Jackie ‘O’ Henderson reveals the one sign of her secret drug and alcohol addiction after revealing she kept her battle secret from her loved ones
As a compassionate observer, I find Jackie’s courage to share her harrowing struggle with addiction truly admirable. Her journey, marked by resilience and heartbreak, serves as a stark reminder of the insidious nature of substance abuse and its ability to affect even the strongest among us.
Jackie O’ Henderson has disclosed a telltale clue that hinted at her hidden battle with substance abuse involving drugs and alcohol.
On Thursday’s episode of The Kyle and Jackie O Show, the radio host, aged 49, openly discussed her struggle with addiction and her covert rehabilitation stay during a heartfelt conversation.
She described her journey into a severe addiction after her 2018 divorce from UK photographer Lee Henderson, and also detailed her relapse during the COVID-19 lockdown.
During the peak of her addiction, Jackie consumed approximately 10 to 12 Stilnox or Zolpidem sleep medication pills, along with 24 Panadeine Forte tablets daily, often accompanied by alcohol. Medical professionals strongly caution that such a practice can be extremely harmful.
Instead, she concealed her struggle with addiction by informing her family and colleagues that she was dealing with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms when she went on a prolonged leave from work in November 2022 to seek treatment at The Betty Ford Clinic in California.
Currently, Jackie has unveiled the clear indication that hinted at her hardships, as her loved ones, including family and friends, began noticing her seclusion and excessive drinking.
In conversation with Sydney Morning Herald, she mentioned that her friends started observing her lapses in memory, which they would frequently point out by saying: “Jackie, we discussed this yesterday, don’t you recall?
As a devoted admirer, I found myself jotting down our spontaneous chats on sticky notes, serving as future prompts to recall the details of our discussions. This tactic, you see, was my secret weapon to veil my personal battles.
Brittany Woodford, Jackie’s personal assistant, started finding empty medication packets and was torn between ensuring Jackie’s health and fulfilling her responsibilities as an employee.
Brittany, aged 35, articulated how difficult it was for her to witness someone dear to her in pain, saying, “It was tough to stay put, seeing someone I care about enduring hardship.” She added a nuance, “She’s more than just a boss to me; she’s like my sister as well.
Instead of directly telling Jackie to seek help, she chose to write kind notes and hide them for Jackie to discover, hoping it would inspire her to get assistance. However, her attempts didn’t bear fruit during that period.
In time, it was Gemma O’Neill, Jackie’s closest friend, who ultimately convinced her to seek treatment at a rehab facility. Gemma noted that Jackie began withdrawing socially and secluding herself.
She mentioned to the Sydney Morning Heral that for a moment, it appeared as though she might have acquired agoraphobia.
In truth, that’s exactly where my thoughts were heading, as the actual situation turned out to be quite different than anything I might have anticipated.
Despite not realizing it herself, Jackie’s mother, Julie Last, expressed worries about Jackie’s heavy drinking habits. However, she noted that Jackie would become defensive and aggressive whenever the subject was brought up.
In the end, Jackie shared her difficulties with her closest companion, Gemma. This conversation prompted them to make a clandestine trip from Australia to attend The Betty Ford Clinic located in California.
Jackie mentioned that Betty Ford warned her against making any adjustments to her medication prior to traveling, stating it might be risky. Consequently, Jackie continued taking her pills on the day she departed for the United States.
Betty Ford is well-known for providing treatment to celebrities such as Keith Urban, Robert Downey Jr., and Lindsay Lohan. The cost for a month-long stay at Betty Ford can range from approximately 45,000 AUD to 90,000 AUD, depending on the specific program being followed.
On her personal radio program on Tuesday, Jackie openly discussed the deep-rooted challenges of her addiction that started over 15 years back.
During that period, she was given a potent opiate-based pain medication due to endometriosis – a condition characterized by growths of tissue resembling the uterine lining occurring exteriorly, leading to intense discomfort.
She admitted that she was given a medication and ended up taking it excessively at one point. Recognizing this could potentially become an issue, she decided to stop using it.
After splitting from UK photographer Lee in 2018, Jackie resumed taking her medication. They share a daughter, Kitty, who is 13 years old.
She admitted that she returned to it as a means of seeking some form of joy, yet it also served as an escape – a decision she now recognizes as being mistaken.
Jackie mentioned that she began occasionally using some codeine and one Stilnox each evening along with a glass of wine. She referred to this as a situation where she would lose consciousness.
‘You can still be awake and have no idea what’s going on,’ Jackie shared.
‘It’s like you’re kind of functioning but you have no memory.’
Jackie’s devastating addiction began to take hold primarily due to spending prolonged periods at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, she openly admitted that she was grappling with difficulties and experiencing profound sadness.
She disclosed that the amount of medication was gradually increasing, reaching an extreme level, where she was taking approximately 24 Panadeine Forte tablets per day, and later around 10 to 12 Stilnox.
It seems as though someone was looking out for me, for I have no idea how I managed to wake up each day with such a high dose.
In November 2022, Jackie booked a 28-day stay at The Betty Ford Clinic, and neither her workmates nor her fellow host, Kyle Sandilands, knew why she was taking time off.
She revealed a passage from the preface of her memoir, expressing that while her entire team undoubtedly wishes her well and may be intrigued by her short-term break, none of them truly comprehends why she is taking a step away.
‘But it has to be this way.’
In a heartfelt apology, she confessed to her audience that she had been less than truthful when she revealed on her radio program that she was dealing with long-term effects of Covid-19, as she had not disclosed all the details. She used the words ‘omission’ and ‘lied’, but what she really meant was that she didn’t tell the whole story.
She expressed her regret to her audience and those in her life who may have felt left out regarding this matter. She had to focus primarily on that aspect, especially during the initial year of recovery, she explained.
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2024-10-26 03:58