"From the inside out, I felt disgusting if you tried to flip me. There was nothing. "I had no identity," stated the "DWTS" pro who became sober in 2018.

Cheryl Burke is being candid about her struggle with alcoholism.

The professional dancer from "Dancing with the Stars", Elizabeth Vargas, spoke on Tuesday's episode of Elizabeth Vargas’ "Heart of the Matter” podcast. She also shared her struggle with alcohol addiction and her journey to sobriety.

Burke, 37, said that she was a ballroom girl by day and then party-goer at night for 10 consecutive years. She also noted that she didn't drink until she was 21.

She recalled, "I had a very Olympic lifestyle, I suppose, before I moved to Los Angeles to compete in 'Dancing with the Stars'. There was nothing like that." But I feel that feeling. My coach is an addict.

She continued, "I had all or nothing, black, white, no grey," and said she was "mean" to her self.

Mirrorball champion and two-time Mirrorball winner shared her promise to stop drinking. It didn't work.

Burke stated, "I made promises to myself that I would not drink alone. Then that started to disappear." Burke said, "Or I would not drink before 5 p.m. and no drinking on the weekdays. It never stopped. It was so bad that I couldn't take anymore.

"I was a functioning drinker for sure."

Vargas, who has been sober seven years after completing a program of alcoholism recovery, then mentioned that Burke had once said that "being a functioning addict was the most frightening part." Vargas pointed out that Burke could have been drinking at the time and still performed on "DWTS."

"All I can tell you is that my thoughts didn't get in the way of my drinking. I was numbing. Burke said that I was drinking to numb -- and that that's scary. It was survival mode seven days a weeks for me. It was necessary to survive each day.

Ballroom dancer, meanwhile, shared that she never had a "crash-and-burn" moment. She explained that "crashing and burning" is a feeling of emptiness and feeling like there is no purpose.

She said, "From the inside out. If you were to flip my body, I would feel disgusting. There was nothing. I had no identity."

Burke answered the question "Alcoholic" and said that she is an addict as well. Yes. Yes.

Burke spoke with Vargas about her decision to quit drinking while she was there. She shared that she stopped drinking after her engagement party with Matthew Lawrence and after the death her father, an alcoholic, had died.

Burke spoke with Vargas about more details. She revealed that Burke witnessed her father drinking whiskey as he died in a Thai hospital.

She said, "I knew I wasn't going to stop drinking if I didn’t make a commitment to myself to quit,”

Burke claimed that her body started "reacting differently to alcohol" after she returned home and she started to experience "full-on" allergic reactions, one of which occurred during her engagement party.

She explained that it was subconsciously something. It was my body rejecting all the poison it had been exposed to for so many years. Then came our engagement party. It was hosted by Kym Herjavec, and I took one shot of fireball. I felt so angry that I broke out in hives and quit that night.

Burke, now three years sober, also spoke with Vargas about her friendship and support from AJ McLean of Backstreet Boys. Burke stated that McClean, who is also sober, brought up Alcoholics Anonymous "quite a lot" during their time as partners in the final season of "DWTS." Burke shared in July that McClean had been to her first meeting.

Burke stated that AJ did not force it down his throat when AJ and I danced together. However, AJ mentioned it quite a lot. "I have been to therapy three times per week. But there is nothing like it."

Please call the SAMHSA Substance Abuse Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP if you or someone you care about is suffering from addiction.

-----------------------------------

Title: Cheryl Burke Confirms She Is an Alcoholic: I Drank '7 Days A Week'
Sourced From: toofab.com/2021/10/20/cheryl-burke-confirms-she-is-an-alcoholic-drank-seven-days-a-week/
Published Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2021 18:31:14 +0000

Read More