“Girls” star Jemima Kirke has opened up about her struggles with drug and alcohol abuse

One of the stars of Lena Dunham’s HBO show Girls, Jemima Kirke, has opened up about her struggles with drug and alcohol abuse in a new interview.

As Girls draws to a close, we now know that we’re not going to be seeing Jemima’s character of Jessa again, and we’re feeling pretty emotional about it. That hasn’t stopped us from having some burning questions about how the show might end. Of course, Jemima has previously revealed that she nearly quit the show after Season 2 (thank goodness she didn’t), and earlier this year spoke about how her becoming an actor ultimately led to the breakdown of her marriage.

Now, in a new interview, Jemima Kirke has spoken candidly about her struggles with substance abuse, and her experiences with treatment.

Speaking to Anna David’s podcast, Recover Girl, Kirke spoke about how she used drink and drugs as a tool, and explained how she doesn’t view herself as an addict.

"I didn't relate to [AA's] psychic need for the alcohol. I recognized it as a tool and I know how to use it as a tool," she said. "I'm not someone who drinks excessively but I will drink for a reason sometimes. It's a problem more than addiction. I think that's possible."

The Girls actor spoke about how, once she’d been to rehab, she felt like her experiences differed from other people undergoing treatment, noting that her experiences “didn’t look the way a lot of other people’s looked.” 

&that's a wrap for me on the series of GIRLS. Bye Jessa. Thank you 4 all you've done for me. SEE YA ROUND MY LOVE X pic.twitter.com/Kv9P5PBxxC

— Jemima Kirke (@jemimakirke) August 26, 2016

After one all nighter, Kirke said she ended up at her mother’s house, and that’s when she knew that she needed to change.

“I came home to my mom’s house and I was like, ‘I can’t do it anymore.’ I was just so tired and coming down,” she recounted. “And she was like, ‘Yes, thank you. Of course, darling, we’ll check you in.”

The actor, who has two children, has clearly experienced her own journey, and it’s an important reminder that not everyone’s experiences are the same. We’re glad that Jemima is now happy and healthy. And now that her turn in Girls is over, we’re very much looking forward to seeing what she does next.