Jeremy Miller Alcohol Addiction Nearly Cost 'Growing Pains' Star Everything
"Growing Pains" star Jeremy Miller did not have an easy transition when the successful family series stopped filming. Miller, the father of three sons with wife Joanie, has revealed that he suffered from alcoholism and is grateful that he did not own a gun during that time because he "would have done something very stupid."
"My grandparents actually tell a story about how at 4 years old I would run around after their parties and clean up everybody's beers," Miller told "Entertainment Tonight." By the end of filming "Growing Pains," Miller would "rush immediately to the liquor store to get something – usually two or three cans of high-gravity malt liquor and then by noon I'd be working on a pint of whatever I decided to buy – bourbon, vodka. By the evening, I'd be working on another."
It was a dark time in his life, one that Miller is not proud of. He managed to marry wife Joanie and have three sons, but that did not do anything to help curb his urge to drink.
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"My boys were afraid of me," he said. "There were probably a few nights it was awful close [to the end]," he added. "I'm glad I did not own a gun because I hated myself so thoroughly that I would have done something very stupid."
Miller now works as a patient advocate at the Start Fresh Recovery clinic in Santa Ana, Calif. He has been sober for some time and credits a combination of counseling and an anti-alcoholism drug injected under his skin for his sobriety. The implant is not FDA approved and contains Naltrexone, which helps curb the urge to drink.
He is not the only "Growing Pains" star to have battled personal demons during his time in front of the camera. Co-star Tracey Gold famously spoke of her struggle with anorexia during filming. She nearly missed filming the final episodes due to the severity of her illness. Today, she is an advocate for those struggling with eating disorders.
