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For decades, Us Weekly has offered a glimpse into the relatable lives of celebrities — from what they’re really like off camera to their everyday moments of parenting — proving that underneath it all, they truly are “Just Like Us.” But we’ve also shared their emotional, heartfelt, and very real journeys through pain, struggle, and loss. Through the years, stars have come to Us Weekly to talk about their battles with alcohol and drug misuse and detailed their private suffering to help others through their own experiences.
But some stories deserve a second look.
Right now, approximately 48.5 million Americans are grappling with substance misuse, according to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). What many don’t realize is that approximately 50 percent of those people are using these substances to cope with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD — known as co-occurring disorders — which often goes untreated. We want to change that.
I’m proud to introduce The Missing Issue, a special edition of Us Weekly focused on telling the rest of the story for many celebrities known to struggle with substance misuse. In partnership with the harris project — the only nonprofit dedicated to co-occurring disorders awareness, prevention, and treatment, founded by Stephanie Marquesano after losing her son, Harris, to a fatal overdose — this issue features powerful stories from celebrities and insights from experts.
By sharing these stories, my hope is to shift how we report on substance misuse in the media, to understand The Missing Issue and, ultimately, to help save lives.
To purchase The Missing Issue for $8.99 go to https://magazineshop.us/harrisproject.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and/or substance use, you are not alone. Seek immediate intervention — call 911 for medical attention; 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; or 1-800-662-HELP for the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline. Carrying naloxone (Narcan) can help reverse an opioid overdose.
