Actor Matthew Perry, who passed away, made millions of people happy throughout the world with his legendary performance as Chandler Bing. Regretfully, despite his ability to make others laugh, he struggled with addiction for years and was unable to assist himself.
Perry published his memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing last year, in which he candidly discussed his struggle with addiction. He also disclosed some information regarding co-star Jennifer Aniston among the others.
Over the weekend, Perry’s LA home’s hot tub was discovered to be unresponsive. His death’s precise cause is still under investigation.
The actor, who was born in 1969 to an American father and a Canadian mother, debuted in a movie in 1988 called A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, which also starred the late River Phoenix.
He also starred in Beverly Hills, 90210, and Growing Pains, Sydney, costarring Valerie Bertinelli.
His breakthrough performance came in Friends as the sardonic Chandler Bing. He spent ten years in the job, from 1994 to 2004.
Throughout the course of his multi-decade career, Perry starred alongside Salma Hayek in the 1997 romantic comedy Fools Rush In. He also costarred with Bruce Willis in the 2000 film The Whole Nine Yards and the 2004 follow-up The Whole Ten Yards.
Perry became well-known after landing a role in Friends, one of the most watched television programs ever. But he also began misusing alcohol at that same period.
Kind of, I could manage it. However, I was deeply involved in a lot of trouble by the time I was 34,” Perry acknowledged. However, I did spend some years sober throughout that period. The year I stayed sober the entire time was Season 9. And you know for which season I received a best actor nomination? That ought to tell me something, I thought.
He experienced a health crisis in 2018 after being admitted to the hospital for a stomach perforation. He spent two weeks in a coma and five months overall.
Perry told People, “The doctors told my family that I had a two percent chance to live.” “I was placed on an ECMO machine, which does all of your heart and lung breathing. That is referred to be a Hail Mary. Nobody makes it out of that.
Perry often acknowledged that the other members of the Friends cast knew about his addiction and supported him because they were close in real life as well as on television.
They were really patient and understanding. It resembles penguins. In the wild, penguins tend to support and embrace each other when one becomes ill or severely injured. Until that penguin can walk on its own, they circumambulate it. For me, the actors kind of did that, according to Perry.
But through thick and thin, Jennifer Aniston was the one who was at his side. It was she who kept in constant touch with him through his highs and lows.
He stated, “She was the one that reached out the most,” in an interview with Diane Sawyer from October 2022. “You know, she has my sincere gratitude for that.”
Simultaneously, Aniston was the first to confront him over his drinking issues.
Sawyer mentioned a surprise in Perry’s book when he remarked, “Jennifer, she says, ‘We know you’re drinking.’”
Perry answered, “Yeah, imagine how scary a moment that was.”
As a friend and actor, Matthew made the world a much happier place. They wrote in their statement, “You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the incredible outpouring of love.
The late actor received tributes from admirers, coworkers, producers, and other celebrities.
There’s One Method of Healing Trauma That Prince Harry Uses, and Here’s How to Practice It
Prince Harry recently opened up about his journey with post-traumatic stress disorder following the loss of his mother, Princess Diana. In a candid discussion, he revealed his exploration of a groundbreaking therapy that helped him.
The therapy is called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to address the debilitating effects of his anxiety attacks. This revelation offers a glimpse into the royal’s personal struggles and his proactive approach towards mental health care, shedding light on the significance of seeking innovative treatments of traumas.
In a video, Prince Harry can be seen undergoing EMDR therapy, where he taps his shoulders and moves his eyes rapidly. This therapy is relatively new and is used to treat PTSD. Prince Harry shared that he decided to try EMDR to deal with severe anxiety attacks he was experiencing.
Prince Harry mentioned that he was open to trying EMDR because of the therapy and work he had done over the years.
During a therapy session with UK-based psychotherapist Sanja Oakley, Prince Harry demonstrated how EMDR helped him feel better about returning home. He described feeling scared and helpless before, but the therapy helped him cope with those feelings.
Prince Harry’s openness about his experience with EMDR therapy sheds light on alternative treatments for post-traumatic disorder and mental health struggles. It shows that seeking help and trying different therapies can make a difference in managing mental health conditions.
EMDR is a therapy made in 1987 to help with emotional traumas. It’s a structured therapy where you think about a tough memory while moving your eyes back and forth. This helps lessen the strong feelings tied to the memory.
EMDR works on a theory called Adaptive Information Processing (AIP). It says that trauma sticks around because it hasn’t been dealt with properly. So, when something reminds you of the trauma, those memories can come back strongly.
Unlike other therapies that try to lessen your reaction to trauma, EMDR tries to change how your brain stores those tough memories. Sometimes, instead of eye movements, you might listen to alternating tones. Usually, EMDR happens once or twice a week for about six to 12 sessions. But it can vary depending on the person.
Benefits of EMDR therapy
- EMDR is a structured therapy and usually needs fewer sessions than ongoing therapies.
- You don’t have to keep going back to the tough memory for a long time.
- You don’t have to talk a lot about what happened to you.
- There’s no homework to do.
- EMDR doesn’t try to change your thoughts and beliefs.
Disadvantages of EMDR therapy
- While EMDR is known to help with PTSD, it hasn’t been studied as much for other mood or mental health problems.
- If you’re avoiding talking about a tough event, EMDR might not be the best choice. Other types of talk therapy might work better.
- EMDR can sometimes make you feel worse at the start of treatment. The person who created EMDR warns that this could be dangerous for people who have gone through really tough things.
The process of EMDR
EMDR is a structured process with eight phases, each aimed at helping you deal with traumatic memories:
- History taking: Discuss your past with the therapist to identify which memories to focus on.
- Preparation: Learn about EMDR and how the therapist will use bilateral stimulation.
- Assessment: Identify your negative and positive beliefs related to the trauma.
- Desensitization: Use bilateral stimulation while recalling the memory.
- Installation: Focus on positive beliefs while processing the memory.
- Body scan: Talk about how you feel emotionally and physically.
- Closure: Prepare for what may happen between sessions.
- Reevaluation: Assess your progress and decide if more sessions are needed.
As you go through EMDR, you may start feeling less overwhelmed by the trauma. It’s normal for other painful memories to surface, indicating that suppressed memories are being processed.
When grappling with deep emotional traumas, it’s crucial to seek out specialists who can provide the appropriate form of treatment tailored to your needs. Whether it’s EMDR therapy or other therapeutic approaches, finding the right professional can make a significant difference in your healing journey.
Preview photo credit Good Morning America / YouTube
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