Fans Congratulate Lena Dunham As She Celebrates 5 Years Of Sobriety

Lena Dunham opened up about her past struggles with addiction. The actress and author shared that she first set foot in a rehab center five years ago, "trembling like a little kid."

Dunham also revealed that she went down the rabbit hole of addiction because she craved ease and numbness from pain, anxiety, and uncertainty. 

Now celebrating her milestone, Dunham shared that the past five years were the happiest of her life. She also pledged to match the donations to her rehab facility, Friendly House.

Keep on reading to learn more.

After half a decade of sobriety, Lena Dunham took to Instagram to reflect on her journey. In a heartfelt post accompanied by a carousel of joyful photos, the "Girls" creator shared, "5 years ago today, I set foot- trembling like a little kid- into treatment for substance misuse. My parents hugged me goodbye, I changed into house slippers, and there I was."

Recalling her past, Dunham revealed that her struggle with addiction had crept up on her "little by little, then all at once" and that asking for help was the "hardest part."

Getting candid, the 36-year-old admitted that her addiction had originated from a desire for "ease" - a way to numb her body and restless mind and cope with pain, anxiety, and uncertainty. However, she realized that the solution was only temporary and had only pushed her further away from the people she loved and the life she wanted.

In 2020, Dunham opened up about her troubling experience with anxiety medication. She revealed that her relationship with the drug had turned dark when she hid under blankets, feeling utterly numb and sad.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan UK, she shared, per Page Six, "I was lying in a bed in my parents' apartment under two blankets, in the same pajamas I'd been in for three days, and I was like, 'This isn't me.' It wasn't that I was suicidal. I felt nothing. I didn't want to live."

The moment was a wake-up call for her, and Dunham decided to take control of her mental health, checking herself into a 28-day rehab program to address her addiction to prescription pills. She got the prescription pills after undergoing a hysterectomy due to her endometriosis.

Dunham reflected on her sobriety milestone and said the last five years "have been the happiest of my time on earth so far."

"They've been full of work, love, complexity, and- yes- pain," she said, adding that "facing all that without medicating" herself in harmful ways has given her a"sturdy baseline" and "new tools." 

She added, "5 years ago, all of this was impossible to imagine. Five days were impossible to imagine. Five minutes sometimes felt hard."

However, Dunham attributed her sobriety to having access to medical and spiritual resources, which have supported her recovery journey. She acknowledged, "For so many people, the difference between sober and using isn't their willingness or strength- it's their resources."

Dunham said, "We don't have a system that makes this easy for those struggling to make their lives work."

In honor of her sober anniversary, Dunham shared she plans to give back by matching donations to Friendly House, a rehab facility founded in 1951. Explaining her choice, Dunham shared that Friendly was the first program that supports women and gender-nonconforming individuals struggling with addiction without turning them away due to financial reasons.

She emphasized her commitment to helping others with addiction and trauma by pledging to match donations, writing, "Every cent you give will go to helping people deal with addiction and trauma."

Dunham expressed her gratitude to those who helped her on her sobriety journey, stating: "Every day is a lesson I am lucky to learn, and I don't take it for granted. So especially today, I am grateful."

Fans congratulated the star for being open and honest about her journey and incredible 5-year milestone. One of them commented, saying, "Congratulations! And a heartfelt thank you for your awareness and action regarding our healthcare system's inequities. Supplementary medicine. We need more people like you."

Stars like Natasha Lyonne, Sarah Silverman, and Selma Blair gushed about their pride in Dunham's strength and progress.