If you have an addiction, then you know all too well the struggles involved. However, substance abuse is not unique to you and there is no need to feel isolated.
It is estimated that over 21.5 million Americans struggle with addiction and if you are one of them, it is imperative that you get proper treatment. With that being said, even as you are going through treatment it is good to have some time to relax.
During this time, you can watch movies that will inspire you as you journey through your recovery. Here are five movies about addiction that you can watch.
1. The Lost Weekend
There are films that are a turning point in history because they revolutionize the way people think and see the world. The Lost Weekend was one of those films. Released in 1945 it marked the first time that Hollywood had taken a serious look at alcoholism and recognized it as an illness.
The film follows an alcoholic as he desperately struggles for five days to regain his grip on reality and his soul. The film succeeds in being dramatic and focused on the need for recovery without being preachy. It stars Ray Milland and Jane Wyman.
2. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?
This film is a 1966 classic which explores how alcoholism can further deteriorate marital life. The film stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and takes a look at how bitterness can cause problems in a marriage and is further enhanced by alcoholism.
The film contains some dark moments but these moments make the film gritty and emotionally riveting to the end. Elizabeth Taylor was a famous actor before this movie but with this performance, she showed why she deserved to be a star.
3. Clean and Sober
Clean and sober is a movie released in 1988 which explores the life of an addict who embezzles money from his company. He then loses most of the money to addiction.
When he wakes up next to someone who has overdosed, he tries to cover up the drug use but the police are not convinced. He also has the theft of his company’s money to deal with.
He finds himself checking into an inpatient drug rehab program, not for the purpose of rehabilitation but because it is the one place he knows that guarantees anonymity. His life is changed by rehab.
4. Barfly
Barfly (1987) stars Mickey Rourke as a poet who spends most of his time in bars. Eventually, he meets someone who publishes his poems and gets a brief chance to reach for fortune and fame. However, his addiction looms large even in the wake of success.
Final Thoughts on Movies about Addiction
When you struggle with addiction life is never easy. While film dialogue is often fiction created by screenwriters, they can and do imitate life.
Watching a movie about addiction and taking a look at the struggles of different characters will make you feel less alone. It will take your mind off your own problems as you become immersed in the film. So, take some time to unwind, relax and root for the characters in the films discussed.
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