A Look At Young And The Restless Vet Tammin Sursok's Sobriety Journey
Many fans of "The Young and the Restless" are sure to remember Colleen Carlton, a role originated by Lyndsy Fonesca, briefly taken over by Adrianne Leon, and later, Tammin Sursok. Colleen was known for her relationship with JT Hellstrom, which fans lauded as one of the show's best couples, and for being the beloved daughter of Traci Abbott and Brad Carlton. The teenage character debuted on the soap in 2001, until 2009, when Colleen tragically died by drowning.
However, portrayer Tammin Sursok encountered some personal struggles in the years after her departure from the soap opera. In an Instagram post from October 3, 2023, Sursok compiled a video of fond memories from the previous year to celebrate her first anniversary of being sober. In the caption of the video, she detailed her past relationship with alcohol and the reasons that she decided to stop drinking in 2022 — plus the positive effect it has had on her life since.
Sursok says sober life is happier
In the caption to the video celebrating her first year of sobriety, Tammin Surok started by saying that she had been considering being sober for a long time but never felt like her relationship with alcohol was that destructive. However, she recalled that during the week, she couldn't wait to have a drink at the weekend to relax. Sursok also opened up in the post about some of her concerns about abstaining from alcohol but explained that it was all worth it in the end.
"I'm not gonna lie, a 'sober life' I was afraid of. How am I going to go to parties and fit in? How am I going to have fun? How am I going to feel energy and dance? What will everyone think of me? But I can honestly say, not only have I felt more joy, more happiness, more connection, but I've felt it in a greater way."
Sursok continued in the caption by reaching out to her followers and offering advice and support to people who might be going through their own journey with alcohol and a sober lifestyle. She also pointed out another perk of staying sober at parties: no hangover!
Another Y&R actor struggled with sobriety
Tammin Sursok is not the only "The Young and the Restless" star to turn to a sober lifestyle. Abhi Sinha, who played tech geek Ravi Shapur on the show from 2016 to 2018 before being written off, has also struggled with his sobriety. In October 2023, Sinha shared his own journey with choosing a sober lifestyle on Instagram and the life-changing effect it has had on his relationships and outlook on the future.
"Today I am 91 days clean and sober," he wrote in the caption. "I have an incredible support system. Friends who have become family. Family whose trust I have regained. All the pieces of myself that I never imagined would be gone have come back like magic. And a wiser, stronger me is certainly staring back in the mirror. For the first time in my life, I'm living in gratitude every day. I can't remember the last time I was this happy."
Sinha also explained that this is just the start of his journey and that he will keep moving forward daily. We are so glad that Sursok and Sinha have found peace with their sober lifestyle, and we wish them the best on their journeys moving forward.