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When Matthew Perry’s death was announced in 2023, tributes poured in from people who had been touched not only by “Friends,” but more importantly, his candid talk about addiction and recovery. His obituary stated that no cause of death was immediately confirmed, but that it was tentatively ruled a drowning with no foul play involved. He was 54.
Tragically, his death came just a year after he published his memoir, and very nearly a year to the day after the publishing of a GQ interview where Perry said that finally, he felt he was in a decent place in life. Not only did he feel really good about being able to help others through addiction and into recovery, but he’d even come to terms with the fact that his body was covered with scars — but that they were scars from surgeries that had kept him alive.
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While he confirmed that he did still relapse, he knew it wasn’t the end: It moved his sobriety date, but it didn’t remove the lessons. He said, “I understand more now. I’m less ruled by fear now. One of the things I learned is I can handle when bad things happen now. I’m resilient, I am … a strong man and I never gave myself credit for that, ever. But now, I’m slowly starting to.” He continued, “I believe that I am enough, I believe that I’m not too needy, and I believe that I do matter.”
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
