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Ben Affleck Is Taking a ‘Major Step in the Right Direction’ on His Road to Recovery (Exclusive)

Ben Affleck realizes what he needs to do to continue down the road to recovery.

Related: Celebrities Who Have Been to Rehab

“Ben works incredibly hard to follow a program that makes sense for him and his journey,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. “He attends meetings, works with a sober coach and takes whatever steps he feels will help him along the way. Knowing when to seek help is one of those steps, and his willingness to do so is a major step in the right direction.”

Ben Affleck Is Taking a ‘Major Step in the Right Direction’ on His Road to Recovery
Ben Affleck BG004/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Case in point: The Oscar winner, 46, agreed to return to rehab for the third time after his estranged wife, Jennifer Garner, helped stage an intervention at his home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 22.

“A key part of Ben’s recovery focuses on seeking help when he may not be in control,” the source says. “The best case scenario when those steps aren’t enough is to seek help, which he did willingly.”

Related: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s Divorce: Everything We Know

Garner, 46, drove Affleck to a rehab facility in Malibu on Wednesday afternoon. He previously sought treatment in 2001 and again in early 2017. Since then, he has continued to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

A source later told Us exclusively that the Alias alum was “well aware of what was going on” with her estranged husband, from whom she filed for divorce in April 2017, nearly two years after their separation. (The pair share daughters Violet, 12, and Seraphina, 9, and son Samuel, 6.)

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“Ben told her he was done with Lindsay [Shookus] and she knew he was drinking again,” the insider said. “Ben is not good at being alone. She knew he was in a bad place recently and that she was going to have to intervene. … She has been down this road with him for years and is the only one that can really get through.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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