Things are looking up for singer, dancer and actress AJ McLean who is enjoying the joys of her second year of sobriety!
The founding member of the Backstreet Boys has been dedicated to cleaning up his act since bandmate Richardson confronted him about his drug and alcohol addiction in July 2001.
Following years of failed attempts, the singer can now boast of being two years sober and he shared all the details of how that milestone has shaped his life so far in a recent interview.
AJ McLean Separates Ordinary Life From Her Celebrity Status To Help Her Simplicity
The first time McLean had cocaine, he thought it would be an easy drug to stop using. However, with three failed recoveries – 2001, 2002 and 2011 – and a relapse in 2019, he soon discovered that was easier said than done.
Despite the setbacks, one constant was his commitment to maintaining sobriety for the sake of his role as a husband and father. To that end, the “I Want It That Way” hitmaker sets clear boundaries between his careers [as AJ] and personal life [as Alexander James] to deal with the stress caused by substance abuse and fame.
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Today, he can hold his head high while emphasizing that his sobriety is now at its strongest level as he makes it past the two-year mark. Speaking about his sobriety journey and the biggest lesson he’s learned from it so far, the 45-year-old said:
“[It’s been a] almost two years now, and life is beautiful. Probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is authenticity, being my true and authentic self.”
Explaining more about the life-changing journey, especially when it came to letting go of her celebrity identity, McLean tells PEOPLE:
“I’ve had a few conversations with my band mates and the people I work with when I’m off work, I’ve asked them all to call me Alex. That’s my real name. AJ is a persona. AJ is a character. It doesn’t define who I am, and I now feel like I find this healthy balance when I’m done on stage and I leave. I am a father, I am a husband, I am a friend, I am a brother. That’s all that matters to me.”
He then stated his intention to continue to grow into his true self as he went further in his health journey.
Pushing against the demons of his addiction, the “Shape of My Heart” singer has focused on mending his relationship with his estranged wife, Rochelle McLean, nearly eight months after they announced their split. About that, the “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” actress revealed during a podcast appearance:
“We talk every day, we spend more time together. We just have to rebuild something that was never there in the first place. I come with baggage, he comes with baggage, he has trauma, I have trauma. I am not aware or ready to be aware. He’s dealing with s—. It’s just a constant push-pull: He’ll sweep his feelings under the rug or I’ll dive into the bottle.”
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In September, McLean revealed that while his life is on a positive trajectory, his sobriety journey remains an ongoing process. He stated at the time:
“This coming Tuesday [September 28], I’ll be sober two years, so life is great now. It never gets easier, but it just becomes part of the mind that works. You need to make it a daily thing whether you attend meetings or not.
To get through the daily challenges, the “I Heart Nick Carter” starlet shared that she engages daily with her sponsors and individual friends on the program.
Additionally, he received support through an intensive outpatient mental health program following the conclusion of the Backstreet Boys’ “DNA World Tour” in May. The program, which lasted ten weeks in Arizona, contributed significantly to his journey.
“I knew I had a window of time, so I said, ‘you know what? I have to do some internal work. The sobriety thing is good. I have to go back and do some digging.’ Ten weeks of my life, I’m so grateful for it. It was totally worth it,” McLean detailed during a reflective conversation.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
