Hayden Panettiere is on the cover of the latest issue of Women’s Health, discussing how she turned her life around after struggles with alcohol and opioid abuse left her body severely damaged.
According to the “Heroes” alum, things took a bad turn after the birth of her first child, which left her struggling with postpartum depression at the same time that an old neck injury flared up. “I was in a lot of pain,” she said, revealing she began to rely on alcohol and opioids. “My tolerance got so high so fast that it became a problem.”
That eventually affected her sleep. “I struggled with sleep deprivation,” she said. “Sleep is massive. It affects your motor skills, your ability to think, and your overall health.”
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She realized her drinking had become extreme when she began experiencing physical side effects.
“My body was like, ‘enough,’” she said. “I hit 30. My face was swollen. I had jaundice. My eyes were yellow. I had to go to a liver specialist. I was holding on to weight that wasn’t normally there. My hair was thin and coming out in clumps.”
In 2021, she returned to rehab, along with undertaking a 12-step program, and even undergoing trauma therapy.
“I did a lot of work on myself,” she shared. “After eight months of intensive therapy, I felt like I had this blank canvas to work with.”
