‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ star Patricia Heaton reveals the mortifying moment that made her quit drinking

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“Everybody Loves Raymond” star Patricia Heaton is recalling the moment 10 years ago when she decided to become sober.

During an interview with Woman’s World, Heaton shared that during the Coronavirus pandemic, her children left her home and she didn’t know how to spend her time.

“Right before the pandemic, my children had left home and I wasn’t working. The things that had always anchored me — my family and my work—were gone. I started thinking, ‘What am I supposed to do today?'” Heaton said.

The actress explained that her drinking didn’t escalate all at once, and she noticed her alcohol intake increased over time.

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“A glass of wine while cooking became wine with dinner, wine while cleaning up and wine while watching ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy!’ One night I realized I had almost finished an entire bottle by myself,” she said.

“I said a prayer: ‘God, I think you want me to stop drinking. I would be willing to stop, but you have to make it happen because I can’t. I’m willing, but I’m unable.'”

— Patricia Heaton

Heaton said at this moment, she started “thinking about alcohol differently” and turned to religion to help her.

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“I said a prayer: ‘God, I think you want me to stop drinking. I would be willing to stop, but you have to make it happen because I can’t. I’m willing, but I’m unable.’ The next night I was with my sons and their friends, and I couldn’t pronounce the word ‘tradition.’ I tried three times. My youngest son said, ‘That’s great, Mom. You can’t even speak,'” she recalled.

Debra Barone Debra, played by Patricia Heaton, on

Heaton said the incident “mortified” her and prompted her to begin her sobriety journey. “The next morning I said, ‘Okay, God. Message received.’ That was eight years ago,” she said.

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Patricia Heaton speaking onstage at America Reads The Bible event in Washington, D.C.

Heaton is a proud mom of four sons: Samuel, John, Joseph and Daniel. She shares all four children with her husband, British actor and director David Hunt, whom she married in 1990.

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