Christy Carlson Romano on Overcoming Longtime Struggles with Alcohol: It 'Almost Ruined My Life'

Christy Carlson Romano didn't let alcohol get the best of her.

In a new YouTube video posted to her channel Tuesday, the 37-year-old Even Stevens alum said she got exposed to nightlife at a young age and started consuming alcohol at just 16 years old. Noting her longtime struggles, she said drinking "almost ruined my life."

"The thing is that once you lock in a habit, a habit can become something that becomes a part of your personality, especially when you're young," she said. "So what I wasn't realizing was that I had a little bit of shyness from being sort of an awkward preteen and tween. What was happening was I was learning how to have fun as long as alcohol was involved."

Romano clarified that while she wasn't "waking up and drinking," she had become a binge drinker. The YouTuber said she eventually hit a point where she would sleep until it was time for her to go out drinking again.

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Romano reached a state of depression, which she said was a result of her drinking — since alcohol is a depressant — adding that it creates "the perfect formula for somebody to stay down."

In order to turn things around, Romano explained that she participated in talk therapy and briefly took a low dosage of antidepressants. But the medication didn't work because she "couldn't stop drinking" since it was "so embedded" into her daily life, she said.

Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

At one point, she said she reached a place where she was unable to quantify how much alcohol she had consumed per day and was drinking to the point of "getting buzzed."

"Having alcohol in my life influenced a lot of the negative thought process that I had. I wasn't understanding my self-worth, I wasn't very accountable for my actions, and I was quite numb about what I was doing to people," she said.

"I wasn't thinking clearly about the future. When I was drinking, I was never thinking about being a mom. In fact, it was the furthest thing from my mind. I could barely take care of myself," she continued. "I didn't really have any goals. I didn't have any dreams. I didn't have a lot of feelings. A lot of those things were just pushed down. Alcohol kept pushing them down for me. It wasn't helping me. It wasn't giving me anything I could grow from. It was a bad presence in my life."

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Romano chose to quit drinking when she learned she was pregnant with her first daughter, 4-year-old Isabella. According to the social media star, becoming pregnant "changed everything."

Though Romano — who also shares daughter Sophia, 2, with husband Brendan Rooney — isn't currently in a 12-step program, she revealed that she has attended several years of Al-Anon meetings. Now, she prefers to drink alcohol-free mocktails when she goes out.

"I can see the benefits of not drinking and being sober. I look younger, I feel happier — obviously, more consistently," she said. "I can grow and learn more about myself and my emotional journey. I can do so much more. It's a better way of life to not have alcohol in your life."

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Romano has been candid about her sobriety in the past. Recently, she reflected on being five years sober on TikTok. She opened up about the milestone as she lip-synced the lyrics to "Know Yourself" by Drake, "I've been running through the six with my woes."

"Graduated from [an] IVY league [school], sober for 5 years, have 2 daughters," the text across the screen read.

Romano further addressed her sobriety in the post's caption: "#DeepRealization. Life hits you hard sometimes…"

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.