Lena Dunham Celebrates Five Years of Sobriety: 'Happiest of My Time on Earth'

The 36-year-old "Girls" alum marked the special occasion with a post to Instagram that detailed her journey into sobriety and how the decision to get sober changed her life for the better.

Alongside a photo carousel of various selfies, Dunham recalled "trembling like a little kid" when she entered a rehab facility to treat her substance addiction as her parents hugged her goodbye. She previously said she entered treatment in 2018 for an addiction to benzodiazepines like Klonopin.

"The struggle with addiction hit me little by little, then all at once," she confessed -- and though she called it "cliche for a reason," the Golden Globe winner explained that "asking for help was the hardest part."

"I mean, aside from the other hard parts, but each step from there got easier," Dunham said. "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."

She went on to call her last five years of sobriety "the happiest of my time on earth so far."

"They've been full of work, love, complexity and - yes - pain. But facing all of that without medicating myself in unhealthy ways has given me a sturdy baseline and new tools," she added. "5 years ago all of this was impossible to imagine. 5 days was impossible to imagine. 5 minutes sometimes felt hard."

She continued: "I was able to get and stay sober because I had the support and resources to ask for and get incredible help - medical, spiritual. 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."

To celebrate her five year journey, the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star also announced she would be matching donations for Friendly House, a rehabilitation facility she says "doesn't turn away women or gender nonconforming individuals for financial reasons."

"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," she concluded. "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's celebrity friends flocked to the comments to praise the actress for her accomplishments.

"So proud of you kid," Sarah Silverman wrote.

"Lena the great," Selma Blair gushed. "I am so happy. And in admiration. It makes all the difference to stay here. And I send loooooove Beautiful!"

"Sleepless in Seattle" actress, Rita Wilson, celebrated Dunham and commented, "Happy sober birthday, Lena" while Rumer Willis also wrote, "I love you and I’m so proud of you."