HE IS WORKING ON STAYING CLEAN
FOR GOOD NOW.
ACTRESS McKENZIE PHILLIPS
TALKED ABOUT HER STRUGGLES WITH
ADDICTION.
SHE IS IN THE TWIN CITIES THIS
WEEK FOR HAZEL FEST.
IT IS PRESENTED BY THE HAZEL
AND BELTTY FORD FOUNDATION.
AND WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE MACK
WITH US MID-MORNING TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
THAT WAS AN AMAZING
INTRODUCTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I REMEMBER ONE DAY AT A TIME
AND REMEMBER FOLLOWING SOME OF
THE STRUGGLES.
AND SOME OF THE VIEWERS MAY NOT
KNOW THE FULL STORY.
YOU WERE A TEENAGER ON THAT
SITCOM.
I STARTED WORKING AS AN
ACTRESS AT THE AGE OF 12 IN A
FILM CALLED AMERICAN GRAPH 2006
AND I COME FROM A SHOW BUSINESS
ROCK AND ROLL FAMILY.
MY BAD WAS PAPA JOHN.
SO I GREW UP A LOT OF
ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE AND
PEOPLE DRINKING AND USING DRUGS
IN FRONT OF THE KIDS.
THE 1960s AND THE 1970s.
IF THERE'S A THING LIKE A
PREGENETIC, I HAD THAT.
AND NOW ALL THESE YEARS LATER
AFTER ALL OF MY PUBLIC
STRUGGLES WITH TRYING TO
MAINTAIN MY SOBRIETITY I'M AN
ADDITION COUNSELOR IN PASADENA,
CALIFORNIA.
THERE'S A LOT OF JUDGMENT
AND CRITICISM.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A
LOT OF THAT WITH ADDICTION AND
OTHER MENTAL ILLNESSES.
HOW MUCH MORE DIFFICULT IS IF
WITH SOMEONE IN THE PUBLIC EYE.
I TRY NOT TO FOCUS ON THE
JUDGMENT OF OTHERS.
I TRY TO BREAK DOWN THE STIGMA
SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES AND SUB DISTANCE
DISORDER ISSUES THAT IS
CHANGING WITH THE NEW POLICY
MAN WHO WAS ACTUALLY LONG-TERM
RECOVERY YOU HAVE TO START AT
GRASSROOTS LEVEL AND YOU START
WHEREVER YOU CAN.
BUT HAVING SOMEONE LIKE HIM
AFFILIATED WITH THE HIGHEST
OFFICE IN THE COUNTRY THAT IS
PROBABLY A GREAT STEP FORWARD.
HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY COME
HERE AND TALK TO YOU GUYS
REPRESENTING PASADENA RECOVERY
CENTER AND HAZEL AND BETTY FORD
IS ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL OR
TAKING ANOTHER BRICK OUT OF THE
WALL, IF YOU WILL.
AND RECOVERY IS A LONG ROAD.
CARING AROUND THE DARK
SECRETS OF MY LIFE GROWING UP,
PEOPLE WOULD SAY WHAT IS WRONG
WITH THIS WOMAN?
SHE'S BEEN GIVING EVERYTHING,
WHY DOES SHE CONTINUALLY CRASH
AND BURN?
I WAS NOT LIVING MY TRUTH.
THERE WERE SO MANY PUBLIC
COMMENTS THAT I MADE ON MY
PSYCHE.
AND I WAS NOT OKAY.
AND NOT HAVING MORE SECRETES
MAKES IT EASIER TO BE OKAY.
I THINK IF YOU'RE FAMOUS OR
ON A SITCOM MAKING HUGE MONEY
OR A YOU'RE WORKER,
CONSTRUCTION WORKER, WHATEVER,
AND ACCOUNTANT, IT'S A SIMILAR
THING, WHERE YOU'RE ALWAYS
RISKING YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, NO
MATTER HOW HIGH YOU ARE.
BY USING, YES.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE
RICH AND FAMOUS OR NOT.
DRUGS ARE AND EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE A
CEO OR IF YOU'RE A SANITATION
WORKER.
THEY WILL TAKE YOU DOWN.
THEY WILL BRING TO YOU YOUR
KNEES.
SO THAT MOMENT OF CLARITY
WHERE YOU GO IF I DON'T CHANGE
I MIGHT DIE IS SOMETHING TO BE
HONORED.
NOT EVERYBODY HAS THAT MOMENT
AND IT IS HEARTBREAKING.
WHEN WILL BE THE CORE OF
YOUR MESSAGE THIS WEEK?
HAZEL FEST IS FROM 11:00
A.M.
TO 3:00 P.M.
ON THE CENTER CAMPUS.
AND WE'LL GREAT MUSIC AND
ACUPUNCTURE.
WE HAVE A PETTING ZOO AND FOOD
TRUCKS.
IT IS AN ALL-DAY RECOVERY BASED
MUSIC FESTIVAL.
THE CORE OF MY MESSAGE IS THAT
THERE IS A SOLUTION AND YOU
DON'T HAVE TO LIVE THAT WAY
ANYMORE.
BUT I TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
MY HISTORY AND LIFE AND HOW
ADDICTION MANIFESTED IT AND HOW
RECOVERY IS A SHIFT IN
CONSCIOUSNESS.
HOW LONG ARE YOU BEEN SOBER
NOW?
I DON'T TALK ABOUT TIME.
I DON'T THINK IT IS IMPORTANT
IT IS MORE IMPORTANT HOW WELL
YOU'RE DOING IT?
ARE YOU DOING IT WELL?
EXTREMELY WELL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I OFTEN SAY THAT IN
MINNESOTA PART OF THE REASON
THAT WE HAVE SUCH A VIBRANT AND
CREATIVE COMMUNITY HERE IS THAT
SO MANY PEOPLE CAME HERE FOR
HAZEL TON AND HAVE STAYED AND
HAD SUCCESS AND STAYED AND MADE
THIS COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE.
AND THE MORE PEOPLE THAT YOU
MEET AND GONE THROUGH THIS AND
THEY RELATE.
DID YOU IT, MAYBE I CAN DO
IT TOO.OFF TO SIT IN THIS -- I
DON'T HAVE TO SIT IN THIS EVERY
DAY BY MYSELF.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT