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Matthew Perry — the beloved Friends actor — has sadly passed away at the age of 54, leaving the world in mourning. He was discovered unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. However, what most people don’t know about Perry is that behind the cool demeanor of his character Chandler Bing, there was a person battling with drug abuse, alcohol addiction and anxiety.
In 1997, Perry became addicted to the pain medication Vicodin after a jet ski accident, known for its addictive properties. Over the next three years, he grappled with drug and alcohol addiction — resulting in fluctuations in his weight — noticeable even on the set of Friends. In 2001, he sought rehab, this time for an addiction to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines, and alcohol.
When Perry later opened up about his battle with substance abuse, he revealed that he couldn’t recall three years of his life from the ’90s and early 2000s. He admitted to not remembering three seasons of working on Friends due to the toll substance abuse had taken on him.
Apart from this, Perry also faced anxiety while filming Friends. During the reunion special episode in 2021, he confessed to feeling like he was experiencing a near-death encounter every single night while playing the role of Chandler in front of a live studio audience.
“To me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn’t laugh,” he said. “And it’s not healthy for sure, but I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn’t laugh, and I would sweat and just go into convulsions if I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get. I would freak out.”
The world is a little less funny without Chandler Bing. Rest in peace, dear friend.❤️#MatthewPerry pic.twitter.com/BCSjlSJOnC
— Venkatesh Daggubati (@VenkyMama) October 29, 2023
Is there a connection between substance abuse and anxiety?
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