"Glee" Actor Cory Monteith Reflects on Drug Addiction
Actor Cory Monteith, known for his role on the television show "Glee," has an addiction story that starts at the young age of 13.
Monteith said in interviews that he first experimented with marijuana and alcohol while leaving school at 13 years old. Now almost 30, the actor reflects on a particularly hard struggle with drugs during his teen years that culminated in his exit from high school without graduating as a 16-year-old.
Marijuana and alcohol led to other drugs, says Monteith, which he has said in interviews included a variety of substances. His problem wasn't a secret from family and peers, who helped establish the beginning of his recovery when he turned 19 by taking him to a rehab center under serious concern that drugs would end his life.
A Second Chance
Like many who suffer with drug and alcohol addictions, Cory Monteith says his initial experience with rehab was unsuccessful and that he returned to drugs again. The lowest point, says Monteith, occurred when he took money from a member of his family to purchase more drugs, citing strong feelings of desperation and of being completely void of self-control.
When the act was revealed, says Monteith, he admitted the truth of it and then faced the decision of working toward recovery or facing legal authorities. He chose to return to drug rehab.
Reflecting on his addiction, the musician and actor says he considers himself lucky that the drugs didn't cut his life short, and that at one point, there was no limit to what he would have tried to acquire more drugs.
A strong sense of self-introspection, says the actor, helped him stop using drugs and pursue his acting career. Today, Monteith has earned his high school diploma and tells high school students that drugs aren't the key to fame and success. He also says that if he can return to an addiction-free life, so can others. His recreational habits don't include the party scene, and recent reports about new work for Cory Monteith have included projects such as musical record contracts.
Teen Substance Abuse Statistics
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, peer pressure and an escape from stress are among the top reasons teens begin experimenting with marijuana. Data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse say that among high school sophomores, one in every seven has used marijuana in the past 30 days. Less than 20 percent of high school seniors say they use marijuana.
Survey data also suggest that teens who try marijuana have a higher likelihood of trying cocaine later, and that these teens may have closer contact with people who use and sell other types of illegal drugs. Researchers are also exploring theories that marijuana may create brain-level changes that can make a person more vulnerable to abusing other types of substances later in life.
