Elizabeth Vargas' Alcohol-Free Journey: Age And Sobriety

Elizabeth Vargas, a respected TV reporter and anchor for ABC News, has had a long battle with alcoholism. In 2014, at the age of 54, Vargas described herself as an alcoholic and checked into rehab for the first time. She has since been open about her journey to sobriety and has shared her story in her memoir, Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction, which was published in 2016. In her book and interviews, Vargas reveals the rock-bottom moments she experienced due to her addiction and her struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. Today, Vargas is grateful for her recovery and hopes that by sharing her story, she can help others who may be struggling with similar issues.

Elizabeth Vargas's battle with alcohol addiction

Elizabeth Vargas, the ABC News anchor, has had a long and challenging battle with alcohol addiction. Her journey to recovery has been well-publicized, and she has been open about her struggles with anxiety and alcoholism. In doing so, she has helped shed light on the link between anxiety and alcoholism, a topic that is often stigmatized.

Vargas first acknowledged her alcoholism in January 2014, when she was 54 years old, and has since been on a road to recovery. She has been through several relapses and rehab stints, first checking into rehab for alcohol abuse in November 2013. Vargas described how her addiction was a well-kept secret until "it all blew up in my face." She drank to ease her anxiety and gain confidence, but while the alcohol numbed her anxiety, it also blurred the good moments.

Vargas's battle with alcohol addiction stemmed from anxiety rooted in her childhood. After her father joined the Vietnam War, she began suffering from daily panic attacks. She was told to hide her anxiety to avoid appearing weak, but this only made the problem worse and intensified her addiction to alcohol. One of her lowest points was when she blacked out for 13 hours, ending up in a New York City hospital with a potentially lethal blood alcohol level of .4.

Vargas has been sober since 2014 and has written a memoir, "Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction," detailing her struggles and rock-bottom moments. She has also spoken about her journey on various platforms, including a podcast and a tell-all interview, to help raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with alcoholism.

Her relapses and rehab stints

Elizabeth Vargas's battle with alcohol addiction has been a long and challenging journey. She has relapsed several times and sought treatment multiple times over the years.

Vargas first acknowledged her alcoholism in January 2014, when she described herself as an alcoholic. She sought treatment for her addiction in November 2013, checking into rehab for alcohol abuse. However, this was not her first attempt to get help. During a family vacation in 2012, she recognised her problem and sought treatment in Utah, but she left prematurely and relapsed.

Vargas's struggles with alcohol continued, and she hit rock bottom several times. One of her lowest points was a 13-hour drinking blackout where she ended up in a New York City hospital with a potentially lethal blood alcohol level of .4. She had no memory of what happened and was rescued by a kind stranger who found her unconscious on the side of the road. This incident led to her second stint in rehab.

Despite her efforts to stay sober, Vargas relapsed again in the summer of 2014, around the time of her son Sam's 8th birthday. She planned to bake a cake for his birthday but instead ended up in a detox facility, marking her last relapse.

Vargas's addiction was rooted in her anxiety, which began in her childhood when her father joined the Vietnam War. She suffered from daily panic attacks and was told to hide her anxiety, which only intensified her problems. Alcohol became a way for her to cope with her anxiety and gain confidence, but it also blurred the good moments in her life.

Vargas's journey to sobriety included multiple rehab stints and relapses, but she eventually found success. As of 2016, she has been sober for two years and has written a memoir, "Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction," detailing her struggles and rock-bottom moments. She has also opened up about her journey in interviews, hoping to shed light on the link between anxiety and alcoholism and help others struggling with addiction.

The impact of her alcoholism on her career

Elizabeth Vargas, a well-known American television journalist, has been open about her struggles with alcoholism, which began to affect her career in significant ways. She was in her early forties when she first acknowledged and addressed her problem with alcohol. Born in 1962, Vargas was 47 years old in 2009 when she first entered rehab for treatment. At the time, she was at the peak of her career, serving as the anchor of *20/20*, a prominent newsmagazine on ABC.

Vargas' alcoholism had a profound impact on her professional life. In an interview, she revealed that there were times when she would be drunk on air, although she believed that most viewers did not notice. However, her colleagues and bosses did start to become concerned about her behavior and appearance. Her drinking affected her work performance, and she recalls having to be reminded by her producer to introduce certain segments during a broadcast because her inebriated state had caused her to lose track of the show's flow.

As her alcoholism progressed, Vargas found it increasingly difficult to manage her busy career and her disease. She recalls a particular incident where she was so hungover that she was physically ill during a commercial break, and her colleagues had to step in to help her. Another time, she was too drunk to write her portion of a script for an upcoming show, which is a crucial part of her job as an anchor. These incidents highlight how alcoholism was impairing her ability to function effectively in her high-profile role.

The impact of her drinking also extended to her reputation and public image. In the world of broadcast journalism, where one's appearance and demeanor are scrutinized, Vargas' struggle with alcohol began to show, and it affected how people perceived her. She shared that she would receive comments from viewers about how terrible she looked, and there were rumors circulating that she was sick or had an eating disorder. This negative attention took a toll on her self-esteem and further fueled her drinking as a way to cope.

Recognizing the impact of her alcoholism, Vargas took a leave of absence from her anchoring duties in 2013 to focus on her recovery. She returned to work the following year but soon found herself struggling again. In 2014, she took another break from her career to enter rehab for the second time. This relapse demonstrated the ongoing challenge of maintaining sobriety, even for someone with a strong support system and access to resources.

Vargas' story underscores the far-reaching consequences of alcoholism, which can affect even the most successful individuals. Her experience also highlights the importance of seeking help and prioritizing recovery. By speaking out about her journey, Vargas has not only addressed the impact of her alcoholism on her career but has also inspired others to confront their own struggles with addiction.

Her divorce and co-parenting with Marc Cohn

Elizabeth Vargas, an American television journalist, and Marc Cohn, a singer-songwriter, got married on July 20, 2002, after three years of dating. The couple has two sons, Zach and Sam, and Vargas also has two stepchildren, Max and Emily, from Cohn's previous marriage.

In 2014, Vargas checked into rehab in Tennessee for alcoholism treatment. While she was away, Cohn hired a divorce lawyer and initiated the divorce process without informing her. When she returned from rehab, Cohn was still on tour, and Vargas had to go on air for an interview with George Stephanopoulos to discuss her addiction. She later described herself as "'stunned' upon watching that interview, knowing that her husband wanted a divorce.

The divorce was finalised in 2014, marking the end of their 12-year marriage. Vargas described the split as "brutally difficult". Despite the divorce, Vargas and Cohn agreed to joint custody of their sons. Cohn expressed his support for Vargas's recovery and acknowledged the complexity of their situation. He also applauded her efforts to raise awareness about the link between anxiety and alcoholism.

In an interview, Vargas reflected on her relationship with Cohn post-divorce, stating that it was focused on co-parenting their sons. She emphasised their mutual love for their children and acknowledged that they would remain in each other's lives due to their shared parenthood.

Vargas's road to recovery and sobriety

Elizabeth Vargas, a respected TV reporter and anchor for ABC News, has had a long and challenging journey to recovery and sobriety. Vargas struggled with alcohol addiction for many years, often drinking to cope with anxiety and panic attacks that stemmed from her childhood.

Vargas first acknowledged her alcoholism during a family vacation in 2012, when she realised she needed help and sought treatment in Utah. However, she left treatment early and relapsed. In November 2013, she checked into rehab for alcohol abuse, and ABC confirmed that she was undergoing treatment for alcoholism. Despite her efforts, she continued to struggle with relapses and checked into rehab multiple times.

In January 2014, at the age of 54, Vargas described herself as an alcoholic in an interview with George Stephanopolous. She also opened up about her addiction in her memoir, "Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction," which was published in September 2016. In the book, she detailed her rock-bottom moments and her battle with alcohol, hoping to shed light on the link between anxiety and alcoholism.

Vargas's turning point came when she nearly lost everything due to her addiction. She recognised that the cost of her alcoholism outweighed any perceived benefits. She also credited the support of a counsellor, who helped her understand the impact of her drinking on those around her. By 2016, Vargas was on the road to recovery and had been sober for two years. She continues to share her story to help others, teaching that alcoholism is a disease and not something to be stigmatised.

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