Elle Macpherson took ‘shots of vodka’ alone after putting kids to bed during ‘downward spiral’ of addiction
"I was in a horrible downward spiral. Often, I would drink after I put my children to bed. I would sit down by myself and have shots of vodka..." she penned in her memoir, via the "Today" show .
Macpherson shares two sons, Flynn and Aurelius Cy Andrea, with her former partner, financier Arpad Busson.
Meanwhile, her alcoholism eventually led her to check into rehab. In September, Macpherson celebrated 20 years of sobriety.
"It's not just drinking, we can be addicted to fear, we can be addicted to drama... we can have emotional relationships when we don't really want to," she shared on "Today."
"It's about really addressing those things that are behind the addiction... The addiction is just the symptoms. And for me, drinking was just behind the symptoms of those things."
As Macpherson focused on her sobriety, she renewed her commitment to health, which eventually led to a spiritual awakening.
In 2014, she started her own health brand company, called WelleCo.
Three years later, the supermodel revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.
After undergoing an initial lumpectomy, Macpherson's diagnosis of HER2+ oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma was confirmed.
Macpherson's doctor recommended a mastectomy with chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy. The doctor also suggested the model have reconstructive surgery on her breasts, but after weeks of consideration, Macpherson decided to take on a more holistic approach.
"Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But saying no to my own inner sense would have been harder," she wrote in her book "Elle."
The "Friends" actress used integrative medicine, focusing on alternative therapies and changes to her lifestyle, confining herself to a home in Arizona for eight months under the supervision of her doctor, who specializes in naturopathy. She also saw an osteopath, chiropractor, a holistic dentist and two therapists.
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Macpherson is now proudly in clinical remission and celebrating all aspects of her life.
"I have never felt better than I do now," she wrote in an excerpt in her memoir.
During her appearance on "Today," Macpherson explained her decision to speak out about her cancer diagnosis in her book was determined by, "how to navigate by making choices when you're gripped with fear."
As Macpherson celebrates being cancer-free at age 60, she said this chapter in her life feels like a "new beginning." "I feel so alive, vibrant, I have a sense of vitality that I never had before. I'm in love, my children are thriving," she concluded. "I feel like many people feel... that 60 was at the end of the road... I just feel so grateful for the life I've had... I feel enthused."
