Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has opened up about her struggle with drug and alcohol addiction, telling Meredith Vieira on NBC’s “Today Show” that recovery from addiction is the greatest accomplishment in her life. After a cosmetic surgery procedure on her eyes at age 35, Curtis became addicted to prescription painkillers. Now 51, the actress has been clean and sober for more than 10 years.

Curtis told Vieira that recovery is accepting that your life is in shambles and knowing that you have to change it. She added that she feels lucky that she didn’t have to lose anything, as so many other addicts have.

In a 2008 interview with More magazine, Curtis said she used the drugs to get high and to avoid feelings of loneliness, and drank heavily at times for years. She admitted to stealing pills from her sister, who was recovering from a broken bone at the actress’ home.

Family and friends were unaware of her addiction, including her husband, actor and director Christopher Guest. Curtis decided to get clean when she considered how her addiction would affect her daughter Annie.

Sources: PopEater, Jamie Lee Curtis Says Recovery From Drug Addiction Is Her ‘Single Greatest Accomplishment’, September 7, 2010

New York Daily News, Korin Miller, Jamie Lee Curtis opens up about past painkiller addiction, June 23, 2008