While attending “Alcoholics Anonymous” meetings in New York, Matthew Perry’s close companion during his time in treatment provided insights into the actor’s difficult journey. Perry, well known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, was 54 when he was discovered dead in his Los Angeles home. The coroner ruled that Perry’s death was an accident.
Matthew, 54, experienced difficulties in Alcoholics Anonymous groups in New York as he struggled with the unique and confrontational approach of the other group members. A former acquaintance in treatment claims that because Perry couldn’t take criticism from others, he struggled to deal with the tough-love dynamics of the AA group.
In an interview with the NY Post, the rehab companion stated, “Mr. Perry wasn’t able to deal with the tough love which is characteristic of my AA group. I feel for him, but in my 25 years of experience, sometimes ‘helping’ someone is really enabling.”
The friend said he would have preferred not to give any further information in order to preserve the privacy of the rehab group. However, he continued, stating that Perry appeared to be a fairly typical individual struggling with addiction.
Prior to his death on October 28, Perry had made public his 19 months of sobriety. He was discovered unresponsive in his California pool. A fatal mix of ketamine and other drugs—some of which were not usually given by doctors—was discovered during the autopsy.
In his memoirs, Matthew Perry talked about his difficult struggle with addiction. He candidly discussed travelling to 6,000 AA meetings, undergoing over 15 rehabs, 65 detoxes, and bouncing between several treatment facilities and sober homes. He invested a sizable portion of his money in this focused endeavour, which lasted for half of his life.
