Matthew Perry is to check himself into a rehabilitation facility to 'focus on his sobriety.'
The former Friends star, who has battled an addiction to painkillers and alcohol in the past, is planning to take a month off from from work as a 'proactive measure' and has not suffered a relapse.
Perry, 41, issued a statement last night which said: 'I’m making plans to go away for a month to focus on my sobriety and to continue my life in recovery.
In a comment reminiscent of his character Chandler Bing, the actor added: 'Please enjoy making fun of me on the world wide web.'
A spokesperson for the star confirmed that he has not yet checked into any facility.
Perry has had two previous rehab stays to receive treatment for his addiction to painkillers and alcohol.
Matthew became addicted to Vicodin after a jet skiing accident and later confessed to taking 20 to 30 pills a day before his his initial 28-day stay in 1997 at Hazelden Foundation rehabilitation centre.
In 2000 he was hospitalised for pancreatitis due to excessive alcohol consumption, which led to a second stay in rehab at the Promises Center in 2001.
'In my case, it was hard living and drinking hard and eating poorly,' he told Us magazine a year later. 'You play, you pay.'
During his addiction and treatments Matthew's weight fluctuated drastically, and at his lowest at 66kg he was forced to deny rumours of an eating disorder.
His yo-yoing weight became especially obvious in 2000 between season six and seven, when he starred in the episode where Chandler proposes to Monica.
Perry was at his heaviest on the season finale in May, but had dropped 20 pounds by the time the storyline picked up for the first episode of season seven in August of that year.
During the Friends finale interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2004, Matthew discussed his decision to seek help.
'It actually had very little to do with courage at first. It's kind of a life or death situation,' he said.
'So what saved me was finally getting a bit of clarity in my life and realising that this was it. If I keep living my life this way, there isn't going to be any life. So you ultimately... I guess the keyword is "surrender", and you realise that you need help, so you finally ask for it and you realise the "Matthew Perry Plan" sucks.
His Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer rallied around him during Matthew's previous battle with addiction.
Perry said of his castmates: 'The most loving group of people who are saying every day, "We love you, can we help," doesn't really work until you realise you have to.'
'It hit me like a flash. It was like "Oh! Look what I've been doing for the last few years of my life."'
Since Friends ended Perry has starred in comedy series Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip and teen film 17 Again.
His new show Mr Sunshine, which he created co-produces and stars in, premiered in February.
The former Friends star, who has battled an addiction to painkillers and alcohol in the past, is planning to take a month off from from work as a 'proactive measure' and has not suffered a relapse.
Perry, 41, issued a statement last night which said: 'I’m making plans to go away for a month to focus on my sobriety and to continue my life in recovery.
In a comment reminiscent of his character Chandler Bing, the actor added: 'Please enjoy making fun of me on the world wide web.'
A spokesperson for the star confirmed that he has not yet checked into any facility.
Perry has had two previous rehab stays to receive treatment for his addiction to painkillers and alcohol.
Matthew became addicted to Vicodin after a jet skiing accident and later confessed to taking 20 to 30 pills a day before his his initial 28-day stay in 1997 at Hazelden Foundation rehabilitation centre.
In 2000 he was hospitalised for pancreatitis due to excessive alcohol consumption, which led to a second stay in rehab at the Promises Center in 2001.
'In my case, it was hard living and drinking hard and eating poorly,' he told Us magazine a year later. 'You play, you pay.'
During his addiction and treatments Matthew's weight fluctuated drastically, and at his lowest at 66kg he was forced to deny rumours of an eating disorder.
His yo-yoing weight became especially obvious in 2000 between season six and seven, when he starred in the episode where Chandler proposes to Monica.
Perry was at his heaviest on the season finale in May, but had dropped 20 pounds by the time the storyline picked up for the first episode of season seven in August of that year.
During the Friends finale interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2004, Matthew discussed his decision to seek help.
'It actually had very little to do with courage at first. It's kind of a life or death situation,' he said.
His Friends co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer rallied around him during Matthew's previous battle with addiction.
Perry said of his castmates: 'The most loving group of people who are saying every day, "We love you, can we help," doesn't really work until you realise you have to.'
'It hit me like a flash. It was like "Oh! Look what I've been doing for the last few years of my life."'
Since Friends ended Perry has starred in comedy series Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip and teen film 17 Again.
His new show Mr Sunshine, which he created co-produces and stars in, premiered in February.
