Lena Dunham Celebrates 5 Years of Sobriety, Says 'This Was Impossible to Imagine' Before Rehab

The Girls star — who has been sober since April 2018 — celebrated the milestone by donating to Friendly House, a nonprofit women’s addiction treatment center

Lena Dunham is celebrating a huge milestone in her sobriety.

On Monday, the 36-year-old Girls creator, who has previously discussed her struggles with substance abuse, posted a series of photos on Instagram in honor of reaching five years sober.

"5 years ago today, I set foot — trembling like a little kid — into treatment for substance misuse," she began her caption. "My parents hugged me goodbye, I changed into house slippers and there I was. The struggle with addiction hit me little by little, then all at once."

She wrote: "It's a cliche for a reason — asking for help was the hardest part (I mean, aside from the other hard parts, but each step from there got easier And ease was always the goal — ease in my body, ease in my restless mind and the ease to exist in moments of pain, anxiety and uncertainty without reaching for a solution that seemed to help in the moment but pulled me further away from the people I love and the life that I wanted.)"

Dunham explained that the past five years have been "the happiest of my time on earth so far." She said going through life without drug use gave her a "sturdy baseline and new tools."

"5 years ago all of this was impossible to imagine. 5 days was impossible to imagine. 5 minutes sometimes felt hard," she said.

"I was able to get and stay sober because I had the support and resources to ask for and get incredible help — medical, spiritual," she continued. "For so many people, the difference between sober and using isn't their willingness, or their strength- it's their resources. We don't have a system that makes this easy for those who are already struggling to make their lives work."

Related: Lena Dunham Reflects on Her Time in Rehab: 'Getting Sober Changed My Life'

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Additionally, Dunham shared that in honor of her "lucky sober birthday," she's raising money for Friendly House, a nonprofit women's addiction treatment center. She vowed to match all the donations made by her followers.

"I hope we can band together and give others the gift of that support, so they can celebrate similar days, living in their true strength. Every cent you give will go to helping people deal with addiction and trauma," she added. "There are a lot of people who deserve thanks here — I hope I've given them enough of that face to face, but today is a good reminder to give more. Every day is a lesson I am lucky to learn, and I don't take it for granted. So especially today, I am grateful."

Dunham previously discussed quitting Klonopin, a type of Benzodiazepine used to treat symptoms of anxiety, panic disorders and seizures. She explained that she wasn't aware of her dependency on "doctor prescribed" drugs while she was using.

"I didn't know I had an issue with drugs for a long time: because they were doctor prescribed, because I was outwardly successful and not a wild in da club party chick. But wouldn't you say that hurting people you love is an issue? Wouldn't you say feeling lost and lonely much of the time is an issue? Wouldn't you say wearing shorts to a movie premiere *is* an issue?"

Related: Lena Dunham Debuts 'Sick' Tattoo on Her Neck as a Reminder of Endometriosis Battle

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"Sobriety hasn't fixed my world. Life is still challenging- that's the nature of the game," she said after celebrating her first year of sobriety. "But every day I am surprised by the richness and depth of, well, reality. I don't need to escape this beautiful carnival. Instead, I'm on the ride."

Dunham later told PEOPLE that her experience gave her a passion for recovery.

"I'm here because getting sober changed my life and I'm really, really passionate about recovery and sober living being available for everyone no matter their income bracket, especially for women who are so often put in danger when they are new to sobriety," Dunham said in October 2019.

"So I think that for me, Friendly House is just representative of what America can do if we make the choice to support recovery, and I love Friendly House because they are trans and non-binary inclusive, because they don't turn women away because of income bracket, because they bring women together who are from really different paths of life and allow them to connect through the miracle of recovery."

"That's something I've benefited from, and I don't want recovery to only be available to people and women who have my level of privilege," the actress added.

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