18 April 2023 , 09:56
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Hayden Panettiere has revealed she turned to alcohol and opioids in the past before doing "a lot of work" on herself in recent years.
The 33-year-old actress - who is best known for her roles in shows like Heroes and Nashville - experienced substance abuse early in her career.
She also suffered from postnatal depression after the birth of her daughter Kaya, now eight, with her ex Wladimir Klitschko, 47.
Hayden talks about the difficulties in her past in a new interview and admits she used drinking as a "coping mechanism" in her early twenties.
Hayden Panettiere has spoken about having turned to alcohol and opioids in the past (Kimber Capriotti / Women's Health)
She spoke about her life in a new interview with Women's Health UK (Kimber Capriotti / Women's Health)Hayden told Women's Health UK it was a period in her life when she was being told "how to live". She added: "I wanted certain decisions to be my own, and no one could stop me. What I put in my body was like an act of defiance."
Hayden Panettiere's brother Jansen, star of Ice Age and Walking Dead, dies at 28
The actor said that some people work out, adding that she wished that had been her "coping mechanism".
Hayden said that alcohol may make someone feel better in the moment but it "makes you feel so much worse" the following day, and said the cycle then repeats itself.
She also discussed taking opioid painkillers following postnatal depression and a flare up of a neck injury in 2014. Hayden recalled being in "a lot of pain".
Hayden said her tolerance got "so high so fast" that it ended up becoming a "problem". She also said that she should have gone on antidepressants for her postnatal depression.
Hayden appears in the latest issue of the magazine (Kimber Capriotti / Women's Health)
Hayden is best known for her roles in shows like Heroes and Nashville, as well as appearing in the Scream film series (Getty Images)The actor said you have to find one that works for you, but said they "don't mix well" with alcohol. Hayden further stated that she hadn't been ready to stop drinking.
Hayden had her first stint in rehab in 2015 and later decided to leave the industry to work on herself, though she returned to drinking during her break from acting.
Discussing that period of her life, she recalled experiencing sleep deprivation and her face being "swollen". Hayden said that she even ended up seeing a liver specialist.
She suggested that she visited the specialist when she reached 30, amid experiencing a "swollen" face, as well as jaundice, thinning hair, "yellow" eyes and hair loss.
More recently though, she went back into treatment in 2021 and enrolled in a 12-step programme. Discussing her months of "intensive therapy," she said: "I did a lot of work on myself."
She noted that her body didn't feel as though it "belonged" to her and so she had a breast reduction last year. Hayden added that her "confidence is back" following the procedure.
Haunting last photo of Hayden Panettiere's brother Jansen before his shock death
And she further commented that a significant part of her therapy has been "living in forgiveness," with her saying that part of the 12-step programme is making amends.
Hayden made her highly-anticipated return to acting earlier this year in Scream VI, reprising her role as Kirby Reed in the horror sequel. It's her first acting project since 2016.
Read the full interview in the May issue of Women's Health UK, on sale from 18th April, also available as a digital edition.
Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email [email protected], message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.