Eric Kane's Struggle With Addiction & Body Image
- Eric Dane, known for acting as Dr. Mark Sloan on the TV drama series “Grey’s Anatomy,” has admitted to coping with an “overwhelming” road to sobriety and feeling “self-doubt” when comprehending how others viewed his body.
- If you struggle with self-perception and body image, you should try to look at yourself in a positive light despite how difficult it may be. By practicing body positivity, you can boost your emotional well-being.
- And if substance abuse or addiction is something your dealing with, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline, which can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) is “a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
RELATED: Check out SurvivorNet’s Mental Health Resources
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Dane, whose character died after a plane crash in the show’s season 9 premiere, explained how he had been sober for approximately four years prior to getting cast on the show, but admitted being in the public eye contributed to break his clean streak.
He said, “I had my wits about me and I sort of knew what reality was and what reality wasn’t, and I was able to differentiate between the two, and I was able to sort of conceptualize what that was, keep it in its place, enjoy it, dip in every now and again and come back.”
Dane continued, “If you take the whole eight years on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ I was f***ed up longer than I was sober, and that’s when things started going sideways for me.
“It was overwhelming, and I think I just wanted to pretend that it wasn’t and that I was comfortable with it. Act like you’ve been there, but you haven’t been there.”
He admitted he had a “drug and alcohol addiction” during his time on the show, which he suspects possibly led to him being “fired.”
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Dane, who stepped away from the TV drama 14 years ago, said, “I didn’t leave so much as I think I was let go. They didn’t let me go because of that [struggle with addition] … although it definitely didn’t help.”
However, Dane thinks it was also pricey for the show creators to keep him on stage, adding, “I was starting to become, as most of these actors who have spent significant time on a show, you start to become very expensive for the network.”
“And the network knows that the show is going to do what it’s going to do irrespective of who they keep on it. As long as they have their Grey, they’re fine.”
He also noted how it was noticeable how much he’s changed since he first started on the show, saying, “I wasn’t the same guy they had hired.”
Referring to the show’s producer Shonda Rhymes, Dane said, “She was really great … she protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly. She protected us privately,” adding, “But I was probably fired. It wasn’t ceremoniously like, ‘You’re fired.’ It was more, ‘You’re not coming back.'”
Dane ultimately entered a rehab clinic in 2011 to combat an addition to painkillers following a sports injury.
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Regardless of what exactly led to him leaving the show, Dane did also reveal he suffered from a negative body image while acting as one of the show’s heart throbs.
Acting in the fictional TV show as a doctor working at Seattle Grace Hospital, who was labeled as “McSteamy” for his attractive appearance and a scene which featured him in a towel, Dane insists he couldn’t comprehend why others viewed him as attractive.
He explained on the podcast, “My exterior did not match my interior.” That was weird for me because I never saw myself as that. It was a real source of self-doubt.
“I felt fraudulent.”
Practicing Body Positivity and Self-Acceptance
An experience like Eric Dane’s struggle with body image and addiction, or another major health crisis can influence how patients view themselves.
If you struggle with self-perception and body image, you should try to look at yourself in a positive light despite how difficult it may be. By practicing body positivity, you can boost your emotional well-being.
WATCH: Accepting Yourself After Cancer
Dr. Marianna Strongin, a New York-based licensed clinical psychologist, also has some helpful advice. She encourages people that spending time in front of the mirror can help with body image.
Although “research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with,” which can cause “a negative self-view and lower self-esteem,” it’s important to look at the parts of your body that you love and the parts of your body that you don’t.
Eventually, Dr. Strongin says, doing so can help you create a more accepting relationship with yourself.
“Body image is both the mental picture that you have of your body and how you feel about your body when you look in a mirror,” she said. “As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body.”
It’s important to remember there is no one definition of beauty, and following a health crisis, patients must learn to be proud of who they are and how far they’ve come inside and out.
Alcoholism Is a Disease
It’s understandable Eric Dane underwent some arduous times in his life, which reminds us of when we previously spoke with news anchor Elizabeth Vargas, on her previous struggle with alcoholism and anxiety.
She compared alcoholism recovery to battling cancer, as both should be looked at in a similar light, however, both issues are viewed completely different.
Vargas previously told SurvivorNet that she recounted a nurse telling her, “She’d rather have a recurrence of breast cancer over a relapse with alcohol because when you have breast cancer, everybody shows up.” However, “With addiction,” Vargas explains, “everybody runs away. We need to change. It’s hard. But we do need to change that.”
Elizabeth Vargas On How She Took Control Of Her Addiction & Anxiety
She continued, “Relapse is part of recovery. If getting sober or getting clean from a substance was that easy, we wouldn’t have the issue of addiction in this country. People relapse because it’s hard. It’s really hard. And I think all too often, families, companies, corporations, friends, and colleagues are too fast to say, you relapsed, you’re out, you’re done.
“We don’t tell somebody who has cancer when the cancer comes back, oh, sorry, no more chemo. But many companies, many families say, no more treatment. You relapsed. You’re hopeless. You don’t want to get better. You won’t try hard enough. And that’s the kind of thinking I think we need to change.
“And that’s why there’s so much stigma around the disease of substance use disorder,” she added.
Vargas, who is now sober, also admitted that although she loves her two sons very much and would “die for them,” she understands all too well that alcoholism is so “powerful” and hard to combat that she “couldn’t stop drinking for them” prior to looking for help.
Mental Health: Critical Knowledge
The term mental health refers to both our emotional and psychological well-being. Our mental health can affect how we think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or changes in your physical health can affect mental health. It’s really important to keep tabs on your mental health and, if necessary, seek treatment. This doesn’t necessarily mean traditional therapy because while it may be really helpful (even life-changing) for some, that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.
Problems with mood and overall mental well-being can be attributed to several factors. For some people, it’s genetic, while others may be experiencing a response to some sort of stressor or past trauma.
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In order to keep your mental health in check, it’s important to be aware of signs that can be subtle that there is something affecting your mind. These signs include:
- A change in eating or sleeping habits
- Losing interest in people or usual activities
- Experiencing little or no energy
- Numb and/or hopeless feelings
- Turning to drinking or drugs more than usual
- Non-typical angry, upset, or on-edge feelings
- Yelling/fighting with loved ones
- Experiencing mood swings
- Intrusive thoughts
- Trouble getting through daily tasks
These symptoms can be wide-ranging and vary greatly from person to person. Everyone experiences grief differently, for example. However, if you are feeling unusually sad, on edge, or like you’re no longer interested in activities you used to love, know that there are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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