Did you see that Brad Pitt told Esquire how, after seven years sobriety, he has returned to drinking. At 62, he "got back off the wagon" and is now drinking "in a more restrained manner."
Hmm....
That was surprising. Even more surprising are approving reactions like that of the New York Times: "Brad Pitt’s Return to Drinking Is Not Unsafe, Experts Say, but It’s Not for Everyone."
Double hmm... Maybe that's a sign of the high esteem he enjoys. The idea being, "If Brad Pitt is doing it, it must be okay."
Like everyone else in America, I like Brad Pitt — a skilled, versatile actor. And wish him nothing but the best.
However ... I don't think that's how it works. And the mumbling experts the Times assembled basically said, "If you need to quit but can't, or don't, then drinking less is better than drinking more."
Hmm....
That was surprising. Even more surprising are approving reactions like that of the New York Times: "Brad Pitt’s Return to Drinking Is Not Unsafe, Experts Say, but It’s Not for Everyone."
Double hmm... Maybe that's a sign of the high esteem he enjoys. The idea being, "If Brad Pitt is doing it, it must be okay."
Like everyone else in America, I like Brad Pitt — a skilled, versatile actor. And wish him nothing but the best.
Which doesn't quite add up to "Not Unsafe."
I would suggest his going back to drinking is not not unsafe. Indeed, it is very unsafe, somewhere between extremely risky and certain disaster.
I am no expert, of course. The best course is to run your own sobriety, and let others run their sobriety, or lack of same. I do know that my own route has required not drinking anything for ... more than 20 years. But Pitt's announcement reminded me of the words of David Foster Wallace, in his masterpiece "Infinite Jest" which, if you haven't read it, is about semi-pro tennis set against a backdrop of addiction. Wallace writes:
"That nobody who's ever gotten sufficiently addictively enslaved by a Substance to need to quit the Substance and has successfully quit it for a while and been straight but then has for whatever reason gone back and picked up the Substance against has ever reported being glad that they did it, used the Substance again and gotten re-enslaved; not ever."
So maybe Brad Pitt will be the first. But I know how drunks and addicts tend to jiggle the locks of their cages, and wonder. So my advice is, if you noticed this story and thought, even for a moment, "Hey ... look at that ... maybe ... reality has changed!" I hope you come to the immediate conclusion, "Nope. It has not. Same old reality. Just because this poor fellow is deluding himself doesn't mean I need to follow him over the cliff."
Or if you are determined to give it a go, my sympathy, and I would urge you to wait. Just a year or two. Then check back on Brad Pitt. See how well his plan works out for him.
I am no expert, of course. The best course is to run your own sobriety, and let others run their sobriety, or lack of same. I do know that my own route has required not drinking anything for ... more than 20 years. But Pitt's announcement reminded me of the words of David Foster Wallace, in his masterpiece "Infinite Jest" which, if you haven't read it, is about semi-pro tennis set against a backdrop of addiction. Wallace writes:
"That nobody who's ever gotten sufficiently addictively enslaved by a Substance to need to quit the Substance and has successfully quit it for a while and been straight but then has for whatever reason gone back and picked up the Substance against has ever reported being glad that they did it, used the Substance again and gotten re-enslaved; not ever."
So maybe Brad Pitt will be the first. But I know how drunks and addicts tend to jiggle the locks of their cages, and wonder. So my advice is, if you noticed this story and thought, even for a moment, "Hey ... look at that ... maybe ... reality has changed!" I hope you come to the immediate conclusion, "Nope. It has not. Same old reality. Just because this poor fellow is deluding himself doesn't mean I need to follow him over the cliff."
Or if you are determined to give it a go, my sympathy, and I would urge you to wait. Just a year or two. Then check back on Brad Pitt. See how well his plan works out for him.
Yes, he best be careful. He made a mistake when he married that goofy Jolie.
ReplyDeleteActually he made a far bigger mistake when he dumped Jennifer Aniston for Jolie!
DeleteMore's the pity that he is impelled to reveal his personal decisions to all the world.
Deletetate
I would think his mistake was strangling her and abusing their children...
DeleteOne is too many, ten is not enough.
ReplyDeleteThe best course is to run your own sobriety, and let others run their sobriety, or lack of same. I do know that my own route has required not drinking anything for ... more than 20 years.
ReplyDeleteNo buts about it
Yep. After a couple years off cigarettes, thought I’d try smoking again only at “certain times.” Not my best idea.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Frank and I am an addict and an alcoholic.
ReplyDeleteOn my 21st birthday I quit drinking. That lasted for 5 years and then I had a beer which after a while led to having a six pack. Which soon led to drinking Jack Daniels and I was once again completely out of control .
At 33 with my first marriage in a shambles and my professional life circling the drain I made the decision to be a sober person. With the help of close friends and very professional and dedicated therapists I moved away from alcohol, drugs and criminality.
The goal that I set for myself at that time was to remain sober until I turned 50.
I wanted to get married and start a family which I did. My plan was to have a drink for my 50th birthday.
Those 17 years flew by no backsliding. As my 50th birthday approached and I reminded people that my plan was to have a drink on my 50th birthday I was told by many people not to do it. The advice I took from my colleague was to wait a year and see how I felt then.
A year went by and then two and finally I decided that the plan I had was the plan I would stick to and for my 53rd birthday.. I had a beer.
I have remained sober all this time even though 15 years ago I had a beer. Over the years I've had quite a few though never more than one at a time.
I've never been intoxicated again not even mildly a lot of times I only have half a beer.
My children are adults, moderate drinkers they use cannabis are successful professionals no addictive behavior.
I can't say that I won't fall back into the abyss one day and revert to my old behaviors . no one can no matter how long you've been completely sober you can fall into the clutches of substances.
I have no advice for others who struggle with this monster I just know that this works for me I continue to choose sobriety and I much prefer it based on the memories I had about being deranged
As usual I am up again at 5:00 in the morning clear-eyed and heading into the world with no intentions of abusing myself or others and will continue on that path for as long as I am capable.
.
I'm sure I'll find a lot of advice for Brad Pitt and myself today in the comment section and I appreciate those who want to impart that advice but I've learned that all I can do is look in the mirror and I like what I see.
My experience is that there are two types of people good people and people who struggle some good people use substances some people who struggle use substances but if you stop using substances it rarely changes whether you're a good and decent person or if you struggle you just remember more of it.
I lived with an alcoholic for many years. If Brad Pitt or the NY Times report encourages anyone to give this a try, then shame on them.
ReplyDeleteWill keep him in my prayers and hope he comes to his senses.
ReplyDeleteThere is a very large and excellent base of research indicating that a harm reduction (ie controlled drinking) approach works for many with substance abuse issues. Of course abstinence is a fine choice as well, but not the only one.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
ReplyDeleteWe have a problem with how we talk about addiction in this country -- really in society. And so far every media report I've seen is handling it the way either an addict would or someone who has absolutely no idea what addiction is.
Our treatment of Mr. Pitt will undoubtedly lead to a worse place rather than a better one.
Help is out there for anyone who is ready to step away from the bottle (pills or booze). I hope you have the courage to take that step and the support to continue on the path, regardless of how many slipups may occur.
We have no good treatments for addiction. 12 step programs have terrible success rates, but we treat them like a gold standard. There should be research into why and how people become or are born addictive, and actual medical treatments.
DeleteI lost my husband to alcoholism. We had 3 kids ranging from 9-16. He continued to believe he was smarter than everyone else, that drinking was just part of his life, and that he could control it somehow.
Of course, he couldnt. Brad won't be able to either.
I started smoking at the age of 13. I quit, cold turkey, at the age of 38, I was up to 4 packs a day. I am now 84. In early 2020, I contracted Covid-19. It cost me 50% of my lung functionality. If I had not quit smoking, I would probably be dead today. I would have missed the pleasures of growing old with my wife (53 years married), the joy my children bring me every day and the joy of being a grandfather, uncle and great-uncle. I beat the devil once - it was a hell of a battle. I do not want to fight that war again.
ReplyDelete.
I don't know, Brad Pitt feels like a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland PR saga. A very messy public divorce with multiple adopted kids, multi-millions on the line. The FBI was asked to investigate a plane incident and wasn't there a French vineyard set ablaze during the big break-up? Not sure most celebrities are truly on the wagon, especially in public after grandstanding sobriety. Guessing he wants to join his A-list friends and drink in public.
ReplyDeleteAlcohol is a drug. Respect to Mr. S for being a real one. I enjoy the meet-market bars, and more lately, faux Irish ones. Water is good too.
When I read that Pitt had decided to drink again because I assume, he's not "really" an alcoholic, I thought about my brother, who haver 10 years of sobriety and AA decided that he was not actually an alcoholic either. He was in therapy as well as going to meetings, etc. But he assured all of his siblings and my parents that if his drinking got out of control again (it did), we should tell him and he would listen to us (he did not). I believe that my brother thought that quitting drinking would make him happier. And after years of trying, it didn't make him happy, he decided that it must not have been the drinking that was the cause of his unhappiness. And of course it wasn't. Not drinking is one part of the process. As someone who used to eat to not feel her feelings, I know that when you stop eating your feelings, you have to feel them. I believe the same goes with drinking. You either drink them away or you feel them. That's when the work begins. My father and two of my other brothers are/were alcoholics. My dad was on the program for 42 years. My other brothers haven't had a drink in 35 and 30 years, respectively. I'm more than familiar with alcoholism as a family member. It sucks for the families, but I know it's more painful for the alcoholic. I get that 12 step programs aren't for everyone and you can get and stay sober without it. But for my brother and Pitt, this way madness, quite literally, lies.
ReplyDeleteThe war is never over, but if you've successfully distanced yourself from it, why begin a new battle?
ReplyDeleteThere's a meme going around that refers to RFK as a "former heroin addict." It's missinformation at best. There is no such thing as a "former" addict.
Alcohol: "The cause and solution to all life's problems!"
ReplyDeleteI've read a lot of long "difficult" books in my long lifetime and I have to include Infinite Jest as one of the best. Hal incandenza and Don Gately are unforgettable characters.
ReplyDeleteGreat column. I sure hope you're wrong about Brad Pitt.
So many excellent and thought- provoking comments. Rather than answer each one separately, I will combine them. Who the hell wants to see Grizz-Grizz-Grizz all over EGD?
ReplyDelete1) Brad Pitt, Brad Shmitt. Just another celebrity name to me. Why do we call them celebrities, anyway? WTF are we celebrating here? Have never cared what they do with their private lives, as long as they aren't hurting other people. Would never pattern my life after that of a "star"...well, maybe Sinatra. Always admired him, even though he was a flawed human being and a mean drunk. Used to have dreams about partying with Frank. When he died, the dreams stopped. I'll leave that one to the shrinks.
2) Got drunk on whiskey at 14 (in 1961) and puked all over the Skokie Library. The cops dragged me out and baby-sat me until my old man showed up. He was not pleased. At least they didn't throw me into a cell to sleep it off. To this day, I cannot stand even the smell of whiskey. Sure, I drank my share of alcohol in college, and as a young adult. But it was never a problem for me. My drug of choice was weed. Never turned down a toke or a hit. Didn't drink in the Wrigley bleachers because beer and sun did not mix for me. Did my drinking after the game. In my 40s and 50s, alcohol began to cause headaches. Rarely touch it, even beer, anymore, and have little desire or taste for it.
3) I, too, started smoking at the age of 13. Quarter a pack in 1960. Maybe half a pack a day, but I continued puffing for 32 years. Quit, cold turkey, at 45. Saw my wife's mother wheezing her life away from COPD and emphysema. That scared me straight. And Cindy's uncle was dying of lung cancer. The odds of beating that disease are just one in ten. Turned 79 yesterday. Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with lung damage, from having started so young. Was later warned that Covid would make me very sick In early 2021, I thought it was going to kill me. It made me a permanent wheezer, and reduced my lung functionality and stamina even more. Had I continued smoking into my 50s and 60s, I'd have been found face down in the snow, shovel in hand, 15 years ago. Would have completely missed the pleasures of the Trump Years..Death from lung ailments is a terrible way to die.
4) RFK JUNIOR (don't insult the name of his father) can call himself whatever the hell he likes. He's as crazy as a shithouse rat. There is no such animal as a "former heroin addict." or an "ex-addict." Just as there is no such veteran as a "former Marine" or an "ex-Marine." Once you're in the Corps, you're a Marine for life. So it's probably "retired Marine." And "recovered addict" is probably the politically correct terminology.
Hope this was not too long, Mister S. You did people a service today. Thanks muchly.
Happy belated birthday Grizz-Grizz-Grizz! I too, never turned down a hit. Do you still partake utilizing other delivery systems? I gave up smoking weed about 7 years ago but have a medical card for other options. After 55 years it would be fair to say I need it. I accept that.
DeleteC'mon, Grizz, you're twice the man Sinatra ever was. He was a cad and he hitched his wagon to some nasty despicable people.
DeleteA) Can't smoke anymore. Not just previous lung damage, but issues with my throat, as well. Smoking would be a bad idea. Brownies and gummies were meh. My wife doesn't care for weed, and copping a buzz alone isn't what it once was.
DeleteB) My old man passed down his love for Frank to his only son. About the best thing he may have ever done. He could be a jerk, or hold a benefit for the widow of a fallen police officer, on a moment's notice. Sinatra was both sides of the same coin. He knew people who knew people, especially in the night club business, and they helped him reinvent himself after his wartime stint as Frankie Swoonatra faded away. Probably would have become a made man in the Mob, if he'd been Sicilian. Had a jones for the Outfit at an early age, even before I got into the Cubs. Years later, I learned an uncle was connected. Who knew?
If you're unfamiliar with Pitt, as an actor, you shouldn't dismiss him. He's not just a star, but acts in some really interesting, smaller pictures — I'm thinking "Moneyball" or "The Big Short."
ReplyDeleteSaw both of those, Mister S. But they came out in 2011 and 2015, respectively, and those years are distant enough, cinematically speaking, to be a blur.
DeleteAlso saw him in "Benjamin Button" in 2008, and enjoyed it immensely. It was mostly received negatively, but he was superb in that one. First read the 1922 F. Scott Fitzgerald short story in my teens, and never forgot it. The New Orleans setting, and the idea of aging in reverse, made it a memorable film, and worthy of acclaim.
But it isn't just Brad Pitt that I am now unfamiliar with. Hollywood, and films in general, have been off my radar for a very long time. My movie attendance has sharply decreased with age. Haven't been to more than a handful of productions since the Plague. Stopped watching the Oscars in my 20s, and don't pay much attention to actors anymore.
It's not only the overall decline of the industry...and its product.
Or even less interest in those who appear on-screen.
It's me...and not so much dismissal as it is indifference.
"Moneyball"is great. So is "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and "A River Runs Through It". He's in "12 Monkeys" with Bruce Willis. A great minor part from his early days.
DeleteI'm not much for celebrities or celebrity profiles, but I have to admit that I was curious when I saw some reference to this Brad Pitt story. I like him pretty well, despite his flaws, and our host is right about him being a fine actor, beyond just being a celebrity. I've also been surprised to see his name in the credits as a producer in many excellent films. Still, I was not prompted to look into the story before now.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I *did* wonder what NS was thinking about it, if anything, and I appreciate his writing this post. Also, I appreciate the link to the Esquire article, which I'll read later. (Meanwhile, the link to the New York Times doesn't work, FWIW.)
Aside from that, while I'm impressed by the post and many of the comments, I have nothing to add.
I've known people who were able to curtail a burgeoning alcohol misuse problem by cutting back, or stopping entirely for awhile.
ReplyDeleteThe questions I'd ask Mr Pitt would be 'why now?', 'what purpose does drinking serve you?' and 'is it worth the risk, given the hurt it's already caused?"
I believe there are people who are genetically primed toward addiction..... stop smoking and take up alcohol. Stop alcohol and take up food. Address the eating disorder and become an exercise junky, etc..The only option in these instances is alcohol abstinence.
I also know people whose alcoholism was strongly predicated by surrounding circumstances or associates. Or they 'self-medicated' to tamp down uncomfortable feelings. These folks stopped going to the places where they over-imbibed, formed new social networks, or sought therapy to handle feelings while sober. Although these people might (possibly) be able to drink responsibly again in the future, the majority choose to maintain sobriety, nonetheless. The idea is, 'things are good now, why risk it?'
We are reacting to Mr Pitt's choice to drink again, rightly questioning his judgment re: this, and perhaps saving this blog post and our subsequent comments as an 'I told you so' that we'll drag out later after he's arrested for public intoxication.
What I'm most uncomfortable about on Mr Pitt's behalf right now isn't the drinking per se, but that drinking seems to hold an unwarranted importance for him right now.
Despite my concern, I wish him the best. I've read the tabloids but can't pretend to understand his issues, past or present. I just like him as an actor.
Alcohol will give you the DTs but it's the stupid fascination with celebrities that led us to Donald Trump.
ReplyDeleteSaw an alcoholic woman in therapy; she got sober and stayed that way, went to meetings often. We ended. Several years later, she called me back, wanting to talk about starting drinking again. We talked a few times, but the could never say why she wanted to drink again. Best she could do was "Now that I'm a mother, I need to be normal".
ReplyDeleteI finally lost patience, not a good thing. I said, "So, say you have a thousand to one chance of going back to the gutter if you start drinking again". She nodded. "Ok, now I'm going to get 999 blank bullets, and one real bullet. I'll put them in a big bag, you pick one, put it in the gun, hold it to the baby's head, and pull the trigger. That's what we're talking about".
She didn't say a word, just got up and left, and I never heard from her again. For some reason, I think I would have if she stayed sober, but I don't really know.
Meet Joe Black is my fave.
ReplyDeleteThe film where he plays an IRA operative hiding out in Boston with cop, H. Ford, is a good one too. Can't think of the name.
ReplyDeleteStay strong, Mr. S.
ReplyDeleteGrizz, you were a bad boy.
ReplyDeleteHave told the library story before, and have received the same reply before.
DeleteIt was probably from you. Nope, Grizz wasn't a bad boy. Not really.
Just another spoiled suburban teen-age punk who did some stupid shit.
Ironic that Pitt decided to drink again right after a recent August 2026 study published in scientific journals and covered widely (such as in The Conversation and SciTechDaily) shows that quitting alcohol alters brain circuits in ways that can drive a subset of individuals toward heavier, more compulsive-like drinking if they relapse. Is Pitt trying to prove the study wrong?
ReplyDeleteIronic that Pitt decided to resume drinking right after a recent August 2026 study published in scientific journals and covered widely (such as in The Conversation and SciTechDaily) shows that quitting alcohol alters brain circuits in ways that can drive a subset of individuals toward heavier, more compulsive-like drinking if they relapse. Is Pitt trying to prove something?
ReplyDeletewow, this one was popular
ReplyDelete