Lena Dunham: I'm 6 Months Sober

'Girls' star got addicted to Klonopin
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 29, 2018 5:00 PM CDT

Lena Dunham is six months sober after getting addicted to the anxiety medication Klonopin, People reports. The Girls star said during an appearance on Dax Shepard's podcast that her anxiety and PTSD got so bad she easily found a doctor to prescribe the drug. "I was having crazy anxiety and having to show up for things that I didn’t feel equipped to show up for. But I know I need to do it, and when I take a Klonopin, I can do it," explained the 32-year-old, who is also in the news Monday due to her controversial plan to adapt a Syrian refugee story for the big screen, USA Today reports. But eventually, "it stopped being 'I take one when I fly,' to 'I take one when I'm awake,'" she said of the pills.

"If I look back, there were a solid three years where I was, to put it lightly, misusing benzos [benzodiazepines, drugs used to treat anxiety], even though it was all quote unquote doctor prescribed," she continued. Getting off Klonopin was not pleasant: "Nobody I know who are prescribed these medications is told, 'By the way, when you try and get off this, it's going to be like the most hellacious acid trip you've ever had where you're f---ing clutching the walls and the hair is blowing off your head and you can’t believe you found yourself in this situation,'" she said. "Now the literal smell of the inside of pill bottles makes me want to throw up." (Dunham's before/after photos have a message.)

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