Jessica Simpson is marking a major milestone. The 41-year-old actress and singer took to Instagram on Nov. 1 to celebrate four years of sobriety. Looking back at her road to recovery, Simpson shared a photo of herself from before her journey began. “This person in the early morning of Nov 1, 2017 is an unrecognisable version of myself,” she wrote in the caption. “I had so much self-discovery to unlock and explore. I knew in this very moment I would allow myself to take back my light, show victory over my internal battle of self-respect and brave this world with piercing clarity. Personally, to do this I needed to stop drinking alcohol because it kept my mind and heart circling in the same direction and quite honestly I was exhausted.” While Simpson knew the process wouldn’t be easy, she also knew it would be worth it. “I wanted to feel the pain so I could carry it like a badge of honour,” she continued. “I wanted to live as a leader does and break cycles to advance forward-never looking back with regret and remorse over any choice I have made and would make for the rest of my time here within this beautiful world.” ‘This person in the early morning of Nov 1, 2017 is an unrecognisable version of myself,’ she wrote in the caption. ‘I had so much self-discovery to unlock and explore. I knew in this very moment I would allow myself to take back my light, show victory over my internal battle of self-respect and brave this world with piercing clarity’ Simpson then noted she couldn’t believe it’s been four years since she started living a sober life. “It feels like maybe 2. I think that is a good thing. Ha,” she wrote. “There is so much stigma around the word alcoholism or the label of an alcoholic. The real work that needed to be done in my life was to actually accept failure, pain, brokenness and self-sabotage. The drinking wasn’t the issue. I was. I didn’t love myself. I didn’t respect my own power.” “Today I do,” she continued. “I have made nice with the fears and I have accepted the parts of my life that are just sad. I own my personal power with soulful courage. I am wildly honest and comfortably open. I am free.” Simpson has discussed her past alcohol abuse before, including in Open Book. In her memoir, the fashion mogul recalled a day when she had been drinking and was unable to get daughter Maxwell, 9, and son Ace, 8, whom she shares with husband Eric Johnson, ready for Halloween in 2017. “I was terrified of letting them see me in that shape,” Simpson, who also shares 2-year-old daughter Birdie with the former football player, wrote in the book, per Today. “I am ashamed to say that I don’t know who got them into their costumes that night.” Simpson spoke to a close group of friends and sought help. She worked with a team of doctors and attended therapy. “I just realised that I had to surrender,” she told Today in 2020. “I mean; I just want to continue on the path that I’m on. And at this point in my life, now I’m strong enough to deal with anything that comes my way because I don’t have something to retreat to that will numb me from going through it.”