Lena Dunham has been sober for six months after "misusing" anti-anxiety medication for three years.
Lena Dunham
The 32-year-old actress began taking Klonopin when she was unable to participate in daily activities and her anxiety was hindering her work, and she found the drug made her feel "like the person [she] was supposed to be".
Speaking to Dax Shepard on his podcast 'Armchair Expert', she said: "If I look back, there were a solid three years where I was, to put it lightly, misusing benzos, even though it was all quote unquote doctor prescribed...
"I've been sober for six months. My particular passion was Klonopin.
"I was having crazy anxiety and having to show up for things that I didn't feel equipped to show up for.
"But I know I need to do it, and when I take a Klonopin, I can do it.
"[It made me] feel like the person I was supposed to be.
"It was like suddenly I felt like the part of me that I knew was there was freed up to do her thing."
The 'Girls' creator found her use of the drug began to increase.
She said: "It stopped being 'I take one when I fly,' to 'I take one when I'm awake.'
"I didn't have any trouble getting a doctor to tell me, 'No you have serious anxiety issues, you should be taking this. This is how you should be existing.' "
Lena increased her dosage after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and felt like she was a "living panic attack".
She said: "I was diagnosed with pretty serious PTSD. I have a few sexual traumas in my past and then I had all these surgeries and then I had my hysterectomy after a period of really extreme pain.
"It stopped feeling like I had panic attacks and it started feeling like I was a living panic attack. The only thing that was notable was the parts of the day where I didn't feel like I was going to barf and faint."
Though the 'Camping' producer had had her "fair share of opioid experiences", she didn't realise how hard it would be to quit the drug.
She said: "Nobody I know who are prescribed these medications is told, 'By the way, when you try and get off this, it's going to be like the most hellacious acid trip you've ever had where you're f***ing clutching the walls and the hair is blowing off your head and you can't believe you found yourself in this situation.'
"Now the literal smell of the inside of pill bottles makes me want to throw up.
"I still feel like my brain is recalibrating itself to experience anxiety. I just feel literally on my knees grateful every day."
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