Bill McCay/Wireimage
It's no secret that Lindsay Lohan has had her share of troubles, but the starlet is finally coming clean about what led her down a very dark path in 2007, which resulted in her two arrests and three rehab stints.
Lohan now says the underlying cause of her erratic behavior was her father, Michael Lohan, incessantly talking to the press about the family's issues.
"That's when I hit rock bottom," Lohan says. "I abused substances too much, and it wasn't the answer to my problems. People need to know that. I tried to mask my problems with alcohol, cocaine and mind-altering substances," the actress, 23, tells U.K. newspaper The Sun. "Now I'm in a place where I don't need to use anything and I can feel emotions because I choose to."
The 23-year-old says she had a disturbing wake-up call in January 2007 when, after taking the sleeping pill Ambien, she woke up in her bathtub with the water overflowing.
"I was so scared," she says. "I called my therapist and said, 'Can I just go somewhere for a month? I'm around bad people and I need to take care of myself.'"
After her first stint in rehab, Lohan was arrested for drunk driving -- an incident she now calls "stupid and childish." Then, two months later, she was picked up again for driving under the influence and was found in possession of cocaine.
"I was only aware of cocaine because of my dad," Lohan says. "I was terrified of it. But I tried it because I was stubborn, stupid, and wanted to see what it was like."
Lohan did two additional stints in rehab after those arrests, and now, three years later, says her life is finally back on track. She says she sees a therapist every two weeks and attends weekly alcohol-education lessons. "I'm allowed to drink now but I know my limits," she maintains. "I learned from my mistakes, and I'm now healthy and happier. I've made some dreadful mistakes but learned from them -- that has probably saved my life."
Plus:
- Lindsay Lohan: I'm Not Cutting Myself
- Does Lindsay Have a Hoarding Problem?
- Lindsay Lohan: Sam Ronson Was Not Abusive
Do you think Lindsay Lohan is out of the woods for good? Chime in below!
