Charlie Sheen’s Ex Brooke Mueller Fears Relapse As a _Stage 4_ Addict _ E! News

Transcript

00:00Charlie Sheen's ex Brooke Mueller is fighting to maintain her sobriety.

00:04The actress, who was married to the Two and a Half Men star from 2008 to 2011,

00:08opens up about her years-long struggle with addiction,

00:11sharing why she believes she will likely relapse again, calling herself a, quote,

00:15Stage 4 addict. Brooke tells People magazine in an interview published March 25th,

00:20When we're at Stage 4, it typically means that cycle where you just have these relapses.

00:25No matter how well you get, and no matter how many years, it's just a matter of time.

00:29I want to be honest about it, because if I tried to sugarcoat it, I'd be lying to myself."

00:34And no matter how much time passes, the 47-year-old, who shares 16-year-old twins Bob

00:39and Max with Sheen, says that the road to recovery doesn't get any easier. She tells the outlet,

00:44The darkness and the shame as we get older, that sticks with us even more,

00:48because we have more evidence of pain that we've caused others and ourselves.

00:52It's sad for us because we don't want this. Nobody would want this. And so there's got

00:56to be a mental health component to it, where our suffering sometimes gets so strong,

01:01our brain tricks us and rationalizes why this time it's okay.

01:05As for her relationship with her kids amid her struggles, Brooke gets very candid,

01:09telling the magazine, The sad reality is they get used to it.

01:13Mommy is going to relapse again one day. They've never tried a drink or drugs or been on a date

01:17yet. I can't tell you what I was doing at 15. They ended up being with their group of friends

01:22that happened to be really good kids. She adds that her ex-husband, who has been open about his

01:27own struggles with addiction, always had an easier time getting sober than she did. Brooke tells

01:32People, I think he thinks it's more about just making a choice. And then with the addiction

01:36mindset, sometimes we don't have a choice. The fact he gives me yet another chance shows his

01:41deep, true heart underneath.