Josh Peck opens up about past addiction to drugs, alcohol

Washington [US], March 11 : American actor Josh Peck has revealed in a new interview about his past addiction to drugs and alcohol, which started after he dropped 127 pounds by changing his approach to diet and exercise as a teen.
Talking to People magazine on Wednesday, the former Nickelodeon star said, "It became clear that once I lost the weight that I was the same head in a new body. What is really clear is that I overdo things. And then I discovered drugs and alcohol. And that became my next chapter. I used food and drugs to numb my feelings."
Peck, who once weighed around 300 pounds, told he started boozing and using drugs including cocaine as a way to mask his pain and insecurities stemming from a childhood marked by constant body-shaming.
He recalled, "It was really a buffet. I had this illusion of becoming more confident and attractive when I was partaking. I was trying to quiet that voice that woke me up every morning and told me I wasn't enough."
However, gradually the actor realized he had developed a reputation in Hollywood for being "unstable and erratic." Speaking about his fame, he said "I had worked so hard for this thing, and I was getting very close to losing it." He added that the fear of derailing his own career helped him make the decision to join a treatment program and has been sober since 2008.
As per Page Six, Peck added that even though "it took me a really long time to love the 15-year-old version" of himself, he now realizes that was the path he was supposed to be on.