Opinion piece- alcohol and the celebrity lifestyle

Published: 19 July 2011

Alcohol and the celebrity lifestyle

As we all come to terms with the fact that there will be no more Harry Potter films (and therefore no more borrowing of other people’s children to provide an embarrassment-free reason for going), who would have thought that Daniel Radcliffe would come out and admit to having experienced alcohol problems (as he did recently in an interview with GQ magazine). Radcliffe states he was too “reliant” on alcohol and is a nicer person to be around now he is teetotal.
For me, this raises a number of points:

1-            It is interesting how our perceptions have changed in recent years. Drugs and alcohol were once seen as a positive part of the celebrity lifestyle. That perception has now changed and celebrities seem to spend their lives in and out of rehab. To find someone who is willing to admit that they experienced problems with alcohol (which they addressed before moving on with their lives) makes a refreshing change.

2-            Any opportunity to address stigma and misconception is always welcome.  Radcliffe has a lifestyle that many would envy, yet he freely admits that alcohol caused problems for him because he was “enamoured” with living a celebrity lifestyle which didn’t suit him. For me, this shows that no matter how wonderful someone else’s life may look from the outside, it may not be the case that it is wonderful on the inside. It also shows that anyone anywhere can experience problems with alcohol.

3-            Finally this shows that a person can choose to drink alcohol as much as they can choose not to drink alcohol. Before everyone starts shouting at me and saying ‘It’s not that easy because if it was, nobody would be alcohol dependent’, I agree, it is not always that easy to stop drinking without help- but sometimes it is possible. And that for me is the most important part of this story- if you want to change something about yourself badly enough, then you can.

If you have any strong thoughts or feelings about this then please feel free to email us (community.editor@rcn.org.uk) or add your comments in the discussion zone. We are always keen to hear the opinions of RCN members.   

-Ellie Gordon is Head of Commissioning - Continuing Care at North Lincolnshire PCT