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Louise Thomas
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Kit Harington has opened up about his experience of sobriety, saying he feels like an “entirely different person”.
The Game of Thrones actor, who played Jon Snow in all eight seasons of the fantasy drama, went to rehab in 2019 for addiction, with alcohol being one of the contributing factors.
Speaking to GQ Hype, the-father-of-two said, “I was so lucky I got sober before having kids,” adding that at one point it felt “physically and emotionally impossible for me not to drink again.”
Laying bare his experience of self-hatred and low self-esteem during his addiction, the 37-year-old continued, “I would stare in the mirror and call myself a c**t. I’d hate myself. I would literally despise myself and not be proud of anything I’d done. I couldn’t be proud.”
Harington who received some backlash for comments on feeling objectified after becoming a “sex symbol” on the award-winning fantasy show, admitted mistakes had been made in its much maligned final season. However, he added that his pride at overcoming his addiction was a sign that he had entirely changed as a person.
“The fact that I am proud of getting sober is in and of itself a mark of being an entirely different person. And now, every set I step onto, whatever work I do, I’m proud of, because I know I put everything into it.
“Whereas before I had this huge monkey on my back that was just, like, weighing me down. So yeah, the whole nature of being proud of myself is a relatively new prospect for me.”
Although Harington is not sure whether it will stay that way he added, “Look, I can’t tell what the future brings. I might have one massive, messy, chaotic relapse. And I hope that doesn’t happen. But I think I protect myself by talking about it.”
Explaining why he is so open about discussing his challenges with addiction, he explained that he hopes it will help others to hear from people in the public eye, “who had the same problem, and who are living a really, really genuinely happy, content life, and can’t imagine going back to what I [would be] going back to.”
In an interview with The Guardian in 2022, he confirmed that he’s “well on [his] path to recovery” and recommended sobriety to others who might be considering it: “All I can say to anyone thinking about it is it’s a wonderful way of living your life. It saved me, for sure.”
Harington has spoken about his mental health publicly before; he previously revealed that he sought therapy in between seasons five and six of Game of Thrones.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
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
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