Michael J Fox reveals he "drank heavily" after Parkinson's diagnosis
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 when he was only 30, and now Michael J Fox has opened up about the shock of the news and how he struggled to cope with illness.
In the new issue of People, the 57-year-old star, who has been married to actress Tracy Pollan since 1988, revealed that he took to drinking soon after he was diagnosed – and it got so bad that he was hiding wine bottles from his wife.
“I was isolating myself from my family,” said the Back to the Future star, adding his drinking caused friction in his marriage.
Tracy added: “It was scary because you just don't know how it is going to turn out.”
Michael recalled the tipping point came when Tracy found him passed out on the floor one morning. She let him know she was “over it” and instead of being angry, she looked “bored”, he said.
Tracy asked him: “Is this what you want? Is this what you want to be?” And then she walked out the door.
It was a turning point for Michael, who cleaned up his act, and started on his path to help others with Parkinson’s.
He launched his foundation to raise awareness and money for Parkinson's research, which has so far raised nearly $1 billion. Michel believes that in five years doctors will be able to 'predict' Parkinson's.