"Growing Pains" star Jeremy Miller found fame at a young age and like many child stars, such as Drew Barrymore and Justin Bieber, he submitted to the temptations of alcohol and underage partying.
People magazine reported that the actor spoke with "Entertainment Tonight's" Brooke Anderson about his battle with alcoholism after "Growing Pains," where he played character Ben Seaver, ended taping in the early 1990s. According to Miller, his first taste of alcohol was at the age of four.
"My grandparents actually tell a story about how at 4 years old I would run around after their parties and clean up everybody's beers," he said.
Before bowing out of the spotlight, Miller starred in three TV reunion movies of the popular sitcom and landing a few guest starring roles. Miller told Anderson that he would often go over to the liquor store and drink a pint of whatever he bought by noon.
The actor, who has three sons with wife Joanie, admitted to drinking another pint of liquor before the evening and cited bourbon, vodka, and malt liquor as some of his choice drinks. Miller said he would sometimes black out, but claimed that alcohol was his way of suppressing emotions.
His addiction reportedly took a toll on his family and himself; he also revealed that he considered suicide during his darkest days
"My boys were afraid of me," he said. "There were probably a few nights it was awful close. I'm glad I did not own a gun, because I hated myself so thoroughly, I would have done something very stupid."
Miller told Entertainment Tonight that a new treatment of an anti-alcoholism drug Naltrexone - not yet approved by the FDA - changed his life. The former child star has been clean for two years and works as a patient advocate at the Start Fresh Recovery clinic in Santa Ana, California.
