Shawn Pyfrom, who is best known for his role on Desperate Housewives, decided to come out publicly about his alcohol and drug addictions, the day after Philip Seymour Hoffman’s surprising death from a drug overdose. The actor said that he just celebrated five months of sobriety and hopes that his revelation helps others dealing with addiction.
Pyfrom wrote on his Tumblr blog that he was advised not to write about it, but he could no longer “stay quiet” about this.
“I am an alcoholic and a drug addict,” he wrote. “And yesterday I celebrated five months of sobriety. I’m relatively new to being sober, considering the scope of time that I’ve been an addict. but within that scope, this is also the longest I’ve been sober; since I began using.”
Throughout the post, the actor refers to himself as an addict and said that he needed to share it because he could not deal with hearing about another person dying because of an addiction.
“I've considered what's at stake, for myself, by sharing this — but I find myself without regard for that,” Pyfrom, 27, continued. “I won't allow my selfish needs to get in the way of potentially reaching another human being's life."
When it comes to drugs, “...they will steal your life from you,” he wrote. “Whether you are the occasional user, or someone that uses every day. Every moment spent using drugs (alcohol included) is a moment stolen from your life.”
TV Guide notes that he admitted his addiction kept him from building on the success of playing the son of Marcia Cross’ character for eight seasons on Housewives. He frequently tried to get up and succeed, but his addictions kept him from doing so.
Right now, he is at the beginning of his longest period without using, staying sober for five months. “I can say with all honesty, that I have no desire to ever use again. but it took a long time, and a lot of struggle, to finally reach that place,” Pyfrom noted. “We sometimes have to learn through our own experiences - as I had to with mine.”
He concluded his letter by hoping that it helps anyone who reads it.
Pyfrom recently appeared on Rizzoli & Isles and Killing Lincoln.
image: Wikimedia Commons
