Former 'Full House' star reflects on drug abuse

Jodie Sweetin, who played the rambunctious Stephanie Tanner on "Full House," discussed her past abuse of alcohol and drugs at a free lecture at the Student Union Theater Tuesday night.

"I don't know what to expect. I wanted to see her because she's a cast member from 'Full House'" said Hannah Mondrach, a 1st-semester Spanish and Italian major, while waiting in line. Students lined up for the event early and seats were taken quickly.

Sweetin reflected on her reasons for turning to substances and her own feelings of inadequacy.

"I was not good enough" Sweetin said, reflecting on her early self-image.

Sweetin's view of herself was due to her feeling of being inept. With such early, intense success, the high expectations were crushing for her, it would then become the question of if she ever be good enough. Throughout the talk, Sweetin tried to correlate her negative self-image and depression. Since drinking alcohol was a way to "get away" from stress, alcohol was her first addiction. Sweetin joked that her first alcohol drink was at "Full House" castmate Candace Cameron's wedding when she was only 13 years old.

One reason alcohol was her drug of choice was because of its easy access. At that time, Sweetin was unaware how quickly drug addiction affected her personal life and the lives of her loved ones.

First came the lies she told to people she cared about, then she would be quickly annoyed by people who care enough to criticize her drug addiction. Soon her "friends" were the ones who "seem normal but took drugs," Sweetin said.

She admitted to using cocaine and methamphetamine.

But her life was everything but normal. Drugs became the center of her life before she knew it. The thought scared her so much that she finally checked in to a rehab. She got divorced while in rehab and it took her years before she recovered, remarried and put her life back together.

One students asked her if she every fully recovered from drug abuse and Sweetin honestly answered "no" saying that it would always be part of her life.

"She is a person from our age group and conquered drug abuse," said Kristan Ingraham, a 3rd-semester chemistry major. "So Jodie's talk on drug abuse served as a warning to the harm it brings."

"Full House" was not the beginning of Sweetin's acting career; she started off with appearing in commercials. In 1987, she made her big-screen debut as Pamela, the niece of Mrs. Poole, in "Valerie."

"It was hard to be in school and to have constant attention," said Sweetin.

That same year, Sweetin was asked to be Stephanie Tanner in "Full House" and performed that role until the "Full House" finale in 1995.