‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Star Patricia Heaton Celebrates Three Years ‘Freedom From Alcohol’

Known for her starring role as Debra Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond, outside her acting career Patricia Heaton recently celebrated three years without alcohol. She considers this milestone as years worth of “freedom from alcohol” alongside America’s July celebration of freedom.

She first gave up alcohol in 2018 after noticing “I was looking forward every night to cocktails. And if I happened to go to lunch, I might have a glass of wine or Prosecco.” The life choice made her “miss it terribly, but at the end of the day, I feel better” and follows her overall trend of focusing on her health.

This July, Patricia Heaton celebrates freedom from alcohol

Back on July 10, Patricia Heaton celebrated three years without alcohol in a video posted to Twitter. “A lot to celebrate this month,” she captioned in reference to her personal victory and Fourth of July, adding in the video, “It’s July when we celebrate our nation’s freedom. Also celebrating three years of freedom from alcohol for me.”

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She goes on, “So, just wanted to share that with you. And message me if any of you are thinking about doing that, any of you are doing that now and need some encouragement or anything at all. Have a great day.” This is part of a bigger choice to focus on her health by also swimming 50 laps in the pool four to five times a day, and kicking carbs in place of fat.

She wants people to be aware as early as possible about habits that can landslide

Heaton shared her personal concerns and extended them to others who might be on a similar path. According to Page Six, she cited the statistic that women who drink moderately in their 30s and 40s can be more prone to alcoholism later. She mused, “I think it’s something about your children leaving the house and the things that used to anchor you are no longer there. You’re a little bit at sea, and so you reach for the bottle to dull the uncertainty.”

Drawing from personal experience, she went on, “I sensed that a bit with myself. … I’ve stopped [drinking], and my life has improved significantly. My kids are in their mid-20s and I’ll probably be in my 70s by the time I have grandchildren. I want to be healthy for them.” Congratulations to Patricia Heaton on three years’ freedom from alcohol, and for making the choice to keep herself healthy!