The Shining author Stephen King has said has said more than three decades of sobriety have made it easier for him to live a moral life.
King, who is also known for books such as Pet Sematary, IT and The Green Mile, admitted he doesn't usually 'talk a lot' about his experiences with drugs and alcohol, but opened up about being sober during an interview with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as part of BBC Radio 4’s The Archbishop Interviews series.
The 74-year-old explained he is part of a part of a programme which is 'supposed to maintain anonymity at the level of press, radio and films' and that he has been sober for 33 years.
His time away from drugs and alcohol has allowed sobriety to become 'part of' King's life, so much so that it allowed him to 'live a more spiritual life in many ways'.
"It makes it easier to live a moral life," he said, explaining: "Because when you do something that’s rather s**tty, you know that you’ve done it, and you have to talk about it a little bit.
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"Because the last thing that I want to do is to get drunk or to get stoned. And so part of my prayer is, please forgive me for what I did, because I don’t want to drink or drug anymore. And it works.”
The dad-of-three said his experiences both before and after going sober influenced his relationship with his children and grandchildren, and they now 'know what works' for him and 'what works for them'.
He said his children have 'their own spiritual inner lives', describing his two sons Joe and Owen as 'both very successful writers in their own ways' while his daughter, Naomi, is a minister in the Universalist Church described as a 'very spiritual person, and a beautiful, beautiful person'.
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King shared with Welby a promise he had been given, that if he sobered up he 'wouldn't regret the past or fear the future'. While he confirmed he doesn't 'really fear the future', the author admitted there are 'many parts' of his past he's 'sorry' to regret.
“There are things that I would do differently if I had a chance to go back. And one of the things that I’m grateful for is that my grandchildren never saw me at my worst," he explained.
King's interview with Welby airs today (27 March) on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support
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Topics: Stephen King, Drugs, Celebrity
Emily Brown