Dick Van Dyke Alcoholic

American actor Dick Van Dyke (full name: Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke ) best known for his films "Bye Bye Birdie", "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and in the TV series "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Diagnosis: Murder" revealed his 1960s battle with alcoholism in his new memoir, claiming he was mostly drunk for 15 years until he checked into rehab.


In his new book "My Lucky Life in & out of Show Business", Van Dyke, 87, opened up about the extent of his drinking habit, which turned the mild-mannered actor into a hostile and aggressive husband.

He revealed to Globe magazine: "(It got) to the point where I'd run a race with (my wife) Margie each night to see if I could get drunk before she could get dinner on the table."







Van Dyke, who insists he never got drunk when he was working on TV shows and movie sets, eventually went to rehab in Arizona in 1972 to beat his alcohol abuse. For that reason, he voluntarily committed to a psychiatric ward with hardcore addicts.

It has to be mentioned that Van Dyke couldn't accept the fact he was an alcoholic for years, which he now regrets, causing frustration to his wife and four children.

 


In a copywrited column by the "New York Times News Service", Van Dyke told Marilyn Beck: "I did a lot of worrying. I even phoned Alcoholics Anonymous a couple of times late at night when I was drunk, depressed and on a crying jag. But it wasn't until 15 months ago that I finally accepted the fact I was an alcoholic."

"Somewhere along the line I progressed from being just a party drinker to the point where I'd race with Margie (his wife) each night to see if I could get drunk before she could get dinner on the table," Van Dyke explained.



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