Actress Heather Locklear has emerged from her stint in an Arizona rehab facility, where she was allegedly be treated for anxiety and depression. Locklear began a quiet downward spiral earlier this year after her psychiatrist called 911 in March to report his fear that Heather was suicidal. Initially, Locklear’s rep denied the incident, calling it a misunderstanding. But in June, she quietly checked herself in for treatment. Four weeks later, she’s out, and according to friends is feeling like her old self again.
After successfully completing four weeks of treatment for anxiety and depression, Heather Locklear is back home.
“Heather’s feeling really great,” says a close friend. “And she looks beautiful, just radiant.”
While the actress’s recovery is “a work in progress,” Locklear seems rejuvenated by her month away, says the friend. “She told a really funny story and she laughed from her core,” says the pal, who has seen Locklear since she returned home last weekend. “That’s when I knew she was going to be fine. I think that’s the best part of all – it’s so nice to hear her laugh.”
During her time at the Arizona facility, Locklear, 46, remained under doctors’ care while getting therapeutic spa treatments, riding horses and spending quality time alone. Her spirits were lifted by two visits from boyfriend Jack Wagner.
Since she checked herself in on June 19, Locklear has enjoyed the support of her ex, Bon Jovi rocker Richie Sambora. Their daughter Ava, 10, spent the last few weeks with Sambora but is now with her mom. Locklear is most excited, says the source, to be “back home with Ava.”
According to reports, Heather was being treated for depression shortly after her breakup with Richie Sambora. Sometimes depression medication has some scary side effects, one of them being suicidal thoughts. It sounds like Heather needed some more intense therapy to help her. But do spa treatments and horseback riding really work?
Best wishes to Heather on her continued recovered- and most of all, best wishes to her daughter. Between the nasty divorce, her father dating her mom’s former friend and then getting busted for DUI, and now her mom dealing with depression, this kid has had a rough time recently. Maybe she should be the one getting the spa treatments and pony rides.
Heather Locklear is shown out at The Ivy on 5/14/08. Credit: WENN
She seems like such a class act. I hope she’s in a better place now. 🙂
Good for her for getting help when she needed it. Hope she does well.
Just to clear up, depression medicine can’t GIVE you suicidal thoughts. What happens is that you start taking them and you get more energy – in some cases causing people to act upon EXISTING suicidal thoughts, where they previously didn’t have the energy to execute those plans.
She’s been through a lot of crap recently. My prayers go out to her. I’m sure she now has the ability to make a comeback. I hope it will be on a new nightime soap where her character is all kinds of bitchiness. Just in time to save us from the deluge of reality TV. When is this reality TV gonna end? Huh? The American economy will bring us all back to fantasy soaps and I hope Heather will be there to bring it on. Go Heather, go.
i hope she’s on the way to recovery for her daughter’s sake. i have a feeling richie isn’t the only one in that relationship who liked to party.
Well…with all due respect, I sought treatment in the late 90s for mild depression, and I never had suicidal thoughts of any kind until they put me on depression meds. After a matter of just 3-4 weeks on the first pill, my depression symptoms ramped up into reclusive behavior, overwhelming lethargy, and anxiety/panic attacks that brought serious suicidal symptoms. I was scared out of my mind during that time because I went from “a little blue” and being proactive by seeking some professional advice…to being a raving manic lunatic with no desire to live. After trying three different meds over a reasonable period of time (nearly a year), it was concluded that I was reacting poorly to the drugs and they took me off. 3 months after being taken off the pills…voila! No more suicidal impulses or deep depression. The meds help LOTS of people, but for some folks, the brain chemistry does NOT react well to that class of medication. It can and DOES cause suicidal behavior and an exascerbation of depression symptoms in some patients. For me, behavioral modification therapy and some breathing techniques that I learned from my therapist…coupled with pilates and yoga…did the trick. I hope that Ms. Locklear really got the help she needed..and good for her for seeking it. Depression is such a waste of life.
I just love Heather. I remember being up late at night in the 80’s to watch her on Dynasty. To still respect a woman like that is awesome, to still have her deserve my respect is empowering! Hope you feel better Heather and my good thoughts are with you.
I am about the same age and thought the blues I had was from the “change of life”. Even if she “partied”,I’m sure that “the change” is going on with her too, which doesn’t help. Depression sucks. I wish her the best and hope she is okay.
Agree BD
The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.
Cuántas veces habrás estado escuchando su música preferida o un emocionante partido de fútbol y de repente te quedas sin pilas en su radio.