Jodie Sweetin

(Full House!)

Imaginary interview with actress, Jodie Sweetin:

My name is Jodie Lee Ann Sweetin. I was born in Los Angeles, California. I was adopted as a baby, by Sam and Janice Sweetin. At a young age, my parents and family friends saw my potential as an actress, and at age 5 got the role as Stephanie Tanner on "Full House". I was on the show for 8 years, from the ages of 5-13. Growing up on television was difficult, the days were long since I would have to go to school in the morning, and go to work in the afternoon. Whether I was sick, or just plain exhausted, I would still go. This does not mean i regret it, because I loved the unique childhood I had. After full house ended, I was going into my freshman year of high school. At age 14, I had my first brushes with alcoholism when I drank two bottles of wine and got drunk at my cast mate Candace Cameron's wedding. Throughout high school and college I developed an addiction to methamphetamine. This addiction continued after college, and strained my relationship with my college roommate and my mother. I realized I needed to make a change to my life and strive towards sobriety permanently when I was pulled over after driving drunk with my baby in the car. I had gone to rehab a couple of times, but I was determined this time to be able to kick my addiction. During this time I decided to write a memoir about my addiction, it was a way to tell my story from my point of view after it had been in the media for so many years. Up until now I have been going around to college campuses and speaking about my addiction, I am now on the new "Full House" reboot series, "Fuller House" as well as a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars".

(Her Book cover)

Jodie, since you are not only mine, but many other people's hero as well, a lot of people want to know, who is your hero? "Well, throughout my addiction, my cast mates were always there for me when I needed to someone to talk to, and would never give up on me, so I would have to say that they are". Speaking of Full House, as a child actor, it is common to see them turn to drugs as they got older, do you think being a child start was a primary factor as to why you turned to drugs? "Well, first off, let me say that I do not regret doing Full House, or anything in my childhood. It was amazing, and I would not change it; At times it was difficult for me, I was becoming exhausted, I went to school in the mornings, and work in the afternoon, it did not matter if I was sick, or exhausted, I just went. I fooled myself into thinking everything was alright, but where I was at, I understand now that it wasn't" So you had a tough time balancing life with your busy schedule, that's understandable. So if you were having personal problems then, when did the problems with drug abuse begin? "After Full House ended, I believe I was 14 when I experienced my first brushes with just alcohol abuse". So with the negative cycle you were going through during these years, what had made you realized you were at your lowest point? "When I was pulled over intoxicated with my daughter in the car, that is when I realized I seriously need to kick my addiction". So after you kicked the addiction, how has sobriety changed you? "I have been so grateful for everybody in my life, they have truly been there for me and put up with a lot of my problems over the years. I have become cautious and aware of my addiction". That's good, do you ever see yourself falling back to your addiction? "You can never know, it's a disease, all I know is that I am sober and I plan to be, for my daughters". So speaking of your sobriety, your memoir is about all the problems you dealt with growing up, why did you decide to write it? "Well, my addiction had become covered by the media for years, and during my treatment, I decided to write it, to tell my story, from my point of view". If you were able to speak with someone resisting treatment, what would you say? "I thought I didn't need anyone, or anything to help myself, and to this day I regret it, because the people I love are what got me through treatment". Your memoir has inspired many people, do you consider yourself to be a hero? "No, I consider myself to be a really really really really lucky person". Inspiring Jodie, but other then your memoir, do you do anything else to help others? "I go around to college campuses, and tell people about what I went through growing up, especially since I began experimenting with methamphetamine during college. I want them to know that I did not live the glamorous life growing up that many others do". Well thanks Jodie, you truly are an inspiring woman, and I consider you a hero!

Jodie Sweetin Photo

Jodie has quite the comeback story. Like many other child stars, she turned to drugs throughout her life, but what makes her special is that she was able to comeback from it. Over the years, she has taken what was a horrible situation, and was not only able to learn from it herself, but help others with it also. She talks about the horrors of her addiction outright on media, and also goes around and speaks to kids at colleges about it as a guest speaker. Her story is inspiring because she went from her low point as a drug addict, back to her normal self, she is now on her new show, as well as a successful published author of her autobiography. She has inspired many drug users who have heard about or read her autobiography to seek help. For these reasons, I believe she should be in the Heroes Hall of Fame.