How Ben Affleck Turned His Life Around With the Help of Jennifer Garner

It’s hard to believe that nearly two years ago fans mourned the end of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s marriage.

But since their separation in 2015, Affleck’s estranged wife has been instrumental in helping the Oscar-winning star get his life back on track after years of struggling with alcoholism.

On Tuesday, Affleck took to Facebook to reveal he had completed treatment for alcohol addiction, and thanked Garner for her support, writing, “I’m lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I’ve done the work I set out to do.”

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A source close to Affleck tells Entertainment Tonight that the 44-year-old actor has been dealing with addiction and dependency issues on and off for years.

But it was when Affleck and Garner started dating in 2004 that his friends began to notice a change in his behavior. Sources suggest that Affleck sobered down a bit in terms of his wild ways and quit partying when the pair got together. When they welcomed their daughter, Violet, in 2005, his changes were eminent.

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After tying the knot in June 2005, Affleck and Garner welcomed their first daughter, Violet. Their second daughter, Seraphina, was born in January 2009, and son, Samuel arrived in February 2012.

In an interview with The Guardian, Affleck said being a parent not only rewired his thinking, but it greatly changed his perspective for the better.

“I think becoming a father makes you see the world differently and it’s good,” Affleck said. “I’d always had a strong idea about my values and the direction I wanted to be headed in, then I ran into getting famous and it totally spun me around and I flailed around for a few years.”

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In the statement released Tuesday, Affleck said his children drove his desire to seek help as he wanted to set a good example for them. From this motivation, it seems evident family comes first for the Batman star.

“I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be,” he wrote. “I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step.”

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With an Oscar under his belt, Affleck had a sudden awakening before heading into his ’30s. Shaken by his own excesses and a night of hard partying, it was 2001 that Affleck completed a 30-day residential rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse. The star, who was driven by then friend, Charlie Sheen, was on the path to a healthier lifestyle with the support of his family, friends and fans.

PEOPLE broke the story nearly 16 years ago with his publicist confirming how Affleck was self-aware.

“[He is a] smart man who has decided that a fuller life awaits him without alcohol,” the rep stated.

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Affleck has struggled for years and while it’s a struggle millions battle every day, the father of three wanted to make sure there was nothing to hide, thus announcing it himself.

In 2012, Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter he went to rehab for being a 29-year-old and too much partying, adding that he didn’t have a lot of boundaries set for himself.

“It was more a ‘let me get myself straight,’ before it became a rite of passage,” he said.

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In the early 2000s, Affleck had a very public relationship with Jennifer Lopez. The two were paparazzi darlings. And while their romance hit the tabloids every week, Affleck was finding himself in a web of critically panned and commercially unsuccessful films, including Paycheck, Jersey Girl, Gigli, Daredevil and Surviving Christmas.

Last summer, Affleck got candid on the HBO talk show, Any Given Wednesday, stating he felt like the “lowest rung of cool.” It was then that he realized he wanted to take a different direction in his career.

“That was kind of where I found myself when I thought, ‘Hey, I want to take up directing,’” Affleck recounted. “So I was gonna work as hard as I could. I thought, ‘If I’m gonna fail, I’m not gonna fail for lack of hard work,’ and that became my mantra. I [was] just gonna work harder than everybody else.”

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But he didn’t pull off the resurgence of his career alone. As Affleck shares how he grew “obsessed” with working hard, he credits his wife, Garner, to being a really instrumental part of him having the opportunity to do that work.

In 2006, his return to grace came with the portrayal of George Reeves in Hollywoodland, followed by a celebrated cameo in the cult favorite, Smokin’ Aces.

Affleck went on to direct acclaimed and Oscar beloved dramas like Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo during his marriage.

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In December 2015, Affleck elaborated on his wife’s impact on his career, telling PEOPLE she was a big factor in motivating him to pursue his passion.

“Getting to know Jennifer, falling in love with her and being connected with her gave me a foundation to reach out and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to do Hollywoodland. I’m going to direct Gone Baby Gone.’ Those were the steps forward I needed to put positive stuff on the board,” he said.

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As any loving and communicative couple, the two stayed strong through common interests and dedicated themselves to different charities and philanthropic efforts. In 2014, Affleck lent his star status to Save the Children, where Garner serves as a board member.

Delivering a rousing speech, Affleck said his wife was “no f**king joke.”

“There are a lot of celebrities, forgive me for saying, who are dilettantes and go and take a picture holding a kid’s hand in a hospital, and you never hear from them again. My wife is the opposite of that.”

Thanks to a shared dedication to each other’s goals, the couple showed a level of emotional support that formed the close friendship that was the basis for their relationship.

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Garner told Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail that it was important to maintain not just a closeness in their relationship, but a long-lasting friendship.

“We’re in the thick of it. Our kids are little, our careers are big, our lives are huge. We just focus on what’s important, and staying friends,” Garner said. “We have all the other stuff, too, but if you’re going long, friendship has to be at the base of it.”

The pair made their charitable work a family affair in 2015, when Garner brought eldest daughter, Violet to Washington, D.C., to sit in the gallery while her father testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee about the importance of aid to Africa.

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Despite a separation, Affleck never once spoke negatively about his estranged wife, before or after their split. With every interview given, he is not shy to speak out on her gleaming kindness and generosity.

In 2012, Affleck told the Toronto Sun that he’s “daunted” by her sweetness on a daily basis.

“She does have a fundamental kindness and empathy in her that I think is rare, and incredibly appealing and wonderful,” Affleck said. “She’s definitely atypical of someone in this business because this business tends to cultivate a kind of solipsism, narcissism — almost demands it —  so resisting it and being someone who’s the antithesis of that is really unusual. It’s one of the things I really love about her.”

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In 2010, Garner told Parade how the two connect on a lot of different levels — it’s never just one thing about them.

“Ben is sexy and kind, but he’s also a riot,” she said. “We can be very goofy together. You steal the time. You steal a date, you steal a kiss, you steal a whisper. You sit next to each other on the couch with computers on your laps. After the kids are asleep you…well, you know. Whatever it is. You slip away for a night.”

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Even after their split, the two remained close and frequently traveling together, doing what they can as communicative co-parents.

Earlier this year, Affleck called Garner “the world’s greatest mom” on The Ellen Show and never once waivered on his praise.

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Garner shared with Today Show that the two are the perfect example of a “modern family,” as they forged their friendship as a way to navigate through raising their children together as a unit.

“He and I are great friends,” Garner said. “Ben was working in London on Justice League, and I thought, ‘Well, the kids should have that experience, [so] we just all went en masse.”

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Last February, Garner opened up about her marriage to Vanity Fair, where she admits, “I didn’t marry the big fat movie star; I married him… And I would go back and remake that decision. He’s the love of my life. What am I going to do about that?”

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While the two might evidently be soul mates and have an undying love for one another, they might not reconcile anytime soon, especially now that he has undergone treatment for his addiction.

Sources close to Affleck’s wife say she is “happy that he is working on himself.” However, ET reports that “nothing has changed on the Jen front. Their relationship is still the same as it has been since announcing their separation.”