Brooke Mueller Calls Herself a ‘Stage 4’ Addict: ‘Going to Relapse Again One Day’

Brooke Mueller revealed that she is a “stage four” addict and believes that the chances of her relapsing are high.

“When we’re at stage four, it typically means that cycle where you just have these relapses, no matter how well you get, and no matter how many years, it’s just a matter of time,” the actress, 47, said in an interview with People published on Tuesday, March 25. “I want to be honest about it because if I try to sugarcoat it, I’d be lying to myself.”

Mueller added that the “darkness and shame” associated with addiction has stuck with her and many fellow addicts due to the “pain” their struggles have caused others.

“It’s sad for us because we don’t want this, nobody would want this,” she confessed. “And so there’s got to be a mental health component to it, where our suffering sometimes gets so strong that we literally — our brain tricks us and rationalizes why this time it’s OK.”

Mueller has struggled with addiction and faced numerous legal woes over the years, including multiple arrests and stints in rehab. Mueller’s last relapse occurred in 2023, after six years of sobriety. She revealed to the outlet that she “convinced” herself that she needed medication for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and she does experience some of the condition’s symptoms.

“I somehow find these excuses, and I genuinely believe them, where I’ll justify and rationalize why I need a prescription for Adderall,” she admitted. “The last relapse I had was on something that can be abused, and the bottle is gone in a day and a half.”

Mueller’s struggles with addiction have affected her life with her family. She shares twins Bob and Max, 15, with ex husband Charlie Sheen. (The exes were married from 2008 to 2011.)

“I wouldn’t say living a life like this is any sort of great life. I’m not talking about now, but imagine you build up everything back,” she reflected. “You finally gained the trust and the respect, and the kids are being dropped off in your care and then constantly throwing it all away, not even knowing why or how because you weren’t planning on it.”

Mueller confessed that her sons know all about her struggles with substance abuse, which she believes is “unfair” to them.

“The sad reality is they get used to it — Mommy is going to relapse again one day,” she said. “They’ve never tried a drink or drugs or been on a date yet. I can’t tell you what I was doing at 15. They ended up being with their group of friends that happened to be really good kids.”

In addition to having her sons by her side, Mueller can also count on Sheen to help her “pick up the pieces.” Like Mueller, Sheen also struggled with substance abuse in the past and attended rehab. While Sheen can sympathize with Mueller, she claimed that he doesn’t fully grasp her struggle.

“He knows his whole addiction history, and [thinks], ‘If I can just stop without one AA meeting or without needing any whatever, then why can’t you?’” Mueller said. “I think he thinks it’s more about just making a choice, and then with the addiction [mindset], sometimes we don’t have a choice. We get to a point to where we don’t have a choice. But if I look back at our marriage, he was always one that could shut it off and turn it off and go to sleep, and I would be taking the car sneaking out to Skid Row.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).