Patricia Heaton shares video message celebrating 3 years of sobriety
Actress Patricia Heaton is celebrating three years of sobriety this month.
The Emmy Award-winner, known for her roles in "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Middle," shared a video over the weekend in which she discussed the milestone and offered support to those also battling addiction.
"Hello, friends! I'm just finishing up my, what, 3½-mile walk around the reservoir, and it's July -- where we celebrate our nation's freedom," the 63-year-old said. "Also, celebrating three years of freedom from alcohol for me, so just wanted to share that with you."
"Message me if any of you are thinking about doing that, any of you are doing that now and need some encouragement or anything at all," she continued before telling her followers to "have a great day."
The actress shed more light on why she decided to stop drinking during an interview with Parade in 2020.
"I miss it terribly, but at the end of the day, I feel better," she said, before explaining that she found herself "looking forward" to drinking cocktails every night.
She admitted that her life "improved significantly" after she made the decision to get sober. The mother of four also spoke about how her children influenced her decision.
"I think it’s something about your children leaving the house and the things that used to anchor you are no longer there," she told the outlet about alcoholism. "You’re a little bit at sea, and so you reach for the bottle to dull the uncertainty. I sensed that a bit with myself."
"My kids are in their mid-20s and I’ll probably be in my 70s by the time I have grandchildren. I want to be healthy for them," she added.