'I never sobered up': John Stamos says he 'drank wine to forget' what happened after DUI hospital stay

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The ‘Full House’ actor John Stamos has opened up about his struggle with alcoholism, admitting he never “sobered up.”

Moreover, he also admitted that his DUI arrest further pushed him to the bleak depths of alcohol addiction before he checked himself into rehab.

John Stamos says he ‘never sobered up’

Recently, Stamos talked about his difficult journey while recounting the time he was slammed with a DUI in 2015, during an interview with People. However, his struggle with alcohol started in 2002 during his run as Emcee in ‘Cabaret’, which he documented in his debut memoir ‘If You Would Have Told Me’.

Referring to his 2015 arrest, the ‘Fuller House’ star recalled during the interview, "When I did get the DUI … I came home from the hospital that night, I sat down, I drank a bottle of wine just to forget what just happened.”

He further added, "And I never sobered up. When you sober up, you have to look at the ugly truth, so you keep drinking."

He also recalled that he started filming for ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ in Canada soon after he was charged with a misdemeanor DUI when he was found driving intoxicated through the streets of Beverly Hills, California.

Stamos shared his experience of filming the 2016 hit, noting, "So I was kind of just loosely buzzed through the shooting of that movie.”

He also recounted his experience filming the movie during an appearance at Mayim Bialik’s podcast ‘Bialik Breakdown’ on Tuesday, December 19, where he admitted that filming ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ was his "bottom.”

He further added, "But I didn't get it and I just numbed myself for a few weeks after that. And when I came home, my sisters were like, 'OK, it's time to go, we found this place.' And I’m like, 'OK, I’m ready.'"

Following the incident, he started his journey towards sobriety as he admitted himself into an Alcoholics Anonymous treatment program in Utah. 

John Stamos realized he ‘could've killed somebody’

Ahead of the release of his memoir, the ‘General Hospital’ star opened up about penning down his experience on paper with USA Today.

Recounting his Emcee days for ‘Cabaret’, he admitted that his drinking began with the need for "liquid courage" to get through the performance, but that soon turned into him "drinking a bottle of wine every performance."

He further added, "Writing about (the DUI) just made me sick to my stomach because I could've killed somebody, before continuing, "It was just gross where I'd gotten to, where I threw all my family values, morals and beliefs that I’d had for so many years right out the window."

However, in the end, he was able to defeat his addiction as he checked himself into rehab. He admitted that his newfound sobriety played "a big part (in) my fairytale ending."

"Addiction runs rampant these days, and I just wanted to show people that if I could get through it then anyone can,” added the father-of-one.

Stamos concluded, "And without it, if I didn't sober up, I would not have a family. I would not have a son. I would not have a wife. I don't even know if I’d be alive."

John Stamos claims he was ‘chasing a combo of dopamine and serotonin’

Stamos detailed his grueling journey in his memoir, where he admitted that he went “off the rails” in 2015, per Today.

He wrote, “I’m burning my throat with liquor, burning bridges with arrogance, and burning the candle at both ends.”

Losing his mother Loretta pushed him towards further darkness as he shared, “I’m missing my dad, and my marriage has busted up, but it’s the loss of my mom, Loretta, who died nine months ago, that has me spiraling.”

He was missing his mother who kept him grounded, as he noted, “She kept me anchored, solid, and straightened out for most of my life. I’m feeling adrift and alone without her. Empty.”

Stamos also noted that he realized he was playing with fire when he was indulging himself with alcohol, "Proclivities can lie dormant within for a while, but I’m pushing my luck, drinking a bottle of wine every performance (including matinees).”

However, he added, “I can stop if I want. I’ve got this under control. I’m fine. Although it feels like I might be awakening a sleeping monster.”

The 60-year-old star further noted that he found himself "chasing a combo of dopamine and serotonin." He wrote, "Like any thrill, once you get used to prolonged pleasure hits, it takes more and more to get those neurotransmitters transmittin’. The kind of kicks that would get me excited and happy now need a dose of danger.”