"It Took Me a Long Time to Get Over It"Dick Van Dyke Opens Up About His Alcohol Abuse

Dick Van Dyke is getting candid about his issues with alcohol abuse.

“I was very shy with strangers, I couldn’t talk to people,” the 90-year-old Mary Poppins star confessed in [Entertainment Tonight](http://www.etonline.com/news/180530dickvandykerevealshisshynessledtoalcoholism/)‘s first look at his upcoming _Oprah: Where Are They Now? interview. “And I found if I had a drink, it would loosen me up. The barriers went down and I became very social. That’s what got me started.”

Dick in December 2015.

The veteran actor even revealed his struggle with alcoholism was extremely difficult to overcome. “It took me a long time to get over it,” he added. Dick is now sharing his story with the hope of inspiring others to overcome substance abuse issues. “I get a lot of letters from people, who say all of a sudden they weren’t ashamed to admit they had a drinking problem and they got help,” he shared. “So I’m very proud of that.”

RELATED: See Dick Van Dyke Sing ‘Mary Poppins’ Tunes With a Flash Mob for His 90th Birthday!

The Oprah: Where Are They Now? featuring Dick is set to air on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 10 p.m. ET on OWN.

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