Brad Pitt Resumes Drinking After 7 Sober Years as Experts Warn of Relapse Risk

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 17

Seven years after getting sober, Brad Pitt said in an Aug. 10 Esquire interview that he has started drinking again in a “more restrained manner” and avoids “big quantities.”
Jessica Steinman, a Los Angeles addiction specialist, said returning to alcohol after a problematic history can be “dangerous” and that she rarely sees long-term success when people try to reintroduce it.
Steinman said addiction-related brain changes can remain dormant after sobriety, making renewed drinking vulnerable to escalation; warning signs include rising intake, secret drinking, daytime use and erratic behavior.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says abstinence generally offers people with alcohol use disorder the best chance of long-term success, though some can return to occasional drinking under treatment plans set with clinicians.