'Growing Pains' actor Jeremy Miller recalls DUI after drinking 'half pint of vodka'
Jeremy Miller detailed a challenging sobriety setback on his road to recovery with alcoholism.
"Growing Pains" actor Jeremy Miller shared one of his rock bottom points of his battle with alcoholism from years ago when he was pulled over for driving under the influence after drinking a "half pint of vodka" and getting behind the wheel.
The 45-year-old television star exclusively told Fox News Digital that while he is "totally sober for over seven years now," he will not forget being a "mean drunk" in the past who was "blacking out every single day" after traumatic alcohol binges when he "broke lamps and punched holes in walls" while inebriated.
"I'm in recovery since 2011, had a couple little stumbles," he said before detailing just a few of the struggles he has had to overcome with his addiction. "I'll be honest, this is one of the parts of my story that I like to be honest with people."
Miller revealed he was at the "absolute lowest" with his alcohol addiction and "looking for any sort of help" when he was introduced to a time-released implant that was injected into his stomach and released Naltrexone (an opioid antagonist) which almost immediately curbed his cravings. "It was like somebody had flicked off the light switch," he said.
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Jeremy Miller, pictured in November, shared his challenges battling alcoholism. (Arnold Turner)
Miller grew up in front of the camera as one of the stars of the popular '80s family sitcom, "Growing Pains." He worked alongside Alan Thicke, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, Joanna Kerns, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ashley Johnson on the show, which ran for seven seasons and ended in 1992.
He recalled his drinking habits beginning at a young age, and by 2011, he was "desperate" to crawl out of the dark place he was in with his alcohol consumption.
"I tried rehab, in-patient rehab, outpatient rehab, hydrotherapy, herbal therapies," he said. "I tried hypnosis. I tried just about everything I could find, and just nothing worked for me. Nothing helped me get past that constant bombarding craving that was always there."
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After a particularly "nasty blowup" with his fiancée Joanie Miller when she tried to stop him from leaving a wedding and he "threw her" off his back, Miller was "devastated" upon realizing he hurt the person he loved the most.
"It was every morning I woke up, blacked out, you know, from a blackout, having to ask her what happened," he said. "It was just all that horrific stuff, and it was a daily basis at this point. I mean, at this point, I was blacking out every single day and night."
"Growing Pains" began airing in 1985 and ended in 1992 after its seventh season. (ABC Photo Archives)
He was so "desperate for that help" that he took the leap of faith and received a compounded naltrexone implant similar to what is now BICX104.
"BICX104 is an implantable naltrexone pellet being studied to treat opioid use disorder and the importance of such a product is to address the need in the treatment space to have a naltrexone product that can last several months after single administration. Naltrexone has been around for decades and has been proven to be effective but adherence to taking it has been an issue. Implantable naltrexone, like BICX104, is to address that noncompliance," said BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals CEO Brady Granier.
While Miller felt almost immediate help with the injection, which can curb the desire for alcohol, he still hit road blocks along the way.
"Some financial difficulties arose, I had a pretty big fight with my fiancée and I bolted the house and ... I stopped at the liquor store," he remembered. "It's the only DUI I ever got, and believe me, I deserved many more, and I don't say that lightly.
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"It's probably the thing I'm most ashamed of in my drinking career, is how many times I put other peoples' lives at risk by getting behind the wheel. I did it way more than I like to admit.
He added: "But I got in the car that day. I pounded a half pint of vodka, probably would have drank a lot more, and I got pulled over for a DUI, and from that point on, I got back into working on my recovery."
"Growing Pains" star Jeremy Miller and wife Joanie Miller, seen in July, went through hardships due to his alcoholism. (Michael Tullberg)
Miller remembered another "stumble" in his recovery efforts "about seven years ago" as he wasn't focused on doing the work to stay healthy.
"Again, rested on my laurels a bit. I wasn't doing the things I needed to do, the work I needed to do to try and stay sober on a daily basis," he said. "Thankfully, that stumble was just a day. I didn't fall off the cliff. It didn't turn into a bender, which is rare. I mean that, truthfully, that happens more often than not.
"When I see alcoholics stumble, it usually turns into a longer thing. But I was very blessed in that I realized immediately how badly I had screwed up and what had happened. And I needed to jump back into doing the work. So I've been completely and totally sober for over seven years now. And it's, believe me, an incredible blessing."
Miller, program alumni and ambassador for BioCorRx, reiterated that he is lucky to have a little guidance with the implant and his recovery, but it is up to the individual to truly put in daily effort to continue working on sobriety.
Jeremy Miller said he was interested in a "Growing Pains" reboot, but the decision was out of his hands. (Walt Disney Television)
"If you don't do that work, and you just try and rely on this magic bullet, it's not, you know, your chances are very slim," he said. "So, like everything in life, it still takes work."
Granier said that along with the medication, the company developed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and peer support access via mobile app.
"The medication is important, but it’s a tool," he said. "The behavioral therapy and support is the most important element but oftentimes gets overlooked when people focus just on medications. We are excited about the use of the medication in conjunction with these behavioral therapies."
When it comes to chances of being back on set for a "Growing Pains" reboot with his former co-stars, Miller admitted there was some forward motion a few years ago with Warner Bros., and he would love the opportunity to be back with the Seaver family.
"It'd be fun to do," he said. "It'd be fun to revisit those characters where they are now."
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