Lucy Hale Talks Long Journey To Sobriety: 'Many Relapses' And 'Many Dark Moments'

Lucy Hale is finally living the good life after overcoming her demons and achieving two-and-a-half years of sobriety.

The "Pretty Little Liars" actress opened up about her journey, recalling how her alcohol dependence started and what it took to escape that dark part of her history.

At 20-something, Lucy Hale never believed she could regain control of her life or inspire others to improve. She is receiving the 2024 Humanitarian Award from the women's addiction recovery center, Friendly House.

The 35-year-old actress did not hold back while addressing her sobriety journey in a new interview, sharing the darkest parts of herself that once embarrassed her. She claimed her younger self would be stunned by her growth, declaring:

"I can't believe I'm at a place in my life where I can talk about the things that used to bring me so much shame."

Hale explained that her alcohol dependence began in her childhood, noting, "Since a very young age, I always felt alone and misunderstood. So as a teenager, I found alcohol — which, of course, shut my brain off."

"And it worked for me for a while, until it turned really dark," she continued, telling PEOPLE that she spent her 20s trying to overcome this challenging phase. However, battling her addiction came with repeated losses.

While reflecting on what it took to achieve sobriety, Hale noted it was a test of will, saying, "I always had a desire to change, but with any form of addiction, you become powerless to this obsession."

"I definitely had to go through my own process of getting sober. It took many, many, many years, many relapses, many dark moments, many falling on my face quite literally," she continued, adding:

"But figuratively as well to figure out what was working in my life, finding out why I was drinking, because removing alcohol is just one part of it."

Besides her desire to change, her success in "Pretty Little Liars" helped Hale stay on track. "If I'm perfectly honest, without my career and without that creative outlet, I don't know if I would've made it," she declared.

While reflecting on the significant role her career and "Pretty Little Liars" played in her sobriety journey, Hale said: "I think that show and my love of what I do was my North Star truly."

"It really gave me purpose and still gives me purpose. But I was constantly in this cycle of extreme depression and anxiety while having to show up to work and be on," the 35-year-old recalled, noting that it eventually "fueled even more drinking."

After getting caught in this toxic cycle, it took "hitting rock bottom" at 32 for Hale to finally change her life. "I made the choice on the morning of January 2, 2022, that I was going to do everything I could to get sober," she recalled.

Hale is now two-and-a-half years sober, an achievement she attained after overcoming her fear of the future. "I knew if I continued on that path, I would've lost everything I cared about," she said of her past worries, admitting:

"It was the scariest choice in my life, but also it's been the best gift. When I made that change, everything else changed. My whole life has changed."

"I still have to make the choice every day like, 'Okay, today I'm staying sober, and today I'm choosing me,' but that goes deeper than just not drinking. My life feels so good now that I wouldn't give that up for anything," Hale added.

Sobriety wasn't the only challenge Hale faced in her 20s,with The Blast reporting that she suffered from acne early in her career. She shared that breakouts frequently happened while filming "Pretty Little Liars," confessing:

"We had to specially light my skin to reflect in a different way so you wouldn't see my acne. I remember being just so embarrassed and mortified."

"I think the reason I'm so obsessed with skincare and beauty is because I struggled with my skin — you just want to crawl in a hole," she explained, adding:

"It feels very isolating, and it can feel so heavy and so difficult. Looking back, I wish I could have had more grace and compassion with myself, but when you're in it, it's excruciating."

Lucy Hale has embraced her acne and inspires others to overcome their addictions. On Saturday, September 14, she will receive the 2024 Humanitarian Award from Friendly House.