Comedian John Mulaney Enters Rehab For Cocaine, Alcohol Addiction

#JohnMulaney is the latest comedian to acknowledge he has a problem, and he's dealing with it.

The former Saturday Night Live writer and prolific comedian reportedly entered a 60-day treatment for alcohol and cocaine abuse just days before Christmas, 2020. Mulaney deserves all the credit in the world for this, even though he was not the one to offer a press release indicating his intentions. Mulaney has been upfront about his past struggles with addiction for some time, and he's choosing to do something about it.

Some might argue that he could have done something to break the cycle of addiction some time ago, but he just didn't. However, that's not how addiction works. It's called a disease for a reason, and while it's not communicable, it doesn't make it any less problematic. From the outside looking in, as someone who does not struggle with addiction, it's easy to look at the situation and say that the addict should just deal with their issues and not use whatever substance they might be addicted to. You can't use rational thought, however, and try and use that to guide an addicted person's behavior - it's an irrational disease. For the addict, one of the most challenging aspects of addiction is actually being able to step up and acknowledge there's an issue in the first place, and another is being able to say something like, "I need to fix this problem not for you, but for me."

Addiction is something I know a little about. My dad was addicted to alcohol and to prescription pills, and while he reportedly admitted to my sister that he just found life too painful to cope with without alcohol, he was in no position to be able to do something about it, and he later died as a result of his alcoholism. He came from a long line of addicts of one stripe or another, and I had to learn as the addict's child to not try and use logic and rationale to understand his behavior because addiction doesn't work like that.

It takes guts to acknowledge you have an issue with addiction and to decide to do something about it - let alone at Christmas time during what has unquestionably been one of the most difficult years for many of us in recent memory - and given this is not Mulaney's first experience dealing with addiction, he should be commended for actually wanting to work once again for his sobriety. What's also interesting is that Mulaney has said in past comedy specials that he looks like a guy who wouldn't really have done anything like drugs in the past. What he said basically highlights the issue that addiction can hit anyone, anytime, and just looking at someone or something and passing judgment, as we all should know, works for no one.

Reports seem to indicate that Mulaney's chief struggle over the last several months has to do with the pandemic itself, which if true should come as no real surprise. The pandemic has been challenging for even the healthiest person's mental health, so for a comedian who has brought a great deal of laughter to people, particularly over the last few months (my family has rewatched Kid Gorgeous multiple times over the last several months and if you haven't already, I'd recommend it highly), to acknowledge his struggles, that's a huge deal.

It's also refreshing to see the outpouring of support for Mulaney on social media. One would hope already that those who are struggling would get support from those they hold dear regardless, but in a world which lately seems defined by how much vitriol can be spewed online, seeing messages about how much Mulaney has meant to them particularly through the pandemic is awfully sweet.

"It's been an especially hard year for folks who struggle with substance abuse. Sending all light and support to John Mulaney," tweets @DrPhilGoff.

"Let the news of John Mulaney be a reminder to us all that we are going through a collective trauma with this pandemic, and for many of us that’s on top of struggles we were already having," writes @KatieNolan. "Check on your people. Asking for help isn’t cowardly. It’s courageous."

Here's hoping #Mulaney comes out of rehab feeling restored and ready to tackle what lays ahead of him.