Hayden Panettiere Speaks On Getting Help for Jaundice Amid Opioid And Alcohol Addiction

Hayden Panettiere is starting a new chapter of her life after overcoming her alcohol and opioid addiction. The actress shared that she began using painkillers to help with the symptoms of postpartum depression.

Panettiere also said her mood swings were worsened by a former neck injury that put her on opioids. She previously had a rehab stint and admitted it was her choice because she was "drowning."

By her 30th, she had to return to rehab as she'd gotten jaundice and liver problems, which affected her. After eight months, Panettiere was finally ready for the industry again, until her brother's untimely death. 

Read on to find out more.

Hayden Panettiere is starting her 30s on a new slate of life after overcoming her alcohol and opioid addiction. The actress used the 12-step program to overcome her dependency, and this is an abstinence philosophy that helps addicts return to life without their choice of addiction.

Panettiere started her dependency on alcohol while on the hit 2012 musical drama "Nashville" and began using prescription painkillers after giving birth in 2014. After delivering Kaya, her daughter with ex-Wladimir Klitschko, Panettiere quickly descended into postpartum depression.

During an interview with Women's Health UK, Panettiere spoke about what triggered her alcohol abuse. She said, per Daily Mail, "I was being told how to be and how to live by so many people in my life. I wanted certain decisions to be my own, and nobody could stop me. What I put in my body was like an act of defiance."

During the interview, Panettiere talked about alcohol being her "coping mechanism," saying other people choose things like fitness. She said, "Alcohol might make you feel better at that moment, but it makes you feel so much worse the next day, and then you do it all over again."

The "Heroes" star also opened up about using painkillers to manage her postpartum depression and described it as feeling "extreme hopelessness." The depression was worsened by a former neck injury that kept bothering her. She said, "I was in a lot of pain. My tolerance got so high so fast that it became a problem."

Panettiere added, "I should have gone on antidepressants [to cope with the postpartum depression], but you must find the right one that works for you. They don't mix well with alcohol, and I wasn't ready to stop drinking."

Panettiere previously had a rehab stint in 2016, which she told Women's Health was her idea because she was "drowning." By her 30th, the actress had to do another rehab program, where she was encouraged to create a life with complete abstinence from any addictive substances.

She said, "My body was like, 'enough.' I hit 30. My face was swollen. I had jaundice. My eyes were yellow. I had to go to a liver specialist. I was holding on to weight that wasn't normally there. My hair was thin and coming out in clumps."

The actress shared that a significant part of her recovery has been learning to live "in forgiveness." She explained that one of the steps in her 12-step program is "making amends. Panettiere said, "If somebody wants to be a good person and the best version of themselves, they can choose to do that."

After eight months of rehab and recovery, Panettiere finally felt ready to return to the big screen after a hiatus of almost four years. However, her significant return was eclipsed by the death of her younger brother, Jansen, in February.

Jansen, also an actor, died in New York from complications with his aortic valve due to an enlarged heart. Despite the tragedy, Panettiere said she's still committed to her recovery and returning to her career. Fans can look forward to the actress finally making her acting return in the coming months.