobriety in candid tweets about his mental health.
“12 and a half years ago I was actively addicted,” says 33-year-old started wednesday. “I hurt myself and the people around me I loved the most. It got so bad that I ended up in a hospital for mental health.”
Bower then told his 900,000+ Twitter followers, “I’ve been clean and sober for 7 1/2 years now.”
The actor admitted that he has made “a lot of mistakes” his whole life, but he noticed in a… second tweet that “every day is an opportunity to start over” and to “grow” from its past.
“For anyone who wakes up and thinks ‘oh god not again,’ I promise you there is a way,” he added.
“I’m so thankful that I’m where I am, I’m so thankful that I’m sober. I am so thankful to be. Remember, we are all works in progress.”
Fans responded to Bower’s series of tweets by expressing how proud they were of the ‘Twilight’ star.
“Thank you for sharing your story and for being a person that others look up to. So proud,” one follower tweeted.
“So so proud of you Jamie! It takes so much strength to get through each day. I have been there. We love you and we will be by your side through everything <3," wrote another.
“So proud and happy that you are still here and that you can be an example to all of us. Thank you for being an inspiration that life gets better when we fight for it,” echoed a third fan.
“Thank you so much for talking about this,” another tweeted.
Other followers applauded Bower for sharing his struggles with the public.
“Especially for men, it’s so important to be open about their struggles with mental health. It shouldn’t be a taboo topic. Me and so many of my family members have had mental health issues so I can totally relate to it,” one person wrote.
“The stigma is still there, but let’s keep talking and sharing. Well done for overcoming those dark times and using your experience to help others. Love and respect,” another tweeted.
Bower, who was also the lead singer of the band Counterfeit from 2015 to 2020, talked about quitting drugs in an interview with iD in 2019. He shared that during his recovery, the first thing he was taught was to be “super honest” about what he was feeling — be it “guilt, shame, fear,” etc.
“And the hardest thing to do is just express exactly what it is you’re feeling,” he added.