"Message me if you are thinking about doing that and if you are doing that now and you need some encouragement or anything at all," she added before ending the video.
While July means the month of independence to America, it does mean freedom, but of a different kind, to 63-year-old Patricia Heaton. The actress took to Instagram to share a video stating that she's been sober for three years, and captioned it, "A lot to celebrate this month."
"Hello, friends! I'm just finishing up my, what, 3½-mile walk around the reservoir. And it's July when we celebrate our nation's freedom. Also, [I'm] celebrating three years of freedom from alcohol for me. So I just want to share that with you," Heaton said in the clip with a contagious smile, according to PEOPLE.
The former Everybody Loves Raymond star was kind enough to offer a helping hand to people who are going through what she went through three years ago. "Message me if you are thinking about doing that and if you are doing that now and you need some encouragement or anything at all," she added before ending the video.
Last year, in an interview with Parade, the actor recalled how her journey towards sobriety went. "I quit drinking two years ago in July. I miss it terribly, but at the end of the day, I feel better. I noticed that I was looking forward every night to cocktails."
However, it isn't like she completely avoids it or is overwhelmed by emotions when she's offered alcohol. "And if I happened to go to lunch, I might have a glass of wine or Prosecco."
The former Carol's Second Act star also shared that "there’s an actual statistic that women who were moderate drinkers in their 30s and 40s often become alcoholics in their 50s and 60s."
"I think it’s something about your children leaving the house and the things that used to anchor you are no longer there. You’re a little bit at sea, and so you reach for the bottle to dull the uncertainty. I sensed that a bit with myself. And as your hormones change, you can’t really process alcohol the same way you did when you were younger."
Because of her decision to quit binge drinking, she's seen a lot of changes in her health. "I’ve stopped, and my life has improved significantly. My kids are in their mid-20s and I’ll probably be in my 70s by the time I have grandchildren. I want to be healthy for them."
Heaton, who released a book titled Your Second Act: Inspiring Stories of Reinvention last year, strongly believes that her faith in God is what's helped her, and added more chapters to her life. "I've gone up and down many different paths; looking back, I see how the seed for my second act was clearly planted in my first act," Heaton said.
Heaton, who views her journey as a moment of reinvention, believes anything is achievable "at any age and at any time" in life.
"Just get out there and embrace your life!" Heaton said.
Per USA Today, the star is married to David Hunt, an English actor and director. Together, they share four sons.
References:
https://parade.com/1060102/nicolepajer/patricia-heaton-second-act/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Jason Kempin
