Drew Barrymore Says She “Drank To Numb” Herself In Emotional Conversation With ‘Drew Barrymore Show’ Audience Member

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Drew Barrymore shared a touching moment with an audience member at The Drew Barrymore Show, where she opened up about drinking to “numb” herself before finally deciding to cut out alcohol altogether.

The heartfelt interaction happened during a commercial break when audience member Patricia became choked up while offering Barrymore some life advice.

“You work so hard. You deserve everything that you work for,” Patricia said through tears. “I just feel that you really need to give yourself a little softness. So I’m giving you some softness.”

Barrymore embraced the woman, who revealed that she had been going through a divorce battle for the last two years before praising the actress for being an “inspiration” to her.

“Life, when you are ready to be awake, makes you shake,” Barrymore said. “It’s palpable and I can say this because I drank to numb myself. It either made me feel so invincible and interesting and could take anything on or handle anything. Or, I didn’t want to feel. And it accomplished that too.”

She noted that drinking put “such a veil between” herself and life — and while she’s “not sober,” she recognized that alcohol was a “toxic behavior” that she waited her “whole life to get rid of” and finally did so “about five years ago.”

'The Drew Barrymore Show'
Photo: CBS

“When you say to yourself, you’re just such a mess — and you’re a mess, why wouldn’t you believe it? That’s the truth,” Barrymore said, to which Patricia replied, “Messes can be cleaned up. Messes are life and so many things can be happening at the same time. It’s OK to be happy and sad. It’s OK to be confused and absolutely determined.”

Barrymore eventually made her way back to the stage, where she declared The Drew Barrymore Show a “safe space.”

“I think that we just need to feel safe,” she said. “Everybody deserves that — to have something or someone to make them feel safe.”

The Drew Barrymore Show airs on weekdays on CBS. You can check the website for local airtimes.