'Bachelorette' Meredith Phillips Reveals Struggle With Alcoholism
Former "Bachelorette" star Meredith Phillips revealed that she struggled with alcoholism for years but is currently 150 days sober. Phillips wanted to share her story in order to encourage others to receive the help they need.
"I realized I was going to kill myself. There wasn't another path for me other than to stop," Phillips told People magazine. "I'm finally starting to live my life again. For years, I'd wake up every day feeling like I was hit by a truck."
Phillips received treatment at Hope by the Sea in California and spent two months of inpatient treatment. She spent that time working on restoring her life and spirit, restoring relationships, including the relationship with her husband, Michael Broady.
"I want things to work," she said. "I still have a lot of healing to do, but I'm feeling better every day. There are definitely times when I miss drinking. I'm not saying one day I won't want that glass of wine, but I don't right now and that's a good start."
Phillips reportedly started drinking when she was just a teenager, beginning with sips from her parents' drinks. Eventually, she built up a tolerance and in her teens and early adulthood, would drink "12 beer bongs by 12 p.m., even if I woke up at 10 a.m. I thought it was cool that I was cool, that I was a chick and could do that."
She appeared on "The Bachelor," and was sent home close to the end, beating out several other women on the series. Phillips confessed that she was "drunk every night but knew" her "tolerance levels. Alcoholics are good at that. I figured out how much I drink and function."
"I would split a bottle of champagne with friends at brunch, the move on to wine. I looked forward to going out to lunch because it meant I had an excuse to drink during the day. I loved that it loosened me up, made me more social. I drank red wine when white wine got too sweet, and I couldn't get enough of it," Phillips said.
Phillips is now working to adjust to a new lifestyle, one that doesn't include alcohol or partying.
"Life is short," she said, "and I have a second chance."
