Elizabeth Taylor’s son, Christopher Wilding, reminisces on the family support her mother received during her addiction struggles. In the final episode of the BBC documentary show Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar, which captures the life of the late star, Wilding discussed his mom’s battle with drugs and alcohol.
Taylor started overdosing on pain medications, which were originally prescribed for her back problem, and when her family got wind of it, they challenged her about the dangerous practice. Wilding recalled that her mom was shocked about their reaction and the steps they took toward ensuring that she gained sobriety.
Elizabeth Taylor’s addiction struggles
Taylor had been depending on drugs since she was a child as she was born with a musculoskeletal disorder, scoliosis, and Wilding attested to the fact, claiming that she experimented with different drugs while growing up as her mother had a reserve of “all these miracle drugs,” which they consumed when they felt unwell.
Aside from her childhood experience with uncontrolled access to medication, Taylor was diagnosed with chronic back pain after sustaining a fall on a filming set, and she was placed on strong pain medication to deal with the pain. Little did the late actress know that the pain medication would be her worst nightmare as she got addicted to it.
The late actress’s family came to her rescue
Taylor attributed her life-threatening addiction to her failed marriage as it spiraled out of control during her marriage to John Warner. The late actress acknowledged in her lifetime that being a senator’s wife made her “bored and lonely” as they lived in Washington, DC. Taylor was also quick to give an excuse when the people close to her confronted her about the act, as she always claimed it was a prescription medication.
Eventually, her family concluded that she had to get external intervention since they could no longer handle it by themselves. “We’d talk to her, but things got to the point where it was decided an intervention would be necessary,” Wilding shared. ” We were all petrified.” Fortunately, Taylor came to realize the family was going through an ordeal because of her, and she agreed to seek professional help.
Taylor faced some life reality when she went to rehab as she had to share a room with a stranger as part of the intervention. Following, the experience, Taylor felt grateful for being accepted for herself, which in turn helped her to discover her true identity. During her lifetime, the actress shared her story with other people who had similar challenges, hoping to find inspiration and help.