Drew Barrymore Discusses Teen Rehab, Harsh Conditions

Drew Barrymore told guest Mae Martin on The Drew Barrymore Show that she was taken to a rehabilitation/institutional facility as a teen around age 13–14 and spent roughly 18 months to two years there. She described the experience as hard and “the best thing that ever happened to me,” while also saying she felt very alone and angry during that time. Reporters have described the facility as strict, with accounts of padded rooms and restraints, and both Barrymore and Martin praised Martin’s Netflix series Wayward for its authentic depiction of life inside such institutions. The guests emphasized protecting young people from being pathologized too early and reflected that breakdowns and rebirths are often part of growing up.