From an outsider’s perspective, famous folks like Dennis Quaid can seem like they have their lives together. In reality, however, we can never know what someone is going through. For Quaid, that includes a struggle with addiction. Recently, he chose to talk more about this part of his life.
Soon after making a name for himself in the 70s and 80s, Quaid had to check himself into rehab. He had taken a path in life that was bound to lead him places he didn’t want to go and, upon realizing this, he was compelled to take action.
“I remember going home and having kind of a white light experience that I saw myself either dead or in jail or losing everything I had, and I didn’t want that,” he recalled in a conversation with PEOPLE.
At the time, Quaid was in a band. Just when they managed to score a record gig, the actor’s unreliability forced them to break up. Eventually, he realized that there was something missing in his life and that filling it with drugs and alcohol wasn’t the solution.
Like many addicts, Quaid has found comfort through finding a higher power. Or rather, in his case, returning to one. Having been raised a Christian, Quaid is going back to his roots by releasing an album called “Fallen: A Gospel Record For Sinners.”
“I grew up at the Baptist church; I love the hymns that I remember from being a kid,” he said. “The songs are self-reflective and self-examining, not churchy.”
Although addiction is a life-long challenge for most, it’s clear that Quaid is back on a path that feels right for him.
“It’s a struggle,” he said. “We’re all looking for the joy of life, and drugs give that to you and alcohol and whatever it is for anybody give that to you really quick. Then they’re fun and then they’re fun with problems, and then they’re just problems after a while.”
In addition to reconnecting with his faith, Quaid can also count on the many family members and loved ones in his life who are always there to support him when he needs it most.
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” he said.
What a great reminder that it’s never too late to forge a new, healthier path in life!
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