Drew Barrymore Says Her Therapist Quit After Being Concerned by Her Post-Divorce Drinking

Drew Barrymore recently opened up about her alcoholism struggles, revealing that her therapist quit after being concerned by her post-divorce drinking. During a conversation with The Los Angeles Times, Barrymore discussed her 2016 split from ex-husband Will Kopelman. The daytime talk show host shared that it impacted her life so deeply, leading to serious alcohol abuse, that her therapist — respected therapist and celebrity psychoanalyst Barry Michels — chose to end their therapy relationship after 10 years.

“He just said, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” Barrymore said. “It was really about my drinking. I said, ‘I get it. I’ve never respected you more. You see I’m not getting better. And I hope, one day, that I can earn your trust back.’” The actress explained that some of her close friends — including her longtime friend and Charlie’s Angels co-star Cameron Diaz — gave her drinking a “grace period” since she was hurting from her divorce, but ultimately they ended up holding an intervention for her. 

Notably, Diaz — who is recently unretired from acting — confessed that it was “difficult to watch” her close friend going down such a self-destructive path. However, Diaz added that, as dire as things seemed to be, she had “absolute faith” Barrymore could overcome her addiction. Ultimately, Diaz’s intuition was right, as her friend would soon find the motivation to turn things around.

In 2019, after landing her new daytime talk show, Barrymore made the decision to quit drinking. “I think the opportunity at a show like this really hit me,” she said. “I was like, ‘I can’t handle this unless I’m in a really clear place.’” She reached back out to Michels, who agreed to work with her again. “You seem to be so inspired by everybody else, but you treat yourself like s—,” Barrymore said, reflecting on the importance of finding inner happiness and peace. “When are you going to be enough for yourself?”

After beginning the climb out of the “dark place” she had felt trapped in for years, Barrymore came to the realization that motherhood was the one true “role of my life.” Referring to daughters Olive, 10, and Frankie, 8, Barrymore said, “I realized that just with me and my girls, I am truly happy,” she said. “I’d always thought I’d be on this hamster wheel for this whole life. But maybe there will be something different before the lights go out.”