Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
The sudden death of Matthew Perry was undoubtedly one of the most shocking topics of recent days. It shocked all the fans of one of the most famous, dare I say the funniest sitcom ever filmed. Matthew Perry, or as we know him from the sitcom, Charlie Bing, tickled our funny bone with his clumsiness, sarcastic sense of humor, and incredible self-deprecation.
In his private life, even though Matthew could give Charlie a run for his money when it came to making people around him laugh, he was battling his own inner demons. Back in the day, when he was on the set of Friends, and even before that, he was hooked on alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, opiates, and prescription painkillers.
In his book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing Perry writes that he started doing drugs when he was just a teenager. In his later life, he battled fear and depression with them. As you can see, depression, which I personally managed to escape from, can leave a huge mark on our entire life.
How alcohol and drugs poison our lives
Matthew Perry has been battling with alcohol and drug addiction since his youth. His story is a cautionary tale for anyone considering dabbling with these substances. Even though it may sound like a broken record, I believe that similar warnings are worth repeating at every possible opportunity.
Back in the 90s, when Matthew Perry was starring in Friends, his addiction to cocaine and opiates was so severe that he often took drugs on the set of the show. At one point, he was so addicted that he couldn’t remember many of the scenes he was shooting.
Perry’s addiction really threw a wrench in his life. He had issues with memory, focus, and mental health. He lost many friends and loved ones. Matthew Perry has never been married and doesn’t have any kids. He’s been in a few long-term relationships, but none of them could weather his addiction.
His addictions really took a toll on his personal relationships. He was emotionally all over the place and often turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with stress and anxiety. This behavior was a pain in the neck for his partners and often led to conflicts.
In one of the interviews, Perry said that his addiction has wrecked many of his relationships. “I’ve been in many relationships that went belly up because of my addiction,” he said. “I’ve wrecked a lot of things in my life because of drugs and alcohol.”
His career also took a hit as he was having problems with memory and concentration, which made his work a hard nut to crack.
Perry had been through 15 rehabs and 12 surgeries, but he just couldn’t stay clean. In total, he spent 9 million dollars for treatment..
Matthew Perry’s story is a wake-up call for anyone who feels they might fall into the treacherous trap of alcohol or drugs. Getting hooked on them can have serious health, personal, and professional repercussions. Of course, while it’s clear that nobody’s perfect and anyone can find themselves in a similar situation, the most important thing is to never throw in the towel and not be ashamed to seek help, to step out of their comfort zone.
If you or someone you know is wrestling with addiction, reach out for help. There are plenty of support forms out there that can help you battle addiction and get back in the driver’s seat of your life.
Fame and money from a rich man’s perspective
Matthew Perry had a bit of a love-hate relationship with fame and money. On one hand, he was grateful for the success he had achieved, but on the other hand, he felt swamped by pressure and expectations. He even said that if he could,he would trade fame and fortune for a life free from addictions.
Perry was over the moon about the success he achieved thanks to Friends. The TV show brought him popularity and fame. Perry hit the jackpot and could afford to live the high life. At the time of his sudden death, his net worth was a whopping 120 million US dollars.
On the other side, Perry felt overwhelmed by the pressure and expectations. He knew he was in the public eye and that his life was under the microscope. This made him feel out of sorts and he often backed off.
Perry openly talks about his struggles with addiction. In his book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, he writes about how fame and money contributed to his addiction, but also about how a huge amount of money saved him from death.
Perry reckons that fame can be a double-edged sword. It can lead to isolation, loneliness, and addictions. Perry advises folks who are hitting it big to tread carefully and seek help if they need it.
As you can see, big money means big opportunities, but also huge risks. It don’t give happiness in itself, but life would be a lot harder without it. In Perry’s case, it’s a pretty tricky math problem. Who would’ve thought that, on one hand, if it weren’t for money, maybe he wouldn’t have had unlimited access to various intoxicants, but on another, if he didn’t have it, would he be able to fight his illness so effectively and face life’s adversities head-on?
Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
In the book Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry takes readers behind the scenes of the iconic sitcom, while also sharing his personal battles with addiction. The book tells the tale of Perry’s life and career, with a focus on his battle with the booze and drugs.
Perry spills the beans about his childhood and youth, including his rocky relationship with his parents and struggles with anxiety and depression. He also describes his quick rise to fame in Hollywood and his addiction to cocaine and opiates.
With his signature sense of humor and honesty, he describes his long-standing battle with illness and the motivation that helped him despite having ‘everything’. This book is an autobiography chock-full of the most intimate details about Perry’s lost love, his toughest times, and his loyal friends. Without a doubt, it’s genuine, touching, and full of wit.
The book is straight from the heart and personal. Perry doesn’t beat around the bush about his mistakes and weaknesses. He describes how his addiction wrecked his life and how hard it was for him to break free from it.
What can we take away from Matthew Perry’s history?
As a rule of thumb, we never learn anything better than through hard knocks. However, there are some exceptions to this rule and it’s worth saving yourself unnecessary suffering and disappointments, so I encourage you to learn from others’ stories. Matthew Perry’s story can be a real life lesson for us.
First off, addiction to alcohol and drugs can have serious health and personal consequences. Drugs only help for a moment, then comes the withdrawal, helplessness, and fear.
Fame and money can be a blessing, and most of us think of them in these terms, but they can also be a curse.
Let’s bear in mind that thanks to them, almost limitless possibilities open up before us—both good and bad. As I often say, they can provide us with comfort and convenience, but they’re no guarantee of happiness. Money, in itself, without sorting out health, relationships, well-being, doesn’t bring happiness.
Luckily, it’s never too late to start a new life. Perry has been battling addiction for many years. In the end, he managed to get his act together and build a new life. He even wanted to set up a foundation to help folks battling the same substance addiction issues. Let his story be a beacon of hope for all those battling addiction.
The book I mentioned in this article is available here: Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.