Danny Dyer has reflected on his historic alcohol and illegal drug use, claiming his substance abuse issues were slowly killing him.
Speaking to i News, Danny noted that in recent times he’s become more “spiritual” after what he described as “a mad couple of years”, which included “a lot of soul-searching”.
Reflecting on what the article called a period of “bingeing on drink and drugs”, Danny said: “I had no one to stop me. I was in such a dark place, I was slowly committing suicide.”
He continued: “I had no hope, I hated myself, couldn’t look in the mirror for more than five seconds. It just repulsed me, what was looking back. I was just pressing the fuck-it button all the time.
“It got to a point where I thought I was going to die – I don’t think I’m going to wake up.”
On going to rehab “a couple of years ago”, Danny recalled: “That’s what I needed – and it worked.”
He now credits meditation with helping him “turn the noises down” in his head, advising he thinks it’s a technique that should be taught in schools.
In 2017, Danny took an extended break from his regular role as Mick Carter in EastEnders, eventually returning after six weeks, with soap bosses at the time shooting down reports the sabbatical was “enforced” by them.
Since joining the soap in 2014, a move which the actor told i News “saved his career”, he’s become something of an unlikely national treasure, delivering last year’s alternative Christmas message and recently landed his own history show in which he delves into his family ancestry.
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