Recalling his dark days battling cocaine addiction, the actor said he was one of the first people to enter a clinic for help before everyone else 'did it to be chic'.
- September 7, 2010
AceShowbiz - Actor Dennis Quaid is convinced he paved the way for troubled celebrities to use rehabilitation centers - insisting he underwent intense treatment for drug addiction before it was "chic". The "Big Easy" actor became hooked on cocaine in the 1970s and ended up in California's St John's hospital for several weeks in a bid to conquer his demons.
And Quaid considers himself a trailblazer as he was "one of the first" to seek help at a dedicated treatment facility after experiencing an out-of-body experience. He tells Britain's The Times, "St John's hospital. I was in there for 28 days - one of the first people ever to go into rehab. Before they advertised it, before people did it to be chic."
"I wasn't even planning on quitting, to be honest with you, but I had one of those 'white light' experiences. I saw myself dead. Then I got a check-up and they told me my liver numbers were elevated and not in a good way. Cocaine's really hard on the liver. And of course you have to drink so much to smooth it out. Couple that with an hour's sleep a night, and well..."
