If you were old enough to read gossip magazines in the '00s then the words 'Primrose Hill set' will fill you with wistful nostalgia. Made up of various Young British Artists (YBAs), musicians and actors, the group included Sadie Frost, Kate Moss, Meg Matthews, Sienna Miller, Gavin Rossdale, Ewan McGregor, Patsy Kensit and Rhys Ifans.
It was a well established fact the Primrose Hill set were a group of friends famous for having the best social lives in London. Andrew Johnson described the group as 'a host of other musicians, actors and general celebrities lived next door to each other and seemed to be having a whale of a time with drink, drugs and bed-hopping.'
But as is so often case, the clearly amazing fun of being part of the friendship group came with struggles. Today, Pearl Lowe spoke on Loose Women about having to leave the tight-knit group behind in order to escape the party world and look after herself.
'I've been sober nearly 15 years now, when I look at old pictures I just think, "My god, who is that person?". I actually look at pictures and think "I feel quite sorry for her" because I was in pain and it seemed like it was this great place to be, at all these parties, but I had young children and I was trying to keep my husband happy, be happy, go out and try to have a career - because I was in a band at the time - but it was so difficult and obviously something had to give. Basically, I ended up getting rid of my mobile phone and moving to the country.'
The wake-up call apparently came on one particular day that Lowe had been taking drugs upstairs in her home, and when she returned downstairs she found her toddler son holding a bag of pills (this was around the same time that Jude Law'stwo-year-old daughter ate an ecstasy tablet she found on the floor at a children's birthday party). Realising he could have ingested them she decided enough was enough.
She shared: 'That was the moment that I literally went and got help. I was really young, we were in our 20s, early 30s - I guess some people might think that early 30s is quite old to be doing that - but I was like I've got to make some massive changes here.'
She went on to explain that when she stopped partying and taking drugs, lots of the people in her life faded away.
'I had to cut everyone out of my life. Me and Danny were part of many sets, it wasn't just that set. We were in bands so we were close to lots of singers and musicians. It was a buzzing time, it was the mid-90s and there were lots and lots of parties. When I got clean, of course people dropped me.'
Cutting drugs or booze out of your life is a brave and often essential choice. But it's scary to imagine that if you cut the party lifestyle, you'll also lose your friends. Is it possible to keep both?
A 2002 study found that people who cut ties with their former social networks are significantly more likely to succeed in quitting substance abuse. Plus, according to Dr. Steven Melemis, an addiction specialist from the University of Toronto, cutting contact with friends who are still using is an essential part of recovery and relapse prevention.
'It’s usually best to reach a strong point in your recovery before engaging with friends who use drugs or alcohol. Being around these individuals can trigger thoughts or emotions that lead to relapse,' he wrote in a report.
The upside is that while you do need to avoid settings where drinking, drugs and partying are a central feature, you don't have to cut out the people themselves forever. Dr Melemis adds: 'If you decide to stay friends with people who use substances, avoid places and situations where drug or alcohol use may occur. Friends who have active substance use disorders may encourage you to abandon your sobriety and return to unhealthy habits.'
So, if you're worried about your drug and alcohol intake - whether it's having a significant impact on your life, or just your Saturday night is starting to run into Sunday morning and alarm bells are quietly ringing in the background - getting some space from the people you party with might well be the first step towards a healthier life.
If you're struggling with substance or alcohol abuse - even if you're not sure whether you're an addict or not, you can talk to your GP, FRANK, Alcoholics Anonymous__, Narcotics Anonymous or Samaritans__.