This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
Drew Barrymore is recalling some devastating memories from her childhood. During an interview with Howard Stern, the talkshow host explained that she spent some time in a “full psychiatric ward” when she was only 13, and it sounds like it was a seriously harrowing experience.
Keep reading for more details.
During their conversation on The Howard Stern Show, Barrymore admitted that she was "out of control" when she was younger, prompting her mother, Jaid, to send her to Van Nuys Psychiatric.
She explained, "I was going to clubs and not going to school and stealing my mom's car and, you know, I was out of control."
Barrymore added, "So, you know, sometimes it was as humorous as that and sometimes I was just so angry that I would go off and then I'd get thrown in the thing."
The actress spent 18 months in "the thing," aka a "full psychiatric ward."
"I was in a place for a year and a half called Van Nuys Psychiatric and you couldn't mess around in there," she said. "If you did, you'd get thrown either in the padded room or get put in stretcher restraints and tied up."
Despite her horrible experience there, Barrymore does not resent her mother for making that decision.
"I think she created a monster and she didn't know what to do with the monster," she explained. "This was her last gasp, and I really was out of control, and I forgive her for making this choice. She probably felt she had nowhere to turn."
However, that does not mean their relationship has always been smooth sailing. There was a point in time when Drew and Jaid had no contact. The actress referred to that period as "the worst pain I've ever known."
Fortunately, their relationship has improved since then. She explained, "I feel goodness toward my mom. I feel empathy and understanding."
Watch the conversation here:
