Sir Elton John has long been open about his former struggles with addiction, especially since making the decision to become completely sober.
Fans have followed him on his sobriety journey since, and the 78-year-old took to Instagram yesterday to share that he reached a significant milestone, leading his followers to fill his comments with messages of support.
The singer shared a photograph of cards he had received from his friends and family for his '35th birthday', marking the anniversary of his sobriety journey.
He penned in the brief, but heartfelt, caption: "Grateful for all the love on my sobriety birthday [praying emoji] [heart emoji]".
In the comment section, fans inundated him with praise. One wrote: "I'm so proud of you, Elton! 35 years sober!", while another penned: "Happy Sobriety Birthday, Elton!"
Elton John's sobriety journey
The 78-year-old has frequently opened up about the aftermath of his drug addiction. During an appearance on The Today Show, he said: "I wasted such a big part of my life when this epidemic was beginning to happen in the early 1980s. And I was a drug addict and self-absorbed."
He continued: "You know, I was having people die right, left and centre around me, friends. And yet, I didn't stop the life that I had, which is the terrible thing about addiction. It's that bad of a disease.
"I was consumed by cocaine, booze, and who knows what else. I apparently never got the memo that the Me generation had ended."
He went on to speak about feeling fortunate for managing to get through the period: "You know what? When you take a drug and you take a drink and you mix those two together, you think you're invincible. I came out of this HIV-negative. I was the luckiest man in the world."
Elton's openness can 'inspire' others on their journeys
David Mahoney, qualified counsellor and founder of wellbeing communications agency KindComms*, shared his insight into the importance of high-profile celebrities being so public with their experiences.
"I believe it helps to normalise sobriety while also feeling relatable, he says. "If your favourite artist is sharing their sobriety journey, it can be inspiring and make you feel less alone. It also brings the topic into the spotlight, encouraging meaningful conversations around sobriety."
Christy Osborne, certified sobriety coach, spoke to HELLO! about her own journey giving up alcohol, saying: "Sobriety brought me peace. Understanding that alcohol had been elevating my cortisol and adrenaline levels, increasing my day-to-day stress, was a revelation."
She added: "I realised I had been using alcohol to manage the stress that it was creating in the first place. Without it, tasks that once seemed daunting, such as laundry or managing emails, no longer felt insurmountable."
See Elton John speak about cuts to HIV research funding below...