Lena Dunham marks five years of sobriety: ‘Happiest of my time on earth’

‘The struggle with addiction hit me little by little, then all at once,’ actor said

Lena Dunham has opened up about her sobriety journey as she celebrates five years sober.

The New York-born actor is best known for creating the hit show Girls. Dunham was the show’s lead and starred alongside Jemima Kirke and Adam Driver.

In an Instagram post shared on Monday 10 April, Dunham, 36, opened up about “medicating” herself in “unhealthy ways”.

“Five years ago today, I set foot, trembling like a little kid, into treatment for substance misuse,” she wrote in the caption.

Dunham checked into a 28-day rehab programme after she became addicted to prescription pills following a hysterectomy.

Dunham recalled how her “parents hugged [her] goodbye” at the treatment centre.

The producer revealed that her addiction was overwhelming and the “struggle” hit her “all at once”.

She said that her addiction was rooted in her desire to create “ease in her life”.

“Ease in my body, ease in my restless mind and the ease to exist in moments of pain, anxiety and uncertainty without reaching for a solution that seemed to help in the moment but pulled me further away from the people I love and the life that I wanted,” she added.

“Asking for help was the hardest part”, Dunham said, “but each step from there got easier.”

Dunham, who also directed Catherine Called Birdy starring Bella Ramsey and Joe Alwyn in 2022, said: “The last five years have been the happiest of my time on earth so far.”

Dunham opened up about being addicted to prescription drugs while recovering from a hysterectomy in 2017. The pain from experiencing endometriosis led Dunham to have the surgery.

Endometriosis is a long-term condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can cause severe pain and discomfort.

“It got really complicated,” she told Cosmopolitan. “I realised I wasn’t just taking medication for physical pain, I was taking medication for the emotional pain too.”

“One day, I looked around and I was lying in a bed in my parents’ apartment under two blankets, in the same pyjamas I’d been in for three days, and I was like, ‘This isn’t me,’” she recalled.

For her “very lucky sober birthday”, Dunham will be matching donations to Friendly House. Established in 1951, Friendly House was the first programme to help women recover from substance abuse in the US.

If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here. In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.