The Sad Reason Jodie Sweetin Lost Nearly 40 Pounds
Jodie Sweetin is getting candid about her pandemic experience. The former "Full House" star, now 39 (via Page Six), has endured quite a journey since the popular sitcom's initial conclusion in 1995. Rising to prominence at just five years old, Sweetin portrayed Stephanie Tanner, the sarcastic middle child of Danny Tanner (played by Bob Saget). The show eventually came to an end in the mid-1990s when Sweetin was 13 and since then, the actor has experienced ups and downs — including rampant drug use.
According to TODAY, Sweetin began smoking marijuana in high school and eventually leaned her way into cocaine and ecstasy use during her college years. After marrying a police officer at the age of 20, Sweetin told TODAY, "At the time I started doing the hard drugs, the methamphetamine and coke and stuff, it was a lot easier to hide than drinking." She even gave a speech about the dangers of drugs at a university after "coming down from a two-day bender of coke, meth and Ecstasy" — using the speaking fee to further her drug use.
Thankfully, the now mother-of-two cleaned up in 2016 and starred in "Fuller House" the same year. The show would ultimately culminate amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and now Sweetin is telling all about her tough quarantine moments.
Jodie Sweetin admits she was a 'stress starver' during the pandemic
Though the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, we are thankfully in a much better place now compared to March 2020. With vaccines and a better scientific understanding of the virus, we've come a long way. But for most, it was a tumultuous time as it took a devastating toll on many people's mental health. Such is the case with "Full House" alum Jodie Sweetin.
Sweetin, who was "was a mess" throughout the pandemic, revealed she "lost like 37 lbs. during [quarantine], because I'm a stress starver, and not in a good way" on the "Allison Interviews" podcast — adding that she "just stopped eating [and] couldn't keep food down." She contined, "I have severe anxiety and depression anyway, so it really didn't do any favors for my mental health," she mentioned elsewhere. She further noted that she "really struggled with it, and for me it was a time of feeling really out of control" and couldn't "imagine how it affected people who were working on the front lines."
The star has been open about her mental health. In 2019, she shared a picture on Instagram "In honor of world mental health day," in which she lamented having "a full panic attack in the bathroom that day [and] cried for hours straight and felt the world was caving in." Sweetin added feeling "absolutely broken inside and feared [I] couldn't pull [myself] back together."
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and mental health, please contact SAMHSA's 24-hour National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).