Two-thousand eleven wasn't the best year for actor Charlie Sheen. His father, Martin Sheen, has finally revealed how he felt during Charlie's times of addiction.
Martin told Radio Times that he felt "powerless" during Charlie's public meltdown. The meltdown caused Charlie to be fired from the hit show "Two and a Half Men," which he starred in.
After being fired, Charlie went on a "disastrous" nationwide stand-up comedy tour, "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option." His father said he did not attend any of Charlie's live shows.
"What he was going through at that time, we were powerless to do much," he confesses. "Except to pray for him and lift him up."
"Only those of us that knew him understood what was going on," he added. "He was in a very desperate situation. And he was doing what he felt would get him out of it - going public. And it was very painful. No less painful for him."
Martin realized that all he could do was be "as present as possible."
Martin struggled with addiction himself. His alcoholism led to a heart attack in 1977, but he has now been sober for almost 30 years. He claims that Alcoholics Anonymous taught him how to support Charlie, no matter what he was going through.
Having been in similar situations, Martin was able to understand Charlie's battle, but he knew that nobody could fight it for him.
"You can assure them you're there and you love them, but you cannot effect change," he admits. "You pray for a moment of clarity, you trust in a higher power and you never, ever give up hope. Because that is a measure of despair."
