Jack Osbourne on Staying Sober After MS Diagnosis: I 'Focus on What's Right in Front of Me'
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When it came to staying sober after his multiple sclerosis diagnosis, Jack Osbourne said he took it one day at a time.
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's son opened up about how he was managing his recovery after his 2012 diagnosis during a recent interview with Variety.
"I felt deflated and frustrated because I was like, 'Well, what was the point? What was the point in even doing any of this bullshit? I should have just burned it all down years ago,'" Osbourne, 35, told Variety. "But then I did what I have done my whole adult life in recovery: I reached out to the people in my tribe, and kind of told them what was going on."
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Jack said that getting advice from loved ones helped him work through the changes in his life and keep going.
"Someone very close to me gave me the sound advice of, 'Well, are you going to die today?' And I was like, 'No.' He's like, 'Are you going to die tomorrow?' And I was like, 'No.' And he's like, 'Well, call me tomorrow,'" he said.
He explained he used a similar approach to his illness that he had learned as part of the 12-step-program.
"It's a cliché term, but when it comes to my ailment, I tend to have a day-at-a-time-type attitude around it," Jack said quoting an oft-used 12-step-program mindset. "I have no guarantee what my life will look like in five, 10 or 15 years. So I just try and focus on what's right in front of me."
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Jack was diagnosed with MS at 26, nine years after he got sober, he said.
The TV host will be 18 years sober in April. Last April, the star explained in an Instagram post that he got sober from drugs and alcohol when he "surrendered to the fact that I will never be a 'normal' drinker and that drugs and alcohol will only ever lead to bad things for me." I went to meetings, worked steps, help newcomers and surrounded myself with strong sober people.
The dad of three has previously talked to PEOPLE about how his family, especially his children, have helped him through some of his hardest days.
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"I get these little bouts of, just, 'Woe is me' for a bit, and then I snap out of it," he said. "Kids are really great to focus that, because it's like — 'Hey, there's a crying baby,' 'Hey, I have to go do a school run'… it's a good way to pull me out of myself."
He shares three children with his ex-wife Lisa Stelly — Pearl, 8, Andy Rose, 5, and Minnie Theodora, 3.
"I've been able to live a very high-functioning life and most of my friends forget that I have [MS]," he said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
