Josh Brolin, 56, says he likes getting older because it helps him “melt out” amid his past struggles with addiction

• Josh Brolin says he enjoys getting older because it helps him “bleed.”

• The actor spoke to The Times about his tumultuous childhood and past alcohol abuse.

• According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol abuse cost $249 billion in 2010.

After years of struggling with addiction, Josh Brolin says he doesn’t think so aging is a bad thing.

In an interview with The Times published on Saturday, Brolin talked about how his perspective on life has changed as he’s gotten older.

“I like getting older. It’s like a good excuse to finally say, ‘OK, don’t worry, you don’t have to spin constantly,'” Brolin told The Times.

The “Marvel” actor said he had a tumultuous childhood and began dabbling in drugs at a young age, trying marijuana when he was 9 and taking LSD when he was 13.

Brolin struggled with alcohol addiction as he got older.

He finally got sober in 2013 after seeing his 99-year-old grandmother on her deathbed, the actor said. He paid his dying grandmother a visit after waking up hungover in the street, and it made him realize he had many years to live.

“I knew it would be the last time I drank,” Brolin said. It’s been over a decade since the actor gave up drinking and he says he thinks life is better now.

“I love being sober. I have more fun,” he said. “There’s nothing I’m going through that I’m absolutely sure wouldn’t be worse if I drank.”

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol abuse cost USD 249 billion in 2010. Three quarters of the total cost is related to binge eating.

Based on data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 28.9 million people age 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder — colloquially referred to as alcoholism — in the past year.

In 2020, researchers from the University of Southern California found that every gram of alcohol consumed per day aged the brain by about seven days.

Excessive drinking can also contribute to weight gain, cause damage to the liver and even weaken the immune system.

According to the CDC, drink in moderation consists of two drinks a day or less for men, and one drink a day or less for women.

Gen Z seems to be taking note. The younger generation say they drink less than their predecessors: A 2021 Gallup poll of 1,000 people found that only 6o% of those aged 18 to 34 said they drank alcohol, compared to 70% of those aged 35 to 54.

A representative for Brolin did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside of normal business hours.

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